Doba review: Streamline your dropshipping business with ease

Our Verdict

Our Verdict

Doba is a dropshipping platform that aims to connect suppliers with retailers, offering a wide range of products to sell without the need for inventory management. However, before jumping in, it's important to weigh the pros and cons to determine if Doba is the right choice for your business.

Pros

• The website's navigation is simple and intuitive
• The platform is highly user-friendly and operates efficiently
• Lessons are provided on exporting data and other relevant topics
• The platform offers dropshipping services and various business tools
• Educational resources are available to facilitate rapid growth and learning

Cons

• Membership with Doba comes at a significant cost
• Doba's reputation is mixed, with varying opinions among users
• Claiming a refund through the money-back guarantee can be challenging
• Doba is considered one of the pricier choices among dropshipping platforms
• The platform's products are costly, making it challenging to compete in marketplaces

4.6

Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$14.99

Dropshipping support

Yes

Wholesale marketplace

Yes

What is Doba?

Doba serves as a mediator, linking dropshipping suppliers with potential retailers like yourself. It also equips you with the tools to list and sell products on various eCommerce platforms.

When considering selling goods online without managing inventory, dropshipping can be an appealing option. However, finding reliable dropshippers with profitable products can be challenging.

Platforms such as Doba address this challenge by offering a wide array of products that can be imported into your online store. Beyond this, Doba offers additional features worth exploring to determine if it aligns with your needs.

This review covers:

• A brief guide on using Doba
• Pros and cons of the platform
• Insights from customer reviews found in online communities
• Recommendations for who might benefit most from using Doba
• Next steps if you decide against using Doba

How does it work?

Discover, compile, and integrate product details into your sales platform.

When using Doba, your initial steps likely involve product and supplier discovery. You can create inventory lists, export product data, manage orders, and expand your product range at your convenience.

1. Product and supplier discovery

The new Doba site offers three browsing methods:

• Dashboard: Explore "Hot Products" and "Top Selections" for inspiration.
• Search Products Tab: Browse new arrivals, free shipping products, and other categories.

2. Keeping an inventory

Another feature of Doba is the ability to create a personalized inventory list of products you're interested in, similar to a wishlist. Adding products to this list is simple—just click the "add to inventory" button for each relevant product.

This feature is beneficial for storing, revisiting, and managing potential dropshipping products.

3. Exporting product data

Doba enables you to export product details from your inventory list into a zip file for offline access or to add to a spreadsheet. You can do this by individually selecting each product for download or by using the "select all" option to download a zip file containing information for all products. The download button is located to the far right of each product or at the top of the list when selecting multiple products.

Exporting to a spreadsheet allows for easy comparison of information in columns, which can be helpful when choosing between similar products from different suppliers.

Additionally, Doba offers various third-party export formats, facilitating the upload of product information to platforms like Amazon or Shopify to broaden your business reach.

4. Keeping track of orders

Doba provides a section where you can monitor your order specifics, such as order status, dates, suppliers, buyers, locations, and quantities.

What is the feedback on Doba from users?

We checked major review platforms to gather customer feedback about Doba. The company holds a 2.8 rating on Trustpilot and a 1.18 rating on the Better Business Bureau.

After analyzing customer opinions from various forums and online communities, we've summarized the key sentiments about Doba:

• High Prices: Customers find Doba's prices too high, making it challenging to compete with eBay or Amazon. Some feel that wholesale prices on Doba are similar to or higher than retail prices on Amazon, resulting in slim profit margins.
• Customer Service Issues: Many complaints relate to poor customer service, with users struggling to get responses or resolutions to their queries. Instances of being charged during free trial periods and difficulty canceling subscriptions have been reported.
• Inventory and Order Problems: Customers have faced issues with inventory inaccuracies and order fulfillment. Some have experienced situations where items were listed as available but were actually out of stock, leading to negative feedback and financial losses.
• Miscellaneous Complaints: Other complaints include difficulties in logging in, unresponsive customer service, and challenges in recovering charges due to the lack of a money-back guarantee.

Overall, there are mixed reviews about Doba, with some users satisfied with the platform's offerings and others facing significant challenges.

So who is Doba for?

Doba is most suitable for experienced dropshippers who are short on time. If you're new to dropshipping or lack confidence, starting with a company like Doba, which has high membership fees and non-competitive prices in major marketplaces, could be risky.

However, Doba stands out for its user-friendly interface and the ease of exporting product information. If you're confident that you can generate sufficient profit from its products, Doba could be a viable option for you to explore.

What do I do now?

You have a few options moving forward: You can take on Doba and attempt to turn a profit with the platform, or you can explore alternative dropshipping solutions.

Should you choose to proceed with Doba, it's important to meticulously search for products with a profit margin that justifies your effort. This level of scrutiny is necessary for any dropshipping platform, but due to some products potentially being cheaper on Amazon and eBay than on Doba, you'll need to be particularly careful with your product selection.

Despite its higher price compared to other tools, based on the insights we've provided, you may find it worthwhile to invest in Doba.

If you opt not to go with Doba, what are your alternatives?

If you determine that Doba isn't the right fit for your needs, you can begin researching and comparing other dropshipping tools available online.

We highly recommend reading reviews from actual customers, as they often provide the most accurate insights. You can explore reviews for SaleHoo or other dropshipping suppliers to assess which option aligns best with your requirements.

When seeking alternatives, prioritize platforms with lower membership fees that still offer strong customer service and profit margins.

Dropshipping involves entrusting your credibility and reputation to suppliers, making it crucial to address common issues like order fulfillment and profit margins. For a more hands-on approach with potentially higher profit margins, consider wholesale selling through a directory tool like SaleHoo Directory. If you're comparing Doba to SaleHoo, a detailed comparison can be found here.