Bodybuilding.com

• Large Selection of Supplements
• Great Online Community
• Returns for the First Six Months

Large Selection of Supplements

Bodybuilding.com features a massive selection of health and workout supplements. Although it targets fitness buffs and body builders, it carries a full range of vitamins and supplements for almost any lifestyle. Products are divided into goal-oriented categories like Sports Nutrition & Workout Support, Diet & Weight Management, Herbs & Health, and Personal Care & Competition, amongst others. You can also shop by ingredient or brand if you prefer to search another way. Once you reach a product page, you'll see an overall rating of that product along with details about its uses, dosages and nutrition label.

Great Online Community

There is also a large online community to interact with on Bodybuilding.com. The company encourages customers to join the community to receive customized content, set goals, make plans, track progress and stay motivated. The messaging we saw on the site was inclusive, positive and focused on staying motivated to reach goals. If you need support while browsing, there is a phone number for Bodybuilding.com's 24/7 customer service hotline in the site header. There is also a "Need Help?" tab that will take you to the Help Center, which has links to a customer service email or live chat  option. The Help Center also features many frequently-asked questions.

Returns for the First Six Months

Returns are available within six months of the order date but will not accept returns on items received from a previous exchange. If the product you're returning is unopened, Bodybuilding.com can issue a refund for the price of the product or award in-store credit to use towards a future purchase. If you'd like to return an item that you've opened or used, Bodybuilding.com offers an in-store credit for the price of the product. Bodybuilding.com ships both domestically and internationally. Domestic shipping rates vary depending on the method selected and the weight of the order. To calculate the exact cost of shipping an order, place the items in the shopping cart and the shipping rates will be automatically calculated and updated each time an item or quantity is added to the cart. Look for this near the bottom of the shopping cart page. Bodybuilding.com offers four options for domestic shipping times:

• Standard: Usually arrives within two to three business days.
• Military: Usually arrives within three to eight business days, however exact rates are based on the weight of the package. For APO, FPO, or DPO mailing addresses, this is the best shipping option, as this is the only shipping option available for a military address.
• Two Business Day Delivery: Two day delivery ensures delivery within two business days, however exact rates are based on the weight of the package.
• One Business Day Delivery: Selecting this option ensures Bodybuilding.com can ship your package in just one business day, however exact rates are based on the weight of the package.

Bodybuilding.com offers three options for international shipping times:

• Super Saver (10 - 25 Business Days): This service is very popular for smaller, lighter packages. Unfortunately, tracking numbers may not be available to customers on most packages sent using this shipping method.
• Economy (10 - 14 Business Days): For even faster delivery, international customers can select the Economy shipping method, which speeds up delivery and includes step-by-step tracking information.
• Priority (7 - 10 Business Days): Priority shipping is the fastest shipping method available to international customers, and also offers better tracking visibility.

• No Product Categories
• Information is Not Consistent

No Product Categories

Unlike the other online vitamin stores we reviewed, Bodybuilding.com does not include its product categories in the top navigation. In order to start a search for products, you'll have to click "Store" in the top navigation, then be taken to the portion of the site with product categories and subcategories. This may leave you a bit confused when you first visit the site but it just takes an extra click to get there.

Information is Not Consistent

Each of the product pages in Bodybuilding.com's online store is consistent with the individual product's branding, creating a brand experience for each product. While this lends a unique feel to each product page, you won't get consistent information for all the products. This makes it difficult to compare products in the same category and costs you extra time on each product page, as the details you're looking for may be in a different location for each product.