Every software program has a mix of positive and negative comments. Many web surfers don’t even bother to read good reviews because they can’t be trusted. (They are often fake, paid for, or traded for something of value like discounts on purchases and reciprocal reviews.)
It’s also still a bit difficult to find several Clover reviews as they can be spread over a number of websites and not grouped neatly in one listing of search results.
The 4 common threads that run through dislikes of the Clover system are cost for the system, add-ons required for consignment (and the cost of them), the high cost of credit-card processing and the steadfast refusal to refund purchases and allow contract cancellations after discovering after-purchase surprises.
Clover and Consignment
An article at processwithturnkey.com headlines “Meeting the Challenges of the Consignment Industry with Clover™ POS Systems” and offers “If you’re interested in opening (or improving) your own consignment or thrift shop, there’s a lot that needs to be done right if you really want to succeed. Luckily, having the right tools at your disposal can make running your shop practically a breeze – like a Clover™ point of sale system.”
The article itself basically contradicts the claim by only briefly stating that Clover isn’t really suited for ‘consignment’ and an additional app would need to be added to manage consignors, sales history, commissions, floor space ‘and more’. The rest of the article veers off into ecommerce (selling online), paying taxes and using social media integration to communicate with clients with no further details as to how Clover improves a consignment shop.
Clover Reviews
Nadinruss on eBay advertised “Clover Mini C301 3G Touchscreen Credit Card POS System Unused, New in Box. Condition is New. It is a great device, easy to use. But I was told that it would work for my consignment shop and it doesn’t. The company does not accept returns.”
Laura B. on consignment-software site added, “We began using Clover as our POS system and while it was great at check out, it was very difficult to use for maintaining our inventory. Our gallery runs just like a consignment shop – members pay us a fee and we take a commission from their sales. We struggled with trying to figure out the best method to work with 50+ artists and an inventory of over 1000 items. The paperwork and daily struggle with our Clover system was a true nightmare. After deciding to take a hit on the initial purchase of the clover system, we began researching other POS systems with the goal of finding one that would work with our unique set up.”
Sylvia At Leet Vaping wrote: “…to get even what I would consider basic functions, purchase more apps that would raise the monthly cost out of reach”
Mitchell from Tap House: “Functionality is ok but you have to pay for apps in order to do stuff which increases the price. Then I was then raked over the coals with with First Data for over a year and a half where they were over charging my percentage.”
Carol at Encore Dance: “This is marketed as a state of the art POS system with added capabilities through apps. However the base system is so limited that i would not even consider it a POS system, but more of an expensive payment processor.”
Scott from Doodlebugs: “We own a boutique where we also offer screen printing and embroidery. The clover system was sold to us as full POS system. Not the case at all. When asked if we could return the 2 POS systems we bought we were literally told “they’re yours, you bought them, do what you want with them, you could try selling them on ebay”.”
Tory from T & L’s Zip Stop: “I purchased these clovers in full and was to have a one year warranty. but every time one didn’t function right they charged me for every one they sent me in first year. credit card service is way above other card swipe price.”
Joni from Buck’s steak House & Sports Bar: “Subscription prices for each app. it can quickly add up to a few hundred bucks and I wasn’t happy with their poor customer service. Hard to get help when you need it.”
Blake from Dreamland Studios: “The reality is Clover Has one of the higher processing rates out of a huge pool of processing systems. Unfortunately, I thought it was a good idea when I started to process credit cards. Every statement I received I couldn’t believe how much I was paying in fees. At least I had the common sense to call and get price quotes from other businesses. I am saving THOUSANDS a year after switching.”
Harry from Cross-Eyed Cricket: “First all it is important to note that once you sign an agreement with a Clover provider, the hardware and processor is locked forever. If you pay cash upfront, you won’t be locked in to paying, but you still cannot switch merchant service or sell the hardware; thus the hardware is all but worthless. Must add on third party apps to make the system usable. Some of the third party apps are expensive.
Vasif from Payless Repair Can not be used with different bank if you purchase from one bank If you change your bank (due to fees) whole your payment is gone to trash system fails very often. limited applications