Last Updated on: March 23, 2022
Optics Planet is one of the largest online destinations for a variety of gears. They offer gun parts, ammunition, optics, hunting gear, outdoor and survival gear, apparel, footwear, and lots of other things from different brands, all in one place.
But with the sketchy reputation of Optics Planet online, I bet you can really use some help from our review. However, before we begin, all I’ll say is don’t make up your mind about Optics Planet just yet because they might turn out to be an amazing destination for buying gears!
So let’s find out if Optics Planet can be your go-to place for shopping tactical gear online!
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Is Optics Planet Legit?
Although Optics Planet does not boast a spotless reputation, it is a legit online marketplace for browsing through a diverse range of gear. It has been around since 2000 and well, people have all sorts of things to say about them.
The legitimacy of Optics Planet is not the exact concern here because they’re mainly notorious for delayed shipments. We’ll talk about that later, for sure. For now, I think it’ll be safe to say that their authenticity is not a question.
They are an authentic company that has been in business for 22 years and of course, they haven’t been out here being good for nothing!
Pricing
Optics Planet features products from thousands of brands at their store so there’s not a definite price range that we can talk about. Also, they naturally do not have a lot to do with the prices since they are not the manufacturers of the items.
The prices of products on their website vary largely according to the brand you’re considering. However, one thing is for sure that they do offer the best prices amongst the other retailers out there.
Here’s what someone had to say about the prices at Optics Planet:
“Substantial discounts on quality products,” says this one on Reddit:
Well, who doesn’t like discounts on quality products?
Another one who says that their prices are often the best:
And honestly, we cannot agree more with this person. Optics Planet does offer some amazing bargains at times and provides the best rates possible.
So it can be a good shopping place for an occasional hobbyist or I mean someone who doesn’t need the item within a specific timeframe. A flexible time frame can give you the privilege to come back every so often to check for different discounts.
For instance, this Streamlight TLR 2 HL G Flashlight is originally priced at $633 but you can save up to 50% and grab a deal at $329.99 only. Or this Hornady Ammo Plant Reloading Press which will cost you around $1400 when it is originally priced at $1800+.
So there’s not much to argue about because the prices mainly depend on the brand and not Optics Planet, however, they do strive to bring the best prices among everyone else in the market.
Online Shopping Experience
Well, I was straight-up overwhelmed by the number of categories on their website. I mean 651 is a considerably large number but then, you’re getting a versatile inventory at one place so it’s understandable.
You can find hunting gear, helmets, goggles, handcuffs, GPS accessories, and whatnot. I can’t even begin mentioning half of what they offer. They feature items from over 3000 brands but of course, they’re not all reliable so you’ll have to be mindful about choosing the right brand.
One major nuisance at their website is the poor inventory tracking. They have a below-par management system in terms of inventory updates so you’ll be mostly signing up for backorders because the items listed in stock are not actually available. What’s worse is that your money will be held hostage even if the item isn’t coming back in stock for another 6 months.
Other than that, they have quite well defined filtering options for each category which makes shopping from their massive inventory a bit easier. You can shop from specific brands including top ammunition manufacturers like Hornady.
In short, they have an incredible collection of all types of gear but it would have been a lot better if the products were actually available on time. The website is easy to browse all hail to the appropriate filtering options for each category.
Lastly, the payment options are as versatile as their inventory. You can pay via PayPal, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Cheques, Money Orders, and even Wire Transfers.
Quality
Now on to the quality which I believe is not going to be a problem unless you’re purchasing from an unreasonable manufacturer.
Now I have seen tonnes of negative reviews about Optics Planet but almost none of them was about the quality. So you can rest assured about the quality of products at Optics Planet.
However, since they have over 3k brands under their belt, I believe quality regulation can be an issue at times. But if you’re considering products from reliable and known manufacturers then, of course, don’t have much to worry about.
Here’s a customer sharing their satisfying experience with Optics Planet:
But then again, we cannot say anything for sure because the quality of products varies from brand to brand. So your experience can be pleasant or terrible depending on the brand.
In case you’re not satisfied with your purchase, you can file for a return or exchange and hope for the best!
All in all, as much as I know about Optics Planet and based on the customer reviews, I’ll say that quality is not an issue at all but a lot of other things (discussed later) need work.
Store Location
Optics Planet is based in Illinois, USA, however, they operate mainly as an online business. They operate quite a few specialized online stores but their flagship store is their website opticsplanet.com.
Previously, they had an Amazon store as well but it looks like that option is not available anymore. Perhaps, due to their declining service quality.
Anyway, if you want to shop from them, you can visit their e-store and browse through a variety of hunting, military, law enforcement, eyewear, and lab equipment.
Shipping
Locations
Optics Planet offers super flexible shipping services that extend across all the US states. Additionally, they offer shipping to around 190 countries and territories of the world.
However, international shipping is subject to a few limitations. For instance, your package should be under 70lb in case of value shipping and below 150lb for expedited shipping.
Anyway, the shipping takes up to 2-5 business days within the US and 2 to 15 business days for international orders. However, I’m afraid that the actual delivery times are nowhere near that.
Most people had to wait months for receiving their order. In fact, I’d say if you’re urgently looking for something, don’t even consider Optics Planet.
The problem is not exactly with the shipping services but with the fact that most items are not available in stock and are back-ordered in most cases. Hence, the delayed shipments.
Here’s a customer sharing their terrible experience with Optics Planet:
Charges
As for the shipping costs, you can avail free shipping on qualifying orders above $49. Again, not all orders will be eligible for free shipping so I’d rather not write home about it.
There’s no definite shipping cost mentioned on their website for either US or international orders. You can find the shipping charges based on your location, order, and shipping method at the checkout.
If you still have questions about the shipping policy, you can find your answers here.
Return Policy
Optics Planet offers the usual 30-day return policy which doesn’t apply to all the items, first of all.
You’re going to find a long list of items not eligible for either exchange or return at their website. According to their claims, the return or exchange process is hassle-free and takes only 10 business days for completion.
However, the experiences of majority of the customers suggest otherwise. The returns at Optics Planet are painfully slow which will make anyone think twice before buying from them. If it makes any difference, the returns are free if you’re taking up store credit instead of a refund.
Yet the bottom line remains the same. As a customer, I cannot imagine dealing with an unreliable return process that takes months for completion.
Customer Support
Well, the customer support at Optics Planet is not something I can appreciate at all. The reviews are unfortunately awful because most people have had terrible experiences. Instead of improving their services with time, it looks like the company is actually moving towards a decline.
Here’s what a customer had to say about their experience with Optics Planet 10 years ago:
On the contrary, here’s what most of the recent feedback looks like:
So the recent experiences are kind of making the company really shady. At this point, I don’t think I’ll be recommending Optics Planet to anyone. Sure if you have the time and patience, you can try them out!
Also, the best you can do to prevent trouble is, to contact their customer service to check the availability of your desired item because back-ordering and lack of stock seems to be the biggest issue with them.
Anyway, you can find the contact details of Optics Planet here.
Final Verdict
Well, Optics Planet is definitely a legit online shopping platform, however, don’t expect to see your order for months if you’re buying from them. They have an impressively massive inventory and the quality is up to par. But a customer said that the packages are probably tied to a turtle for shipping and I can’t help but agree with that!
