Wish App is now one of the most popular online shopping platforms in the US and Europe after Amazon and eBay. Amazon and Wish.com have many similarities but also many noticeable differences. Among them, shipping time, the origin of sellers, and product prices are the main differentiating factors between amazon and Wish.
Does Wish.com Charge Shipping?
Wish.com typically doesn’t have free shipping. Third-party retailers or manufacturers sell every item on the Wish App. These manufacturers are the ones who set shipping charges. Most of the time, these sellers charge a shipping cost on top of the product price. If you see a FREE SHIPPING on any product, it means the business owners have already included the shipping charge into the product price.
On the Wish platform, Wish itself doesn’t sell any products. They only provide the technology that allows manufacturers to sell their products directly to US and European buyers. On the contrary, Amazon itself sells products on Amazon.com. Therefore, in order to lower the shipping charge, Amazon has invested billions of dollars over the years. Now, they have their own shipping and delivery network and provide free shipping to all its customers.
On the contrary, Wish itself didn’t invest in any shipping network. Individual sellers have to deal with shipping and its cost. Therefore, every wish product has a shipping charge.
Why is Wish App Shipping So Expensive?
The majority of the products that sell on Wish come from China. Chinese manufacturers directly sell their products to western consumers using the Wish platform. However, Wish App is saturated with tens of thousands of sellers.
Most Wish sellers try to entice customers by showcasing low product prices in this competitive market. However, when they lower the product price, they take a hit on their profit margin. Thus, many sellers use the shipping charge to make some extra profit.
If a seller on the Wish platform charges the exact shipping cost and product price, it may lose customers because many customers shop based on the product price. Therefore, they lower the item price by a few dollars, but they add this price with the shipping charge. This way, their product will surface on the search result as a low priced item while not losing any profit.
Sometimes, many sellers become greedy and want to make extra profit. It’s why the shipping charge on Wish is expensive compared to Amazon and eBay.
Furthermore, most Wish products are directly shipped from China. To the US, the shipping charge is negligible for items weighing less than 4.4 lbs. However, for more oversized items, the shipping cost rises dramatically. It’s why most large products have exorbitant shipping costs.
However, other than the US, no country’s postal service has an agreement with the China Post. Therefore, shipping to other countries is expensive.
Amazon and eBay sell products themselves on their platform. Therefore, they have shipping agreements with USPS, UPS, and FedEx. As a result, they can ship products at a low price.
However, As Wish.com doesn’t sell any products, they don’t have any agreements with USPS, UPS, or FedEx. Therefore, individual sellers have to ship using the retail shipping method, which costs extra. It’s why Wish shipping is expensive.
Where Does Wish.com Ship From?
The majority of the Wish sellers are in China. Chinese manufacturers sell their products using the Wish platform. Wish only allows those sellers that manufacture their own products. Nowadays, only China makes all the products. Thus, all the products that sell on Wish.com ship from China.
Does Wish.com Have Free Shipping?
Most products that are on sale on Wish come from China and are shipped through China Post-USPS mail. Therefore, sellers typically do not prove any FREE SHIPPING. If any products have a FREE SHIPPING, it means the shipping charge is already baked into the product price. Either way, directly or indirectly, as a consumer, you are paying the shipping cost.
Moreover, many times sellers have accused Wish of unethically adding shipping prices. For example, many sellers have noticed that even if they list their products on Wish as FREE SHIPPING, Wish sometimes adds extra shipping costs. When a customer buys the products and pays the shipping charge, Wish keeps the shipping charge themselves because the seller lists it as FREE SHIPPING. It’s an unethical practice that Wish.com perpetrates.
How Long Does Wish.com Take to Deliver?
Most products that sell on Wish come from China through postal service; typically, it takes 28 days for an order to deliver. However, it’s the best-case scenario. If the manufacturer waits to mail your order, it may take up to 2 months to get your Wish order in the mail.
Moreover, every product you purchase on Wish will generally come from multiple manufacturers. Therefore, each item will be mailed separately and arrive separately at different times.
Is Wish.com Dropshipping?
Wish.com is full of Chinese drop shippers. Drop shipping is a method where the sellers don’t have the product they are selling and don’t keep the products in their warehouse. However, they offer the products for sale on Wish. Once they get a product order, they go to other sellers and manufacturers to purchase the product and ship the item.
On the Wish.com platform, you will notice that most sellers sell numerous types of products. It means those sellers are dropshipping. They don’t manufacture or don’t have those products in stock. They will shop the products and ship them to you once you place an order with them through Wish.com.
Even though Wish App was supposed to be a platform that connects manufacturers and buyers, these drop shippers are also taking advantage of the platform. As a result, consumers aren’t getting the cheapest deal on the market.
Does Wish Take Returns?
Wish doesn’t process any returns. They only provide a platform that connects buyers with manufacturers. It’s like Uber. Uber doesn’t own any vehicle. It’s only a platform that connects drivers with riders.
If by any chance you get the wrong product, it’s impossible to return the item. Returning a product to the Chinese manufacturer is a nightmare. It’s not only expensive, but it’s also risky. It’s risky because there’s no guarantee that the Chinese manufacturer will acknowledge that they received your product.
Therefore, only shop at Wish.com if and only if you are comfortable with the fact that you can’t return the item.