Those two retailers are pretty similar and compete for the same market, literally.
One is selling gifts that can be personalized and custom made and so is another. Given all the similarities, you might think that there are no differences, I thought so too, but the companies are not completely identical.
I have to admit that I discovered Personalization Mall a while ago, while Personal Creations caught my attention just recently, all thanks to 25% off coupon I stumbled upon. I have ordered from Personalization Mall more times and more items than from its competitor, but I still have experience with both, and so I can share my opinion of both.
While I don’t have an identical item from both to compare apples to apples, I would like to talk about the website user experience, the speed of order making and shipping, and what I think about the quality of all products.
Let’s start with Personalization Mall. The first time I ordered from them, I had 20% off coupon and free shipping.
The second time I ordered through Groupon and that way saved $12, but had to pay for shipping since my order was less than $49. The first time I got my kids metal personalized water bottles, 2 mugs, canvas pencil case, and a book mark. The second time I just wanted a scented candle with kids’ picture on it to help me bring spring closer and faster.
See more Personalization Mall Coupons:
- 20% OFF Any Order with code MILES20
- $5 OFF Your Purchase of $25 when use code PMDEAL525
Both times my order was made within a couple of days and delivered in a week’s time. Everything came nicely packed; each item was in its own box, separated by air bags. I was very happy with the quality of all items and how solid everything looked.
I think I am most happy about the water bottles. My son used to destroy his plastic water bottles with straw about every two months, but these metal ones a holding without a dent.
And they love to have their names on bottles to show off at school!
My son’s mug is for Easter, and my daughter’s – for Valentine’s Day.
They each are perfect size, dishwasher and microwave safe, and are used all the time for tea and hot chocolate. The pencil case and the book mark are used the least, but I am sure their days are coming too.
My second order of the candle was a bit frustrating, but not because of Personalization Mall. I used Groupon, spent all kinds of time understanding how it works, bought the voucher, and then had to go to Personalization Mall’s website, fill out the required fields, enter the payment info, and then pay extra for shipping.
The $12 savings were really not worth my time – ordering straight from the website is best. Also make sure you order enough items to qualify for free shipping.
The candle came promptly, smells good, burns great, and decorates my office desk with my kids’ picture in a way that no generic candle could. 10 out of 10 here!
Personal Creations attracted me with a nice 25% discount, but then disappointed me somewhat with not just one $9.99 shipping charge, but an additional $2.99 fee for multiple items shipping, even though both items came in one package. They should really examine that policy as so many businesses today offer free shipping all together.
See More Personal Creations Discounts:
- 25% OFF Your Order with coupon code THAW
- Free Standard Shipping on $49+
Besides steep shipping price, everything else was great. The website seemed very user-friendly, nicely categorized, with discounts and sales displayed right on the home page. I wanted to get something for my kids for summer and settled on a personalized towel for each. I picked a red and a blue towel with a cute pug puppy on each and kids’ names printed on the bottom.
Just like with Personalization Mall, the order was fulfilled in 3 days and then shipped in one, which beat Personalization Mall by a few days. It really was just one day to deliver the towels! I guess I live next door to their shipping center. This makes me quite happy and hopeful that in the future I can get stuff with just a few days’ notice.
The towels exceeded my expectations with their quality. I kind of expected generic thin towels and was happily surprised with what I got – thick towels with color and luxurious sheen on one side and white absorbent 50% cotton on the other. Cute towels like that are definitely going to put me on the map as a cool mom, and who doesn’t want that?
I would recommend both companies just about the same. Beware of shipping costs – that’s my main advice and don’t order gifts last minute, as personalization service takes some time. Also, shop at whichever one of the companies you can find a coupon for. Other than that enjoy creating and giving gifts that speak of your love and thoughtfulness. Those are the best kind!
