“Send Me Gluten Free is a monthly subscription service that introduces you to new gluten free products. You’ll get full-size and sample size food, personal care items, supplements and household products that support your gluten free lifestyle.

Each month we will send you 8-10 new gluten free products to try that will include at least 1 full-sized item.”

I recently canceled my Send Me Gluten Free (SMGF) subscription box.  I usually enjoyed it when it arrived, but I just wasn’t excited about it like I was with my Birchbox.  I’m glad I got it for a while, but I not really sad that it won’t be coming any more.

So the questions is: Would I recommend Send Me Gluten Free to my friends?

Ummm… probably. Especially if they were new to Gluten Free Living.  I think this box is more suited to someone who is still looking for GF replacements.  I’m looking back at my SMGF Reviews and I’m noticing that I didn’t write many…. I did post more comments about products on Instagram as I used them though… I just wasn’t as excited… and it took longer to use, and in some cases, figure out how to use some products.

It’s interesting looking back and making up a list of pros and cons… I liked the products that I received most of the time.  I just didn’t enjoy the interaction between SMGF and their community.  I know I compare them to Birchbox a lot, but I really like Birchbox’s model.  There is a lot of interaction and bonuses through social media with Birchbox. SMGF just sends you a box and say ‘here ya go.”  There’s nothing wrong with that, exactly, but I felt like something was lacking.  I enjoy chatting about the products online and sharing (obviously….).

So, I guess I’m saying that the box itself is fun, but if you’re looking for interaction and idea sharing… this isn’t your box.  If you’re just looking for new Gluten Free products… you’re in luck!

Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Presents in the mail every month!
2. New GF products – Food and Lifestyle (like shampoo and vitamins)
3. Plenty of full-sized products. (Cake Mixes & Pastas)
4. Coupons – Free products sometimes too… for things you’d find in the frozen foods isle.
5. Good Value – A year subscription was $240.  I had a promo code for 20% off so I paid $192, which brought the cost of each box down to $16.  That included shipping.
6. Nice to Bloggers – I’m just a little blogger (Go like me on Facebook or Twitter and help me grow!) When I contacted SMGF about offering a promo code to my readers they offered to let me do a giveaway too.  They sent me all the info and images quickly and the rep was really friendly and helpful.

Cons:

1. Repeat products/companies – Sick of seeing nogii bars & powders
2. Vitamins – What am I supposed to learn from 1 vitamin?  ONE?! At least give me a week’s supply.
3. No Referral Credit – With other boxes you get a referral code to share with your friends.  It encourages you to share your reviews and tell your friends.  Its just a nice little extra, especially for bloggers.
4. No Store – Birchbox lets you buy products from your box through their shop.  SMGF doesn’t have a shop.  If you want to buy the product again you have to hunt it down on your own.  Once I got a coupon for a free box of GF corndogs.  I was SO excited, but then I couldn’t find them anywhere.  I searched the company’s website and contacted them… they finally emailed me back and told me they weren’t in my area.  I found them the next week in my local store.  Even if SMGF didn’t want to have their own shop like Birchbox,  they could offer easy links from their website to the products in the monthly box.  Maybe with a promo code?
5. Website – Their website is simply a place to sign up for the subscription.  No links to products or place to review… it seems very underutalized.  Their Facebook page is better, but the website was lacking.
6. Account Info – Speaking of the website…. Account info is rather sparse.  I’d signed up for a year subscription.  Looking back at my emails I thought I’d first signed up in February, but according to my Account Info I was listed as a Member Since May…. Then in January I got an email saying that they’d auto-renewed my subscription.  When I contacted customer service to cancel I get this back:

“We apologize for the confusion, but we mention many times on our website that all of our subscriptions do auto-renew.  We are happy to help you cancel your subscription – but sad to see you go! ……… Remember that you may cancel at any time, however you have prepaid for the term of your subscription and this is non-refundable.”

Yeah.. you told me… A YEAR AGO!  And I thought that I had until MARCH to cancel… or else lose boxes that I’d paid for… The site doesn’t offer an option to “cancel at the end of the subscription just “cancel.”

 They did get it canceled and refunded though, so it all worked out okay.