Should You Shop From Lightinthebox.com? Must Read This Before Buying

LightInthebox.com is a website from China where you can buy all sorts of stuff like clothes, gadgets, home and garden things, and more. Some people might think it’s a scam, while others think it’s legit. When deciding if it’s safe to shop there, it’s important to look at a few things before clicking the order button.

I decided to try a few items from this website after I came across glowing customer reviews on Trustpilot, here is my review after buying.

About Light in the box.com

LITB is short for “Light In The Box.” It’s a big online store that sells all kinds of stuff, like clothes, gadgets, home and garden stuff, accessories, and more. This company is located in China and is founded by Jian He in 2007.

Lightinthebox most popular products

1. Apparel (women’s, men’s, and kids/babies)
2. Lights and lighting
3. Jewelry and watches
4. Shoes and bags
5. Toys and sporting goods
6. Beauty and hair products

My Experience Shopping From Light In The Box

Last month, I decided to give shop from lightinthebox.com this was after I found a tank top my daughter would love on the website. I added four more items to my cart due to their shipping policy, but only received four items, missing the one I really wanted for my daughter. They offered a 15% discount to reorder it, which felt unfair given the additional shipping costs.

Disappointed, I found the quality lacking, with one item being so thin my husband wouldn’t even try it on. When I requested a return, they told me to wait until they received the items. Despite mailing them back at my own expense, I faced difficulties getting a refund, even with PayPal credit.

Customer Reports And Feedback

The reviews on Reddit, Trustpilot and Amazon are mixed, there are issues regarding their quality of the products. The quality is very bad and customer service is even worse. They do not have any refund policy too. You can only exchange it for other bad products they have. Here are some of the reports

I bought a dress. It took 19 days to arrive. I am trying to return it and it looks as though I actually have to chat online with a person to get them to give me an address to return it to. While trying to return it via the chat, I accidentally created two tickets. Bleh. I will have to pay for shipping both directions. Meh. The dress is good material, just has a very long V neck which is a nono for me.

Terrible Experience! Don’t order from them! They’re based in China, which I wasn’t considering where they were located when I ordered, because doesn’t usually matter that much. So now I have a $48 cheap-looking, ill-fitting jacket. And when I requested to return it, I’m told I would have to pay to ship it to China, which is going to cost AT LEAST what I paid for the jacket. So I’ve lost money and have nothing I can use to show for it. 

What You Must Know Before Shopping From Lightinthebox.com

Beware of the shipping timeline and do not trust their return policy. If you pay for expedited shipping that was advertised to guarantee delivery between 5-8 days. It may take almost an entire month for them to send the package. If you want to return things that are worth forty dollars, it will cost you about thirty or forty dollars to pay postage or they will give you ten percent of what you paid towards your next purchase.

Secondly, customer service is very much scripted, so I certainly wouldn’t count on that return policy if you aren’t satisfied with your product. They make it impossible to return by not providing a return address until you’ve send photo evidence. After that you have to wait to receive email responses back to challenge the refund going forward. 

Buying from Light In the Box can end up costing you a lot. They tack on a hefty shipping fee, which might seem fine when you’re looking at the product’s original price. But the website or DHL don’t tell you about the customs duty and other taxes you’ll get hit with. Those fees can be just as much as what you paid for the product itself. So, if you’re ok with paying triple the price you see on the website and taking a chance on the quality, then go for it. But for many, it might not be worth the risk.

What Is Their Refund Policy Like

This company does not offer refund it will be a miracle if you recieve any. The company does not make that clear before you buy. Also they claim to allow a credit but then when you try to use it – they disclose that you are required to spend twice the amount of the credit to get it. Very deceitful.

Is Light In The Box Legit or Scam?

LightInthebox.com isn’t automatically a scam since they do send out products, and plenty of people have had good experiences. But with some mixed reviews and possible problems like product quality, shipping delays, and customer service issues, there’s a bit of risk involved in shopping there.

Pros

1. Offers a variety of clothing for both men and women
2. Clothes are available in different sizes

Cons

1. Poor quality 
2. It is not true to size
3. The website is unclear about return policy 

Final Thoughts

I personally think lightinthebox.com is a genuine online clothing site, just that they have lots of problems with customer orders, quality of products and they have trouble with the customer in my case the product looked nothing like the pictures and the sizing was nothing like the stated size chart.

I recommend that before you buy anything online, make sure to look into the product you want, check out reviews, and think about what you really need so you know what to expect.

Clothing stores to check out in 2024: Iprintsy.com, Harala Activewear Clothing Store.