Where Can You Find the Best Gift Baskets? Gift baskets are a lifesaver for people who want to give thoughtful, customized presents without spending hours shopping, wrapping, and coordinating. Whether you're celebrating a loved one's birthday, sending a thank-you gift to a business associate, or expressing sympathy during a difficult time, a gift basket can convey your message with care and creativity.
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Established in 1910, Harry & David was once a renowned gift-giving service, offering hundreds of gift options - from charcuterie baskets to flowers, fruit baskets, baked goods, and monthly clubs. However, since becoming part of the 1-800-Flowers family, longtime customers have noticed a steep decline in their service quality, which we'll explore in this review.
Over 450 gift basket options
With nearly 500 gift baskets, boxes, and towers available, you'll want to use the filters to narrow down your search. You can filter by occasion (birthday, sympathy, thank you, get well, anniversary), container type (box, tower, crate, basket, tin, tray), contents, and price range. There's also the "Find the Perfect Gift" tool that helps you select gifts based on the recipient (family, friend, coworker, him, her) and your budget.
Gifts from $30 to $1,500
Prices range from $30 for the "All Smiles Sweets & Treats Gift Basket" (filled with chocolate-covered pretzels, wafer cookies, popcorn, and confetti cake batter cookies) to $1,499.99 for the luxury "Spectacular Gourmet Gift Basket with Wine" (featuring an eye-popping assortment of wines, fruits, meats, crackers, cheeses, candies, chocolates, olives, spreads, and snack mixes). Their most popular item is Harry's Gift Box at $59.99, which includes 4 pounds of pears, popcorn, sharp white cheddar cheese, smoked summer sausage, mixed nuts, and crackers.
Seasonal deals plus 15% off your first order
When we visited Harry & David's website, we were greeted with an offer for 15% off our first order and a banner advertising a buy one, get one 50% off seasonal deal.
Additional fees may apply to shipping charges
Standard shipping (4-7 days) costs $8.99 for orders up to $15, increasing to 17% of your order subtotal for orders over $150.01. There are quite a few additional charges for things like club subscription shipping, express shipping, PO boxes, and wine deliveries. If you're on a tight budget, you should review the shipping information carefully and note holiday shipping deadlines to avoid costly surprises - one customer reported shipping charges that amounted to 40% of her total order.
Return policy is just for show
Harry & David's return policy is difficult to locate, and when found, it's suspiciously brief and vague. The entire policy consists of one sentence: "You and those who receive your gifts must be delighted, or we'll make it right with either an appropriate replacement or refund." It's followed by a direction for customers to contact them online, but if you've read any recent customer reviews, you'll understand how much of a joke this is. With customer service now outsourced overseas, reaching a representative has become nearly impossible. One customer even said that the chat system has no queue or estimated waiting time - miss your moment on screen, and you'll lose your chance to connect.
Your order won't look like the photos
And the likelihood of experiencing issues with your order is high. On Reddit's "r/ExpectationVsReality," we found a post showing a diaper cake baby gift basket that bore little resemblance to the advertised photo - commenters joked that it looked like a Temu product, with the advertised adorable plush teddy bear and keepsake brush replaced by what appeared to be a carnival toy and dollar store brush. Other customers complain that portions of edible items are ridiculously small, with excessive cellophane and straw packaging seemingly used to mask the minimal quantities.
Earns their low rating
We would urge you to think twice before ordering gift baskets from Harry & David. While they once maintained a solid reputation with mostly high ratings on Trustpilot, their current standing tells a different story - a baffling 89% of their 1,000 recent reviews are now 1-star. Customers have reported products arriving looking drastically different from advertised photos, unannounced delivery delays for monthly fruit subscriptions, orders that never arrive, and perhaps most alarming, instances of double-charging with slow refund processing. Add to this an almost unreachable customer service team, and you're looking at a risky shopping experience, especially during the holiday season when you can't afford to have your money tied up in disputed charges.
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Gift baskets are a lifesaver for people who want to give thoughtful, customized presents without spending hours shopping, wrapping, and coordinating. Whether you're celebrating a loved one's birthday, sending a thank-you gift to a business associate, or expressing sympathy during a difficult time, a gift basket can convey your message with care and creativity.
These curated packages are convenient and personal, solving the common problem of not knowing what to give or how to give it in a way that feels meaningful. Gift baskets vary widely in style, contents, and price, so you have the flexibility to find one that suits your recipient and your budget.
Some are filled with gourmet foods like artisanal cheeses, chocolates, and wine, perfect for foodies or a romantic celebration. Others focus on themes, such as pampering spa products for a relaxing treat or practical items for new parents. While a few gift basket retailers allow you to create custom baskets, all offer pre-designed options for most occasions.
Not all gift basket companies are created equal, so it's important to be aware of differences in quality, delivery options, and pricing. Some gift basket services specialize in high-end offerings with luxury packaging, while others focus on affordability and practicality. Still others masquerade as high-end, baiting-and-switching customers with dollar store products instead of the gourmet treats they advertise. It can be hard to tell what kind of company you're dealing with on appearances alone, so it's important to look at what their past customers have said about them online.
When shopping for gift baskets online, keep the following considerations in mind to make sure both you and your giftee have a good experience:
To make your gift-giving experience easier, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the best gift basket companies available online. Whether you're looking for something elegant, practical, or whimsical, we hope this review helps you find a service that meets your needs and makes your gifting experience stress-free and memorable.
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Why Are Gift Baskets So Popular?
The giving of gift baskets can be traced to ancient Greece. In 19th-century England, gift hampers were routinely delivered by hand to denizens of the country by visitors from London. These English offerings were meant to denote a degree of sophistication on the part of the giver, offering as they did products and wares country dwellers were hard pressed to find. They might even have included novelties and delicacies from the reaches of the British Empire.
Today, gift baskets are enjoying a healthy resurgence stateside. Why are gift baskets so popular? Their variety, versatility, and visual appeal render them a welcome offering to friends, family and acquaintances on most any occasion.
Variety and Number
Since a gift offering is nearly always appreciated, as an offering of multiple gifts -- neatly packaged in a single container - it is a can't-lose proposition. Offering more than one gift at a time can result in a sharing of the gift with friends of the recipient -- a move that cannot fail to boost your reputation. This strategy can be very effective with gifts of food, flowers,
and even non-food themed gifts. A small business owner's sharing an office gift basket is de rigueur, almost cliche.
But think of how the baby goods gift basket you offer to a friend might be shared with other new moms. A themed gift basket to a knitting or crafting hobbyist, for example, might be shared with an entire crafting circle. Similarly, a bowling-themed basket might end up benefiting an entire league team. Of course, the more thought you put into the content of the basket, the more suitable the design and conception, the better.
Adaptability
In an age where business and personal friendships are formed via various types of media -- where your best friend forever might be an Internet acquaintance you have never met -- gift baskets make an ideal choice. For one thing, they can be as personal or as impersonal as you like. For a new business client, a basket of wines that are generally judged to be of good quality is perfectly
suitable. For your spouse or significant other, a basket filled with items that suit her tastes - right down to brand, flavor and color -- strikes just the right note of intimacy, indicating a high degree of interest and attachment on your part. Indeed, gift baskets come in such variety and are formulated with such creativity that they can make ideal gifts for everyone from newborns to centegenarians, from new neighbors to the dearest of friends.
Visual Appeal
Even the English gift hampers of yore were generally decorative standouts. Gift basket packaging has only gained in visual elegance since then. Many purveyors continue to offer basket-like containers adorned with colorful shrink wrap. But more originally designed offerings are truly on the rise. For example, some specialty retailers package gifts in reusable containers -- perfectly
in
line with the eco-consciousness of the moment. Other companies have been known to employ containers of stoneware or earthenware for a rustic feel. Glassware and clear polycarbonate material offer the recipient an easy view of what's inside. Decorative materials may include anything from burlap and jute to satin, silk, and crystal.
Gift baskets are projected to grow in popularity through the next decade. Whether you are shopping for intimate friend or brand new acquaintance, there's sure to be a selection that is perfectly appropriate.
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