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Tuesday, March 19th
You know autumn is coming when you start to see Halloween Express stores popping up in shopping centers and strip malls near you. Their online store is open year-round, so you can shop for your Halloween costume anytime.
You'll find what you want - eventually
Finding your perfect costume can take some time on this site. If you know what you want, your best bet is to type it into the search bar. Otherwise, you'll have to pick a category like Boys or Women, then choose a category and hope it contains what you have in mind. There's no way to filter for size, price, color or anything else. For example, in the Adult costume section, you can click on options for Classic Horror Movies, Disguise, Princess, Science Fiction or 50+ other descriptions. Then once you've selected something there, the filter options are available on the resulting page. We went to the ever-popular Witch Costumes section and could narrow it down by brand, size, color, price, and so forth.
Good selection and costume info
Selection isn't a problem with Halloween Express. In the Witches category alone there were 50 choices ranging from Zelena on the TV show "Once Upon a Time" for $121.97 down to a "Bewitchin' Babe" costume for under $15. It's hard to tell exactly how many Halloween costumes are sold here, but it's obviously in the thousands. Most of them don't have any customer ratings, but there's plenty of details to help you make up your mind, from available sizes and recommended accessories to an estimated delivery date when you select your shipping address state in the dropdown.
Shipping is free, depending on location and order amount
What will you pay for shipping on your Halloween costume? The answer here is definitely "it depends" . Their warehouse is in North Carolina, so all orders of $65+ to addresses east of the Mississippi River get free shipping. West of the Mississippi, you'll need a minimum order of at least $99 to qualify for no-cost delivery.
30-day return policy
Halloween Express has a 30-day return policy. If you get your costume and decide to send it back, you'll need to reach out to their customer service team to get an RMA and then make sure it arrives within that 30-day period from when you originally received the package. Halloween Express doesn't typically charge restocking fees, but you'll be responsible for the return shipping costs, and your refund won't include the original cost of shipping the costume to you.
Some mixed reviews from shoppers
We were glad to see that Halloween Express has an "A+" grade from the Better Business Bureau, and even gladder that the retailer had zero complaints filed there. Looking at shoppers' ratings in other places, they average out to be 3.5 stars. More than 500 people had a perfect shopping experience, with many repeat customers who have used Halloween Express for years. Some people get their orders quickly and in great condition, with nothing bad to say. On the other hand, 20% of their customers are so unhappy, they give the store a one-star (or lower if they could). Comments include difficulties getting refunds on orders that were canceled by the store, items that arrive in obviously-used condition, and costumes that don't look like the online images.
Not always up-to-date
The last little detail that put us off here was their "New in [Year]" section. When we visited the site, the one it specified was the prior calendar year, and we were only a few months away from Halloween in the not-so-new-anymore year. That gives the impression that this store really isn't going to get too bothered about offering the top trends... until much closer to the holiday (like mid-August when their retail stores start to open up again).
A solid option for Halloween costumes
We still give Halloween Express decent marks for a longer-than-some return policy and several hundred five-star reviews from happy shoppers. Keep this store in mind if you don't happen to find what you're looking for with one of our higher-ranked Halloween costume stores.
There's something in Halloween for everyone, from the kids who can't wait to get their hands on piles of free candy, to grown-ups who get to feel like a kid again by dressing up like their favorite superhero or celebrity. Of course, at the heart of any Halloween celebration is the perfect costume. If you're tired of dragging out the same tired clown, witch, or devil attire every year and you're ready for something new, it's time to get shopping!
But wait - what if it's not even fall yet? Or what if you're trying to dress up your kids for their end-of-the-year theme days at school? No need to panic: even though they're called "Halloween" costumes, you can shop for almost any imaginable attire with any number of online retailers who keep the proverbial doors open year-round. That's especially true now that conventions, cosplay, and other dress-up occasions have become so popular - why should that kind of fun be limited to the month of October, right?
One of the best things about shopping for your Halloween costume online is the selection. Have you been to a retail store a few weeks before the holiday and seen how picked-over it gets? Good luck finding anything that fits or matches, let alone a costume that everyone will be talking about.
Yes, you're always going to find the most options in stock if you shop sooner rather than later, but some online stores can hook you up with a killer costume - literally, if you're into dressing up like a slasher movie - and get it delivered even just a few days before Halloween.
With so many Halloween costume stores out there, and so many themes to choose from, it's normal to feel a little overwhelmed when deciding where to shop. Want to make it a little easier? Keep these factors in mind:
To help you get your spooky on, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's most popular online retailers of Halloween costumes. We're sure this information will make it fun and fast to get the perfect outfit before the big party or trick-or-treat!
Select any 2 Halloween Costume Stores to compare them head to head