Zavvi is this a scam? Review and Customers Reviews

Zavvi – is an online store, which is owned by a British service and was initially focused on sales within the country, but gradually entered the international market. For each direction (taking into account the region of sales) its own legal entity is registered.

At the moment, the seller specializes in games and products related to famous game and cartoon brands. It works on prepayment. Is it safe to prepay orders from abroad if the supplier is not as widely known as, say, Ali or Amazon? Is Zavvi a scam or a serious marketer? Let’s find out.

 

Why Zavvi?

Let’s see what advantages this store offers its customers:

• All exclusives, famous franchises and popular products of game and cartoon brands (Disney, DC, Marvel, Hasbro, etc.).
• Board games, toys, souvenirs, themed clothing, collectibles.
• An interesting blog with industry news.
• Vouchers for discounts and subscription packages (sets of souvenirs that are delivered to your home, like magazines/newspapers), as well as other bonuses and 2 types of affiliate programs (referral, CPA).
• Comparatively inexpensive shipping: 6.99 GBP for the standard rate, 9.99 GBP for the expedited rate.
• Returns to online store without giving a reason within 14 days of purchase.

What can I buy on Zavvi?

In the catalog of the online store zavvi.com you can find almost everything related to the game industry and famous franchises like Disney, Marvel, DC, Star Wars and Hasbro: board entertainment and toys, DVD and Blu-ray, collectibles, clothing and accessories, gifts and souvenirs, as well as subscriptions to receive boxes of gifts: souvenirs and exclusive merchandise.

Board games and toys

Collectible models of cars, buses and motorcycles, imperial helmets from Star Wars or Avengers movie series, Lego games and other designers, playing cards in the style of the “Lord of the Rings” saga and all different genres of board games: adventure, quests, puzzles, quizzes, “adult”, economic, motor skills, etc. Cost – in the range of $ 400. A total of about 600 options are offered.

DVDs and Blu-rays

Video up to 4K resolution. Warner Brothers, Universal, Disney, HBO, Arrow Video, Manga and more. Many catalog products are exclusive or contain additional options that you get as a gift with your purchase. It is often offered to buy a set of discs rather than individual items.

Collectibles

Exclusive (limited edition) figurines of favorite characters, vinyl collections, game editions, coins, casino chips, interactive toys, etc. In some cases, the price tag goes up to $1,300-plus American dollars. A separate section includes unique lithographs ranging in price from $39.99 to $93.5 USD.

Clothing & Accessories

Themed t-shirts, caps, polo shirts, tracksuits: Star Wars, DC, Marvel, Nintendo, Harry Potter, Disney, Mario. Goods are grouped into selections by clothing type and collection. There are dozens of options to choose from.

Souvenirs and gifts

A mug in the shape of a Harry Potter cauldron with an auto-stirring function, a Game of Thrones-inspired bowl, a Pennywise balloon from Stephen Book’s “It,” a table lamp that looks like a Jedi sword, a Mary Poppins umbrella, a Christmas ball painted with robots from “Star Wars”-all these can be found in the Gifts section of the online store. Most often the price of the products does not rise above $30, but some products will cost more. For example, a toolkit stylized as Thor’s hammer from “The Avengers”: it costs just under $94.

 

How do I find the right product at zavvi.com?

When searching for products on zavvi.com standard tools are used:

• Search bar (enter the name of the brand, franchise or the product itself).
• A catalog divided into categories and subcategories based on several characteristics (brand, franchise, direction – music, movies, souvenirs, etc., goods alphabetically). And the groupings in each menu (upper, in the header, and lower, in the footer) are different.
• Sorting (by popularity, price, newness, recommendations) and filters (franchise, cost, “from-to” discount size) on each page of the catalog.

Products can be saved in favorites so you don’t lose them.

Product card Zavvi Com

In the product cards on the site of the store provides all the necessary information for the buyer:

• Name, pictures and cost.
• Availability and features (depending on the product category may vary – for example, for vinyl discs it is the type of vinyl, edition, original/non-original soundtrack, and for clothing it is the available sizes and colors, size chart and collection).
• Text description.
• Terms of delivery, and return.
• Reviews and a form for leaving a comment.

Below is a list of recommended products – those that the seller thinks you may also like (“You may like”) – and recently viewed catalog pages.

 

How to order at Zavvi Com?

Orders at Zavvi are placed only through the shopping cart. You add to it the products you like from the catalog and create an online order, and then pay for the order, and it is sent for delivery. You receive an email with the details. Only registered and authorized users can place orders in the online store.

How do I register at Zavvi.com?

To register on the site, click the Account link in the upper right corner of its header. And choose the Register item. Fill in the questionnaire in the opened window: enter Full Name, Mobile Number, twice enter Email Address and Password, add Referral Code if it was given to us by one of Zavvi referral program participants. If desired, we agree to receive newsletters from the seller. Or authorized on the site through a profile on Facebook or Google. And you can make orders and manage your personal account.

Zavvi Personal Cabinet

Personal account of zavvi.com user consists of 4 sections:

• “My Account”. It contains all the information about the client (the balance of bonus c.u., which you were given as a gift as part of promotions or for attracted clients with a referral link), the button to go to the list of favorite products, recent orders and newsletter subscription settings.
• “Your Wishlist. Favorites and set up notifications when products matching your interests appear in the Zavvi catalog.
• “Your Orders. The purchase history is detailed and divided into two groups: Active Orders and Completed Orders.
• “Your Referrals. Statistics of currency accruals to you by the referral program.

How do I place an order in Zavvi?

When placing an order on zavvi.com, you add a product to the cart by “Buy Now” button in its card (on a separate page or in the general list of the section). And go to it by clicking on the “View Basket” button in the pop-up window that appears. Then you check the list of items, set their quantity and go on, clicking “Checkout Security Now”. Now you need to fill out the form with the address and contact information and select the payment method. The registration is completed by making an advance payment for the order. After that you will receive a confirmation email. The details of the purchase are also reflected in a personal cabinet.

More zavvi.com features

To the additional possibilities of online-shop we referred newsletter, blog, video-channel on YouTube and monthly subscription to receive parcels-surprises with branded attributes from the Zavvi catalog. Let’s talk about each option separately.

Newsletter

To receive news about exclusive releases, interesting product releases, special offers and promotions, and changes in the seller’s work, it’s worth subscribing to the newsletter for free. Letters will come several times a week. You can unsubscribe at any time by selecting the settings in your personal cabinet or by clicking on the link of the same name in any of the letters.

Blog

Interesting materials related to the latest industry events, interviews with actors, quizzes and other informative and entertaining content can be explored in the site’s blog (go to the top, main, menu).

YouTube video channel

Another format of educational content zavvi.com – video reviews. A collection of all the most relevant stuff is collected on the seller’s YouTube channel, which already has almost 10,000 subscribers. Videos are released every 3-4 days.

Subscribe to Mystery Box

Zavvi came up with an interesting idea – “secret boxes”. These are parcels that contain from 4 to 7 products from the store’s catalog for a minimum cost (it depends on the offer you choose). You subscribe for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or a year. And, as if you subscribe to a magazine, you get your package (delivered to your door). And it’s always a nice surprise, because you don’t know what will be inside. Subscription is 19.99 GBP. It’s cheaper if you buy it for a few months at a time.

Gift certificates

They are only mentioned in the user agreement. Available denominations: £10, £25, £50, £75 or £100. They are issued electronically and emailed as a voucher. Valid for 12 months from date of issue. Each can only be used for 1 order: unspent balance “burns off”.

Zavvi Com mobile app

The online store has a downloadable mobile version. The app is designed for iOS (no older than 11.3) and Android (from version 5.0 on) and is available for free in the App Store and Google Play Market. The functionality is basically the same as on the website. Additionally, you can set up notifications about the appearance of exclusives. Android device users have not yet evaluated the software, but the owners of “apple” phones have put some estimates. So far, the average rating is 4.2 points out of 5.

 

Payment and delivery at Zavvi Com

Internet-shop works on a full prepayment system. Customer payment is made by bank cards (VISA, MasterCard, Maestro), through electronic Payment Systems PayPal and GPay or QIWI-wallet. Customers from the UK can additionally make installments through special services:

• Laybuy. The client splits the payment into 6 weekly payments. The first one is made immediately (it’s 1/6 of the order amount), and the rest are paid according to the schedule. Here it’s important to remember that every day of delay is a fine (penalty).
• ClearPay. This is already 4 payments with an interval of 2 weeks, of which the first one is also made at the time of purchase.

How do I pay for my order at Zavvi.com?

At the final stage of ordering you will be asked to choose the method of payment and specify details. Or authorize in the account of the payment system (depending on what you specified). And then confirm the transaction in the way provided by the payment agent / issuer (most often via SMS). Payment for orders on the fact in Zavvi is not possible.

Methods of delivery Zavvi

What kind of shipping/courier companies zavvi.com The seller’s website doesn’t say how long it takes to deliver orders. But announced terms for customers from different countries: 5-10 working days for the standard rate (for 6.99 pounds, no tracking package) and 4-8 working days – on the fast track (for 9.99 pounds, with tracking). Free shipping is only available to Britons who have a Red Carpet membership (described below).

How to return goods to Zavvi

According to the British law applicable to the seller, you can refuse the goods without giving a reason within 14 days of receiving them. The main thing is that it is not damaged, and that all the labels and packaging are intact. To make a return, contact the seller: there is a form for submitting an application in your personal cabinet. And then return the product back (all the data will be provided to you in a reply letter).

You will be compensated both the cost of the item and the cost of return shipping within 14 days after receiving the parcel itself or proof that it was actually sent and contained the item you mentioned. If you receive a damaged (defective) item the sequence of actions is the same – the seller does not recommend to refuse the parcel at the stage of delivery by courier (this, he says, will slow down the process of return). But you will need a confirmation that the defect was detected upon receipt, and was not the result of improper use.

 

Bonuses zavvi.com

The bonus program at Zavvi is interesting. There are vouchers (an alternative to coupons) available to all users, and “secret boxes” with discounts, and Christmas sales, and a calendar of discounts (for the same Christmas), and a club of privileges (unfortunately, only for the British). Plus 2 kinds of affiliate programs: referral and CPA.

Discount on first order

For customers who have signed up for the newsletter of the online store, there is a 10% discount on the first order.

Vouchers

In the dedicated section Voucher Codes (accessed from the bottom menu of the online store), the seller has posted a list of available vouchers – coupons that give access to discounts. Some are activated automatically if you meet the conditions – for example, buy two Game of Thrones-inspired mugs or one LEGO Star Wars: Boba Fett Bust. Others – only after entering a promo code in the appropriate box in the shopping cart. For example, MERCH10 will give an additional (in addition to other promotions) discount of 10%.

“Secret Box” at a discount

Surprise packages for which you subscribe (which we covered when we talked about store extras) are also eligible for a discount if you’re buying them for the first time. The ZBOX promo code gives you £10 (or the equivalent of that amount in another currency) to pay for part of the purchase price.

Calendar of gifts for December

For each day of the first winter month zavvi.com prepared a promo:

• December 1 – 10% discount with promo code XMAS10.
• December 2 – up to 90 GBP off and an Obi-Wan-Kenobi minifigure from the LEGO Star Wars set when you order merchandise in this theme.
• December 3 – sale of toys from Hasbro.
• December 4 – second Arrow game free when you order one.
• December 5 – 30% discount with promo code LOUNGEFLY.
• December 6 – minus 50% on paperback books with promo code BOOK50.
• December 7 – 20% discount on the James Bond collection of Blu-ray discs.
• December 8 – special price for a set of mug, cup and shot glass for Game of Thrones fans.
• December 9 – minus 10% on collectibles from DC, Marvel, Star Wars and other franchises. (activated by promo code MERCH10).

And so on. Each offer opens only when the corresponding date arrives.

Red Carpet Club Privileges

Customers of the online store from the UK can join the Red Carpet privileges club. The annual membership costs £9.99 and provides:

• Free delivery of orders within the country.
• Early access to exclusive offers.
• An additional 10% discount on most of the catalog (does not work in some cases).
• Special bonuses not available to other customers.

You need to apply for membership through the website. It can be cancelled at any time. It is renewed automatically for another 12 months after the expiration of the first year (and further on according to the same principle).

CPA affiliate program Zavvi Com

This affiliate program is not designed for individuals, but for professionals (webmasters, marketers) and owners of Internet resources. To earn in Admitad, it is necessary to place the seller’s promotional materials on the agreed sites. The rate is from 0.5% to 8% of the amount of the buyer’s check, attracted by the partner. The exact percentage is determined by the category of goods ordered.

 

Complaints against Zavvi Com

There are a lot of negative comments about Zavvi. And if you read the comments from two or three years ago, you can see that people write about the clothing store, although the domain name is correct: zavvi.com. We can only assume that the seller has changed the profile. The main reasons for dissatisfaction are:

• Long (sometimes more than a month) delivery.
• Impossibility to track the order and even get it (the goods just disappear).
• Ignoring customer requests by support.

There are also positive comments about the seller. Their authors write about the quality of Zavvi products and accuracy of order execution. And here we are talking about the game theme, which is very topical for zavvi.com at the moment.

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Supervisory authorities

As we wrote above, depending on the version of the site zavvi.com (and there are several, depending on the regions of operation), one company or another is responsible for the trading activities of the store:

• European (main) – The Hut.com Limited (registration number 05016010). It is under the authority of the government of Great Britain. Claims can also be lodged with an independent body, the ODR.
• American, Canadian – Mama Mio US Inc. (registration number 4026529). It is under the jurisdiction of the Delaware State Department of the United States.
• Australian – Australia Pty Limited (registration number ACN 060 923 006). It is regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).

The first two companies are included in the official registers (we have posted links below), which confirms their status. The registration of the latter was closed in 2015 at the initiative of the owner. The main legislation applicable to the online store is the law of England and Wales.

Zavvi.com User Agreement

The Terms and Conditions of the online store, as it usually happens, define the rules of working with the site and the obligations of the seller and the buyer to each other. Let’s look at several provisions of the document. So, in the paragraph that says that you guarantee the authenticity, accuracy and relevance of the data provided during registration. And you don’t pretend to be another person/legal entity. And you are obliged to notify us if any of the above changes. And you buy goods for personal use only, not for resale.

The details of the card you pay with will be checked with registries to rule out the possibility of fraud. In addition, you may be contacted to confirm that you, as the owner, are aware of the transaction (section “Protecting Your Security”).

You must reimburse the company and its representatives for any expenses they incur as a result of your breach of the terms of this agreement (under “Indemnity”).

You must be at least 18 years old to be eligible to purchase from the site (under “Eligibility to Purchase”).

Customer Service

There is no direct communication with the company (by phone, through the online consultant site). Support is provided:

• In email correspondence – after you send an email to f[email protected] or use the online store’s feedback form.
• In the seller’s communities on social networks (through admins and chats).
• In physical offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States (this option is convenient for local residents only).
• Answers to common questions are given in the FAQ (help center).

 

Is Zavvi a scam?

Zavvi The initial owner is a British company, officially registered (as evidenced by the entry in the government registry). But the status of the seller’s representatives (if we talk about activities in Canada, the United States and Australia) can not always be confirmed. For example, the Australian corporation, if we believe ASIC, is no longer registered.

All necessary documentation is available on the site. The terms of policies are standard and do not contain cable clauses. Reviews about the online store are not always good. A large proportion of users who have written about it note long delivery times, or the loss of the order altogether, with which support has never solved anything. Someone did not answer at all. It is impossible to claim that Zavvi is a scam based on this alone. But such moments are still suggestive.

 

Conclusion

Zavvi is notable for its interesting catalog, in which you can even find exclusives. There is an interesting blog, a large number of bonuses (vouchers, gifts for invited friends, sales and other discounts) and relatively inexpensive shipping, if you remember that the goods are sent from abroad. Among the disadvantages are the inability to contact the seller directly (by phone, through the online consultant on the site – it is noted that he is temporarily unavailable), prepayment of all orders, long delivery time (and if you believe the numerous reviews on serious sites, there is no guarantee that the package will reach its destination) and the scarce amount of information about the company itself. And many interesting options (installments, membership of a benefits club) are only available to customers from the UK.