1-800-Baskets review

1-800-Baskets is one of the top online sellers for the best gift card exchange services and has a wide variety of gift baskets suitable for any event or occasion. 1-800-Baskets is a subsidiary of 1-800-Flowers, an online flower and gift retailer. Harry & David, Cheryl's Cookies, The Popcorn Factory, and Shari's Berries are also just some of the subsidiaries of 1-800-Flowers. 

In order to review 1-800-Basket's products, we picked out a random gift basket to evaluate that we thought well represented the seller's offerings, quality, and average price. We also picked a gift basket we believed could be given in almost any kind of occasion, whether it be a holiday or a celebration. We got the Deluxe Premier Favorite Gift Basket with Wine, which runs for $69.99 without the price of delivery or taxes. 

1-800-Baskets review: Website

• Easier to filter gift baskets
• Extremely wide selection of products

Overall, we found 1-800-Baskets' website relatively easy to navigate. Customers can filter gift baskets by occasion, season, category, and price. By browsing all of these options, we saw just how much variety there is - clicking on 'All Gift Baskets' doesn't actually show all gift options,  so a little exploring can go a long way. 1-800-Baskets may have the widest selection of baskets out of all the services we reviewed as well as the widest variety of products included in the gift baskets: from candy to baby products to wine, there's a lot to pick from on the 1-800-Baskets website. 

1-800-Baskets review: Ordering and delivery

• Checkout can be a little confusing
• Doesn't appear to offer a next-day delivery service

Once you've chosen a gift basket from 1-800-Baskets, adding it to your cart and checking out can be a little confusing, particularly in regards to the desired delivery date and location, and depending on whether or not your gift basket contains wine. 

1-800-Baskets ships virtually anywhere in the United States, and hypothetically can deliver in other continents and countries. However, when clicking this option, we discovered that offerings are limited and almost always restricted to flower arrangements. Considering that 1-800-Baskets is a subsidiary of 1-800-Flowers, this does not surprise us, but we found it somewhat disappointing that there is limited ability to send a gift basket with food to someone outside the U.S. 

Generally, you can have a gift basket from 1-800-Baskets arrive any day of the week except for Sundays, However, it's best to plan ahead when ordering: as far as we could see, there is no next-day delivery option, and all deliveries take a minimum of 2 to 3 days to arrive. Furthermore, the shipping calendar that indicates when items can be delivered appears restricted depending on the basket you want. We recommend exploring several gift basket options relatively early. If you are tied to one gift basket that cannot be delivered on the day you desire, we recommend opting for the "Celebrations Passport." This adds an extra charge to your order, but you have more delivery day options, and the charge is likely close in cost to the regular cost of delivery. 

We tried adding a gift basket that contained wine to our cart, but found that the website wasn't cooperating. Customers have to tick a box acknowledging that the recipient is 21 years of age or older, but the pop-up didn't let us proceed to check-out. While this may not be typical, we found the ordering process somewhat difficult to navigate. That being said, if you order at the right time and are somewhat flexible with the basket you want to buy, we still recommend exploring 1-800-Baskets's offerings. 

1-800-Baskets review: Gift basket

• Generally pleasing in design, but nothing special
• Products held together in an upright position with glue

Although this is in no way unique to 1-800-Baskets, the gift basket arrives in cardboard packaging to protect the product. If you are attending an event or gathering at which you plan to offer the gift, we recommend that you send the gift basket to yourself and not directly to the recipient, especially if your gift contains wine (someone must be at the delivery location to receive the delivery). 

The packaging of the 1-800-Basket's Deluxe Premier Favorite Gift Basket with Wine was fairly standard: it arrived with plastic wrapping and a bow. The products sit in a sturdy basket - this is a huge plus as it is reusable. There is a fair amount of filler paper which gives the gift basket a pleasant appearance. The overall appearance of the gift basket is not special or eye-catching, but is generally pleasing. 

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The only difficulty we encountered when opening the gift basket was detaching all of the items form one another. The products are held together in an upright position with glue, and it can take some effort to pull apart all of the products. Additionally, one of the boxes was a little dented, which was likely caused by shipping. Although we think that this can make for more negative impression on the part of the recipient, we think that it's a fairly common occurrence. 

1-800-Baskets review: Products

• Include products of its own brands instead of more popular brands
• Can find less costly options if you forego the wine

Overall, we were pleased with the selection of products included in the 1-800-Baskets gift basket, albeit unimpressed. 

Because 1-800-Baskets is a subsidiary of 1-800-Flowers, the company likely has a greater incentive to include products of its own brands instead of more popular brands. In this particular basket, there were sweets and treats from companies like The Popcorn Factory and Harry & David which were overall satisfactory, but perhaps not the products that would be the most impressive. 

While we think that the items tasted good, we didn't think that the quality and the amount justified the relatively hefty price of over $70 when including shipping. We think that the high cost is largely due to the inclusion of the Merlot wine, and generally, you can find less costly options on the 1-800-Baskets website if you choose to forgo the wine. There are also items from bigger brands like Starbucks in other gift baskets, so there is not shortage of options. You can also find rather unconventional items such as baby gifts, spa items, and baked goods. 

1-800-Baskets review: Customization options

• No option to create your own gift basket
• Limited customization

Unlike Design It Yourself, there appears to be no option to create your own gift basket with 1-800-Baskets, but with the incredible variety of baskets and price points, we don't see this as an issue. 

The only customization that we were able to find was the ability to add a personalized gift message or greeting card to your gift basket. We also find this pretty standard. 

1-800-Baskets review: Customer reviews

• Customers seem to be generally satisfied with the baskets
• Some confusion on what is supposed to be included

Overall, customers seem to be satisfied with the baskets they've ordered from 1-800-Baskets.com, indicating that the recipients were thrilled and that the gifts received many compliments. There occasionally appears to be some confusion with what products are supposed to be included in the baskets, as there are often several sizes for each arrangement, so we recommend carefully reading the product details before placing your order. 

Should you order from 1-800-Baskets? 

Based on our evaluation of 1-800-Baskets.com's Deluxe Premier Favorite Gift Basket with Wine and customer reviews, we think that 1-800-Basket's gift baskets make great gifts for any occasion. 

It has a wide selection of products and baskets that are sure to please anyone, so we think that it's the best gift basket company for both those looking for last-minute gifts and those who aren't sure what to buy. Looking at lower price points, we don't think that the quality reflects the cost. However, if you are open to buying a gift basket in the $100+ range, we think that the quality of the items in the basket increases drastically.