One day, thanks to the power of social media and a viral video, I discovered Dollar Shave Club. What a snarky company! What a funny video! And they send you cheap razor cartridges every month for way less than what the big names charge! What's there not to like?
Plenty, it turns out.
You see, Dollar Shave Club resells cartridges* made by a South Korean company by the name of Dorco. Dorco also sells cheap cartridges directly to consumers. And they do so at way better prices than Dollar Shave Club.
Here's an analysis of Dollar Shave Club's pricing.
| Option | Package price | Price per blade |
|---|---|---|
| The 4X | $6.00 | $1.50 |
| The Executive | $9.00 | $3.00 |
The Dollar Shave Club cartridge prices includes shipping, handling, and a free handle.
Here's an analysis of Dorco's pricing.
| Option | Package price | Price per blade |
|---|---|---|
| The 4 blade system | $24.74 | $0.95 |
| The 6 blade system | $25.00 | $0.96 |
The 4 blade system is a combo of a 4 blade razor handle and a multi-pack of blades plus basic shipping. The 6 blade system is a combo of a 6 blade razor handle and a multi-pack of blades plus free shipping (minimum $25). The 4 blade system cost goes down if you buy a bit more to bring the total above $25 to earn free shipping.
What bothers me about this is that Dorco and Dollar Shave Club are selling the exact same thing. It would be one thing if Dollar Shave Club were selling a product direct to consumers that consumers couldn't otherwise get at retail. But Dorco is selling the exact same product directly to consumers that Dollar Shave Club is selling. Dollar Shave Club is taking that product, slapping a little marketing snazziness on top, and charging way more. The only difference I can see is that Dollar Shave Club makes it easy to purchase a small amount of blades and get a free handle (with the hope you'll stick to your subscription), whereas Dorco encourages (but doesn't require) you to purchase $25 to get free shipping. Not a significant difference in my book.
You may be doubting that Dollar Shave Club sells Dorco blades. But they are the same as far as I can tell. Here's a picture that I took recently. On the top is Dollar Shave Club's "4X" handle and blades. On the bottom is Dorco's equivalent. The only reason Dollar Shave Club's lubrication strip is a different color is that I used the blade once right before taking the picture.
So, if you're interested in Dollar Shave Club, my advice would have been to save yourself some money and buy Dorco blades. But my advice is actually to save your face and avoid these blades completely. They're not that sharp, they drew blood every time I used them, and they're just not worth it. Go with something tried and true that's still fairly cheap (like those classic Sensor blades) and your face will thank you.
*Dollar Shave Club sources their 4- and 6-blade cartridges from Dorco. I'm not sure where they get their 2-blade cartridges.
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40 comments:
Wow, what an exposé! "You can buy a product online for vastly less than you can in the store, but you can also buy it cheaper from another place online. Also, I don't care for the product." Amazing stuff. Thanks.
Yeah, I have to say the regular Gilette Sensor, not even the "Excell" ones you pictured work well with 2 blades compared to BAD 3/4 blade ones...
Dollar Shave Club is 100% rip-off. Only gullible, misinformed and dumb people would prefer Dollar Shave Club to Dorco.
Walgreens has a nice 5 blade 'Fusion' style generic razor. Works well and costs $7.99 (includes 2 extra cartridges in the packaging). A 4pack of refill cartridges is also 7.99. Slightly more expensive than Dorco, but quick and convenient!
Sorry Zorba ole buddy, but despite your high caliber investigative exposé, that reeked more of subjective opinion like the day-old fish store reminds me of ex# 2, I personally like the price, quality, and perhaps most of all, the convenience of the Dollar Shave Club products.
In particular, I enjoy their 4 blades for $ 9.00/ month 6 blade cartridge. BTW, it's $2.25 per blade delivered.
The convenience of having the blades delivered to my home every 4 weeks, thus allowing me a nice sharp blade with a still effective lubrication strip that I change every week. Nice shave, good price, and I never find myself without a nice new blade to put on my razor.
For those of us that shave every day without question, the product is near perfection. I am also a big fan of their shave creame product. It makes a good shave a great one.
You might want to re-asses after your acne fades, and you beard fills in a bit more. And while you are reviewing life choices, you might want to re-examine the web based non-accredited school of journalism you attend. Or, at the very least, do a few more of the homework assignments.
DocLandis, are you a paid marketer for Dollar Shave Club? Your post's heavy reliance on ad hominem doesn't reflect well on you, if so.
I find this all very "amusing"-all you men chattering and bashing a razor like little school boys!! As a consumer, and intelligent female, I think I will assess the product myself! While I appreciate what you all think, at the first sight of a disagreement it is thought to be a marketing scheme-how about turning the table and say that "Zorba" is working for the "other team"-it works both ways "gentlemen"-take it from a female consumer who also does survey's for companies-ya just gotta give it a try yourself and make up your own mind!! Not everyone is going to like the same things you do because if we did the choices we have wouldn't be so endless-how many different razors are there to choose from guys? So stop all the "hating" and accusations and try it for yourself-I know me and my man are-if nothing else it's a one time deal-or maybe it's a great deal and we don't have to worry about purchasing our razors at the store every month-just a wise woman's observation and opinion!!
I still use Wilkinson Blades and some hot lather. I even thought my wife how to shave me...and those blades last much longer than disposables...wait hahah they are disposable...
After shipping and tax the Dorco comes out to $8.49, the Dollar Shave Club is $6.00 shipping included.
After shipping and tax the Dorco comes out to $8.49, the Dollar Shave Club is $6.00 shipping included.
My experience with both Dorco and dollar was that I found that they are about as sharp as a worn out national brand. Also, if you drop them, the plastic on the blade portion will almost always break, then the blades won't attach anymore. I had high hopes for them, but another lesson learned. You get what you pay for. I left a honest review on the Dorco, which they asked for, but they pulled it down before it even made it to their page.
Uh, I can appreciate the warning Zorba, but you do realize that there are literally tens of thousands of products out there that a marketing company basically sourced from a manufacturer and called their own.
From supplements to shampoos, cooking ware to bicycles... the list is never ending. It is called marketing and it is called capitalism.
Even if everything you say is accurate, Dollar Shave Club is hardly ripping you off. They are practicing one of the oldest forms of retail business that exists.
Hope you can understand this slightly different point of view.
lori9707, I find it uniquely curious that you take issue with a male-dominated forum wherein comments are volleyed concerning a predominantly and historically male personal hygiene product. I should start scouring the web for childish, unintelligent, misguided exchanges on tampons, blush, and panty hose, so I can school and counsel women on what they just don't grasp in those areas!
To add value to your class-critical posting, you ensure that we all are aware that you are 1) Intelligent and 2) Wise. Thank Sheva! We have a sage and scholar to make sense of our lack of maturity and sense about what benefits our budget and face. Leads me to ask, Lori; Who wears the beard in YOUR family?
I find it amazing that anyone would actually thing a monthly plan for a razer blade would be even a good deal.
Considering the fact that sure every 8 months or longer I might buy a new pack of blades, the cost isn't much better with one of these plans. If taken care of, a aingle good blade by gilette or other name brand, can last up to a year.
And I shave regularly. So yeah they are ripping you off, but not for the reasons the OP stated.
He is correct. I found the same "executive" razor that dollarshaveclub is selling at the local grocery chain in Massachusetts (Market Basket) for cheaper. When they sent me the executive I realized right away that I had already tried these razors before and compared them and sure enough same exact razors. I just cancelled.
I was a member of DSC but saw this place called Yin Yang Shave Club. They have the same razors as DSC and cheaper about a dollar less than DSC and have womens shavers too. Me and my wife ordered. We happy with them. They have name brand razors too. Dont know if they are cheaper for the name brands or not. See what you think. www.yinyangshaveclub.com
I don't know where you are all from, but I have found the Dollar Shave Club to be 1/3 of the cost of the blades I can buy even at Walmart here in Wyoming, and I get them sent to my house so I don't have to drive to the store and deal with the Walmart crowds. I also find that I am more likely to switch out my blades every two weeks, so I get a much better shave.
What I don't get about EVERY one of these blades, is that the lubricant strip hits your skin AFTER the blades. What is the point of lubricating your skin AFTER you've scraped anywhere from 1-6 blades across it? Shouldn't the lubricant strip touch your skin BEFORE the blades make contact?
I can't figure out why some of you think that the DSC is a ripoff. So you can buy blades from China for a little less. What's wrong with the guy at DSC making money and employing Americans? I must have missed that point.
Did the cartridges fit each other's handles? I'm asking b/c I don't want to have to buy yet ANOTHER handle if I were to try Dorco...just sayin.
I have been shaving for about 40 years and have tried many shavers.The 3 blade shavers seem to cut the closest but I would usually get cut.The 4 blade is the best choice. I found the shave club to be a very good shaver and I will keep using them.My shavers come in two days and I pause the shipment for months until I use the blades up. They have to make money. I could buy many things direct from China but to me it's not worth it.
The point is not buying things direct from China. It's buying the exact same blades from a place like Amazon for cheaper than from DSC.
ok I'm a mom that gifted my sons with the $6/month razors last summer. They are 18 and 21 and don't shave every day (not that hairy) but they love the razors and the shave products. Sure beats the h*ll out of the Gillette pro Glides that I was paying $30 for 5 blades- more often than I care to admit. And home delivery totally works for us. Don't give a shite about saving a dollar a month by figuring out the Dorco scoop. Not worth my time nor my busy sons. So yes we love DSC and have no plans to quit the club. In fact, I might give them a go myself.
How is paying less for same exact product that you claim a rip off? Your charts are insane $6.00 compare to $9.00 and then $25.00 for a package of four? Four what blades? I shave everyday except on the weekends unless I'm attending a dinner or party. I think dollar shaving is so far beating everyone. CVS, Duane Reades, Walgreen, etc. Do even their generic brands can cost any where from $5 to $9 and that just for a back of 3.
Harry's Shave Club better. Handle doesn't break and blades are made in Germany so well engineered and very sharp not like those Korean blades.
Im sorry but in Dollar Shave clubs defense, the guy who wrote this affiliate marketing artical obviously has a seperate agenda to put money in his own pockets. If 1$ is to expensive for 5 razors per month for any American, you ahould just gove up on shaving. I spend very little for my razors theough $1 shave and am happy, they just show up and I always have enough. People, be wise readers and discern when a guy is a competitor just trying to make a buck, no big deal but thats what it is. I feel good about the $ BIZ model, it works.
"After shipping and tax the Dorco comes out to $8.49, the Dollar Shave Club is $6.00 shipping included."
At Dollar Shave Club the shipping and handling is free for the $6 razor and $9 razor it's the tax that makes it a little more than $6 or $9 but it's not by that much
cartridge and disposable razors are a racket. safety razors are much less expensive. and they are better, in my opinion.
on ebay, i bought a dorco safety razor for $6, and 100 derby double edge blades for $13. both were shipped for free.
i bought them 2 years ago. and i still have about 50 blades. each blade is good for at least 5 shaves.
safety blades are much sharper than cartridge and disposable blades. and they are better quality steel. it takes far fewer strokes to shave with safety blades.
after shaving with safety blades, cartridge and disposable blades feel like jagged, flimsy aluminum.
The point is, for some reason, the duty is more for Dorco than for DSC, its a break given to American companies no doubt. That accounts for difference in price. For those of you who think DSC employs a fair number of Americans with livable wages, I seriously doubt it. Perhaps a number of part time, no benefit jobs yes, but minimal, as profit is the name of the game. Trickle down Capitalism is dead, pay for what you can afford, satisfied ? stay or go, easy. No quarrel with DSC or Dorco, I use Schick. Might try Harry's.
If you want a close inexpensive shave go back to the "Wet Shave" system using a Safety Razor / "Shaving Soap" with a "Badger Hair" "shaving Brush".
I recently went back to using the old fashioned "Safety Razor". Buy a good "Heavy Duty" razor & good double edge blades made & sold here in the good old USA. I also have gone back to using the "Shaving Soap" puck's with a good "Badger Hair" brush.
You will pay a bit more up front for a good "Heavy Duty" "Safety Razor" & a good "Badger Hair" "Shaving Brush" but the shave quality is excellent & the cost is far less than the average cartridge razor.
I think that a shave club is one of the dumbest ideas ever and it is amazing how effective marketing can dupe even intelligent people.
People that subscribe to this nonsense talk about the convenience of having the blades delivered to your door and you simply have to carry them inside your house. What? As opposed to put them in your shopping bag and carry into your house?
If you buy a high quality razor blade, it will last you months of smooth shaving every day at a cost of perhaps a penny per day, which is much less expensive than Dollar Shave club and a far superior blade and shave.
But to accomplish this cheaper shave with a much better blade, once a year, you have to suffer the ordeal of dropping the cartridges into your shopping cart and then carrying it inside your home. Oh bother.
Mick the Stick
Now you can buy a single handle that fits all disposable razor cartridges! Google MyRazorhandle :-)
Hubby and I have used Dollar Shave for at least a year. I love them and it's way cheaper. Hubby was burning through blades and every time I picked them up from Zehrs it was $20... we stockpiled the Dollar shave ones for awhile then I switched to the top one instead and wow HUGE difference- love them even more, even the handle was nicer. fwiw I have not seen these in my local Zehrs or Walmart here in Canada. I've been shaving my legs etc for some 30+ years and not the cheap daisy's or alllllll the Gillette's we have tried over the years do as nice a job as these ones. The kicker is I take hubby's cast off blades... He's picky so he uses the blades first a couple times and I still get an awesome shave with them :-) I don't think it's necessary to knock or bad mouth a company. Go with whomever works for you, it's just that simple LOL
I've used DSC now for over a month and have broken 2 blades. They were quick to send me more and offer me a credit...but it's frustrating to have to glue the blades back together. I have never broken a Gillette blade.
Dollar Shave Club has been delivering blades to my house for the last 4 years. I am bald, shave everyday and like the razors they send me. So far I have not found a better price considering their service and quality product. Wish some company would model the same concept but with batteries. I go through them every month and they are expensive.
How long will that plastic handle last? As long as my 1941 Gillette Ranger Tech? And can I get 100 "blades" as cheaply as I can get 100 Gillette Silver Blues? Finally, and most importantly, will my shave be as smooth (and enjoyable) as it is with my 78-year-old DE razor? Bet not.
6 bucks every other month and an infinite supply of blades is not a rip off
I purchased 100 doubled blade razors for my safety razor for less than $8 over a year ago and I'm still shaving on that same pack. No plastic involved, the razor handle and head is reusable with a lifetime warranty. You can get 5 - 7 shaves out of a one blade.
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