Let’s dive right in. Is popvil.com (the women’s swimwear-focused clothing shop) a legit website? The short answer is yes, they are legitimate. I received my clothing order and successfully returned everything for a refund. Now the biggest question is, would I shop here again?
In this honest and detailed review, I will share my purchase and return experience, my thoughts on their clothing, brand information/research, and my final verdict/recommendation. Keep reading for more!
Table of Contents
About Popvil
Is Popvil sustainable?
No, they likely are not. They don’t state anything on their site regarding efforts in sustainability.
Check out this article, 13 Easy Ways To Know If A Brand Is Fast Fashion by Panaprium, for tell-tale signs of a fast fashion company.
Is Popvil an American company?
No, they are not. According to their Facebook page and the Internet Archive, they are a Chinese company. Their legal business address is:
- English Version: Room 401, Unit 3, Building 21, Jiangnan 1st District, Jiangdong Street, Yiwu City, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, 322000
- Chinese Version: 浙江省金华市义乌市江东街道江南一区21幢3单元401室
Where does Popvil ship from?
My items shipped to me from a warehouse/distribution center in Hong Kong.
More Shop Details
Business Details
- According to their Privacy Policy, my PayPal transaction, and their Facebook page, they are affiliated with the following legal business names:
- Guangzhou Fourth Pole E-commerce CO, LTD
- PINTENG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
- 义乌市何读贸易商行 (translates to Yiwu Hedu Trading Firm)
- Read this List of Online Stores that I suspect the owner of Popvil also owns and operates. I put this list together using plagiarism tools like Copyleaks (premium), and looking for clues like identical landing pages (About Us, Contact, Return Policy, Shipping, etc.), matching Google site logos, PayPal merchant names (if there are similarities to my other orders), business addresses, site layouts, etc.
Policy & Program Details
- Shipping:
- They offer free shipping over $49.
- Returns:
- They allow returns within 30 days of the delivery date.
- The following items are not returnable: Flash Sale, Buy 1 get 1 Free, Nubra, and Intimates.
Product Details
- They carry standard sizes from S to XXL.
- They also sell their products on Amazon. Check out Popvil’s Amazon Storefront!
Domain Details
- The website popvil.com was re-registered in December 2020.
- Fun fact, according to the Internet Archive, this domain was previously owned by an independent mobile game company called PopVil (they created the mobile game ‘Wacky Pigs’) in 2012.
Popvil Review and Order Details
I ordered the below items on 10/14/2023 to my address in North Carolina (United States). I paid a total of $153.93 to PINTENG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED via PayPal. The charge appears on my credit card statement as “PAYPAL *PINTENG”. – View Order Confirmation
1) Color Contrast Cut-Out Bikini Top & Bottom
Brand Label: Unknown
Color/Size/Cost:
- Top– Red / M / $18.99
- Bottoms– Red / L / $12.99
Country: Made in China
Material:
- Shell- 80% Chinlon / 20% Spandex
- Lining- 90% Polyester / 10% Spandex
Expectation: It isn’t what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. The colors look a bit more neon in the product image and the orange-looking color in the product image looks more pink in person.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality of the materials overall is okay, however, it is poorly constructed (the bottoms fit a bit lopsided). See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and the top fits well, but the bottoms are a little bit big. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Popvil swimsuit.
While the concept of this bikini is neat, and it is entirely double-lined, it doesn’t sit on the body comfortably. Because it is asymmetrically designed, it moves around and feels a bit distorted when worn. As you can see, I had to blur out a part of the picture because it was exposing. That side of the bikini bottoms doesn’t align properly, as multiple edges are all sewn together on that seam. Overall, really cute design, but not functional. Perhaps this would be better suited to someone else’s body, especially someone who is narrower in the front area.
2) Halter Cutout Black Bikini Top & Bottom
Brand Label: Unknown
Color/Size/Cost:
- Top– Black / M / $18.99
- Bottoms– Black / L / $12.99
Country: Made in China
Material: Different materials are listed in two places:
- Product page- ‘Spandex’
- Care label-
- (Shell) 80% Chinlon / 20% Spandex
- (Lining) 90% Polyester / 10% Spandex
Expectation: It is exactly what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is okay. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and the top fits well, but the bottoms are a little bit big. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Popvil swimsuit.
While I think this is a really cute classic black bikini, and I like that it is entirely double-lined, the bottoms are too big. The main issue here is that the waist fits fine, but the rest fits too loosely. If I were to size down to a medium, it would likely be too tight, particularly in the waist. I overall think this bikini set isn’t right for my body shape.
3) Off-The-Shoulder Floral-Print Dress
Brand Label: Unknown
Color/Size/Cost: Rose Red / L / $21.99
Country: Made in China
Material: Different materials are listed in two places:
- Product page- ‘Cotton Blends’
- Care label- 95% Polyester / 5% Elastane
Expectation: It isn’t what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. The red color is much more saturated in person.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is mediocre. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and the bottom area fits well but the top part (where it wraps around just above my chest) is one size too big. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Popvil dress.
While I like the flowy mini style, it isn’t the right proportions for me. The bottom skirt part fits comfortably, but the top is much too loose. The top elastic band doesn’t squeeze enough and doesn’t stay up. This is better suited for a person who is more top-heavy and can fill out the bust. If I were to size down, the skirt part would no longer be comfortably flowy, and the waist would be too tight. I also spotted some loose threading in some areas.
4) Plaid-Print Pocket Design Shirt
Brand Label: Unknown
Color/Size/Cost: Croci / L / $34.99
Country: Made in China
Material: Different materials are listed in two places:
- Product page- ‘Cotton Blends’
- Care label- 100% Polyester
Expectation: It is not what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. It’s a bit darker and less faded-looking in person, and it doesn’t have a raw hem like it does in the product image.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is mediocre. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and it fits big, but that is my preference. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Popvil button-down.
While I like the oversized fit and the light and airy feel of the material (it also has a light stiffness to it), the top is poorly made. There is a small patch on the back of the shirt where multiple threads are unraveled (this appears to be damage that occurred either in production or during handling). I also see loose threading in other areas that overall makes this poor quality. Even if I were to get a non-damaged version of this top, I wouldn’t pay $35 for it.
5) Deep V-Neck Hollowed-Out Black One-Piece Swimsuit
Brand Label: Unknown
Color/Size/Cost: Black / L / $32.99
Country: Made in China
Material: Different materials are listed in two places:
- Product page- ‘Polyester’
- Care label-
- (Shell) 80% Chinlon / 20% Spandex
- (Lining) 90% Polyester / 10% Spandex
Expectation: It isn’t what I was expecting in terms of overall appearance. In the product image, the straps begin well below the collarbones. In person, the straps start right at my collarbones. This completely changes the overall appearance of the swimsuit from the front.
Quality: In my opinion, the quality is decent. See my Quality Comparison & Rating Chart to know my current quality-rating standards.
Fit: I ordered based on the size guide provided, and it fits a bit big, but sizing down would be too small. View my Body Measurements for size reference.
Keep or Return: I would return this Popvil swimsuit.
While the design is cute, the overall length is right for my torso, and it is entirely double-lined, it isn’t a good fit for my body shape. It is definitely too big, but if I were to size down, it would be too small. You can see that the elastic bands around the leg openings create a double-butt effect from being slightly tight, but everywhere else is too loose. This would perhaps be a better fit for someone with smaller hips.
Shipment Info
I received seven items in one package at my address in North Carolina (United States). The package came from a warehouse/ distribution center in Hong Kong. I was provided a tracking number through DHL Express.
Package Shipped From: Room E, 13/F, Golden Dragon Industrial Centre, Block 1, 152 Lin Pai Road, Kwai Chung (Hong Kong)
Shipping Timeline:
- I placed my order on Sat, October 14th
- My order shipped on Sun, October 15th
- I received my package on Fri, October 20th
Total time of 6 days
Their shipping policy states up to 16 business days (including processing time) for standard U.S. shipping.
Return & Refund Info
I emailed support (support@popvil.zendesk.com) to request a full return on October 20th. My request was approved five days later on October 25th, and I was provided with the return address. I mailed the package on October 26th via USPS and paid a total of $44.75.
Provided Return Address:
- English Version: Da Nan Road Industrial Development Zone, No. 13-1, Lubao Town, Sanshui District, Fo Shan, Guang Zhou, China, 528100
- Native Version: 佛山市三水区芦苞镇大南路工业开发区和得利工业园13-1#厂房, 佛山, 广州, 中国, 528100
I asked for the Chinese version of the address too, so I could include it on the package next to the shipping label (to aid in delivery once it reaches China). Per the advice of a USPS worker, doing this can be helpful.
Return Instructions:
- Please mail the package to the provided return address using your local courier.
- Please provide your return tracking number and return receipt.
I received a full refund of $153.93 on November 21st. I received the refund 26 days after I mailed the package. – View Refund Receipt
Customer Service Experience
General Responsiveness
They responded to me emails fairly quickly, mostly within 24 hours.
Return Details
Upon asking for the return address, I was told that I would need to pay $45 for their logistics service to return the items. This was VERY shocking to hear because before placing the order, I read their return policy (and made assumptions based on this information) which states:
“Depending on where your delivery returns, the number of items you return, your return shipping costs may vary. For the majority of U.S. regions: $7.99 for 1-2 items, $11.99 for 3-5 items, contact support to get the charges for more than 5 items”.
This chart is EXTREMELY misleading. Why would I ever think my return cost would be quadruple the $11.99 in their chart? This information is too inaccurate/general to have on their policy page and they really shouldn’t be providing specific numbers.
Additionally, they said that they require their customers to use their logistics service for the return. I told them to give me the address because I was nearly certain that I could ship it myself for less than the $45 they were asking for. Unfortunately, it cost me the same amount.
They provided me with the following return/refund options:
- First Email: “…we can refund you 40%, and you can keep the items…”
- Second Email:
- “…refund 65% to your account and you don’t need to return the items.”
- “For a full refund, we can provide our logistic service to you, and the cost of a return is $45. We will deduct it from the refund amount.”
- “…if you do not want to offer the return cost we can offer you our return address in China and you can ship it yourself.”
Is Popvil Legit or a Scam?
Similar Sites & Analysis
Reverse Image Search:
Popvil appears to be the source of their product images.
I highly recommend doing Reverse Image Searches when shopping online for price and quality checking purposes. You might be surprised at what you find!
Website/Company Search:
No suspicious information (such as lawsuits or alerts from the Better Business Bureau) was found.
Do I Recommend This Shop?
Based on my experience, they are a legitimate shop. I paid for my items, received them within the estimated time frame, successfully completed a return, and received a full refund.
With that being said, I personally would not shop here again.
Even though the shipping took less than a week and the prices are relatively low, here are the MANY reasons why I would not shop here again:
- The swimsuits are mostly okay-quality, but the clothing quality is mediocre.
- The return address is in China. Their return policy page is very misleading – when I read it, I didn’t bother reaching out to support beforehand to inquire about return fees because the policy page made me feel confident that I wouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg. Boy was THAT a mistake.
- I do not buy from shops that mislead customers with false advertising. Many of my items have inaccurate material descriptions that do not match what is shown on their care labels. This is a tell-tale sign of a dishonest company that you should stay away from.
- All of the items do not fit well. They are either too big or too small in some way.
Overall, I had a bad experience and I would steer clear of this shop.
HOWEVER, if you want to give this brand a try at a lower risk and more conveniently, check out Popvil’s Amazon Storefront! I could see an item or two working out (and you can avoid the overseas return) – I wouldn’t bother with their clothing though.
To wrap up this post, regardless of my experience, be sure to read as many customer reviews as possible. If you found this post helpful in your search for Popvil reviews, please consider sharing this with your friends and commenting (via Reddit) below.
Thank you very much for your support and readership!
Take care,
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Click the ‘View more on Reddit’ or ‘View comments’ button below to go to this review’s discussion page. I encourage you to write a comment or read others’ comments if available!
