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.
ChessMaze is one of the most popular online chess stores in the UK and in the world that was founded in 1993 which makes it one of the pioneers of the Uk online chess store industry. ChessMaze is run by a small group of chess experts who each have a passion for chess as well as many years of experience playing chess and serving the chess community. ChessMaze specialises in creating and supplying high quality chess products such as chess sets, handcrafted chess sets, chess computers, chess boards, chess pieces, Staunton chess pieces, chess clocks, chess boxes and chess gifts. ChessMaze is committed to providing their customers with the highest quality chess products at the most competitive prices and providing customers with outstanding levels of customer service at every opportunity and has recently partnered with Official Staunton to offer their customers an even wider range of high quality and exclusive chess products that can’t be found anywhere else on the market. The products at ChessMaze caters to the needs of chess players of all ages and experience levels as well as to the tastes and budgets of chess players as they have an extensive catalogue of chess products in a variety of styles and from a wide range of different price points.
Store history
ChessMaze is a UK based online chess store that was established in 1993 by Carmelo Miceli, who is also the founder of Official Staunton. The founding of ChessMaze was sparked by Carmelo Miceli’s passion for chess and entrepreneurship and his desire to share his passion for chess with the world by providing the chess community with the highest quality chess products. Carmelo Miceli’s daughters grew extremely intrigued with chess and the ChessMaze brand as they grew up especially the youngest of his daughters, Lisa Miceli, who began contributing to the running of the business as early as age 10. Lisa Miceli eventually took over ChessMaze so that her father could concentrate on the management of Official Staunton, which was founded in 2001, and she has been running it successfully ever since. ChessMaze has blossomed into one of the most successful online chess stores in the UK under the leadership of Lisa Miceli and has caught the attention of influential chess collectors as well as some of the largest companies in the world. ChessMaze is one of the pioneers of the UK online chess industry that has become one of the top suppliers of chess products in the UK and around the world. Official Staunton specialises in supplying exact replicas of Staunton and Jaques chess sets whilst ChessMaze specialises in creating and supplying classic chess sets however they have recently partnered together to provide the chess community with an even wider range of high-quality chess pieces whilst at the same time delivering an outstanding level of customer service.
Product selection and quality
ChessMaze has an extensive catalogue of high-quality and competitively priced chess products to suit the tastes and budgets of chess players of all ages and levels of experience. The products that are available at ChessMaze include chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, chess boxes and chess gifts.
Chess sets available at ChessMaze:
Folding magnetic wooden chess sets, mahogany and acacia chess sets, mahogany and ebony chess sets, walnut and ebony chess sets, walnut and acacia chess sets, anegre and acacia chess sets, Isle of Lewis chess sets, and anegre and birds eye maple chess sets.
Chess pieces available at ChessMaze:
Staunton chess pieces, 1850’s London boxwood and ebony replica chess pieces, imperial black and boxwood chess pieces, black queen’s gambit chess pieces, old English 1925 Staunton black and boxwood chess pieces, black and boxwood Staunton elite chess pieces, the St Petersburg Savano ebony edition luxury hand carved chess pieces, acacia Leningrad chess pieces, 1849 antique Staunton collector’s series chess pieces, Leningrad Staunton boxwood and black chess pieces, hastings antiqued chess pieces, elite players ebonised series chess pieces, imperial acacia and boxwood chess pieces, Staunton ebony and boxwood craftsman chess pieces, Tristan imperial ebony chess pieces, Tristan imperial Padauk chess pieces, Fischer black and boxwood chess pieces, 1972 Reykjavik Bobby Fischer antique chess pieces, classic Staunton acacia chess pieces, Staunton classic black chess pieces, Leningrad acacia and boxwood chess pieces, classic boxwood and acacia chess pieces, classic ebonised and boxwood chess pieces, Staunton Winchester acacia and boxwood chess pieces, Andalusian Padauk chess pieces, Andalusian limited edition ebony chess pieces, Winchester boxwood and ebonised chess pieces, old English acacia and boxwood chess pieces, queen’s gambit fierce knight acacia chess pieces, and Staunton Winchester black and boxwood chess pieces.
Chess boards available at ChessMaze:
Spanish walnut and maple chess boards, contemporary anegre chess boards, mahogany and maple chess boards, black matt and maple chess boards, handmade acacia and boxwood chess boards, mahogany chess boards. and birds eye anegre maple chess boards.
Chess boxes available at ChessMaze:
Sapele chess boxes, beech chess boxes, large mahogany chess boxes, vinyl chess boxes, and large walnut European chess boxes.
Chess gifts available at ChessMaze:
Combination chess sets, chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, and Chess mugs.
ChessMaze customer service and customer experience
The ChessMaze customer service team can be contacted by phone, mail, and email, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and via live chat, Monday to Sunday 9am to 11pm, by clicking on the blue icon that is located at the bottom right corner of the website. ChessMaze is committed to delivering an exceptional level of customer service by ensuring that each customer is satisfied at every stage of their purchasing journey and with each interaction with members of the ChessMaze team. The ChessMaze customer service team is happy to help customers with any issues they may have such as product related questions, assisting with returns and exchanges, assisting with website navigation issues, or any other issues that customers may encounter whilst shopping in their store. ChessMaze has a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 on trustpilot.com and has 142 reviews, the overwhelming majority of which is positive. The customers that have left positive reviews about their experience shopping with ChessMaze have expressed their satisfaction with the politeness and helpfulness of the ChessMaze staff especially when items arrived damaged and needed to be replaced, their securely packaged products and the speed of deliveries, the high quality and excellent craftsmanship of products, the pricing of products, the intuitive design on the website, and their extensive range of products. On the other hand, the customers that have left negative reviews about their experience shopping with ChessMaze were disappointed with the poor condition that the products arrived in, the ChessMaze customer service teams’ poor communication and impolite disposition, the amount that it cost to return products, and glitches on the website that caused unexpected price increases during the checkout stage. Overall, the majority of customers that have shopped with ChessMaze have had positive experiences and were genuinely pleased with both the quality of the products and the level of customer service they received even though there is a relatively small number of customer reviews.
Trustworthiness and reputation
ChessMaze is a pioneer of the online chess industry that has served the chess community for over 20 years and ChessMaze has also collaborated with other reputable world class online chess retailers such as Official Staunton. ChessMaze has prioritised delivering high standards of customer service and supplying the highest quality chess products since they were established in 1993 and has received numerous positive reviews by their customers as a result. The large majority of reviews that customers have left on sites such as trustpilot.com regarding their experience whilst shopping with ChessMaze are positive which is a strong indication of the level of trust most people have in ChessMaze. Although most of the reviews that customers have left online on sites such as trustpilot.com regarding their experience shopping with ChessMaze are positive there a few negative reviews that customers have left however these negative reviews make up less than ten percent of the total reviews and are not necessarily reflective of the average experience of customers. ChessMaze clearly outlines all the terms that customers are expected to adhere to in their terms of service policy, their frequently asked questions page, and their returns and deliveries page and is very transparent about what customers can and should expect whilst shopping with them which are some of the features of the store that enables customers to trust and shop with ChessMaze with confidence. During their time in business ChessMaze has developed a reputation for delivering an excellent standard of customer service and supplying high quality chess products and as a result today they are one of the most popular online chess stores in the UK.
Pricing and affordability
ChessMaze has a wide range of high-quality chess products that caters to the tastes and budgets of chess players of all ages and levels of experience. The chess products that are available at ChessMaze are competitively priced whilst their quality is also comparable to the products within some of the most prestigious online chess stores. The chess sets that are available at ChessMaze are priced as low as 34 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 499 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards are priced as low as 49.95 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 124.95 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces are priced as low as 49 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 549 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boxes are priced as low as 34 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 134 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly the chess gifts are priced as low as 15 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 549 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum.
Available Payment methods
ChessMaze accepts numerous payment methods which includes American Express, Apple Pay, Diners Club, Discover, Maestro, Mastercard, PayPal, Union Pay, and Visa.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
ChessMaze currently ships to all locations in the UK exclusively however there are plans to facilitate international shipping in the not-too-distant future. ChessMaze offers 48-hour free shipping to UK customers whilst orders to Northern Ireland costs £14.95 and customers in Northern Ireland, the Highlands and Islands can expect their orders to arrive in 2 working days. UK Orders that are placed before Thursdays at 12pm are eligible for same week shipping and customers can expect their orders to be delivered on the next working day between 8.30am and 6pm, whilst orders that are placed after this period will be collected by the courier on Mondays to be delivered the next day. All orders are shipped with Parcelforce using a transparent tracking system so that customers can track their orders from the moment it leaves the warehouse until it arrives at their doorstep. There are two shipping options for customers to choose from depending on their urgency which includes Standard shipping which can take up to three days for orders to be delivered and express shipping. ChessMaze ensures that all orders are securely packaged by using the most durable materials so that customers receive their orders in perfect condition, chess pieces are typically shipped in a separate felt bag to prevent them from being damaged in transit. If customers are not satisfied with their orders, they can initiate a return for a full refund or store credit however ChessMaze must be notified within 14 days from the date the order was delivered, and customers have 30 days from the date of purchase to return the item/items. During the Christmas period, customers have up to 60 days to return their orders. Any items that customers wish to return must be in brand new, good, unused, and resaleable condition, and well packaged with all original packaging using a signed for insured delivery service. Customers will also need to provide proof of their return and postage costs and the postage cost will be the responsibility of the customer however ChessMaze will pay for the cost of shipping in cases where they have made an error during the shipping process. The return package must also include the customer’s name, address, phone number, order number, and ideally a copy of the original packing slip. If all the requirements are met refunds should be processed within 2 to 6 days to the customers original payment method. In order to exchange an item customer’s must initiate a refund and then place a new order for their desired item.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The ChessMaze website is easy to navigate, intuitively designed and mobile friendly with easily identifiable product categories, a search bar which enables customers to search for specific products that’s located at the top right corner of the website and a footer menu that’s located at the bottom of the website which enables customers to find additional information such as the contact us page, the about us page, the returns page, the deliveries page, the terms and services page, the frequently asked questions page, and more. Hovering over a specific product category will display the subcategories associated with the main category which customers can use to find all the products within that category. The ChessMaze website is as easy to navigate on mobile and tablet devices as it is on desktop and features clear and detailed product photos and comprehensive product descriptions so that customers can gain all the information that they need to make well informed purchasing decisions. Customers can utilise the live chat feature by clicking on the blue icon that’s located at the bottom right corner of the website if they need to speak with a member of the ChessMaze customer service team directly which is available Monday to Sunday 9am to 11pm. On mobile devices customers can view all the product categories by clicking the hamburger menu that’s located at the top right corner of the website. The ChessMaze website is secured via TSL/SSL encryption which protects customers sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers whilst interacting with the site from malicious entities online. Overall, the ChessMaze website is intuitively designed, easy to navigate, mobile friendly and well stocked with high quality and competitively priced chess products.
ChessMaze strengths and weaknesses
ChessMaze’s main strengths include their intuitively designed website, their extensive range of competitively priced and high-quality chess products, the craftmanship of their chess products, their excellent customer service, their live chat feature, and their speedy delivery times. ChessMaze is one of the most popular online chess stores in the UK that has served the chess community for over 20 years and throughout the years they have demonstrated their commitment to delivering an excellent standard of customer service and supplying the highest quality chess products at affordable prices which are some of the main factors that contribute to the strength of ChessMaze. The positive reviews that customers of ChessMaze have left on online review sites such as trustpilot.com have also corroborated these to be some of ChessMaze’s main strengths. ChessMaze also has some weaknesses which if addressed would greatly improve the store and the shopping experience for existing and future customers. Some of ChessMaze’s main weaknesses however are their lack of product variety in categories such as their chess boards, chess gifts and chess boxes, the glitches that occasionally impacts their website, their customer service teams occasional lack of communication and impolite disposition, their inconsistencies when packaging products and ensuring their safe arrival to customers, and their return postage fees. Overall, ChessMaze is one of the most reputable online chess stores in the Uk and in the world which is highly regarded in the chess community for providing high quality chess products and delivering an outstanding level of customer service.
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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