Upfront Summary: Is Newegg worth it?
Newegg is a reliable B2B and B2C computer hardware and consumer electronics company and is one of the most popular retailers for PC building. Newegg’s B2B model lets it partner with third-party vendors who buy bulk products and sell to buyers at affordable prices. Also, Newegg has a pretty straightforward Returns and Refunds policy, and buyers can expect protection against defects and quality issues.
On Newegg, several high-quality products are sold at discounted prices, making it competitive compared to other platforms such as Amazon. However, a buyer should be careful when purchasing products from third-party vendors. Since there are no uniform returns and refund policies on the marketplace, you might wonder if shopping is safe and legit. This article will explain everything you need to know about the company and buyers’ experience with the platform.
Table of Contents
- Newegg Company Information
- What is Newegg
- Is Newegg legal and safe or a scam?
- Is Newegg reliable and trustworthy?
- The pros and cons of Newegg
- Is Newegg a good and ethical company?
- How does Newegg make money? (Business Model)
- Are there any hidden fees?
- Newegg Payment Methods
- Best Newegg Alternatives
- Additional FAQs
Newegg Company Information
| Official Website: | https://www.newegg.com/ |
| Founded: | 2001 |
| Owner: | Fred Chang |
| Location: | City of Industry, California |
| Contact: | 800-390-1119 |
| Social Media: | Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Discord, Twitch |
What is Newegg?
Newegg is an electronics eCommerce-based retailer that sells computer hardware, consumer electronics, graphic cards, and more. The company was founded by its CEO, Fred Chang, in 2001. Since its inception, the company has grown to over 2,000 employees and serves over 40 million customers across more than 80 different countries. Newegg offers both B2B and B2C business models. However, Newegg relies on third-party vendors to do most of the selling at an affordable price compared to well-known retailers like Amazon.
Newegg has multiple fulfillment centers worldwide, enabling them to deliver electronic goods in a few days. Vendors who want to sell their products on the Newegg platform can opt to have the company handle them at a small price.
Is Newegg legal and safe or a scam?
Newegg has earned a reputation as one of the best online retailers for purchasing consumer electronics. Any products the company itself sells in its stores are safe and legal.
Newegg also has third-party vendors that must go through a rigorous process before they are eligible to sell products. All computer hardware and consumer electronics sold by third-party vendors are on a case-by-case basis to ensure they meet quality standards. Each third-party vendor has a seller rating that indicates trustworthiness based on the buyer’s experience and feedback.
Newegg highly values customer privacy and takes it very seriously. In addition, their platform does not contain any viruses or malware. Overall, shopping in their online store is a very safe and pleasant experience.
Is Newegg reliable and trustworthy?
Newegg is just about as reliable and trustworthy as other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. There are several high-quality products on Newegg, and you are sure to get exactly what you ordered. If you purchase a defective product from Newegg, you can send it back to get it repaired, replaced, or refunded. Overall, their return and refund policies are straightforward.
However, if you plan to purchase products from a third-party vendor on Newegg, be aware that you will be subjected to the Marketplace seller’s policies. You must be careful and read the seller’s return policy, restocking fees policy, and return shipping labels policy. Unfortunately, there is no consistent returns policy for all third-party sellers other than products sold by Newegg.
The pros and cons of Newegg
Pros:
- Diverse categories are available, from computer hardware to graphic cards and office supplies.
- Great place to snatch consumer electronics at an incredible deal.
- Well-developed filters that allow buyers to search precisely for what they want.
- Customers are computer-focused and review products in detail that rival other retailers.
- Excellent place to get technical support on computer hardware and software.
Cons:
- Newegg doesn’t stop scalpers from artificially inflating the price of consumer electronics.
- Customer service, in particular, isn’t stellar.
- There are no uniform returns and refund policies when it comes to purchasing from third-party vendors.
Is Newegg a good and ethical company?
Newegg is here to do business with both buyers and sellers all around the world. Newegg is committed to delivering exceptional customer satisfaction for most of the party. They also care about making it right if the buyer receives a defective product. Newegg also serves as a business place where third-party vendors can purchase computer hardware and consumer electronics in bulk at an affordable price tag.
However, questions have been raised on whether it is ethical for scalpers who buy the latest graphic cards and resell them two to three times the original price. Some customers find this price gouging a disservice to them. While Newegg does not actively go after the scalpers, the company created a new drawing system called Newegg Shuffle, which tries to fight off these scalpers.
How does Newegg make money? (Business Model)
Newegg makes money from its marketplace through various things such as its Commissions system: Although creating a regular Newegg Seller Account is completely free, Newegg takes a percentage commission, based on your product category for each item sold, with commission fees ranging between 8% and 12%.
Also, Newegg generates revenue from its premium subscription offerings, which come with many perks for the subscriber. Premium subscribers enjoy free shipping, a discounted price for each subscription order, a premium shopping experience, and pay less than a regular order. The Newegg Premier Membership subscription plans start at $19.99 for 3 months.
Newegg also earns money from its Shipped by Newegg (SBN) program, a reliable, fast, cost-effective fulfillment network that helps sellers pick, pack, and ship their orders straight to their international customers.
Are there any hidden fees?
There are no hidden fees with Newegg. The platform does a great job of being transparent with the buyers. You buy products at their price tag plus any shipping fees associated with them. The only fees that you read above are for sellers only — nothing for buyers.
Newegg Payment Methods
Here’s a list of payment methods that you can use on Newegg:
- Newegg Store Credit Card
- American Express
- Diners Club
- Discover
- JCB
- MasterCard
- Union Pay
- Visa
- Newegg.com Gift Card
- Amex Express Checkout
- Android Pay
- Apple pay
- BitPay
- MasterPass
- PayPal
Best Newegg Alternatives
Some customers have their preferences, and that’s perfectly fine. If you want to shop at a different platform that is similar to Newegg, check out these alternatives:
- Amazon
- eBay
- Walmart
- BestBuy
- Micro Center
- Central Computer
- SlickDeals
- GameStop
Additional FAQs
Can you get a refund from Newegg?
You can submit a return claim if your product is dead on arrival (DOA) or defective. Newegg will send you a shipping label so that you can return the product. Upon inspection, you will get a refund if the product is defective.
Does Newegg charge a restocking fee?
No, they do not charge a restocking fee at all, regardless of the reason for returning products. However, if you purchase items from a third-party vendor, you may have to pay a restocking fee per the seller’s policy. Therefore, ensure you read the seller’s returns, restocking, and refund policy before placing an order
Is Newegg reliable?
Newegg is very reliable and has a track record of delivering products to millions of customers worldwide. By all means, Newegg isn’t necessarily a better alternative to Amazon or Walmart, which sometimes have better deals. However, Newegg is a great place to get technical support from people who know computer stuff.
How long will it take for Newegg to reply?
Newegg has live chat support readily available to support any order-related and payment issues. For email support, the general response time is between 24 to 48 hours or within the next business day. Customers’ experience with support is mixed as of recent, with positive and negative experiences.
Why is Newegg a better alternative to Amazon?
Newegg is the best place to get everything you need for all of your computer parts at a great deal. Compared to Amazon, Newegg has distinctive sales pages, better technical support for your computer and computing appliances, and a great Price Match Guarantee.
Will Newegg build my computer?
Unfortunately, Newegg has discontinued its PC Builder Assembly service. However, you can still make use of their Custom PC Builder tool designed to assist in your build. They also offer a Gaming PC Finder that easily allows you to find a computer based on your gaming preference and budget.