Schoolspecialty sells educational supplies and materials for schools and classrooms. This page aggregates customer ratings and reviews to help buyers understand the quality of products, shipping reliability, and customer service they can expect when ordering from the company.
Schoolspecialty Reviews
1.6
22 reviews
What Shoppers Say About Schoolspecialty
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
Schoolspecialty has a severely troubled track record according to shoppers, with 1.6 out of 5 by 22 reviewers. The overwhelming majority of complaints center on multiple critical failures: items arriving damaged or broken, incorrect shipments followed by lost replacements, extreme delays spanning months, chronic backorder issues, and a complete breakdown in customer communication. Shoppers report calling repeatedly without callbacks, emails going unanswered, and orders stuck in limbo for extended periods. Additional concerns include billing errors, duplicate charges, and collections notices sent to customers who had already paid. A small minority of reviewers report positive experiences, noting that when the company does engage, customer service can be responsive and helpful, and that products eventually arrived in acceptable condition, but these accounts are vastly outnumbered by accounts of operational dysfunction.
The volume and consistency of negative feedback suggests systemic problems with inventory management, order fulfillment, shipping logistics, and customer service responsiveness. Shoppers universally advise others to avoid the company and explore alternative suppliers, citing the stress and financial uncertainty created by months-long delays, damaged goods, and communication breakdowns. The few positive reviews acknowledge similar delays but credit exceptional customer service recovery efforts, though this appears insufficient to offset the widespread failures reported across dozens of transactions.
Customer Reviews (22)
Sorted by: Most recentNicole B.Mar 4, 2026
Really disappointed with both the customer service and the products for the amount I paid. I wish I could share pictures of how many things arrived damaged or broken. Don't believe what they say about improvements or higher quality. It's all really cheap stuff.
Samantha J.Aug 5, 2024
Skip this company and keep your money. I got the wrong item sent to me, then their replacement got lost in the mail, and after that it was on backorder multiple times. This whole thing has dragged on for months and it's been nothing but annoying and stressful. If you can't reliably source products then you shouldn't be selling them.
Daniel H.May 31, 2023
I made a purchase from this company over 2 months back. At first they said the order would be put on hold until shipping costs could be calculated. Well, it's still sitting there with zero updates about what's going on. I've called 6 separate times and sent numerous emails, and every single time I'm told somebody will get back to me. Nobody has. Since the order's on hold, I can't even cancel it, and honestly I'm starting to think I'll never actually get what I ordered.
Michelle V.Mar 14, 2023
I ordered some supplies back in September 2022 and part of it didn't get shipped until late November. The box arrived damaged and the packing slip didn't even have my name on it. Our front office reached out to customer service to figure out who it was supposed to go to. I didn't find out until the end of February that the order had shown up damaged. Since it took so long to track down who the supplies belonged to, customer service refused to send me a replacement. The whole thing has been a customer service disaster from start to finish.
Victor L.Dec 21, 2022
Absolutely the worst! They said my item would get here in 5 days and charged my card. Then it took 5 and a half months to arrive, and 3 days later I got a PAST DUE notice from their "collections department!" I have a solid credit history so I called immediately and paid a second time, but seriously watch out! I followed up on other reviews and saw I'm definitely not the only person this happened to. I'm posting this to warn everybody else.
Jennifer R.Nov 7, 2022
Really impressed with this experience. I'll admit I was nervous ordering because of all the negative reviews floating around online, but these guys really came through. Delivery took a bit longer than expected, but their customer service team was super responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely wanted to help. My items showed up in a decent timeframe and everything was correct and good quality. The pricing on their school supplies is seriously unbeatable. I grabbed three quality zippered binders for less money than I'd spend on just one at my local store. I'm definitely coming back to this company based on how well everything went.
Brandon N.Sep 21, 2022
Awful customer "service". They tell you someone will reach out with an answer and then nobody ever does. Just buy somewhere else!
Michael P.Aug 10, 2022
Our school placed an order for desks with this company. Two months go by and they cancel the order on us. I ended up buying the desks from Amazon instead. Then a month after that, boom, we get charged anyway and they're claiming the original desks actually shipped. When I talk to their customer service, they deny the whole thing and say all orders were canceled and they didn't charge us. Now I have to deal with my credit card company to fight this charge.
Robert K.Oct 12, 2021
This is hands down the worst customer service I've dealt with. Their delivery partners have zero accountability. They treat customers with no respect whatsoever. Getting someone on the phone is impossible. Your emails get ignored. And the tracking updates they provide are totally inaccurate.
Schoolspecialty Review FAQ
What is the overall rating for Schoolspecialty?
Schoolspecialty is rated 1.6 out of 5 based on 22 customer reviews. The vast majority of reviews are one-star ratings (77 percent), with a small percentage of five-star reviews (14 percent) and a few two-star ratings (9 percent).
What are the most common complaints about Schoolspecialty?
Shoppers most frequently report damaged or broken items upon arrival, incorrect items being shipped, replacements getting lost in the mail, severe shipping delays lasting months, items stuck on backorder, and lack of communication from customer service. Many customers describe calling multiple times or sending numerous emails without receiving responses or updates on their orders.
Are there any positive experiences reported?
A small number of reviewers report positive experiences, noting that customer service was responsive and helpful when contacted, and that orders eventually arrived in good condition. However, these positive reviews represent a distinct minority and often mention that delivery took longer than expected.
Do shoppers recommend Schoolspecialty?
The overwhelming consensus among reviewers is to avoid Schoolspecialty. Customers explicitly advise others to keep their money and seek alternative suppliers, citing the stress, financial uncertainty, and lack of reliability they experienced with orders.
How are ratings calculated for Schoolspecialty on RetailCoupons.com?
Ratings are calculated as an average of all verified customer reviews. Each review includes a star rating (1 through 5) and detailed customer feedback. RetailCoupons.com displays the overall average rating, percentage breakdown by star level, and recent individual reviews to give shoppers a complete picture of customer experiences.