Ordered dupes from two different sources - comparison

Hologram accuracy matters more at the door imo. UV is secondary.

Did both scan correctly on IDVisor?

Smart way to evaluate. Most people just stick with one vendor.

So I finally got both orders in and figured I'd do a little side-by-side write-up. I went with two different sources because I wanted to see who does what better – call it a little personal experiment. One is what I'd call the budget-friendly option (Source A) and the other a mid-tier pick (Source B). Both came through, but the difference in experience was pretty striking.

Timeline wise: I placed the order with Source A first, on a Tuesday evening. Payment was through the usual crypto route, and I got an automated confirmation within an hour. They took about 5 days to move from "Processing" to "Shipped" – not the fastest but not terrible. Then it sat in customs for a bit and landed on my doorstep 16 days after ordering. Source B I ordered three days later, same payment method. They marked it as shipped after only 2 days, but then tracking went quiet for almost a week before it popped up in the system. Ended up arriving exactly 14 days after ordering – so technically faster in total turnaround but the wait on tracking was nerve-wracking.

Packaging stealth was where things got interesting. Source A came in a plain bubble mailer with a return address that looks like a small business. Inside was a folded piece of cardboard and then the ID wrapped in a bit of tissue paper – nothing special but nothing suspicious either. Source B, on the other hand, went full stealth mode: the package looked like a birthday card from a relative, envelope included, with the ID slipped inside the card itself. If someone opened it accidentally they'd just think it's a cheesy greeting card. Huge difference in confidence level there.

Communication: Source A only has an email ticketing system, and I got replies within 12–24 hours. One time I asked about an ETA and got a pretty generic "still in queue" answer. Source B has a live chat on their site – I used it twice, once during US hours and once late at night. Both times I got a reply within 5 minutes, and they actually checked my order status and gave me a straight answer. Night and day for peace of mind.

Value for money (VFM) rating – Source A was cheaper by a decent margin, maybe 20–25% less. For the price, the ID is okay, but you can tell corners were cut in the lamination feel and the microprint is a bit blurry under a loupe. Source B cost more but the build quality is noticeably better – thicker card stock, cleaner edges, and the UV actually pops. I'd give Source A a 7/10 for VFM and Source B a solid 8.5/10, even with the higher price.

Pros and cons breakdown:
Source A pros: cheaper, decent enough for casual use, fairly quick initial processing. Cons: mediocre stealth packaging, slow communication, noticeable flaws under close inspection.
Source B pros: excellent stealth, fast live chat support, higher overall quality. Cons: more expensive, tracking lag was annoying, and the turnaround wasn't that much faster despite the premium.

Now the million-dollar question for the community: which one would you keep as your primary? Part of me wants to roll with Source B for the quality and stealth, but Source A is cheap enough that if it gets pulled I'm not out much. Curious what you guys think – any experience sticking with a budget vendor over a premium one for daily use?