Introduction
Online chess stores play an important role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential chess equipment and learning resources so that both chess players and chess enthusiasts can improve their skills and enjoy the game wherever they reside. Online chess stores also play a key role in promoting chess and providing support for the global chess community which is essential for the future growth and development of the chess community and the chess industry. In this article i will highlight some of the best online chess stores and provide information on the history of their stores, their available products and services, their customers experience, their trustworthiness and reputation and much more. I will also explore their main strengths and weaknesses.
Wholesale Chess is a US based online chess store that was founded in 2005 by owners that wish to remain anonymous. Wholesale Chess specialises in supplying a wide range of chess products such as chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, chess clocks, chess bags, chess club supplies, chess books, chess software, chess DVD’s, chess computers, and chess gifts. Wholesale Chess’ name may imply that they supply chess products at wholesale prices however many of their products are actually priced for retail to sell to the general public. The chess products at Wholesale Chess are ideal for chess clubs and schools as they offer competitive prices on bulk orders and their chess products are also suitable for chess players of all ages and experience levels. Wholesale Chess has served the global chess community for over 15 years and during their time in business they have become an integral part of the chess industry. Today Wholesale Chess is one of the most popular online chess stores in the world which is a status they have achieved by supplying high quality chess products and by ensuring that their customers receive the highest standards of customer service. Wholesale Chess also facilitates business partnerships through their affiliate program which enables individuals and businesses to partner with them and earn commissions by referring their products.
Store history
Wholesale Chess is a privately held company that was founded in 2005 with headquarters in the United States. The founding of Wholesale Chess was fuelled by a desire to support the development of the next generation of chess players by ensuring that young chess players have access to all the resources that are required to excel in chess at the most reasonable prices. Wholesale chess specialises in supplying chess products such as chess club starter kits in bulk for chess clubs and schools however they also supply a wide range of chess products that are ideal for chess players of all ages and experience levels such as chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess clocks, chess bags, chess club supplies, chess books, chess software, chess DVD’s, chess computers and chess gifts. Wholesale Chess’ aim is also to support the global chess industry and they encourage both individuals and businesses to participate in building the chess industry through their affiliate program which enables individuals and businesses to earn commissions by promoting their chess products to their audiences on their platforms. Wholesale Chess has grown significantly since their founding in 2005 and today they are one of the most popular online chess stores in the world that receives tens of thousands of monthly visitors to their site.
Product selection and quality
Wholesale Chess has an extensive catalogue of chess products that cater to the taste, budgets, and needs of chess players of all ages and levels of experience. Wholesale Chess is ideal for chess clubs and schools that require teaching supplies in bulk for chess classes. The chess products that are available at Wholesale Chess include chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess clocks, chess bags, chess club supplies, chess books, chess software, chess DVD’s, chess computers, and chess gifts.
Chess sets available at Wholesale Chess:
Plastic chess sets, wooden chess sets, Staunton wooden chess sets, luxury wooden chess sets, travel chess sets, European chess sets, tournament chess sets, school and club chess sets, analysis chess sets, giant chess sets, and custom combination chess sets.
Chess boards available at Wholesale Chess:
Wooden chess boards, luxury wooden chess boards, electronic chess computers, straight up chess boards, custom printed chess boards, vinyl chess boards, full colour vinyl chess boards, silicone chess boards, mouse pad chess boards, paper chess boards, E-boards, full colour mousepad chess boards, chess tables, glossy chess boards, leather chess boards, and PVC tournament chess boards.
Chess pieces available at Wholesale Chess:
Plastic chess pieces, wooden chess pieces, luxury wooden chess pieces, DGT enabled chess pieces, artistic chess pieces, bone chess pieces, the forever collection, the Camaratta collection, giant chess pieces, themed chess pieces, chess boxes, club chess pieces, tournament chess pieces, replacement and individual chess pieces, House of Staunton wooden chess pieces, and clearance sale chess pieces.
Chess clocks available at Wholesale Chess:
Wholesale Chess chess clocks, digital chess clocks, bags for chess clocks, DGT Projects chess clocks, BHB chess clocks, analogue chess clocks, tournament suitable chess clocks, Chronos chess clocks, and ZMart chess clocks.
Chess bags available at Wholesale Chess:
Chess board bags, chess clock bags, tournament bags, chess piece bags, chess set bags, custom printed chess bags, and miscellaneous chess bags.
Chess club supplies available at Wholesale Chess:
Chess accessories, tournament director supplies, chess club starter kits, tournament chess sets, teaching chess supplies, chess demonstration boards, chess score books, chess boxes, club chess sets, chess awards and medals, chess trophies and medals, and chess tables.
Chess books available at Wholesale Chess:
Chess opening books, general chess instruction, chess strategy books, chess puzzle books, chess game collection books, miscellaneous chess books, chess history books, beginner chess books, how to teach chess books, chess informants, chess life annuals, chess middlegame books, chess endgame books, chess tactics books, chess rule books, chess E-books, chess match and tournament books, biographical chess books, foreign language chess books, children’s chess books, chess magazines, American chess magazines, new in chess yearbooks, shopworn chess books, and non-chess books.
Chess software available at Wholesale Chess:
Chess software/DVD’s, chess playing software, chess middlegame software, chess strategy software, tournament management, children’s chess software, mac chess software, software for chess clubs, Convekta chess software, clearance sale chess software, chess database software, chess opening software, chess endgame software, chess players and their games, chess tactics software, downloadable chess software, Windows chess software, Linux chess software, ChessBase chess software, and ChessKing chess software.
Chess DVD’s available at Wholesale Chess:
Chess DVD’s/software, downloadable chess E-DVD’s, chess movies on DVD, chess middlegame DVD’s, chess biography DVD’s, chess tactics DVD’s, chess DVD’s for beginners, chess DVD’s in Spanish, foreign language DVD’s, chess DVD collections, chess instructional DVD’s, chess opening DVD’s, chess endgame DVD’s, chess strategy DVD’s, chess DVD’s for children, chess game collection DVD’s, and chess DVD’s in Portuguese.
Chess computers available at Wholesale Chess:
ChessGenius chess computers, ChessUp chess computers, DGT chess computers, Millennium chess computers, Square Off Pro chess computers, Millennium ChessGenius chess computers, The King Performance chess computers, ChessVolt battery packs, Miko Chess Grand chess sets, Millennium Chess Links, and The Chess Champion chess computers.
Chess gifts available at Wholesale Chess:
Chess Themed Rubik’s Cubes, Chess stress relievers, chess key chains, chess set, board, and box combinations, chess pendant necklaces, US chess federation luxury hardcover scorebooks, single plastic chess pieces, ChessKid deluxe chess bags, check book magnetic travel chess sets, the brown junior chess sets, three player chess sets, wooden folding magnetic travel chess sets, magnetic wooden travel chess sets, Wholesale Chess digital chess timers, deluxe chess bags, luxury hardcover scorebooks, and chess board baseball hats.
Wholesale Chess customer service and customer experience
The Wholesale Chess customer service team can be reached via phone, mail, email, and Fax, or by filling out their contact us form on their contact us page, Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm (Mountain Time) and they are happy to help customers with any issues or queries they may have such as product related questions, assisting with returns and exchanges, assisting with website navigation issues, or any other issues that customers may have. Customers can also contact the Wholesale Chess customer service team by utilising the live chat feature and clicking on the black speech bubble icon which is located at the bottom right corner of their website. Wholesale Chess has received numerous customer reviews on online review sites such as trustpilot.com, resellerratings.com, knoji.com, and tenereteam.com. Most of the reviews that customers of Wholesale Chess have left on online review sites such as trustpilot.com and resellerratings.com are negative and their customers have expressed their disappointment with Wholesale Chess’ customer service teams poor communication and unprofessionalism especially when dealing with customer disputes, the poor condition of their products upon arrival, and their high shipping costs. On the other hand, the customers that have left positive reviews have expressed their satisfaction with Wholesale Chess’ customer service, their fast shipping times, and the reasonable price of their chess products. Although it’s possible that many customers have had positive experiences whilst shopping with Wholesale Chess and have not left reviews online of their experience, it would be wise for customers to exercise caution when shopping with Wholesale Chess especially when making large purchases as most of their customer reviews are of customers expressing their disappointment with Wholesale Chess’ products and customer service and the negative experience they had whilst shopping in their store.
Trustworthiness and reputation
Wholesale Chess does not rank very high on the scale of trustworthiness as many of the customer reviews that they have received are negative which suggests that most of the customers that have shopped with Wholesale Chess in the past have had less than satisfactory experiences. Some of the main factors that contributes to Wholesale Chess’ lack of trustworthiness according to the available customer reviews and my personal observation are their lack of positive customer reviews especially as they are one of the pioneers of the online chess industry that has served the chess community for over 15 years and their customer service teams poor communication and unprofessionalism when handling customer disputes. Customers of Wholesale Chess that have left reviews online have also expressed their disappointment with their high shipping costs and the poor condition of their chess products upon arrival. Although the absence of a sufficient number of positive customer reviews may not be indicative of the standard of customer service that Wholesale Chess provides their customers with, their high ratio of negative customer reviews to positive customer reviews after being in business for 19 years reflects poorly on their trustworthiness and may deter customers from shopping with them. Wholesale Chess has developed a reputation for ensuring their customers receive the best prices on their products through their price match policy and for supporting the development of young chess players by catering to chess clubs and schools need for high quality chess products in bulk.
Pricing and affordability
Wholesale Chess has an extensive range of chess products that mainly cater to the tastes and budgets of chess clubs and schools however their chess products are also ideal for chess players of all ages and levels of experience. The chess products that are available at Wholesale Chess includes chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess clocks, chess bags, chess club supplies, chess books, chess software, chess DVD’s, chess computers, and chess gifts. The chess sets that are available at Wholesale Chess are priced as low as 4.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 6,895 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards are priced as low as 1.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 6,095 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces are priced as low as 19 cents on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 2,495 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess clocks are priced as low as 24.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 329 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess bags are priced as low as 4.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 69.95 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess club supplies are priced as low as 10 cents on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 1,195 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess books are priced as low as 1 dollar on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 179.95 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess software is priced as low as 9.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 615.90 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess DVDs are priced as low as 0 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 599.95 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess computers are priced as low as 69.95 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 995.95 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly, the chess gifts are priced as low as 2.99 dollars on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 697 dollars on the higher end of the spectrum.
Available Payment methods
Wholesale Chess accepts numerous payment methods which includes American Express, Discover, Mastercard, PayPal, Visa, and Amazon Pay.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
Wholesale Chess ships both nationally and internationally to 200 countries around the world with FedEx and USPS courier services. Customers can choose between multiple shipping methods, standard shipping which can take up to 10 business days to ship depending on the delivery destination or guaranteed shipping methods such as FedEx express saver, 3 day express, 2nd day air, or next day air. Customers can also request expedited shipping by contacting Wholesale Chess’ customer service team. US customers in the lower 48 states can expect to pay $9.99 for standard shipping on orders under $100 with free shipping on orders over $100. Wholesale Chess does not guarantee any shipping dates however in the event that customers request a guaranteed shipping method at checkout and their packages fail to arrive on schedule, Wholesale Chess will work with the couriers to determine if a shipping refund can be arranged. International orders may be subject to additional shipping charges depending on the laws of the country that orders are being delivered to which are the responsibility of the customer due to fees such as customs duties and import taxes that are required to facilitate international deliveries. Shipping costs are shown in the cart during checkout however in cases where orders exceed a certain weight customers may need to contact the Wholesale Chess customer service team via phone so that a custom shipping quote can be calculated. Wholesale Chess subsidises the shipping costs on most orders to ensure that customers receive the lowest shipping cost possible however although all shipping methods provided by Wholesale Chess are insured customers may incur small additional fees with some shipping methods such as USPS for self-insurance, packing materials, and handling. Customers will be charged for the cost of return shipping for undeliverable and unclaimed packages that are returned to Wholesale Chess as well as additional shipping costs if customers wish to have the unclaimed or undelivered packages shipped back to them. Most orders that are received by 1pm Mountain Time, Monday to Friday, will be shipped on the same day and Wholesale Chess will contact customers via email or phone if an order cannot be shipped within 2 business days. Customers will also be notified before 7pm Mountain Time via email once their orders have been shipped. Customers have 30 days from the date their orders are received to initiate a return however items must be new, unopened, in resaleable condition, and with all boxes, parts, instruction booklets, and manuals in order for refunds to be approved by Wholesale Chess and orders that are placed from November 15 to December 25 have an extended return time frame. A full refund will be issued to customers if returns are approved minus any applied restocking fees and the cost of shipping if the original order was eligible for free shipping. Items that are returned to Wholesale Chess in non-saleable condition due to use, damage, or missing parts will not be accepted and will be returned to the customer at the customer’s expense. In order to initiate a return customers must locate the items they wish to return in the order history section of their account, select the return items option, and fill out a return form, Wholesale Chess will then contact the customer within 48 hours via email or phone. Returned items must include the customer’s name, address, phone number, order number, and the reason for the return. Items that are received damaged, defective, or missing items must be reported to Wholesale Chess within 30 days and Wholesale Chess will send a replacement with a return shipping label for the defective item. The courier will also need the original packaging for inspection. Customers will be charged for the replacement item before receiving a credit for the defective item once it is received by Wholesale Chess. Refunds may take up to two weeks to process once it has been received and refunds will be issued to the customers original payment method. Customers that have been issued a refund which has not been after two weeks must contact the Wholesale Chess customer service team.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The Wholesale Chess website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed and mobile friendly with easy to identify product categories, a search bar that’s located at the top centre of the website which customers can use to search for specific products, and a footer menu that’s located at the bottom of the website which customers can use to find additional information such as the contact us page, the store policy page, the shipping policy page, the membership page, the returns and warranty page, the request a return page, the terms and conditions page, the privacy page, the international orders page, the replacement pieces page, the price match policy page, the affiliate program, the purchase order policy page, as well as links to the various product categories and the newsletter sign up form. Customers can also speak with the customer service team directly by utilising the live chat feature and clicking on the speech bubble symbol at the bottom right corner of the screen. On mobile and tablet devices clicking on the hamburger menu that’s located at the top left corner of the screen will display the different product categories, a link to the login/register page, as well as a drop-down menu which enables customers to choose the currency they wish to shop with. On desktop devices hovering over the different product categories with a cursor will display the different subcategories within each main product category. The Wholesale Chess website is as easy to navigate on mobile and tablet devices as it is on desktop devices and features clear and vivid product photos and comprehensive product descriptions so that customers can access all the information that’s needed to make the most informed purchasing decisions. The Wholesale Chess website is also secured with TSL/SSL encryption which protects users sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers that are used on their site from malicious entities online. Overall, the Wholesale Chess website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed with the customer convenience in mind, mobile friendly, secure, and well stocked with a wide range of high-quality chess products.
Wholesale Chess strengths and weaknesses
Wholesale Chess’ main strengths are their intuitively designed and easy to navigate website, their live chat feature which enables customer to communicate with their customer service team in real time, their worldwide shipping capabilities, their fast-shipping times, their helpful customer service team, their extensive catalogue of high-quality and competitively priced chess products, their bulk order discounts, their member ship program which enables customers to gain access to additional benefits, their affiliate program which enables businesses and individuals to earn commissions by promoting their products, and their price match policy which enables customers to receive the best price on their orders. Whilst Wholesale Chess has many strengths, it also has some weaknesses, which if addressed and improved upon, would greatly improve the shopping experience for both existing and future customers. Wholesale Chess’ main weaknesses according to customer reviews and my personal observation are their lack of positive customer reviews which may deter new customers from shopping in their store, their customer service teams poor communication and unprofessionalism when handling customer disputes, the poor condition of their products upon arrival, and their high shipping costs which may deter existing customer from frequenting their store. Overall, Wholesale Chess has many strengths that will appeal to many customers however some of their weaknesses reflects poorly on their store and negatively impacts their level of trustworthiness even though they may not be indicative of Wholesale Chess’ ethos or an accurate portrayal of their standard of customer service or the quality of their products.
Conclusion
Online chess stores are an essential part of the chess industry, and they play a crucial role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential equipment and resources that will enable them to improve their skills in chess however not all online chess stores are made the same as some are clearly better than others. In this article i have highlighted 25 of the most prominent online chess stores, each having defining characteristics. Some online chess stores specialise in supplying high end chess products, some specialise in supplying chess products for professional chess players, and some specialise in supplying chess products for chess players for all ages, tastes, budgets, and experience levels. Whether you’re a professional chess player in search of a chess set that’s suitable for practice sessions, a chess set collector in search of unique chess products, or a chess enthusiast in search of a high-quality chess set, this catalogue of online chess stores will enable you to find the perfect online chess store.
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