Chinese Herbs Direct Nutritional Supplement Review
8.79/10
Quick Overview
- Difficulty
Moderate
- Cost
Average
- Trial Period
30 Days
Chinese Herbs Direct is a nutritional supplement retailer specializing in all-natural herbal remedies that adhere to and follow the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Chinese Herbs Direct was founded in 2004 and obtained their Better Business Bureau accreditation in 2005, an impressive feat for any online all-natural nutritional supplement company.
To this day, Chinese Herbs Direct remains a family-owned and operated company, selling products from reputable supplement manufacturers and carrying its own line of in-house herbal supplements.
One of Chinese Herbs Direct's most notable strengths is its massive product catalog. The site contains all-natural herbal remedies designed to address any number of health issues and concerns. In addition, the company sells extract powders, herbal powders and whole herbs, making it an ideal source for herbalists who prefer to formulate and mix their own nutritional supplements.
Chinese Herbs Direct has a strong commitment to fair and affordable pricing. Most of the products are priced up to 30% below their retail value, and you can purchase supplements in bulk to receive additional discounts. Shipping fees are fixed at a flat rate for most orders, and orders valued at $75 or greater are shipped for free.
If you ever encounter a problem with Chinese Herbs Direct, you're encouraged to contact the company's customer service department via email. An extensive FAQ section is also available at the Chinese Herbs Direct website and provides insight into the company's policies, as well as the ways in which they choose their herbal supplements.
Chinese Herbs Direct asserts that over 99% of the products they sell are manufactured at GMP-certified factories. In order to receive Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification, facilities must adhere to a strict set of guidelines enforced by the U.S. FDA. These guidelines are intended to ensure the quality, consistency, safety and efficacy of nutritional supplements.
In addition, all of the products sold by Chinese Herbs Direct use all-natural ingredients, many of which are grown organically. The products themselves are offered as teas, liquids, tablets and pills, all of which are pre-mixed in the correct ingredient ratios. Raw herbs that you can mix yourself are also available.
Much of Chinese Herbs Direct's quality is apparent in the way the company maintains its website. All of the nutritional supplements are nicely organized according to both brand and intended purpose, making it easy to find a nutritional supplement designed to address anything from aging, high blood pressure and digestion issues to menopause, sleep disorders and weight loss. A list of best sellers helps customers find the most popular nutritional supplements. The company's policies, terms and conditions are clearly spelled out in multiple areas of the site. All transactions are protected by a privacy policy, and kept secure through SSL encryption.
Most of the product pages located on the Chinese Herbs Direct website include a list of ingredients. However, the ingredients lists are not actual product label photos, and some the product pages only list active ingredients. The products bearing the Chinese Herbs Direct brand name do contain full ingredients lists along with the quantity of each ingredient. The site also typically lists the ingredients not included in a given nutritional supplement, including milk, soy, egg, starch, corn, wheat, yeast, sugar and other additives. This information is invaluable to those with allergies or a strong aversion to unnecessary flavorings and artificial ingredients.
If you're looking for all-natural nutritional supplements, you're probably interested in the source of the ingredients used in each product. Unfortunately, Chinese Herbs Direct does not provide detailed information in this area. The company does state, however, that their product catalog only includes all-natural ingredients from reputable sources.
Chinese Herbs Direct offers very little in terms of clinical studies regarding the products they sell. This is to be expected of any nutritional supplement retailer or manufacturer, since clinical studies typically cost thousands of dollars. Given the massive size of the Chinese Herbs Direct catalog, it would simply cost too much money to contract studies for each of the herbal supplements.
At the same time, some of the ingredients used in the products sold by Chinese Herbs Direct have undergone extensive clinical testing. You'll need to find this information on your own, as the company itself does not provide it.
Chinese Herbs Direct does offer a brief history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Chinese herbalism. This is a general overview that doesn't necessarily qualify as actual research, though it does provide solid information to those who are unfamiliar with the use of Chinese herbs as nutritional supplements. Further, the company states that individuals should do their own independent research before choosing a product. This may entail working with your healthcare practitioners to determine which nutritional supplements are most appropriate based on your needs. Chinese Herbs Direct also maintains that Chinese herbs should serve as a supplement to, not a replacement for, western medicine.
The effectiveness of the products sold by Chinese Herbs Direct will vary from one nutritional supplement to the next. This is because Chinese Herbs Direct sells an enormous variety of products from over 25 different manufacturers, including their own house brand.
Further complicating matters is the fact that Chinese Herbs Direct does not post customer testimonials regarding any of their products. This makes it even more difficult to determine which supplements are the most effective out of the relatively massive product catalog. As such, you'll need to rely solely on the product descriptions and external supplement reviews in order to determine which nutritional supplements are worth trying.
With all of that said, it's important to note that Chinese Herbs Direct maintains an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, and they've maintained BBB accreditation since 2005. The BBB has not received a single complaint regarding Chinese Herbs Direct, a solid indication of the effectiveness of the company's products. Still, it would be nice for the company to include individual product testimonials given the sheer volume of nutritional supplements sold by Chinese Herbs Direct.
Chinese Herbs Direct offers customer support via email. You can click the Contact Us link on the company's homepage to arrive at an email web form, or send an email directly to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Support hours are held from 9:00am until 3:00pm, PST. Although the company maintains a toll-free telephone number, this line is only intended for new product orders and not customer support. Further, Chinese Herbs Direct states that it does not staff any medical professionals. As per FDA regulations, the company is therefore unable to offer medical advice.
In addition to email support, Chinese Herbs Direct offers a comprehensive FAQ section that answers most of the questions commonly posed by new customers. The FAQs are available under both the "FAQs" and "Help Center" links found on the Chinese Herbs Direct homepage.
As a courtesy to their customers, Chinese Herbs Direct offers a 30-day return policy that allows you to try their nutritional supplements for up to a month before deciding whether to keep them. A few terms and conditions apply:
- Sealed bottles are subject to a 100% refund, while opened containers only receive a 50% refund.
- No more than one open bottle of a single type of product is acceptable for return.
- Shipping costs are not refunded.
- All returns should include your name, order number and packing slip.
- All items should be thoroughly packaged and insured.
- Refunds are processed to the same payment method you chose when placing the order.
- No refunds are offered on concentrated extract powders, raw herbs and special order requests.
Chinese Herbs Direct is known for offering competitive pricing on all of the herbal supplements they sell, as is detailed in the company's Low Price Policy. Chinese Herbs Direct offers discounts of between 10% and 30% off of the retail prices of their products. If you find a product at a lower price elsewhere, you're encouraged to contact Chinese Herbs Direct's customer support team. The company will attempt to match the lowest advertised price available.
You can receive additional discounts from Chinese Herbs Direct by purchasing the products in bulk. For example, a single bottle of one of the company's weight loss supplements costs $9.95. The price drops to $8.95 per bottle when ordering 6 or more, and further decreases to $7.95 for orders of 12 or more bottles.
Chinese Herbs Direct charges a flat fee of $5.95 for shipping. Orders exceeding $75.00 are shipped free of charge within the United States. Most orders arrive within 3 to 7 business days depending on your location. While Chinese Herbs Direct primarily works with USPS Priority Mail, they also ship orders via UPS, FedEx and other USPS services. The company chooses the shipping company that will deliver your order the fastest, based on your location.
Summary
Chinese Herbs Direct is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a wide selection of traditional Chinese herbal remedies. The company's incredible product selection alone makes it worth looking into, especially for those who require raw herbs and pure herbal extracts for the purpose of formulating their own nutritional supplements. Of course, the vast majority of the products sold by Chinese Herbs Direct come pre-formulated, lessening the need for extensive knowledge of herbalism. The product catalog is easy to browse and navigate, prices are low, and the return policy makes it easy to receive a refund if you're not satisfied.
It's also important to mention Chinese Herbs Direct's shortcomings. The company does not provide customer testimonials or clinical research information, and it can be difficult to select the safest and most effective product from a catalog containing literally thousands of herbal supplements. Still, the company holds an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, a strong indicator of Chinese Herbs Direct's ability to satisfy customers.
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