Introduction
Online chess stores play an important role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential chess equipment and learning resources so that both chess players and chess enthusiasts can improve their skills and enjoy the game wherever they reside. Online chess stores also play a key role in promoting chess and providing support for the global chess community which is essential for the future growth and development of the chess community and the chess industry. In this article i will highlight some of the best online chess stores and provide information on the history of their stores, their available products and services, their customers experience, their trustworthiness and reputation and much more. I will also explore their main strengths and weaknesses.
Caissa Chess Shop is an online chess store that’s based in Poland which was founded by Grandmaster Jurij Zezulkin in 2001. Caissa Chess Shop specialises in supplying high quality and competitively priced chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess clocks, chess books, chess accessories, chess stamps, chess computers, Caissa Chess Shop branded chess products, and traditional game sets such as checkers sets, backgammon sets, three player chess sets, and Go sets. Caissa Chess Shop has an extensive catalogue of over 3000 chess products and is one of the largest chess stores in Poland as well as one of the largest chess stores in Europe. The products at Caissa Chess Shop are available at both retail and wholesale prices which makes it the ideal online chess store for both personal and commercial purposes. Caissa Chess Shop is also an active member of the Polish chess community and has been the official organiser of one of the largest chess festivals in Poland, the Seahorse of Rewal festival, since 2004 which has been ongoing since 1985. Caissa Chess Shop caters to chess players of all ages and experience levels, chess set collectors, as well as traditional game enthusiasts and online chess and traditional game retailers.
Store history
Caissa Chess Shop was founded by Grandmaster Jurij Zezulkin in 2001. Jurij Zezulkin earned the International Master title in 1992, the Grandmaster title in 1999 and was originally a member of the Belarusian chess team, before transferring to the Polish chess team in 2010. Jurij Zuzelkin has won numerous chess tournaments from 1989 up until 2004 which includes the under 18 Belarus Junior Chess Championships, the Krakow, Malmo, Gothenburg, Czestochowa, Litomysl, Mielno, Leba, Kolobrzeg, and the Krynica-Zdroj international chess tournament, the Askulap chess tournament in Gorlitz five times from 2000 to 2005, and the Porzellan Cup in Dresden in 2004. Jurij Zuzelkin currently has a peak FIDE rating of 2558 and is an active member of the Polish chess community. Jurij Zuzelkin is the organiser of the Polish chess festival the Caissa Pol Tour and the Seahorse of Rewal festival which are two of the most popular chess festivals in Poland which are both hosted through the Caissa Chess Shop and are part of a broader initiative by the Caissa Chess Shop to promote chess and the sales of chess related products. Since it’s founding in 2001 the Caissa Chess Shop has grown into one of the largest and most popular online chess stores in Poland as well as in Europe and is an integral part of the Polish and European chess industry and community.
Product selection and quality
Caissa Chess Shop has a wide range of over 3000 chess and traditional gaming products that cater to the tastes and budgets of chess players of all ages and experience levels. The products that are available at Caissa Chess Shop include chess sets, chess boards, chess pieces, chess clocks, chess books, chess accessories, chess stamps, chess computers, Caissa Chess Shop branded products, and traditional games such as checkers sets, backgammon sets, three player chess sets, and Go sets.
Chess sets available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Professional chess sets, artistic chess sets, chess sets for chess clubs and schools, chess variant sets, combination chess sets, and magnetic chess sets.
Chess boards available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Demo chess boards and electronic chess boards.
Chess pieces available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Wooden chess pieces and plastic chess pieces.
Chess clocks available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Digital chess clocks, analogue chess clocks and chess clock sets.
Chess books available at Caissa Chess Shop:
New chess books, chess tactics books, chess strategy books, chess openings books, chess endings and studies books, chess games and tournaments books, chess collections books, chess biography books, foreign language chess books, and promotional book sets.
Chess accessories available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Chess gadgets, wooden cups, and chess stamps.
Chess computers available at Caissa Chess Shop:
DGT Pegasus chess computers, DGT Centaur chess computers, Millennium Europe II chess master multi game and chess computers, ChessGenius Pro chess computers, and Millennium ChessGenius chess computers.
Caissa Chess Shop branded products available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Individual chess pieces, chess books, chess pencils, chess pens, chess pillows, chess hats, chess sachets, chess pencil cases, chess wallets, chess shoulder bags, chess bags, chess antistress equipment, chess scorebooks, chess key leashes, chess neck ties, chess pendants, chess stickers, chess mouse pads, chess ceramic mugs, chess pocketknives, chess pencil holders, chess keychains, and chess t-shirts.
Checkers sets available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Wooden checkers sets, large garden checkers sets, combination checkers sets, and magnetic combination checkers sets.
Backgamon sets available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Combination backgammon sets.
Three player chess sets available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Small three player chess sets, medium three player chess sets, and large three player chess sets.
Go sets available at Caissa Chess Shop:
Folding wooden Go sets and Go stones.
Caissa Chess Shop customer service and customer experience
Caissa Chess Shop’s customer service team can be reached via phone, mail, email, and by leaving a message on their contact form which is on their contact us page. The Caissa Chess Shop customer service team can be contacted for assistance with returns and exchanges and for assistance with website navigation issues as well as for help with product related questions or any other issues that customers may have whilst browsing their site. Caissa Chess Shop has received numerous reviews online on sites such as trustpilot.com however most of the reviews that they have received from customers that have shopped with them in the past are negative. The customers that have left negative reviews after shopping with Caissa Chess Shop have expressed their dissatisfaction with their inability to fulfil customer orders, their poor communication, their unprofessionalism when dealing with customer disputes, the poor quality of their chess products, the poor condition of their chess products upon arrival, their misleading product descriptions, and their unhelpful customer service team. The customers that have left positive reviews after shopping with Caissa Chess Shop have expressed their satisfaction with their fast-shipping times, the quality of their chess sets, the competitive pricing of their chess products, the condition of their products upon arrival, and the craftsmanship of their chess products. Whilst Caissa Chess Shop has received some positive reviews the large number of negative reviews that they have received from customers that have shopped with them in the past strongly suggests that most of their customers are generally displeased with the products and the standard of customer service provided by Caissa Chess Shop. However, as Caissa Chess Shop has a small number of total reviews the presence of a high percentage of negative reviews may not necessarily reflect the quality of their products or the standard of their customer service.
Trustworthiness and reputation
Caissa Chess Shop does not rank very highly on the scale of trustworthiness which can be verified by observing their high percentage of negative customer reviews that they have received by customers that have shopped with them in the past. The main factor that contributes to Caissa Chess Shops low level of trustworthiness is the high ratio of negative to positive customer reviews that they have received during their 23 years in business and the disappointing experiences that their customers have endured which includes not receiving their orders after purchasing from Caissa Chess Shop, not being able to receive any response from their customer service team after making a complaint, receiving poor quality products and receiving products in poor condition upon arrival, and receiving incorrect products due to misleading product descriptions. However, although the large majority of Caissa Chess Shops reviews are negative, as they have a small number of total reviews the large percentage of negative customer reviews may not necessarily be an accurate reflection of their level of trustworthiness. Caissa Chess shop has developed a reputation for being one of the largest and most popular online chess stores in Poland as well as in Europe with a long track record of being an active and integral part of the Polish chess community through their role in organising chess festivals such as the Caissa Pol Tour and the Seahorse of Rewal. Nevertheless, customers should exercise when shopping with Caissa Chess Shop especially when making larger purchases mainly due to the large percentage of customers that have had unsatisfactory experiences shopping with them in the past.
Pricing and affordability
Caissa Chess Shop has a wide range of chess products that cater to the tastes and budgets of chess players and traditional game enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. The chess sets that are available at Caissa chess Shop are priced as low as 13.95 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 649 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards are priced as low as 3.10 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 47 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces are priced as low as 2 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 206.10 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess clocks are priced as low as 22 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 592.90 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess books are priced as low as 2.38 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 62.10 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess accessories are priced as low as 0.25 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 54.50 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess computers are priced as low as 39 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 379 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The Caissa Chess Shop branded products are priced as low as 0.35 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 25 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The checkers sets are priced as low as 17.95 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 199 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The backgammon sets are priced as low as 29.50 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 49.50 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. The three player chess sets are priced as low as 17 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 39 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly, the Go sets are priced as low as 16.49 Euros on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 49 Euros on the higher end of the spectrum.
Available Payment methods
Caissa Chess Shop accepts numerous payment methods which includes PayPal, DotPay, and Bank Transfers.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
Caissa Chess Shop ships both nationally and internationally to over 200 countries around the world using couriers such as DPD, UPS, GLS, TNT, GEIS and the Post Office. Orders to countries with the E.U will be shipped with one of the previously mentioned courier services whereas orders to countries outside of the E.U will be shipped with the Post office. Orders over 199 Euros and weighing from 20 kg to 30kg with destinations within the E.U excluding islands and countries such as Spain, France, and Germany are eligible for free shipping. In cases where orders that are eligible for free shipping require more than one box and do not fit into a single 30kg box for countries within the E.U or a single 20kg box for islands, customers will not be charged for the delivery of the first box but will be charged for shipping the additional box or boxes. Orders to countries such as Czech Republic, Lithuania, Germany, and Slovakia are eligible for free shipping for orders valued up to 149 Euros, orders to countries such as Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain are eligible for free shipping for orders valued up to 199 Euros, and orders to countries within Europe that are not mentioned will be subject to standard shipping prices. Orders will be shipped Monday to Friday within 2 to 3 business days from the date payments are received and delivery dates vary depending on the order destination and can take from 1 day to 8 weeks to arrive with customers. Shipping costs vary depending on the order destination, the size of the products, and the weight of the products being delivered. In cases where ordered products are unavailable customers will be notified by Caissa chess Shop however customers can contact the Caissa Chess Shop customer service team to inquire about the availability of products that they are interested in purchasing before committing to any purchases to avoid ordering products that are out of stock. Customers will be issued a tracking number and notified once their orders have been shipped via email however in the event that a tracking number is not received customers are advised to contact the Caissa Chess Shop customer service team via email or Facebook so a tracking number can be provided. Customers are advised to inspect their items as soon as they arrive and raise a complaint with the courier if any damages or defects are found in order to be eligible to make a complaint or receive an exchange or refund from Caissa Chess Shop. Customers have 14 days from the date products are delivered to contact Caissa chess Shop and request a return and after returns are accepted customers have an additional 14 days to return unwanted items. Returned items must be in the same condition it was delivered in and in it’s original packaging and customers will be responsible for the cost of return shipping. In the event that a return is accepted by Caissa Chess Shop customers will be issued a refund to their original payment methods within 14 days from the date that the products have been received by Caissa Chess Shop.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The Caissa Chess Shop is easy to navigate, intuitively designed and mobile friendly with easily identifiable product categories, a search bar that’s located at the top centre of the website which customers can use to search for specific products, and a footer menu that’s located at the bottom of the website which customers can use to find additional information such as the different product categories, the specials page, the new products page, the best sellers page, the our stores page, the contact us page, the home page, the delivery page, the terms and conditions of use page, the about us page, the sitemap page, the my orders page, the my credit slips page, the my addresses page, the my personal info page, the my vouchers page, the newsletter sign up form, the store information, as well as links to the Caissa Chess Shop Facebook page. On mobile and tablet devices, clicking on the menu tab that’s located at the top of the website will display the different product categories. On desktop device, hovering over the different product categories with the cursor will display the different subcategories within each main category. The Caissa Chess Shop website is as easy to navigate on mobile and tablet devices as it is on desktop devices and features clear and vivid product photos and comprehensive product descriptions. The Caissa Chess Shop website is also secured with TSL/SSL encryption which protects customers sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers from malicious entities online whilst interacting with their site. Overall, Caissa Chess Shop is easy to navigate, intuitively designed with the customers convenience in mind, mobile friendly, secure, and well stocked with a wide range of chess and traditional game products.
Caissa Chess Shop strengths and weaknesses
Caissa Chess Shops main strengths are their easy to navigate and intuitively designed website, their extensive catalogue of chess and traditional game products, their fast-shipping times, their competitively priced and well-crafted chess products, their secure packaging, and their worldwide shipping capabilities. Caissa Chess Shop also has some weaknesses which if addressed would greatly improve the shopping experience for both existing and future customers. Caissa Chess Shops main weaknesses according to their customer reviews and from my personal observation are their inability to effectively fulfil customer orders, their poor communication and slow/non-existent response times, their unprofessionalism when handling customer disputes, the poor quality of their chess products, the condition of their products upon arrival, their misleading product descriptions, their unhelpful customer service team, their lack of accepted payment methods which may limit the number of customers that are able to shop in their store, the absence of live chat which prevents customers from communication with their customer service team in real time, and their lack of positive customer reviews which deter potential customers from shopping in their store. Overall, Caissa Chess Shop is one of the largest and one of the most popular online chess stores in Poland and Europe however, customers should exercise caution when shopping with Caissa Chess Shop, especially when making larger purchases as their lack of positive customer reviews suggests that many of their customers have had less than satisfactory experiences shopping in their store.
Conclusion
Online chess stores are an essential part of the chess industry, and they play a crucial role in sustaining the global chess community as they enable chess players to access essential equipment and resources that will enable them to improve their skills in chess however not all online chess stores are made the same as some are clearly better than others. In this article i have highlighted 25 of the most prominent online chess stores, each having defining characteristics. Some online chess stores specialise in supplying high end chess products, some specialise in supplying chess products for professional chess players, and some specialise in supplying chess products for chess players for all ages, tastes, budgets, and experience levels. Whether you’re a professional chess player in search of a chess set that’s suitable for practice sessions, a chess set collector in search of unique chess products, or a chess enthusiast in search of a high-quality chess set, this catalogue of online chess stores will enable you to find the perfect online chess store.
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