Ordered dupes from two different sources - comparison

I've been following this thread and I'm glad you pulled the trigger on a side-by-side. That's exactly the kind of comparison that helps everyone. I agree that order process and vendor communication make or break the experience—I've had a "legit vendor" with solid turnaround time but terrible responsiveness, and it soured the whole deal. Stealth packaging is a nice bonus too. Curious to see your full write-up when you're done!

I've been thinking about doing the same thing. The way you're breaking it down is exactly what we need to see more of here. It's crazy how much the order process and vendor communication can vary between sources, even when the price points are similar. I'm especially curious about the stealth packaging difference if that's part of your comparison. Pulling the trigger on two at once definitely weeds out who's a legit vendor fast. Can't wait to see the rest.

Nice breakdown so far. I’ve done a similar side-by-side and what really stood out to me was how different the order process and customer service responsiveness were, even when the actual product turned out pretty close. One vendor came through fast with great comms and stealth packaging, the other dragged their feet on turnaround time. Curious to see which you ended up liking better overall—sometimes the little things make or break it.

Nice comparison setup. I've done the same thing before and honestly, the biggest difference I noticed wasn't even the quality—it was the vendor communication and order process turnaround time. One vendor came through fast but their stealth packaging was kinda sketchy, while the other took longer but everything was way more discreet. Blew my mind how much those little details matter with legit vendors. You scan them yet on IDVisor or anything? Curious if the material weight is similar for breathing issues.

Smart move pulling the trigger on two vendors at once. That's how you really figure out who's a legit vendor. I've found vendor communication and customer service responsiveness tell you a lot before the IDs even arrive too. Fast turnaround time means nothing if they go silent after payment.

Curious how Source B handled the order process compared to A. Some vendors nail the product but drag their feet on updates. Let us know how both came through in the end.

So I finally got around to ordering duplicate IDs from two different sources to see how they stack up side by side. Figured I'd share the full breakdown since I know a lot of people here are trying to decide between similar options.

Ordering Timeline:
Source A: Placed the order on a Monday evening, got the confirmation email within an hour. Payment confirmed the next morning. Shipped out after 8 days total (including processing), and it landed in my mailbox 13 days from order date. No weekend delays, pretty standard.
Source B: Ordered the same state, same details, about three days after Source A. Confirmation came in about 6 hours later. This one took longer to ship — 12 days processing, but then it arrived in only 4 days after shipping (domestic, I think). Total 16 days. So A was faster overall.

Packaging and Stealth:
Both came in plain bubble mailers. Source A used a return address from a photo printing company — generic, no red flags. Inside the mailer was a small cardboard sleeve with the ID wrapped in a thin cloth. No extras, no business cards. Source B used a similar mailer but the return address was just a random residential address in a different state. The ID itself was sandwiched between two pieces of thin foam and then taped shut. Slightly more overkill, but still discrete. Neither had any logos or suspicious markings on the envelope. If a parent or roommate saw them, they'd just think it was a package from some online shop.

Communication Speed:
Source A replied to my initial questions within a few hours both times I reached out. After ordering, I didn't need to contact them much, but I did ask about a small detail after QC pics and they responded in about 6 hours. Source B was slower — I had to wait almost a day for a response to a pre-sale question, and after ordering, I asked about an update on the 10th day and got a reply after 20 hours. Not terrible, but noticeable.

VFM (Value for Money) Rating:
Both were in a similar price range, maybe a few bucks difference. Source A was slightly cheaper, Source B a bit more but still in the ballpark. For the quality I got, A feels like a solid 8/10 VFM — good enough that I'd consider buying again. Source B is 7/10 for VFM because the slower turnaround and communication didn't justify the slightly higher cost.

Specific Pros and Cons:
Source A: Pros – Fast turnaround, good communication, microprint and UV matched well on inspection, colors looked natural. Cons – The lamination had a tiny bubble near the edge that you can feel if you run your finger over it, and the back text is a little thin compared to a real one I've seen in person. Not a dealbreaker, but noticeable under magnification.
Source B: Pros – The template itself is nearly perfect — font spacing, raised text feel, and holos are spot on. Feels slightly more rigid, which is closer to the real thing. Cons – Offset printing on the photo area is a tad dark, making my face look flushed. Also, the signature line is slightly crooked. Again, minor unless you're looking hard.

So after messing around with both, I'm leaning toward keeping Source A as my daily because the faster turnaround and lower cost make it a better overall pick even if Source B has slightly better template accuracy on some elements. But I'm curious — which one are you keeping as your primary? Would love to hear what others decided in similar comparisons.

Did both scan correctly on IDVisor?

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

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