It's Hard to Tell Whom You're Buying From When Shopping at Jet.com
Jet.com officially launched last July with the promise of offering prices that are lower than even Amazon. And one reason why the site has managed to offer competitive prices is through the use of third party retail partners, somewhat like what Amazon does with its marketplace sellers.
Many online retailers use third party sellers to bulk up their offerings, but recently, Jet.com has made it more difficult for shoppers to know who exactly they're dealing with.
Who's Fulfilling Your Order?
Since the beginning of this year, our editors have noticed that Jet.com has changed its transparency regarding third-party sellers. The store began revealing vendor information deeper and deeper into the checkout process, which meant that you wouldn't necessarily know who was filling your order until you were a step or two away from actually placing the order.
Then, a few days ago, our editors noticed that some product listings have no transparency at all; many items are labeled only as "Fulfilled by Jet Trusted Retail Partner," with no further vendor information.
Jet.com has also started filling orders based on the buyer's geographical location. A particular item could be fulfilled by one seller if the order was placed in Alabama, and a completely different seller if the order was placed in New York City. It's possible that Jet.com is using this practice in order to cut down on shipping times and costs, which may very well benefit the shopper; but again, this too poses a challenge for consumers who are trying to figure out what vendor is backing their order.
Shoppers Could Be Buying From Unreliable Sellers
Unknown vendors can't be properly vetted, and that could mean logistical problems and headaches for shoppers down the line.
And this isn't an inherent issue with using third party vendors to fulfill orders. Many sites that use them, like Amazon, prominently feature the seller on the product pages, as well as links to their ratings.
Readers, what say you? Have you shopped with Jet.com? What has your experience been like? Give us all the details below!
Since I was one of the first to sign up, I receive free shipping with no minimum which is great.
But I have noticed the prices have gone up and some items I ordered in the past like chicken jerky for dogs is no longer offered.
I purchased a Logitech Harmony 650 from Jet.com. I placed the order on a Saturday: 15 days later I received a Harmony 700. The packaging was beat up - which could have been the delivery company. However, I was not impressed. I saved $8 and it took 13 days longer than trusty amazon.
I have not written them off (they are still in infancy), but they will have to continually improve. As much as I love Amazon, I want Jet to succeed so that it isn't Amazon and nobody else. Just like Target is good for WalMart, Jet could be good for Amazon.