A Review Of Totsy.com

Six months ago I placed my first order with a private sale website.  About a month later I received my designer dress and a beautiful shape sorter for my 12 month old, just in time for his birthday party. My $90 value had only cost me $27 after shipping and I was in love...

There are several private sale sites that frequent now,  and once or twice a month I’ll place another $20-50 dollar order that includes gifts for all of the birthdays that are coming up amongst my friends’ children in the next month, as well as a some little treat for me, like Chinese Laundry tights, or a pair of cute J Crew flats.  When I’m in need of a particular piece for an upcoming event I immediately check all of the sites, and without fail, I find exactly what I want.

My favorite of these sites is without a doubt, Totsy.com.

I would like to review Totsy because I have seen, amongst the thrilled users who rave about their customer service and excellent products, a lot of complaints about the time that they take to fill orders and their occasional mistakes.

Totsy is invitation only, meaning that the amount of people taking advantage of their deals is a lot smaller, meaning I have a better chance at snagging a fantastic designer item at a hugely discounted price. Totsy is also incredibly reasonable and carries items for the entire family, as well as household items and vacation packages.

I’ve read a lot of complaints about how slow Totsy is. The slow shipping at Totsy is due to several things. If you look over the Totsy site you’ll see how they work- Like most private sale websites they make a bid for items directly from the manufacturer, then create the sale based on the price they were able to snag. They let the sale run its course, and when it finishes they place their order with the manufacturer for the number of items that were purchased through them. From there, the items are shipped to Totsy, where they are repackaged and the orders are filled. Depending on how many sales you made your order from, this can take some time.

While it does take a while, and isn’t the best option if you need an item within the next couple weeks, Totsy.com is very gracious and moves pretty quickly. Nine times out of ten your order will arrive before they estimated ship date that they give you when you place your order, and they are very generous with refunds and store credits over mistakes on their part.

My personal experience was just that- an incredible savings, a long wait for my order to arrive, but fantastic products that I am proud to own. I was thrilled with my shopping experience and was grateful for the chance to purchase high quality, fashionable gifts for once, instead of settling with what I could find on the clearance rack. 

What it comes down to when deciding whether or not to use online private sale websites, is whether or not the discount is worth the wait to you. If you can’t stand the wait, you should stick with the mall. Any website that you choose to order from, whether a reputable department store or a small private sale site, can have shipping issues, and the only dependable delivery time is if you personally drive your item home from the store.

If you’re interested in Totsy.com, another perk for signing up is the free shipping on your first order. They also give credits if you can talk your friends into ordering with them, so make sure your share your personal link once you have established your account!