Costume Kingdom Review: Halloween Costume Stores

Based out of Tarzana, California, Costume Kingdom has been providing Halloween costumes for customers for over 25 years. They have a selection for adults, kids, and even pets here, so you can find something for the entire family. Costume Kingdom prides themselves in having top-notch customer service and unbeatable prices, so we've given them our consideration here to see how they stack up against their competitors.

Website needs attention

Right away we noticed that Costume Kingdom doesn't have a fully updated website and some of their information is incorrect. For example, they have a big section entitled "2020 Halloween Costumes" with text and links that used to be used to boost online rankings, but now just take up unnecessary space (since that's several years ago). In one place they say they have over 10 years of experience, but in another place they said they started in 1997, which means they have over 25 years of experience. These aren't major issues, but it shows us that they aren't putting a lot of effort into their site and it's not as closely managed as some other companies' are.

Browse by category

When you reach Costume Kingdom's site, you'll have a variety of categories to choose from to get you started. At its most basic, you could start by selecting between women's, men's, girls', and boys' costumes. Some of the featured "hot themes" that you could browse included Toy Story, Mary Poppins, Joker, and Disney Princesses. In our minds, these aren't categories that have trended lately, but nonetheless, they're highlighted here. At the bottom of their page is a list of costume themes in alphabetical order like 80's costumes, adult swim costumes, Barbie costumes, Beetlejuice costumes, Carnival costumes, and so on. Unfortunately, some of the categories come up completely empty, so don't assume there is much here just because there is a listing for it.

Many out-of-stock items

Despite some categories being devoid of actual costumes, there is still a decent selection here. We browsed "couples costumes" just for fun and found some entertaining ones for around $40. There were 5 pages of costumes in this category, but about half were listed as out-of-stock. Sizes ranged from XS to XL with a young adult size and big and tall size listed too. Kids' costumes range from infant/newborn sizing to young adult, so the best way to shop here is to first choose the size you need and then see what's available. For example, there were 279 results for girls' costumes, but some of them only came in a couple of sizes and quite a few were out-of-stock.

Basic product descriptions

Each product listing is pretty straightforward. You'll see an image of the costume, view the available sizes, read a short description, and you can browse the FAQ if there is one. Product details outline what is included with your order, what material it's made out of, and care instructions. It's all very basic information, but it should cover what you'd need to know for a short-time-use Halloween costume.

Competitive pricing

We did feel like pricing at Costume Kingdom was really competitive. There were costumes for close to $20 that we'd seen for nearly $40 elsewhere. However, since their pricing is pretty low, it's in your best interest to order more than one thing here since shipping is free if you spend over $50. If not, the cost is $7.50 for the first pound and $2 for each additional pound after that. Standard shipping orders go out within 24 hours.

14-day returns with stipulations

You'll have 14 days from the time you receive your order to return it for a refund, unless you purchase anything between October 15 and November 15. Items become non-returnable during this timeframe. Every item before then must be returned undamaged, with all its pieces, and neatly packaged in order to qualify for a return. You'll need to pay shipping costs to return the merchandise, and if you received free shipping initially, you'll receive a refund of what you paid, minus what it cost Costume Kingdom to ship your order.

Good ratings, poor customer service

At the time of this review, Costume Kingdom did not have a rating from the Better Business Bureau, but in the past they carried an "A+". Their customer reviews are quite high with people reporting that their shipping is really fast and their costumes come as expected quality- and appearance-wise. Where they fall short is with their customer service (which they ironically tout as one of their best assets) and when we found complaints for the company, they were almost always about negative interactions. So hopefully if you buy a costume here, it will be straightforward and you won't have to deal with customer service for any reason.

Could use some work

If Costume Kingdom were to update their site, clean it up a bit, and organize their in-stock and out-of-stock items better, it would really improve the overall shopping experience. They do have a good selection and their pricing is appealing, so we wouldn't shy away from shopping here entirely, but as of right now, it isn't our top choice (especially with customer service complaints) and they've earned a less-than-ideal rating.

Learn More  ➜

On the Costume Kingdom website