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.
Regency Chess is one of the most popular online chess stores in the world that’s based in the Uk and which was founded in 2008 by Julian Deverell. Regency Chess specialises in supplying high quality chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, chess clocks and chess gifts as well as a variety of other boards games such as backgammon, dominoes, mahjong, draughts and Hnefatafl Viking board games. Regency Chess has a strict quality control system and ensures their chess products are of the highest quality by personally travelling to all of their suppliers’ workshops and hand picking only the best chess products for their online store. Adopting a hands-on approach to product selection has enabled Regency Chess to stand out from the crowd and earn the respect of the global chess community. Regency Chess’ aims to provide the chess community with the highest quality chess products at affordable prices, to streamline the online shopping experience by creating a platform which displays products in a clear and concise framework, to provide customers with an outstanding level of customer service regardless of the size of their order and to treat both customers and suppliers with a high level of fairness and integrity.
Store history
Regency Chess was founded in 2008 by Julian Deverell and was sparked by the desire to provide an improved platform for customers which enabled them to easily understand and compare different chess products, which was a feature that Julian thought was absent in many online chess stores. The main focus of Regency Chess was to provide customers with the highest quality chess products at reasonable prices in a format that was easily understandable, and which enabled customers to compare different chess products with ease whilst also ensuring that within the supply chain all craftsman were free from exploitation and were treated fairly and also compensated fairly for their work and expertise. With this goal in mind, in 2007 Julian Deverell travelled to many European and Asian countries around the world in order to find suppliers that met these criteria, countries such as Italy, Spain, Poland, Holland, Germany, India, and the United States. This hands-on approach to sourcing chess products enabled him to gain a deep understanding of the differences in quality between the various chess sets that were currently on the market and how to identify the best chess products. Since 2008 Regency Chess has grown into one of the biggest online chess stores and has earned the admiration and respect of the global chess community by prioritising quality and true customer service and satisfaction.
Product selection and quality
Regency Chess has an extensive catalogue of high-quality chess products that are also competitively priced to cater to the taste of chess player of all ages and of all levels of experience. The products that are available at Regency Chess includes chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, chess clocks, and chess gifts as well as other board games such as backgammon, draughts, dominoes, mahjong, and the Viking board game Hnefatafl.
Chess sets available at Regency Chess:
Vintage Staunton chess sets, Staunton chess sets, luxury Staunton chess sets, traditional chess sets, value chess sets, folding and travel chess sets, ornate chess sets, theme chess sets, Isle of Lewis chess sets, marble chess sets, wooden chess sets, metal chess sets, glass chess sets, world championship chess sets, and skyline chess sets.
Chess pieces available at Regency Chess:
Vintage Staunton chess pieces, Staunton chess pieces, luxury Staunton chess pieces, ornate chess pieces, metal chess pieces, theme chess pieces, and Isle of Lewis chess pieces.
Chess boards available at Regency Chess:
Chess cabinets, 12 to 14 inch chess boards, 15 to 16 inch chess boards. 17 to 18 inch chess boards, 19 to 20 in chess boards, and 21 to 24 inch chess boards.
Chess clocks available at Regency Chess:
Wooden Turnier chess clocks, standard Turnier chess clocks, DGT 2010 Professional digital chess clocks, dark wood wooden Turnier chess clocks, black Turnier chess clocks. Blue Turnier chess clocks. Amber Turnier chess clocks, cream Turnier chess clocks, clear Turnier chess clocks, DGT 10104 easy plus chess clocks, DGT beyond black 10168 easy chess clocks, quartz tournament chess clocks, and DGT 3000 game timer.
Chess cases available at Regency Chess:
Dark wood chess cases, dark birch wood chess cases, light birch wood chess cases, wooden sliding top chess cases, root wood burl hinged lid chess cases, root wood burl luxury compartment piece chess cases, sheesham wood sliding top chess cases, polished sheesham wood hinged lid chess cases, polished solid wood hinged lid chess cases, black leatherette chess cases, mahogany chess cases, Italian luxury wooden draughts set cases, and chess board cabinets.
Chess bags available at Regency Chess:
Burgundy fabric chess piece bags, green fabric chess piece bags, royal blue fabric chess piece bags, green draw string chess piece bags, and red draw string chess piece bags.
Chess gifts available at Regency Chess:
Hnefatafl The Viking game, the Viking game boards. King and Queen 3.5-inch ebonised gift sets, the Lewis chessmen unmasked booklet, and the Regency Chess Lewis chess piece gift sets.
Other board games available at Regency Chess:
Backgammon sets, dominoes sets, mahjong sets, draughts sets, and poker sets.
Regency Chess customer service and customer experience
The Regency Chess customer service team can be reached by phone, WhatsApp, email and mail, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm and are happy to help customers with any issues or questions they may have such as product related questions, assisting with returns and exchanges, assisting with website navigation issues, and any other issues that customers may have. Regency Chess strives to provide their customers with an excellent standard of customer service regardless of the size or price of their purchase and to interact with customers in a fair and ethical manner. The overwhelming majority of reviews online on sites such as trustpilot.com regarding the customer service that customers have received whilst shopping with Regency Chess are positive, there are also many negative reviews that customers have left however this makes up only 10% of the total number of reviews. The Regency Chess customers that have left positive reviews were impressed with the quality of the chess products, the speedy delivery times, the high level of customer service they received, the professionalism displayed when handling replacements, the excellent communication during each stage of delivery, and the safe and secure packaging of products. However, customers that left negative reviews were disappointed with the poor quality of products they received, the lack of communication and slow response times, glitches on the website that prevented them from receiving free shipping on eligible orders, the slow delivery times as, the poor packaging of products, and their inability to purchase their desired products due to a significant number of out of stock items. Overall, the majority of Regency Chess customers were generally pleased with the products and the level of customer service they received whilst shopping with Regency Chess.
Trustworthiness and reputation
Regency Chess has served the chess community for over ten years and has grown significantly over the years by prioritising customer service and quality control. Regency Chess ranks highly on the scale of trustworthiness as the large majority of Regency Chess customer reviews are positive which is a testament to their trustworthiness as a company. One of the main factors that contributes to Regency Chess’ high level of trustworthiness is their willingness to satisfy their customers and their professionalism whilst resolving their customers issues such as replacing damaged items in a timely manner which many of their customers have experienced according to their reviews. Many Regency Chess customers have also praised the high quality of the chess sets they have received even in instances where customers left a negative review due to other aspects of their shopping experience not meeting their expectation. Regency Chess’ strict system of sourcing and vetting products has enabled them to build a high level of trust with their customers and distinguish themselves from other online chess stores. Regency Chess is one of the most popular online chess stores today with a reputation for delivering on the promises that are stipulated in their mission statement which is to provide a wide range of high quality and reasonably priced chess products, to present their products in a clear and concise way so customers can make product comparisons easily, to deliver an excellent level of customer service regardless of the size or price of customers’ orders, and to interact with customers in a manner that’s both ethical and fair.
Pricing and affordability
Regency Chess has an extensive catalogue of high-quality chess products which caters to the tastes of budgets of chess players of all ages and levels of experience. The chess sets that are available at Regency Chess are priced as low as 12.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 1,274.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess boards are priced as low as 54.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 514.99 on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess pieces are priced as low as 49.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 999.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess clocks are priced as low as 37.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 94.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess cases are priced as low as 19.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 128.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess bags are priced as low as 4.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 9.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. The chess gifts are priced as low as 9.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 94.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum. Lastly the other games and board games are priced as low as 27.99 pounds on the lower end of the spectrum and as high as 289.99 pounds on the higher end of the spectrum.
Available Payment methods
Regency Chess accepts numerous payment methods which includes, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.
Shipping, cancellations, returns, exchanges, and delivery performance
Regency Chess ships both nationally and internationally to almost every country in the world. Domestic orders are shipped via Royal Mail or FedEx, Ireland and European orders are shipped via FedEx and international orders are shipped via UPS. Regency Chess dispatches all order received Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays and dispatches all orders placed before 2.30pm on the same day, orders placed after 2.30pm will be dispatched on the following working day, and dispatches all orders placed on the weekend on the following Monday excluding bank holidays. Orders within the Uk that are placed throughout the week can also be delivered on Saturdays by choosing the Saturday delivery option at checkout, orders placed up to 2.30pm on Fridays are also eligible for Saturday deliveries. All orders placed with Regency Chess are tracked, secured and fully insured and will require a signature upon delivery. Regency Chess also take full responsibility for resolving issues that arise from orders being lost or damaged in transit, if an order arrives damaged or the goods are faulty, they will arrange to have the items collected and replaced as soon as possible regardless of the size of the order however, damaged orders must be reported to them immediately. Orders that are placed within the UK mainland and received before 2.30pm with express shipping as the chosen delivery method will be placed on a next day service. Regency Chess has competitive shipping rates to the UK mainland and Ireland, orders with Ireland as the destination can be shipped within 48 hours from the date and time of dispatch and orders with any European country as the destination can be shipped within 3 to 4 days from the date and time of dispatch. European customers will also be able to significantly reduce their shipping costs as Regency Chess has a dedicated FedEx account that automatically covers the cost of import duties for countries within the EU member states, however, some countries are not eligible for this service such as Portugal, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovenia, Estonia, Slovakia, Latvia, and Romania, countries that are not eligible for automatic shipping cost absorption can however request for their import duties costs to be refunded to them. Shipping to countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can take place within or under 10 days from the date the order was placed. The cost of shipping will vary depending on the size, weight and destination of the order however customers can calculate the actual cost of their shipping by adding a product to their basket and putting in their address. Regency Chess allows customers to return unwanted orders within 30 days of receiving them however, the goods must be in the same condition they arrived in and in the original packaging with the name, address, phone number and order number on the return package to qualify for a refund or exchange. Refunds will take place within 2 to 6 days of Regency Chess receiving the items in good and unused condition and will be issued to the customers original payment method.
Website navigation and mobile friendliness
The Regency Chess website is fast and responsive, easy to navigate and mobile friendly with easily identifiable product categories that when clicked, displays the subcategories of the chosen product type, a search bar that’s located at the top right corner of the website which enables customers 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 contact us page, the about us page, the frequently asked questions page, the privacy policy page, the delivery and returns information page and more. Customers can choose to shop in their native currency by clicking on their native currency symbol which can be found in the header menu at the top right of the website. All products on the site are organised to match their specific categories and subcategories which makes it easy for customers to find the products they are looking for. The Regency Chess website is as easy to navigate on mobile and tablet devices as it is on desktop. On mobile devices, the product categories can be found by clicking on the hamburger menu that’s located at the top right corner of the screen and customers can also call the Regency Chess customer service team by clicking on the phone icon in the red menu bar at the top of the screen. The products photos on the Regency Chess website are clear and vivid and the product descriptions are extremely comprehensive which enables customers to gain all the information that’s needed to make well informed purchasing decisions. Customers can speak with a member of the customer service team directly via WhatsApp by clicking on the green icon that’s located at the bottom right corner of the website and scanning the WhatsApp QR code. The Regency Chess website is secured with TSL/SSL encryption which protects customers sensitive data such as passwords and credit card numbers that are used whilst interacting on the site from malicious entities. Overall, Regency Chess’ website is fast and responsive, mobile friendly, intuitively designed with the customers convenience in mind and well stocked with an extensive range of high quality and competitively priced products.
Regency Chess strengths and weaknesses
Regency Chess’ main strengths are their extensive range of high quality and competitively priced chess products, their excellent customer service, their mobile friendly and intuitive website, their WhatsApp live chat feature and their speedy deliveries. Regency Chess has served the chess community for over 10 years, and they have also demonstrated their willingness to deliver the highest quality chess products whilst prioritising the needs of their customers which are some of the main factors that contribute to the strength of the store. Many of the customers that have reviewed their shopping experience with Regency Chess online have praised the high quality of their chess products even in instances where their overall review was negative. Whilst Regency Chess is a strong and reputable online chess store there are still areas where improvements could made which could increase the stores strengths and weaknesses and improve the shopping experience of existing and future customers. Some of Regency Chess’ main weaknesses according to the negative reviews that customers have left online are the condition of their products upon arrival due to inadequate packaging, the lack of communication and slow response times, glitches on the website that have prevented customers from choosing their desired shipping methods and increase their costs as a result and the sparse number of available payment methods and the large number of out-of-stock products on their site. Overall, Regency Chess is one of the most popular online chess stores which is both trusted and respected by the majority of their customers as they consistently supply high quality products and prioritise the needs of their customers.
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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