Update: Jet.com Review – Cheaper Than Amazon Prime, But…

Update:In light of the complaints I have gotten about Jet.com and their services I contacted the company to get their take on the problems consumers are upset about.

There have been numerous reports of items not shipping, prices fluctuating, extra charges and ineptitude among company service reps.

Carelsy M, a Jet Head, responded to my email and thanked me for alerting Jet to what shoppers are saying, but didn’t give me any specific answers.

Through email she told me that: ” we [Jet] are currently taking requests that we submit to our technical support team for any reason. We are also working on alternative features which will eventually lead to a better way to adjust the bugs and delivery time frames, and still offer members an outstanding deal!”

She also said: ” thank you so much for your patience, and for allowing us a chance to be the best by fixing small errors like this. Your feedback is very valuable to us, and we hope that you are able to continue to provide further constructive criticism to us in the future.”

I appreciate the timely response, but would have preferred specific examples of the steps they plan to take to correct the issues at hand.

In light of a lack of a real response (frankly, that response sounded almost automated) and the number of valid complaints readers are reporting I can no longer stick with my original review of the company.

While they have a lot of great ideas in theory to be successful, in practice they have fallen way too short as of this writing for me to give them a positive review.

Interestingly, as of October 7, 2015 Jet is offering free memberships to everyone, no more $49 fee to join.

The company sent out an email saying they are offering their services for free because of the great response they have gotten.

With all of the complaints I have received I find that a bit odd, but nonetheless, the site is now free to use, which is a good thing considering all the issues consumers have been writing about.

I will continue to check back with the company and listen to reader responses, updating you as new information becomes available.

Any consumer who has contacted the company and not gotten an answer to their problems should file a complaint through the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission.

Until then you can read my original review below and comment on your own experience with Jet.com

[divider]

When I first heard about the new shopping club, Jet.com, I was intrigued, yet doubtful.

After all, many sites have made the same promise, so even though Jet’s set-up sounded good, I figured it was more hype than fact.

Turns out I was wrong (surprise!): Jet is cheaper than Amazon Prime, but that still left me with one question: are they really better?

It’s still early in the game, but based on my findings and research, I’d say maybe, as there have been some issues with the site according to our readers.

The issues involve fluctuations in price, items that are ordered and not available and slow service, which you can read in the comments below.

However, the site is still relatively new and based on how the company is structured there are some advantages.

If you are looking purely to shop online and save, then Jet would appear to be the smarter choice at $50 a year.

While they don’t have everything that Amazon does (particularly when it comes to cleaning supplies), they do have quite a lot and really give you your money’s worth.

Plus, they do offer points when you shop at other sites to use on their goods.

But don’t take my word for it- let me explain to you how Jet works and how it compares to Prime so you can see for yourself.

Okay, to start, Jet is a member’s only shopping club offering savings on tablets, paper towels and everything in-between.

Right now they are having a 3-month free trial to join, after that it’s $49.99 a year.

Jet has a special program that works in real time to find you the biggest savings on any items you’re looking for, based on your location.

They have lower-priced items marked as “smart” items, so you see what the best match is for you.

They also offer additional savings when you buy in bulk, skip the free returns option or use a no-fee debit card.

For a complete explanation check out the video below.

Okay, so now that you know the basics, let’s take a closer look and do some comparisons.

To start, sign-up is not just free-it’s hassle free.

All you need is an email address and your zip code- no credit card required, so you don’t have to worry about cancelling before your 3-month trial ends.

Amazon Prime requires a credit card when you sign up- and if you forget to cancel before your 30-day free trial ends you get charged.

That’s a big deal, because the main reason I became a Prime member is because I forgot to cancel in time.

Even though I like my Prime membership I might not have bothered to join if I hadn’t already been charged.

Okay, now for the pricing, which is almost 10% lower than Amazon across the board.

Jet will show you their price and Amazon’s when you click on an item, plus the discount.

For example, a Samsung UN46H6203AF – 46″ Class LED TV costs $645 from both places, but Jet is giving $156 off, which is a really big discount.

Not all the discounts are that big, but there are discounts on all their offerings, on average between $1-$30 per item.

As for buying in “bulk”, it’s not what you think so get those images of having 500 rolls of toilet paper in your basement.

With Jet, bulk means savings increase when you buy multiple items- and they don’t have to be the same.

In other words, the more items in your cart, the more savings increase, particularly when adding smart items.

Plus, with or without the multiple purchases you still are paying less- so you don’t need to spend more.

Finally, they offer free 2-day shipping on many items and 2-5 day free shipping on purchases of $35 or more.

Yes, Prime gives you free 2-day shipping, but if you don’t shop that often the $99 membership may not be worth that luxury.

Plus, some items don’t qualify for the 2-day shipping if they come from a 3rd party.

Doesn’t happen often, but it does happen (it’s happened to me).

Now, Prime does have other services Jet doesn’t, like free streaming music, books, TV shows and games- not to mention fresh grocery and restaurant deliveries, but are they worth the $99 membership? Maybe.

For example, the free streaming service is nice, but it’s not totally free.

Many of the books and shows (especially new or current ones) have to be paid for (usually around $1.99 an episode)- so you’re paying more than $99 a year if you use those services.

And for many people, even though they like having those services available, the reality is they don’t use them enough to justify the membership fee.

Same goes for their Prime Pantry, which delivers fresh groceries for free.

Come September you will need a Prime Fresh membership, so again- you’re paying more than $99.

I’m not knocking Prime, it has a lot to offer- I just think for price-conscious shoppers looking for a straightforward way to save Jet is worth a try.

Hey, you got 3 months to see if you like it- and don’t worry, we won’t tell Amazon.

Are you thinking of trying out Jet.com?

Tell us if you do and how you think it is below and be sure to follow all my latest consumer news reports on Twitter!

https://youtu.be/piQ1RTe4dbo