STORE WARS: Bonobos vs. ebay
Starting March 17th and running through April 7th, Dappered.com is hosting a bracket based tournament with the purpose of eventually crowning the all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2014. For a full introduction see this post. The bracket on the right will be updated as the tournament progresses. Click on it for the full size. Make a case for your preferred competitor in the comments section, but don’t forget to vote at the bottom of each match up. On with today’s showdown:
Strengths: Their brand. They somehow balance having a passion for their clothes and customers, yet don’t take the entire #menswear thing so seriously. They really seem to genuinely have fun. Customer service Ninjas are incredible. They built a business around pants, and to plenty, their pants really do fit better (especially in the seat). Their travel jeans are awesome. Oxford cloth pants in the summer are as comfortable as it gets. Their expansion into suits, shirts, blazers, and carrying 3rd party merchandise has been well executed. After a code-drought, it seems like they’ve started to run extra % off sale items codes every so often. (Although it seems like they haven’t done much discounting to start 2014?)
Weaknesses: Prices. They seem pretty high. $88 for a pair of their flagship, washed cotton chinos is just not something most of us are going to be willing to spend, when there are much cheaper alternatives. And they’re now in the $1000 suit game? Good gravy. Suit jackets & blazer tails can seem short… if not chopped to many. Return and Shipping policies have been unstable as of late.
Strengths: Panning for style gold in the river that is the internet. The world’s a big place, and someone, somewhere, is always looking to unload a lightly used piece or pair of awesome for a ridiculously low price. It’s just a matter of finding it. A favorite destination for many shoe addicts, looking to grab a pair of Allen Edmonds (or even super high luxury brands) for cheap. A place to go to find truly unique vintage finds. Also a great place to go to SELL off your no longer loved stuff, in order to fund a new addition to your wardrobe.
Weaknesses: Y’know… ebay just hasn’t been all that great for a lot of us. Many of us have tried. And tried. And tried and tried and tried and CONTINUE to strike out. Ebay almost seems too big. There are so many sellers that you’ve really got to be on top of who you’re dealing with and assessing risk (like, is the item counterfeit?). There’s also so many buyers, that many items can quickly get bid to sky high prices. When it comes to shoes, the previous owner’s feet might have embedded his own contours onto the insole, causing discomfort to the new wearer.
Your votes determine who goes on to the next round. Cast your ballot below. Voting closes at midnight ET.
Store Wars: Bonobos vs. ebay
- Bonobos (63%, 1,138 Votes)
- ebay (37%, 673 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,803
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ebay loses for the Global Shipping program which effectively doubles the cost on a lot of items to pay a duty that doesn’t apply. It’s an attempt to rip off the consumer hidden as a feature (Amazon and Lands End have this scam too).
Given that a lot of American sellers sign up for this without knowing what they are getting into I suspect it is hurting a lot of sales. I basically don’t buy from American sellers anymore because of this price rise. The StyleForum marketplace is largely inaccessible to me pricewise now as a result.
As much as the Final Sale and return stipulations have been in flux, I still choose Bonobos here for the customer service alone. eBay is a huge mixed bag, and it’s always at least a little bit of a question mark until it shows up on your doorstep.
Bonobos CS is so good that (while I wouldn’t try it) they would probably be willing to waive their Final Sale stigma just so that you’d be a happy customer. They put fit and CS > everything, which is the total opposite of many brands.
I’ve never bought from Bonobos, but I’ll vote for a corporation with a return policy over some stranger in a basement any day. (And this coming from someone who previously has made a living as the stranger in the basement. On eBay, I mean! Sheesh.)
Bonobos is great – I had a belt from them that the leather started splitting after about 6 months of almost daily wear. I wrote them about it just to give them a head’s up on a quality concern and they offered a free replacement right there.
I think I’d be more inclined to choose Ebay if I’ve had success with it. Put This On’s Ebay list is definitely helpful in that regard but I’m going with Bonobos.
I’ve got this two tone (Oxford blue on top/Navy on bottom) button down from them and it fits me so perfectly.
Zegna suits for a song? Allen Edmonds shoes for under $100 in fantastic condition? Canali shirts for $35? Don’t think of it as a kid in a basement selling you something. Some of these people are power sellers, or even established brick and mortar stores. Heck, you can even buy Bonobos stuff there. And if you don’t want used just check the ‘new’ checkbox. If you think it’s a lottery finding what you want, just spend a little more time looking. I’m XL-Tall and shoe size 13, and I still find a ton of stuff there. I vote eBay every time.
I hate to sound like I’ve lost faith in my fellow man, but I just don’t know who is on the other side of that eBay screen. My ex ordered 3 really expensive purses one time, and only one wasn’t a fake.
Bonobos is expensive for me, but the fit is so frickin’ good that when I want a quality pant, I know I can go there and be happy.
Ebay. All day. Every day. Just last week, I scored an Oxxford Clothes grey pinstripe suit for $80 after shipping. It’s previously owned, but in like-new condition. It’s makes Brooks Brothers suits look bush league.
I like Bonobos pants + I hate how ebay sellers fees have crept up to almost 12% now (including paypal) = 1 vote for Bonobos
i signed up because it was pitched as “hey, do basically nothing and reach a worldwide customer base”… what are they not telling me?
What they aren’t telling you is that your customers are getting massive extra charges of about 75%. Even if the product wasn’t except from NAFTA I get charged $5 + 15% (local tax) when you post it. Most of the time I don’t get dinged because it is a small enough item that customs does not worry about it.
What is happening is that the 3rd party Ebay contracted is pocketing millions (presumably with a good kickback to Ebay) for “expediting” a parcel in a system that is really fast already (usually less than a week).
I have largely switched to European and Canadian sellers as a result of this and I can’t wait until Americans reject this scam so I can start shopping with them again.
The eBay shopping experience is what you make it. If you’re willing to do your homework, investigate the items you’re buying and the sellers you’re buying from, accept some inherent degree of risk, and acknowledge there are some things you just shouldn’t buy sight-unseen off the internet, shopping on eBay can pay off big time. If you’re looking for consistency and a reassuring hand to guide you, eBay is not the way to go.
If this sounds like an unconditional endorsement of eBay, it’s not. eBay has lots of serious problems, especially from a seller’s perspective. But if you have repeated bad experiences as a buyer on eBay, it’s probably at least partly because you’re not approaching the situation with the right mindset. eBay’s and Paypal’s policies are so friendly and forgiving to buyers that you almost have to go out of your way to get scammed as a buyer. Frankly, it is a lot more likely for a seller to get scammed by an unscrupulous buyer than the other way around.
I imagine you’re a pretty standard body type? It kills me when people post comments like this because I know I will never be able to do this (well, unless I am able to pack on a lot of muscle). Ebay isn’t a great place for the guy that fits a Bar III Slim suit. Most stuff on there will be so baggy that it would need to be completely re-cut to make it wearable for the slim/skinny among us.
To be fair, you’re a bit of an outlier as an XL-Tall and size 13 shoe. That’s probably a blessing and a curse for you when it comes to eBay; on one hand the pieces your size probably come along less frequently, however when they do, there’s probably significantly less bidding competition.
I don’t keep up with ebay too much – I assume this only affects goods flowing in and out of the US? In other words, it doesn’t affect stuff sold within the states, correct?
Correct – out of the US only. I have never seen it on Chinese or European sellers.
I think your comment supports eBay, right? If I look at the selection of high end clothing there will always be much more in the average person’s sizes than mine. There may more bidders, but patience always wins…
For you, my comment supports eBay. For those folks who are closer to the center of the bell curve, not necessarily; the more items, the more sifting that’s required (ie. more time). If you have time to make your way through everything and narrow it down you’ll still need to probably message the seller and ask a bunch of questions (most sellers do not list sufficient info and the ones that do are also eBay savvy – their listings always get a lot of bids). If you have time to type up those questions then you have to monitor the responses. Then you have to bid. Then you will probably get beat out if you’re trying to find a steal. You’ll have to do the whole thing over again.
tl;dr – eBay is significantly better for those with outlier sizing. It’s often too time intensive for those with more typical sizing.
Must be specific to you or to your card type. I didn’t have the offer. Would have jumped on it for sure though, so solid heads-up.
Never mind. I get it.
Key word is most. Patience, grasshopper. You’ll get your score one day.
I may. But I may also waste TONS of time sifting through 40R suits, messaging sellers to see if I can get exact measurements, finding out that 99% aren’t slim, getting outbid on ones that are, having to do it all over again, finally getting one, having it be improperly sized or damaged or not what I thought, eating the money spent, and then doing it again and again and again.
Maybe I’ll get lucky, maybe I won’t. One thing is certain though – I’ll spend A LOT of time doing it. eBay is a gamble not only with money but with time (which some may argue is even more precious). eBay is time intensive even for those without more specific requirements; with them it’s can be absolute nightmare.
I’ve had no issues with ebay. As BenR says, do your homework. As far as Bonobos goes, unless they’re having a great sale, I’ll take a pass. $80-85 for an OCBD? $130 for a chambray? $60-70 for a henley? No thanks. With all of the other options, which Dappered.com so kindly points out on a daily basis, Bonobos pricing is ridiculous.
Try searching by description and using your measurement numbers. I was able to score a like new but altered cashmere/wool Hickey Freeman this way and it fits me like a glove.
If you’re looking for a 20.5″ p2p, for instance, try searching for 41″, 20.5, 20.25, etc etc, and you’ll be surprised what you can find
eBay also hosts stores like Shopthefinest that sell new Italian kit for 1/3rd retail. It’s a great resource once you dig in.
I’m sure I could find something that would fit through the chest, but for most suits that fit through the chest, the arm width, waist and seat are all probably going to be too large by a lot. If you need to drastically adjust those three measurements, you’re essentially talking about re-cutting a suit. It’s going to be expensive and there’s a pretty high probability that it’s not going to come out looking the way you wanted because it’s a difficult tailoring job; even if the tailor is good, they still may not be able to salvage it if it’s too far off. Then there’s the matter of the shoulders – if they’re even a little bit off (too wide, too slim, too much padding, etc) it could screw up the look. The pants are another potentially confounding factor. Just because a jacket is properly sized (or close enough) certainly doesn’t mean the pants will be. Again, if you’re talking about needing to slim the pants everywhere, you’re talking about re-cutting. If you need to take out more than 2″ – 3″ in the waist or seat, you’re probably going to throw off the balance of the pants.
tl;dr – When buying a suit on eBay, there’s already a lot of opportunity to run into trouble. When you complicate things further by needing slim / skinny fit, the amount of time searching, the likelihood you’ll end up spending a fortune on tailoring and the chances you’ll end up with something unwearable all increase dramatically.
Mind mentioning what type of card you have? I’ve been trying to narrow down what type of Amex cards have these offers and what types don’t.
The question is, WHY do you need such “slim stuff”. RLBL & 1818 Regent suits fit me quite nicely, barely needing any more waist suppression. My size doesn’t come up often(42L), but I’ve always had good success with eBay at least 2x/year.
If you like such slim stuff, you’re gonna be disappointed when the overly suppressed, short coat, low rise garbage these days goes out of style soon.