Is QualityBudz really a quality choice? And how does it compare to Herb Approach?
Legalization has ignited a reefer renaissance that has birthed dozens of new innovative products, from concentrated cannabis extracts to vaporizer pens to topicals and tinctures.
Now more than ever, consumers are no longer limited to solely smoking dry flower should they wish to indulge in some gorgeous green.
However, legalization isn’t without its drawbacks.
Many tokers, consumers and producers alike, have been quick to notice the inherent flaws in government-owned and operated dispensaries, including excessive pricing, lack of product selection, and an out-of-touch attitude regarding the ins and outs of the industry and the greater cannabis community.
So, what are they to do? Enter MOMs.
What are MOMs? Why You Should Buy Weed Online
Mail-order marijuana services, also known as MOMs, for short, consist of online retailers and eCommerce websites where cannabis users have the convenience and discreteness of being able to buy weed online and have their orders delivered directly to their door.
These businesses are often operated by tokers for tokers in that the owners and budtenders understand and exist within the cannabis community and industry.
In other words, they know their sh*t!
Unlike government dispensaries, which offer low potency and low-quality items at expensive prices, many blazers appreciate MOMs for their skills in understanding what cannabis consumers are genuinely about, their needs, and what they actually want – without breaking the bank.
Of course, arguably the most appealing aspect of choosing to buy weed online through a MOM is the sheer convenience. After all, “mail-order” is in the name.
Rather than having to venture down to your local dispensary and physically pick up your (overpriced) items, as is the case with government dispensaries, MOMs offer greater flexibility that you can integrate into your life no matter how hectic your schedule.
Simply place your order, pay at the online checkout, and let the MOM do the rest! Before you know it, you’ll be puffing on your favourite strains that have been delivered straight to your home.
Of course, more than one MOM operates within this sub-industry, and some stand out against others as the superior options.
In other words, not all MOMs will be the same or offer the same things, and it’s arguably healthy to have a bit of cannabis competition!
Taking this sentiment into consideration, today, we’ll be taking a look at two mail-order marijuana services, QualityBudz (QB) and Herb Approach (HA), to demonstrate the concept of how two things may coexist.
However, only one will come out on top!
We’ll compare these two retailers using the distinct set of criteria below to determine which of the two is logistically the better option:
- Product Variety
- Sales & Promotions
- Reliability
Product Variety
Understandably, products are the most critical part of any MOM business. After all, what’s a mail-order marijuana service without the marijuana!
In this day and age, tokers appreciate when a retailer presents a wide range of products for them to select from, especially since not all tokers will have the exact same wants or needs.
Having a diverse product selection is crucial to get as many customers visiting the site and purchasing various items as possible.
Unless you’re an avid smoker and using bongs, joints, or any other dry herb smoking vessels are your accessories of choice, QualityBudz may leave you feeling disappointed.
What we mean by this is that QualityBudz’s website only offers dry cannabis flower and no other cannabis variant or weed-infused products.
On the flip side, Herb Approach offers many different products to choose from, including
- Cannabis flower;
- Extracts,
- Edibles,
- CBD oil products
- Tinctures and topicals and more.
Herb Approach even lets you pick up some pet-oriented products for you and your furry friends to mellow out together!
Even in the context of cannabis flower, specifically, Herb Approach still blows QualityBudz’s strain selection out of the water with 265 different strain varieties compared to QualityBudz’s 61.
Additionally, HA offers an astonishing 658 different cannabis extracts, including shatter, distillate, HTFSE extracts, 167 CBD oil products, and 435 edibles, both sweet and savoury, including weed-infused beverages.
So, if variety is something that’s important to you, and you want more versatility than regular dry weed flower, Herb Approach is infinitely superior!
Promotions & Point Systems
Almost everyone is a sucker for a good deal. Ultimately, what stoner doesn’t want to get the most bang for their bud?
Luckily, both QualityBudz and Herb Approach offer points-based rewards programs and referral bonuses.
However, while the QB website instructs users to “keep an eye out for regular flash sales for huge savings,” we weren’t actually able to find any offered at the time of conducting our research.
Instead, QualityBudz was more adamant about posting that strains were back in stock rather than offering any sort of discounts or deals.
Opposingly, even just upon typing in the Herb Approach website and landing on the homepage, the first thing users see is a large banner that transitions between the various daily deals and current ongoing sales.
Further down the page, you’ll see the selection of cannabis flower options – sorted by indica, sativa and hybrid categories for users’ convenience – currently on sale.
Below that, you’ll see the various edibles on special before scrolling down even further to see the concentrates on clearance and, finally, the deals on sample packs near the bottom of the page.
On top of the daily deals, Herb Approach also has consistent flash deals, mix and match packs and seasonal collections available to ensure that customers are getting the best possible deals year-round.
Returning to the points systems, while both MOMs offer some variation, the QB incentive leaves a lot to be desired.
For example, in their QualityBudz Loyalty Program, $1 spent earns users 1 “bud point.” For every 45 bud points consumers earn, they receive $1 off any future purchase when they choose to apply their points.
Similarly, with Herb Approach, customers spend $1 to earn 1 point but receive a $1 discount for every 20 points they earn, which is less than half of what QB customers have to collect.
Similarly, both MOMs offer bonuses for consumers that refer their friends, with QualityBudz providing both the original customer and the referee a $15 credit to apply to their next order.
However, Herb Approach takes it one step further by supplying those referred with 500 points from their point system ($25 value) right off the bat once their account is approved.
From there, the person who referred their friend receives a $25 coupon voucher by email. In this way, Herb Approach offers $10 more than QualityBudz for referrals.
All this considered, if you appreciate the art of a good deal, consistent sales, and reward-based incentives, Herb Approach comes out on top in this category.
Reliability
Of course, it goes without saying that customers want to trust the brands they’re purchasing from and interacting with to have their best interests at heart and maintain proper common courtesy during every step of the sales transaction.
It’s entirely understandable to expect a MOM not only to supply the various products you desire but also conduct themselves professionally. Unfortunately, according to some customer feedback online, QualityBudz and its customer service leave a lot to be desired.
One Reddit user claims that the MOM does not package its shipments correctly, and this act has led Canada Post to seize packages. Additionally, they continue that the customer service is “ non-existent, and when you do finally reach them, they are beyond ignorant.”
Another quoted an actual conversation they had with the customer service representative, Shawn, regarding their loyalty program in which the user explained that, after purchasing from QualityBudz since 2018, they had not accumulated any points.
When they got in contact with Shawn in customer service, he was less than polite, to say the least, which can be seen in the following screenshot:
This example is not the only instance of users being unimpressed with ‘Shawn’ in the same forum. Another user noted that “Shawn at customer service is a total dickhead via online chat.”
Additionally, the only payment form that QualityBudz accepts is e-transfer, which we found a bit sketchy.
Customer service is a key indicator of how a business runs and interacts with its client base. While QualityBudz is not super positive, as seen in the interactions above, Herb Approach seems to receive quite the opposite reaction.
According to a separate forum, users describe Herb Approach as “one of the best MOMs (they’ve) dealt with” and that they have a “great selection of products,” and they offer “fast shipping, fair priced items” and “discreet packaging.”
In terms of customer service, users describe it as “very good and reliable,” singing the praises of the HA points system, discounts and “top notch” customer service.
In essence, Herb Approach seems to place exceptional value on offering the best product variety and sales incentives and ensuring that their customers are engaged and satisfied.
Herb Approach vs QualityBudz – Where Will You Get Your Green?
Considering the criteria we outlined above, Herb Approach is the sweeping victor across the board.
From its diverse and versatile product inventory to its various incentives and consistent sales and, finally, its interaction with customers respectfully and promptly, our research indicates that Herb Approach goes above and beyond to ensure the best possible relationship and experience for its customers.
However, the choice is ultimately up to the consumer and how you value these criteria and more in determining which will better suit their particular weed needs.
Whatever you decide to do, stay safe and enjoy!