The Best in Overseas Shopping: Light in the Box vs Gearbest

It’s not a secret that you can score some excellent deals by shopping across the globe. Chinese shops like Light In The Box and Gearbest have a great deal and quite a following online in terms of repeat customers. But how does it work when we compare Light In The Box with Gearbest? Which store is better for you?

There are several reviews and posts online about Chinese shops. One Gearbest review on gobestshops.com  states that the company is based heavily on electronics while Light In The Box specialized in fashion and home purchases.

We took a closer look at Light In The Box and Gearbest through a variety of sources. We looked at Gearbest reviews from multiple sources including PissedConsumer to see what customers were saying about the Gearbest return policy and shipping policy– two significant concerns most customers have for shopping overseas. We used Light In The Box reviews from multiple websites to dig deeper into what real customers are saying about that company as well.

When it comes to Light In The Box vs Gearbest, we looked at a number of criteria to determine which is the most reliable bet for shopping in China. We compared Gearbest vs Light In The Box on a number of criteria including:

• Rating
• Pros and Cons
• Replacement Policies
• Warranty Policies
• Shipping and Delivery Policies
• Refund Policies

Read on to find out who we determined was best: Light In The Box or Gearbest.

Light In The Box vs Gearbest Rating

More than five thousand customers have left Light In The Box and Gearbest reviews on PissedConsumer. We have used those reviews to create ratings for the companies in different areas including customer service, delivery, and returns.

Light In The Box reviews gave the company a total of 1.8 stars out of a possible 5. The lowest rating tabulated was for Light In The Box customer service with only 1 star out of 5. Light In The Box shipping or delivery service earned 2 stars out of a possible 5.

Reviews for Gearbest left that company higher in ratings than LightInTheBox. Gearbest earned a total of 3.3 stars out of a possible 5 based on about 3,500 customer reviews. Despite negative written comments about Gearbest customer service, customer service earned a rating of 3 stars out of a possible 5.

Another rating site, resellerratings.com, also compared Gearbest with Light In The Box and found one far superior to the other. When you take a closer look at their numbers, however, you’ll see that they have more than 23,000 reviews for Gearbest and zero Light In The Box complaints or reviews. This creates a skewed comparison, but it does show quite a few positive reactions to Gearbest in the thousands of reviews for that company.

Light In The Box and Gearbest Pros and Cons

The reviews left on PissedConsumer as well as reviews left on other websites have outlined the Light in a Box and Gearbest pros and cons. According to thousands of reviews left on our site, Light In The Box excels in selection, price, and deals. Gearbest has strong customer service and pricing. While customers enjoy low prices at both online stores, only one has positive feedback for customer service.

In fact, customer service was mentioned multiple times in the Light In The Box pros and cons. “horrible customer service” and “poor service” was flagged as well as “no way to contact a human”

This may stem from a lack of contact information for customers. Many customers have tried unsuccessfully to find the Light In The Box phone number to reach customer service such as this reviewer. She is getting married soon and is still waiting on shipment from Light In The Box. She has given up on the company’s contact form and has started requesting information like a Light In The Box phone number using review sites.

Gearbest has a few cons as well according to reviews. One frustrated customer created a Reddit post warning others about slow shipping and returns. He complained that he bought a phone through Gearbest that didn’t work in his country. Despite following the site’s instructions for a return, he has not received any refund or even a confirmation of receipt due to Gearbest shipping policy.

Light In The Box or Gearbest Replacement Policies

According to the Light In The Box return policy, the company does accept returns of most items if sent within 7 days. The policy states that you can return or exchange items that have not met your expectations and that are unused and unworn.

The Light In The Box return policy also allows for a product guarantee in some areas. If an item is damaged or broken when it arrives or if the item is sent in the wrong size or color, you can return it. The Light In The Box warranty is good for one year for Home Improvement items and 30 days for everything else.

The Gearbest return policy for its tech gadgets is cleverly called its Dead on Arrival policy. The company offers a seven-day guarantee for items that are damaged or not working upon arrival. Customers have seven days to contact the support center for authorization before returning the item. Once returned the company will send you a replacement item or a full refund. The Gearbest FAQ page about returns claims that your purchase is 100 percent risk-free, which offers customers peace of mind.

The Gearbest return policy also allows customers to return items they have not used and have not opened for up to 30 days. The shipping fee is paid by the customer for these returns and you must return the item in its original packaging both unused and unopened.

LightInTheBox against Gearbest Warranty Policies

The Light In The Box FAQ section on returns and cancellations addresses the company’s warranty policy. The warranty states that items can be refunded, returned or exchanged if they are dirty or damaged when they arrive or if they are the wrong size or color. The items sold at Light In The Box are covered by the warranty for one year if they are Home Improvement items. Other items are covered for 30 days.

Some items are not covered under the warranty, however. Light In The Box does not allow returns or refunds of certain items like costumes, made-to-order items, cell phones, robots, and lingerie.

According to the Gearbest FAQ page about warranties, customers are offered two different assurances for their peace of mind. One is a forty-five-day money-back guarantee if a product proves to be faulty within the first month and a half of ownership. If that is the case with an item you’ve purchased, you can send it back for a refund or exchange, but shipping is not included.

There is also a one year repair warranty discussed in the Gearbest FAQ pages. This warranty begins the day you receive your item and covers you for a free repair on the item. To use this warranty you must work through Gearbest customer service and be confirmed with the manager. Some shipping fees must be paid by the customer as well. The warranty does not cover any misused items. 

Gearbest vs LightInTheBox Delivery Policies

Shipping and delivery policies are covered in the Light In The Box FAQ section dedicated to the topic. In fact, the international shipping required for Light In The Box delivery prompted the company to create a full section of information about shipping times, expectations, processes, and tracking.
The least expensive option for shipping from China is the Global Post Service with no tracking. Light In The Box explains that this option can take up to 20 business days or 28 weekdays, and is based on package weight. Since it does not include any sort of tracking information, Light In The Box does not recommend it for shipping items that cost more than $30.

Light In The Box actually recommends Global Postal Service with tracking services to “...improve your experience.” Tracking can cost an additional $1-$3, but the company includes a section of its website where you can track packages for your peace of mind. The shipping section also recommends expedited shipping and priority shipping, both of which include tracking services.

Gearbest is a single company that packages and ships items from Hong Kong or China, which, as GoBestShops.com pointed out can take a lot of time for shipping. However, the company has opened warehouses with a limited selection in the United States, which cuts down on delivery time for the items that are already on hand in those warehouses.

The company’s blog covers the various Gearbest shipping options for customers. There are four primary means of shipping including free shipping via unregistered airmail. You also have options to use priority, expedited or registered air mail. All of those options cost more but provide Gearbest tracking options.

According to a different company’s blog, if you feel your order is taking too long despite Gearbest tracking, you can contact Customer Service. The blog post indicates that it can take up to 25 days for your order to arrive.

LightInTheBox vs Gearbest Refund Policies

According to the LightInTheBox return policy, in order to qualify for a refund, you will need to return your products to the company’s warehouse in China. You must first create a return ticket, and then send items to the address on the return ticket, not the original packaging.

Finally, you will receive a refund to your account on the website. You can then use the credit on the site or ask to have it refunded to you via the original form of payment. The Light In The Box FAQ page is clear that no shipping fees or insurance will be refunded and you are responsible for the cost of shipping the item back to the company.

Gearbest offers refunds in several conditions according to its return policy. You can be refunded if you return an unused and unopened product within 30 days or if the item you ordered arrives dead on arrival. You may also qualify for a refund from Gearbest if your item breaks within the first 45 days of ownership.

To qualify for these refunds, you must work with customer service according to the return and warranty terms. Refunds from Gearbest can take time, which must account for shipping back to the facility, the processing time for customer service and then banking time. The website estimates that refunds will be initiated between three and six days after processing a return and can take up to 14 days if funds are being sent back to a credit card company.

Shopping online should be fun. But it’s only natural to wonder: is Gearbest legit? Is Light In The Box? Buying items from across the globe might have a few more quirks like longer wait times due to longer shipping, but you should still have confidence in what you’re buying.

When you consider the Light In The Box reviews and the reviews for Gearbest you can easily see that both companies bring a lot to the table. If you’re going to compare Light In The Box vs Gearbest, you’ll discover that while there are definitely similarities between the two companies, their differences stand out as well.

By Rebecca Garland
Business and Education Expert
Rebecca Garland, M.S. is a business and education writer. She holds secondary teaching certifications in six areas, has a degree in Business, and earned a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. As an expert, Rebecca has been working with international clients since 2005.

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.