When shopping for home goods, one name might stand out among the rest, and that’s Wayfair, the eCommerce site that has been bringing great deals to customers since 2002.
If you have never purchased anything from Wayfair before, though, you might be hesitant to give it a try.
Is Wayfair reliable? Is it a legitimate company that you can count on to deliver what they say they will and when they say they will? Here is what you need to know!
Is Wayfair Reliable In [currentyear]?
Wayfair is a reliable company in terms of products, shipping, and customer service. Customers who receive damaged or defective items are welcome to make free returns, and shipping for many items takes just two days, thanks to Wayfair’s wide-ranging network of distribution centers and suppliers. Customer service is available by phone, email, or even texting.
To learn more about why and how Wayfair is a trustworthy website, why Wayfair prices are so cheap (no cutting corners!), how reliable Wayfair’s shipping is, and much, much more, keep going!
Is Wayfair A Trustworthy Website?
Wayfair is certainly a trustworthy website, or as Consumer Affairs puts it: “Wayfair is a legitimate company with safe practices surrounding shopping, shipping, and consumer privacy.”
As one of the world’s largest online retailers, there would surely be federal charges brought against Wayfair.com by now if it were a scam.
However, because all of its business is above-board and legitimate, Wayfair remains a safe and secure website from which to order home goods.
Wayfair was founded in 2002 by two Cornell University grads, Niraj Shah and Steve Conine.
These two are still associated with Wayfair as co-chairs of the board of directors, while Shah also shoulders CEO duties.
The company went public in 2014, under the symbol “W,” and has reported net losses every year but one since.
However, Wayfair brought in $13.7 billion in net revenue in 2021.
All this goes to show that Wayfair is indeed a trustworthy, reliable website, though not without its faults.
Occasionally, customers are sent damaged or defective items from one of the suppliers.
However, as long as the damage or defect occurred before it was in customers’ hands, they can return the item for free.
There have also been shipping delays in recent years, which have led some to call the site a scam or a fraud.
But these are normal disruptions (albeit occurring at an abjectly abnormal time) with the supply chain.
Why Are Wayfair Prices So Cheap?
Wayfair manages to keep its prices low in two different ways.
First, Wayfair is (almost) entirely digital; while they do have one or two retail locations currently, the bulk of customers’ shopping is done totally online.
That means no real estate to tend to, no utilities, and no salespeople to pay.
Secondly, Wayfair operates 70 to 80 percent under the drop ship method.
That means they have contracts with suppliers and merchandisers.
When someone places an order, Wayfair buys the item from the supplier and the supplier ships out the item to the customer.
Wayfair sets all their own prices, too, and in most cases, they can negotiate (based on volume) a super low price from the supplier.
They can then pass on those savings to the customer while still turning a profit.
So no, in case you were wondering, the inexpensive nature of some of Wayfair’s items is not due to inferior products or even a scam-driven website.
Does Wayfair Have Reliable Shipping?
Wayfair generally has reliable shipping, but I would be remiss if I did not highlight some of the customer complaints in this area.
First of all, Wayfair operates 70 to 80 percent under the drop ship method, meaning 70 to 80 percent of the goods they sell never even touch their hands.
Instead, they have contracts with suppliers, who keep their goods in warehouses all across the country.
When someone places an order, Wayfair purchases the item from the supplier, and the supplier ships it out to the buyer.
With that in mind, delays are possible and – as the COVID-19 pandemic revealed weaknesses in the supply chain – likely.
Just look at the reviews on Trustpilot, many of which have to do with shipping delays.
However, I have purchased from Wayfair many times in the past, and each time I received my item on time – or early.
But then, I search and shop based on two-day, or faster, shipping, and I have never been disappointed.
Some of the items which come with two-day or faster shipping are part of Wayfair’s CastleGate logistics system.
That’s the other 20 to 30 percent of Wayfair’s inventory that isn’t tied up in drop shipping.
Instead, Wayfair’s CastleGate includes distribution warehouses and even its own fleet of delivery trucks.
Do People Use Wayfair?
People certainly do use Wayfair; starting in 2013 when the site hosted just 2.09 million active customers, that number has grown exponentially.
In 2020, Wayfair was host to 31.19 million active customers.
“Active customers” are defined as those who have made purchases in the last 12 months.
Is Wayfair A Chinese Company?
Wayfair is not a Chinese company. It was founded in Boston, MA, and it remains headquartered there to this day.
However, that does not mean that items are not made in China.
In fact, enough items for sale on the site come from China that Wayfair maintains a warehouse in Shanghai. This is in addition to the suppliers’ and merchandisers’ goods.
Is Wayfair Owned By Amazon?
Wayfair is not owned by Amazon. It is in the hands of the major stakeholders and is overseen by the board of directors, over which the two founders preside as co-chairs.
That is Niraj Shah and Steve Conine, who co-founded the company in a spare bedroom of Conine’s in 2002.
Wayfair has never been owned by or associated with Amazon.
Wayfair and Amazon are rivals in the online sphere and the home goods sector.
To know more, you can also read our posts on who does Wayfair use for shipping, is Wayfair furniture good, and when does Wayfair have sales.
Conclusion
Wayfair is a reliable, reputable and safe company with which to do business, and it is a reliable website on which to shop.
While there have been, and no doubt will continue to be, supply chain issues, on the whole, Wayfair’s shipping is fast and convenient, and their customer service reps are happy to help.
