Detailed Redbubble Review: Understanding their Business Model and Credibility

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Redbubble is an innovative online marketplace that connects artists with customers. Its main customer base are on the lookout for unique and custom-made products. A collection of artists create eye-catching designs that can then be printed on to a diverse catalog of products such as t-shirts, stickers, and more. 

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The Redbubble headquarters is located in Melbourne, Australia. Redbubble also has operations in San Francisco and Berlin too. The company first launched in 2006 and now sources designs from a total of over 800,000 artists who are actively using its platform.

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If you're searching for a customized gift or a unique piece of art, Redbubble could be ideal. Its online platform boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface where you’ll be able to order personalized products from artists all over the world. And it's a popular print on demand platform with a customer base that exceeded 8.3 million strong in 2023.

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But is Redbubble a legitimate online store? Is it reliable and trustworthy? In this article, we'll answer your questions regarding its business model, customer support, and more. Read on to learn whether Redbubble is the right place for you either as a customer or as an artist.

Redbubble Business Model

Redbubble’s business model has been built on print-on-demand principles. Through this platform, artists can make money for free. All they have to do is upload their artwork and configure their products. While using Redbubble as a hub for your creative designs, you’ll be able to generate an income for your artwork as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort. But, using Redbubble will not make you rich. 

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By collaborating with a large number of active artists, Redbubble enables itself to cater to a wide range of customer tastes and preferences. And its engagement from artists has proven extremely popular given that there are no upfront costs involved. They can generate revenue without having to do much of anything except create exciting designs that customers want.

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Redbubble Trustworthiness Assessment

Redbubble’s user reviews are a bit of a mixed bag. Primarily, Redbubble users rate their experience either 5-stars or 1-star which equates to an overall rating of 3.7-stars (out of a possible 5) on Trustpilot. 

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Those who were unhappy with their Redbubble experience claim that the company extorts artists due to the significant fees involved and that the overall quality of some products leaves much room for improvement. There are also some complaints regarding the customer service side of the business too. 

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Users awarding the platform 5-stars tend to agree that overall Redbubble’s print-on-demand products are great. And some customers express positive experiences with its customer service team. So, once again, the Redbubble reviews can be quite contradictory.

Everything that features on the Redbubble marketplace is printed on demand, and so a lot of forward-thinking is applied when considering how to make and ship each of the items. Redbubble relies on a global network of 3rd-party manufacturers and shipping providers  (not unlike dropshippers). 

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Redbubble Legal Compliance

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Redbubble is legally compliant in respect of Copyright and Trademark laws. It states that it will remove any work found to infringe Copyright or Trademark protection. This extends to Intellectual Property rights too. So, if you believe your copyright or other intellectual property rights are being infringed through the Redbubble marketplace, you have the right to make a formal complaint. This can be done through any of the processes outlined in the Redbubble Copyright and Trademark policy.

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Intellectual Property Rights (also known as IPR) is a type of protection that provides exclusive rights to the creative aspects of an artist’s property. If you’re a creator, having IPR ensures that you can retain all commercial benefits from your creative efforts or brand reputation. 

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Redbubble Product Quality

In terms of its print quality, Redbubble uses the Direct to Garment printing technique. This is currently the only printing method used. Redbubble does not have Screen Printing. While their t-shirts are usually good quality when compared to DTG industry averages, it’s also worth mentioning that some of their competitors are known to offer better quality printing services.

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Based on over 26,000 independent customer reviews on TrustPilot, Redbubble scores a decidedly average 3.7 out of a possible 5-stars. Positive reviews praise Redbubble for their great-quality products and fair pricing. Negative ones tend to complain about shipping delays and some customers express issues of non-receipt of orders.

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Redbubble Payment and Transactions

According to Redbubble’s Privacy Policy, it has active payment security measures in place. When shopping through Redbubble, payments are either processed through an encrypted connection or through a secure data processor. It’s also got data storage security measures in place too. This means that access to any of your personal data on the Redbubble databases can only be accessed through a series of technical security measures.

Transparency in transactions is a key component for all ecommerce stores. In being transparent regarding your security measures, you can build trust amongst your existing customer base as well as with any potential customers that are new to your site.

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Redbubble Shipping and Delivery

Redbubble relies on a global network of shipping services. By partnering with global carriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL as well as local postal services, it is able to ensure its customers receive their order as quickly as possible.

The importance of timely delivery and tracking options remains a high priority for online shoppers. And faster shipping is in demand all over the world. A survey carried out by Statista suggests that on a global scale, 41% of shoppers expect to receive their online purchases within 24-48 hours of placing the order. Offering tracked shipping is also another great way to build trust with your audience. And at Spocket, all of our dropshipping suppliers have proven themselves able to consistently deliver on this essential component that is key to the success of your business. 

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Redbubble Customer Support

Redbubble has an accessible help and contact us center that you can use to the answers to your queries or get in touch with a customer support agent if you are unable to find the information you need. And, overall in terms of responsiveness, Redbubble seems to be fairly on it. That said, there are negative reviews out there that contradict this. Some customers claim that Redbubble either took lengthy amounts of time to respond to their queries, or didn’t bother to respond at all.

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Unfortunately for Redbubble, proper handling of customer issues and complaints is integral to success. Customer service is all part and parcel of the user experience and even though these negative blips may be few and far between, all it takes is for one potential customer to surface several negative comments via a quick Google search to be put off shopping there completely.

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Redbubble vs Competitors

There are loads of Redbubble competitors out there, each with their own USPs (Unique Selling Propositions). Zazzle, for example, is rated Excellent on Truspilot with an overall score of 4.6 out of 5-stars based on more than 19,000 reviews. But there’s also Redbubble competitors like Society6 which garners a very lack-luster 1.6 out of 5-stars based on just over 1,000 reviews. So, it’s safe to say that Redbubble is very middle of the road.

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Some of Redbubble’s Unique Selling Points sit within its very foundations. Its unique format concept of linking creators and buyers, and its distribution strategy empowers artists and customers alike to be an active part of its online marketplace. Redbubble also boasts thousands of ready to make designs created by artists from all walks of life. And being able to have those designs printed on an impressive range of products, RedBubble is able to appeal to a very wide target audience.

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Redbubble Community

The Redbubble community is full of useful tools that are handy for both interaction and engagement. Via the Redbubble blog you can access the following tools for artists and customers alike:

• Shop Talk
• Fan Art
• Promote Your Work
• Artist Well-Being
• Redbubble News

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So, staying up in the loop is pretty easy.

Redbubble has also had a significant impact on the artistic community too. It claims to provide a supportive and encouraging environment for artists regardless of their skill level or experience. 

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Redbubble Challenges and Criticisms

Redbubble isn’t without its challenges. Common concerns amongst its community of artists seem to relate to the hefty percentage of each sale they take. Upon further investigation, we found that typically Redbubble takes a commission from the total sale price ranging from 5% to 30%. This varies depending on both the product type and the total number of sales. Another complaint that crops up now and again within the Redbubble artist community is that the design upload process isn’t quite as straightforward as they make out.

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When considering Redbubble’s challenges and criticisms among its customer base, there are plenty of complaints around incomplete orders being received. Negative experiences with the customer service aspect of the business also leave potential new customers with cause for concern.

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Redbubble for Artists

The opportunity to earn money by creating on-trend artwork designs is there for the taking. But with commission fees ranging between 5% and 30%, it’s unlikely you’re going to strike it rich while partnering with Redbubble. But it does give you the opportunity to test out different designs and learn what resonates with customers before setting up your own POD dropshipping business. This ability to test the waters ahead of starting a business of your own is a key benefit that shouldn’t be overlooked. 

As mentioned earlier, Redbubble claims to offer a supportive and encouraging environment for artists no matter their skill level or experience. 

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Redbubble Future Outlook

Redbubble is consistently looking out for new ways in which it can expand. In 2023, Redbubble expansion plans extended to introducing new artist account tiers. This tiered format encourages artists to choose a paid subscription, in returns for which they’ll unlock advanced account features.

As technological advancements arise, we have no doubt that Redbubble will be ready to evolve and adapt. 

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Redbubble and Social Responsibility

In its Ethical Policy, Redbubble explains that it is committed to ensuring all apparel is ethically sourced. Redbubble only uses independent 3rd-party manufacturers. Those manufacturers are vetted to ensure they source high-quality products and take the health and welfare of their staff seriously. It’s also worth mentioning that any children’s products sold through the Redbubble marketplace are compliant with the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act).

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Redbubble’s third-party manufacturers all hold current Social Compliance Certifications such as WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and are committed to the Fair Labor Associations Guiding Principles. All of these social compliance necessities are in place to ensure that all workers have safe working conditions, are treated fairly, and focus on minimizing the impact of their manufacturing processes on the environment.

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Redbubble Influencer Experiences

If you’re thinking of starting your journey as an artist on Redbubble. consider collaborating with influencers or bloggers. By proposing a partnership where they market your Redbubble products in their content, you’ll boost brand visibility and gain access to a wider audience. This is great if you want to boost your sales numbers. Seek out influencers that are aligned with your brand values. You’ll also want to ensure they have good engagement stats and a relevant collection of followers.

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Summary of Pros and Cons

Here are some of the reasons Redbubble needs to be a consideration:

‍Redbubble does the legwork. Redbubble handles the product printing and shipping for you, so you won’t need to worry about navigating those components of ecommerce. 

Beginner-friendly. Redbubble provides a great opportunity for beginners. If you don’t have any prior experience relating to running an ecommerce website, there’s quite a lot that goes into it. And it can be a bit overwhelming all at once for some.

Redbubble provides flexibility. If you need to take a couple of weeks off or haven’t finalized any new designs for a while, that’s completely fine. Your business will still be there when you get back from your vaycay and you can add new designs at any time.

Trust. Working with Redbubble means working with a trusted site with a base of existing customers and plenty of potential customers too. Selling through a trusted platform will naturally result in more sales. They will also know that they can trust the returns policy and will be able to get a refund if they’re not satisfied. This helps to give a customer the confidence they need to convert.

Traffic. By selling your designs on Redbubble, you won’t need to learn the ropes of the Digital Marketing world in order to drive traffic to your site. Instead, you only have to worry about optimizing your products properly. Do that and Redbubble will send a steady stream of traffic your way. 

Product research. Redbubble can tell you everything you need to know about products. It can advise on best-selling products, current trends, and even suggest the keywords you need to use to ensure visibility.

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But it isn’t all fluffy clouds and rainbows. Here are some of the potential drawbacks of using the Redbubble marketplace

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Your designs will be susceptible to IPT (Intellectual Property Theft). Redbubble users are consistently on the lookout for new, best-selling items. And so, the increased visibility of your designs could also be a bad thing as it puts you at greater risk of IPT.

Low-profit margins. Third-party platforms like Redbubble are notorious when it comes to lower profit margins. Redbubble takes commission fees ranging from 5-30%. You can markup the product, and set your own products price but maintaining competitive pricing is essential. 

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Inconsistent quality control. You need to entrust your designs to be printed to a consistent standard when using Redbubble. And given it outsources printing to third-party printers, variable print on demand quality results are inevitable.

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Conclusion

Is Redbubble the right choice for you? And can we genuinely say that Redbubble is a legitimate business?

Maybe and yes. In that order. Overall, Redbubble provides an opportunity to earn extra cash by side-hustling your talents.

With the right dedication of time and effort, you should get sales through Redbubble, especially if you follow the trend insights it provides.

But if you’re looking for a career that will make you rich quick, Redbubble probably isn’t right for you? Simply put, you probably won’t earn enough on Redbubble to be able to class it as your primary source of income. Instead, consider Redbubble as an opportunity to boost your income.

As for the question of Redbubble’s legitimacy, there is no doubt. Redbubble is a legitimate online marketplace that can be used to connect artists and POD providers with customers.

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