Ever heard of Golden Road Botanicals? Probably not. This fresh-faced kratom vendor touts a longevity of just about five years. During this time, they’ve accumulated a modest consumer base which has more or less kept their brand alive.
With a few Federal Trade Commission warnings addressed to the Golden Road Botanicals brand, it seems this vendor is off to a rocky start. But because they sell what seems to be okay quality product, the Golden Road Botanicals name might be here to stay.
Some sources claim that Golden Road Botanicals is the first female-owned kratom brand on the US market. But with literally hundreds (perhaps thousands) of names out there, it’s tough to say that for certain. Nonetheless, Jessica seems to be handling her business well.
Many of the reviews left for the vendor indicate a positive experience with the owner who uses a hands-on approach to deal with her beloved buyers. This approachable, accessible customer support front is mainly responsible for the vendor’s success.
Throughout their website, you’ll also find a wealth of reviews that talk about product quality. According to the vendor’s small yet seemingly dedicated base of customers, the brand sends out high quality kratom product that’s worth coming back for.
As of writing, Golden Road Botanicals sells standard powders and capsules, as well as enhanced kratom, blends, and extracts. They also carry a narrow range of other botanicals like Turmeric and Blue Lotus which may capture the interest of natural health buffs.
In the price department, we can’t really give Golden Road Botanicals too many plus points. Their product is expensive to say the least, but that doesn’t seem to bother their customers.
Golden Road Botanicals joins vendors like Fisher Tea Co. and Star Botanicals in the upper crest of the price spectrum. These guys sell their kratom for brow-raising prices that might push your budget, especially if you’re used to buying your kratom from vendors with industry low prices.
Their smallest packets weigh 25g and sell for $8 or 0.32¢ per gram. Their kilograms go for as much as $105 per pack or a cost per gram of 0.105¢. These prices might not seem like a lot if you take them at face value. But you’ll notice how expensive their product actually is when you take the numbers in the context of the industry.
Vendors like All Natural Artisan (which isn’t a bad brand) can go as low as $60 for a kilogram. To be fair, that’s probably the industry low for any domestic vendor. But still, there are tons of other names that sell their product for just a few dollars more than that. This places their cost per gram at just 0.06¢.
Compare that to Golden Road Botanicals, and you’d be spending close to double the price for the same amount of product. Of course, some customers assert that you’re paying for more than just the product. These buyers state that on top of the kratom itself, you also pay for the experience and the customer service.
Reviews for Golden Road Botanicals remain pretty limited. Aside from a few on Facebook, Google, and their website, you won’t really find too many reviews for the vendor elsewhere on the web. Nonetheless, they do get some pretty solid feedback on their products and services.
“One of my go-to kratoms to help relieve chronic pain and to lift my low mood.” – Golden Road Botanicals website
“Great quality and prompt delivery” – Golden Road Botanicals website
“Awesome company! Very friendly, helpful customer service (from Jessica). Prompt replies to email inquiries! Excellent kratom menu and fabulous low prices!! Fast shipping!! Absolutely no complaints. Well earned 5 ☆’s. Thanks!” – Google reviews
“What a friendly company. I am somewhat new to kratom. I have tried 3 other companies, I will be sticking with Golden Road Kratom. There product is great but i was mostly excited about there service.” – Google reviews
“The absolute best customer service in the industry!! Jessica always goes above and beyond to help!” – Facebook page
Throughout their website, Golden Road Botanicals gets quite a few three and four star ratings. However customers don’t seem to leave any comments as to why they felt the need to take out a star from their overall rating.
It’s also important to consider the fact that Golden Road Botanicals doesn’t use any sort of third-party verification for their reviews. This means they’re totally in control of which reviews get posted and which ones get rejected.
Elsewhere on the internet, kratom users remain quiet about the brand and their products. Reddit is practically void of any information about Golden Road Botanicals despite the vendor making an attempt to get active on the cut-throat forum.
All together, we can’t determine for sure what buyers really think about the brand considering the lack of any negative comments. But since some vendors have been known to sanitize and censor reviews that go against their idealized reputation, we can’t deny that Golden Road Botanicals shows some signs of that behavior.
In true kratom vendor fashion, Golden Road Botanicals offers its customers access to discounts and coupons by way of their mailing list. They also have social media pages where you can subscribe to or follow them to get the latest updates on their promotional offers and sales.
All orders that exceed $100 automatically get their shipping fees blotted out which definitely sweetens the deal. And in case you’re not the kind to subscribe to mailing lists or follow socials, you can get a discount code by simply checking out their home page.
Any kratom vendor claims to lab test their products and Golden Road Botanicals is no different. This vendor promises its customers high quality product that’s guaranteed pure and potent by way of lab testing.
The vendor claims to send batches of their products to independent labs for testing. There, they test for everything from microbes and adulterants to mitragynine content. And while that might look super good on paper, it’s worth considering that the vendor doesn’t actually make these reports available for viewing on their website.
The American Kratom Association (or simply AKA) is the main regulatory body that controls and audits the kratom industry. These guys work hard to make sure that vendors abide by strict protocol to keep kratom products on the market safe for general use.
To apply for an AKA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audit, vendors have to pay a fee, and submit various documents on top of welcoming a team from the AKA for an inspection. During this evaluation, the AKA checks facilities, employees, and protocol, and how well a vendor maintains cleanliness and safety.
Presently, the Golden Road Botanicals brand isn’t yet an AKA-GMP certified vendor. So behind those closed doors, no one really knows what happens. Add that to the fact that they don’t publicize lab reports, and you’ve got yourself some reasonable doubt.
Well, at least based on the reviews posted on their website, they seem to be. But that’s not all there is to consider. A quick Google search will reveal that the vendor has once been at the receiving end of a warning from the FDA for claims on the vendor’s website alleging kratom’s ‘benefits against Covid-19.’
The FDA has long been attempting to illegalize and control kratom, so they’re kind of hot on the heels of any vendor that tries to advertise the product as anything like a drug or medicine. Golden Road Botanicals had to recant its statements and make changes on their website and blog to clear up the false information.
Other than that however, Golden Road Botanicals seems to be clear of any other allegations that could put their legitimacy in question.
Do keep in mind however that the vendor only offers a 24 hour return window for their products. That means if you don’t like what you get, you’re pretty much stuck with it if you don’t reach out that same day.
Maybe if you’re stuck in a loop of trying and buying, Golden Road Botanicals might offer something for you. But considering their prices, their lack of lab testing reports, and their non-AKA GMP compliance, its tough to think of them as anything more than just another vendor to try.
There are loads of other brands out there with reliable service, quality product, lower prices, and proof of quality and safety. So unless Golden Road Botanicals grows its reputation over time, you might want to stick with someone a little more established.
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