Wondering if uDroppy is the right service for you?
As an ecommerce business, your focus would undoubtedly be on building an automated, scalable, and reliable workflow.
uDroppy does just that – it is a complete ecommerce solution that lets you run your business without any hitches. All you need to do is set up your store once, and uDroppy will take care of the rest – from processing orders to shipping them out.
This not only saves you a lot of time and hassle, but also ensures that your customers have a great experience with your brand.
But is uDroppy really as good as it sounds?
In this uDroppy review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the platform and see what it has to offer. We’ll also see if it is the right fit for your business.
What is uDroppy?
uDroppy is one of the oldest and most successful ecommerce automation platforms. It was founded in 2015, and since then, it has helped over 10,000 businesses automate their ecommerce operations.
The platform is designed to take care of all the tedious and time-consuming tasks that are involved in running an online store – from processing orders to shipping them out. They also take care of sourcing products, so you don’t have to worry about that either.
This way, you can focus on other important aspects of your business. That of course is just the tip of the iceberg. uDroppy happens to be one of the most feature-rich ecommerce platforms out there.
Who can use it?
With a slew of features on offer, uDroppy can be used by businesses of all sizes – from small businesses to large enterprises.
They offer sourcing, fulfillment, private labeling and prototyping. So, the scope of businesses that can use their platform is quite large. Having said that, the service is mostly used by small-medium businesses.
Related reading: Top Dropshipping Agents Review
What are the key features of uDroppy?
Ecommerce fulfillment services with a cloud-based interface are not novel. There are probably a hundred such platforms out there. So, what sets uDroppy apart from the rest?
Here’s what.
1. Unlimited imports
When you are testing the waters in the ecommerce space, you will in all likelihood need to try out different products. With uDroppy, you can do that without any restrictions. The platform allows you to import an unlimited number of products to your store that you can test.
This is an excellent feature for new businesses who are not sure about which products will work and which won’t. Many similar services put a cap on the number of products you can import. So, this is definitely a big plus for uDroppy.
2. Cash on delivery
Many European countries are yet to catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to online payments. So, businesses that ship to these countries need to offer cash on delivery as an option, to incite customers to make a purchase.
uDroppy offers this feature, and it is available in 7 European countries. While this might not seem like a valuable feature if you are not selling to these markets, it can be a massive motivation for businesses that are.
To ensure a smooth and hassle free delivery process, uDroppy has a call center which will assist the customer in case of any issues.
3. Merchant success managers
As your business grows and you are scaling from 1 store with 10 products to 10 stores with hundreds of products, you need someone to overlook the entire process and make sure that everything is running smoothly. This is where Merchant Success Managers come in.
uDroppy assigns a Merchant Success Manager to every client. This is a human being, not a chatbot or an AI. Merchant success managers are available via phone, email and live chat.
They will help you with anything you need – from product sourcing to marketing and scaling your business. They can even help with ideas for launching new products or help you pick a winning product. This is an excellent service for businesses that are growing quickly and need someone to help them navigate the waters.
4. Easy interface
uDroppy has one of the easiest interfaces that I have come across. It is designed keeping the average user in mind. So, it is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. From sourcing products from different suppliers, one click fulfillment to managing multiple stores, everything is intuitively designed.
The platform’s user friendliness is one of the most underrated features, in our opinion. When you are managing a business, the last thing you want is a complicated platform that takes forever to figure out. Also, a lot of such platforms call themselves fully automated. But it’s anything but. You still need to put in a lot of manual labor.
uDroppy, on the other hand, is as close to a fully automated platform as it gets.
5. Vetted vendors
Sourcing is one of uDroppy’s big draw and rightly so. uDroppy has a pool of vendors that it has vetted and approved. So, you can be sure that the products you are getting are of good quality and will be delivered on time.
But that’s not all. You can even request products for private labeling from these vendors and manage everything from the same interface. uDroppy also has a request a product feature, in case the product you are looking for is not available on the platform.
You can upload images or details and their sourcing team will try to find a supplier for you, as well as get quotes. On their pro plan, you can request up to 20 products every month. That’s a lot and should help you find almost everything you need.
The benefits of uDroppy
uDroppy is one of the most feature rich platforms we have come across. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you are running or where you are in your journey, uDroppy has something to offer everyone.
But here are the most important benefits of the service as we see it.
1. Friendly refund terms
No matter how efficient the fulfillment process is, there will always be orders that get delayed, go missing or products that get damaged during transit. This is something that is out of your control, but can affect your bottom line in a big way.
What is in your control though, is how you handle such situations. uDroppy offers very friendly refund terms to its customers. You get 100% refunds on products that are either damaged, incorrectly shipped or go missing. This is an excellent safety net for businesses of all sizes.
It allows you to issue your customers with prompt refunds without having to incur any loss.
2. The merchant success managers
At Sourcingbro, we feel that nothing can replace the human touch. This is something that is sorely lacking in the e-commerce world. Some of the most popular ecommerce fulfillment services rely heavily on automation and AI. And while this might work in some cases, it can often lead to subpar customer service.
uDroppy’s merchant success managers are a refreshing change. They are available via phone, email and live chat. They will help you with anything you need – from product sourcing to marketing. We particularly like the brainstorming sessions they offer to help you wade through the sea of products and pick a winner.
The merchant success manager assigned to your account will get to know your business inside out. So, they will be in a much better position to offer you tailored advice and help you grow your business.
3. Product prototyping
Do you have a great product idea but don’t know how to bring it to life? uDroppy can help with that as well. They offer product prototyping services, where your merchant success manager will help you find a vendor who can create a prototype of your product.
This is an excellent way to validate your product idea and actually see and touch the product before placing a large order. It also helps to get an idea of the quality of the finished product and make any necessary changes beforehand.
By the way, uDroppy lets you order sample products from their pool of vendors as well. So, if you want to try out a product before placing a large order, that’s easily arranged.
4. Products shipped from around the world
One of uDroppy’s standout features is that it gives you access to products from all over the world. While the bulk of their products are sourced from China, they also have vendors in the US, Europe, and Asia.
This gives you a lot of options when it comes to product quality and pricing. You can pick and choose where you want your products to be sourced from, depending on your budget and quality. Also, it will massively speed up delivery times if you have customers in different parts of the world.
For instance, customers targeting the European market can get their products shipped from uDroppy’s European suppliers. This will eliminate the need for long and expensive shipping times from China.
5. Store management
If there’s one thing that ecommerce entrepreneurs will agree with, it’s the fact that ‘testing’ is the key to success. You need to constantly be testing different products, pricing, shipping methods, marketing strategies and creatives to name a few.
The problem is that this can get very complicated, especially when you are testing different products in different stores, sourced from different suppliers. Trying to keep track of all that data is enough to make your head spin!
This is where uDroppy’s store management feature comes in handy. It gives you a complete overview of all your stores and products in one place. So, you can easily keep track of your inventory, sales, and profits.
You can also use it to place orders with different suppliers, track your shipments, and contact your customers. Basically, it’s your one-stop-shop for managing all your ecommerce businesses. And it makes life a lot easier!
The pro and platinum plans let you run up to 5 stores and manage it entirely from one single interface.
uDroppy pricing
uDroppy offers two tiered pricing plans in addition to their free plan. The free plan lets you manage 1 store and up to 5 orders per week. The next tier is the Hustler plan which is priced at $29/month.
This tier gives you access to up to 50 orders per week, 4 sourcing requests, premium suppliers, and chat support.
The most popular plan is the Pro plan priced at $129/month. That lets you manage unlimited stores, unlimited orders, gives you access to the merchant success manager, and much more. In addition to this, they can also chalk out a bespoke plan for large businesses.
The top drawbacks of uDroppy
While uDroppy ticks many boxes, it’s not a perfect solution. Here are some of the top drawbacks:
1. No barrier for entry
uDroppy is a big ticket service. This means that they want to capture as much of the market as possible.
To do this, they offer a free trial so that anyone can try out their service without having to commit. But the bigger problem is that they do not have a barrier for entry.
In other words, anyone can sign up for their service and start placing orders, regardless of the number of sales they generate currently. This may not come across as a big deal, but it can be a huge problem for you down the line.
Suppose you’re a large business owner who’s subscribed to their Hustler plan. You are probably in a pool with rank-and-file entrepreneurs, who are just trying to make a few sales. Now, imagine the number of support requests that their team will have to deal with! It’s not hard to see that this can quickly become a problem.
Sourcingbro’s solution: low barrier for entry
Rather than just being a free for all, we at Sourcingbro choose to work with businesses that have a certain degree of experience. This means that you need to have a minimum number of sales before you can sign up for our service.
This may seem like a hindrance, but it’s actually very beneficial for you. It ensures that our team can focus on providing an excellent service to those who are actually generating sales. It also helps to weed out those who are not serious about their business and ensures that only those who are willing to put in the work can access our service.
2. Not transparent on product source
Time and again, we have seen dropshipping platforms speak about a private and vetted network of suppliers. But when we dug deeper, we found that they were just middlemen who did not have any first-hand knowledge about the products.
Is uDroppy’s vendor network the same? We don’t know. Because they are not transparent about their product source. When you source products from them, you’re essentially blindly trusting that they will give you a good product at a fair price.
You will always be dealing with uDroppy and never have any direct contact with the supplier. This can be a big problem if there are any issues with the product quality or delivery.
Sourcingbro’s solution: Complete transparency on suppliers and source
At Sourcingbro, we wanted to do things differently. We have a team of experienced sourcing agents who have been in the industry for many years. This means, we have a massive network of suppliers that we have worked with over the years.
But here’s the difference. When you work with us, you will always have the option to directly contact the supplier. We believe that this is the only way to build a long-term relationship.
It also helps to resolve any issues that may arise during the sourcing process. And in the rare case that there is a problem with the product, you can always reach out to the supplier directly and get it sorted out.
This level of transparency is what sets us apart from other sourcing services.
3. Inventory is not guaranteed
One of the problems of working with a middleman is that they do not have any control over the product. This means that they cannot guarantee inventory.
This can be a big problem if you’re running a business that needs a constant supply of products. If the product goes out of stock, which FYI happens very commonly in this industry during peak seasons, then you will be in a tough spot.
You will either have to find another source or wait for uDroppy to get more inventory, which can take weeks or even months.
Sourcingbro’s Solution: Done for you inventory management
To weed out this problem, we offer a done-for-you inventory management service. We will constantly monitor your product and make sure that there is never a shortage.
In the rare case that the product goes out of stock, we will reach out to our network of suppliers and find a replacement. In fact, we always have a backup supplier for every product that we source.
This ensures that you never have to worry about inventory issues and can focus on running your business.
4. Shipping weight is based on estimations
uDroppy uses an estimation method to calculate the shipping weight of your products. This means that the shipping costs are not accurate and you could end up paying more than you should.
This is a big problem because shipping costs can eat into your profits if they’re not managed properly. And with uDroppy, you have no way of knowing how much you will be paying for shipping until the products are already on their way.
This is particularly problematic if you are shipping multi unit orders. The shipping costs can quickly add up and eat into your profits.
Sourcingbro’s olution: We calculate the EXACT shipping weight
At Sourcingbro, we use the exact weight of the product to calculate the shipping costs. This means that you will never have to worry about overpaying for shipping.
We get the exact shipping weight from our courier partner, which is then updated to your personal dashboard.
So you know exactly how much you will be paying for shipping. This way, you can easily calculate your profits and make sure that your business is profitable.
5. Payment credit
When you run a dropshipping store with hundreds of products and are clocking regular sales, you need a fluid cashflow to keep your business running smoothly. Unfortunately, uDroppy does not offer any payment credit.
This means that you have to pay for the products upfront, which can tie up a lot of your capital. And if you’re not careful, it can lead to cash flow problems. Regardless of whether you are placing a 100 unit order or a 1,000 unit order, you have to pay for the products upfront.
Sourcingbro’s Solution: Weekly payments
At Sourcingbro, we understand the importance of cashflow for businesses. That’s why we offer weekly payments, which adds a lot of flexibility to your business.
With weekly payments, you only have to pay for the products that you have sold once a week. This gives you a lot more working capital to grow your business.
The bottom line
uDroppy is a comprehensive dropshipping solution that offers a lot of features and tools. However, it also has its fair share of problems. The biggest issue is the lack of transparency, which can cause potential problems. That of course is the tip of the iceberg. There are other problems like the inventory management, shipping costs, payment terms and more.
If you’re looking for a dropshipping solution that offers a lot of features, then uDroppy is a good choice. However, if you’re looking for a solution that is transparent and offers the best possible prices, then you’re better off with Sourcingbro.
Still not sure which solution is right for you? Schedule a call with us to understand how we can help you with your ecommerce business.
