The Kratom community has grown tremendously—along with the plant’s popularity. That leads to more consumers who don’t understand the industry. Most people start shopping around for the cheapest Kratom products.
Unfortunately, some customers do not realize low prices carry additional costs—to themselves.
But you can’t blame them. Nobody has taken the time to explain it. So, unfortunately, they learn the hard way.
However, here at Kratom Geek, we don’t like seeing people get bamboozled by budget Kratom businesses. Those bad experiences reflect poorly on Kratom. Then you get people badmouthing the plant.
Today, we’ll go over some of the hazards a consumer faces when choosing Kratom products based on price alone. We’ll give some pointers for selecting quality Kratom businesses. First, we should briefly go over some basic information. That way, you’ll understand why superior Kratom costs more.
Business Expenses Associated With High-Grade Kratom
The alkaloids in Kratom provide relief to tens of millions of people in the United States alone. The plant allows consumers to live a healthy lifestyle and acts as an herbal remedy for several physical and mental complications. Mitragyna speciosa has been used for centuries as traditional medicine.
There are higher costs to produce a safe, superior product. They’re incurred at every point of the production process. Those expenses mean Kratom was grown and manufactured with proper care.
Kratom Farmer and Supplier Expenses For Exceptional Kratom
Kratom trees grow indigenously in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. But nowadays, farmers cultivate them, and they tend to those trees daily. Kratom farms provide each crop with essential fertilizers and harvest the leaves as they mature. The genetics of the trees and the environment affect the potency. Over in Indonesia, a rainy season occurs from November to March. During that period, weather conditions are terrible for Kratom production. So the premium Kratom farmers stop harvesting during those months. That creates a heftier price.
The Cost of Suppliers For Exceptional Kratom
The best Kratom suppliers in Indonesia have extra expenses. You see, suppliers were using leftover manufacturing equipment from World War II for years. And some of those old grinders left microscopic pieces of metal in the finished powder. Lately, dependable Kratom suppliers started purchasing newer industrial equipment. That creates a safer product. But it’s also more expensive, so those suppliers charge more. And the supplier exports the Kratom overseas. They can choose air or sea, but air shipments are much more expensive.
Kratom Company Expenditures For Exceptional Kratom
Whenever Kratom reaches the shores of the United States, it goes to one of several domestic Kratom companies. They have additional expenses to produce safe, quality Kratom products.
First, the manufacturing process needs to remain compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refuses to regulate the industry, a few bad actors bypass that step. But an aboveboard vendor would not. Those methods are for sanitation compliance.
Secondly, great Kratom businesses send off their products for quality assurance tests. The results indicate if any toxins are present in the Kratom. A Kratom company should destroy any contaminated products. However, cheap Kratom companies refuse to spend money on third-party lab tests. That’s playing Russian roulette. So, you only want to buy from a company that performs that safety procedure.
What is the Appeal of Cheap Kratom?
Consumers love a great deal. Everyone does. Who doesn’t like to save money? Several studies corroborate people have a psychological desire to find the best deals. One study suggested that customers not only look for sales and lower prices, but they also felt smart whenever they obtained the lowest rate. Kratom shoppers have the same mentality. They prefer to get their Kratom products when they’re on sale or cheap.
But there’s a difference between getting a great deal on Kratom during a sale and buying the cheapest Kratom product. Sales allow you purchase quality Kratom at a reduced price. A Kratom company that has constant below-the-norm prices is simply selling you inferior Kratom, which carries some additional risks.
The Risks of Buying Cheap Kratom
Many proverbial statements teach us everything has a price. That includes too-good-to-be-true price tags. Those rates mean costs were cut somewhere along the manufacturing process. While the price appears desirable, the methods to provide it becomes less appealing. Here are a couple of ways that cheap Kratom companies pinch their pennies to offer lower prices.
- No Operational Company Quality Assurance Procedures:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governs the botanical and food industry. However, it refuses to perform those duties on Kratom companies. Which means that you have to rely on each business to police itself. And quality assurance programs get bypassed to save a buck.
- No Independent Laboratory Analysis Of Kratom Batches For Contaminants:
Another way untrustworthy Kratom companies cut costs is by forfeiting lab tests on their products. That places customers in serious danger. Without lab tests, nobody checks for microbial and heavy metal contamination.
Bacterial outbreaks like Salmonella are dangerous for consumers to ingest.
“Salmonella bacteria cause the foodborne illness salmonellosis. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. However, in the current outbreak, an unusually high rate of cases has been hospitalized for their illness.”
Where Is Cheap Kratom Usually Found?
Some people think cheap Kratom comes from the black market. But that’s far from the truth. Honestly, you can find cheap Kratom in every venue. Still, some places are more likely to have it than others.
- Head Shops Are Notorious For Peddling Cheap Kratom:
Head shops usually sell drug paraphernalia and memorabilia. However, they also carry herbal products, especially if it has psychotropic effects. So more often than not, you’ll find these stores carry Kratom. However, most of them sell cheap Kratom. Sometimes, it’s not packaged, either. They scoop it out of jars and place it in a to-go container, which is not sanitary at all.
- Smoke and Vape Stores Usually Sell Cheap Kratom:
Other businesses operating with the same modus operandi are smoke and vape shops. Sometimes you can find Kratom already packaged there. Even then, it’s usually from some no-name company offering a cheap product. But most times, however, it comes out of a glass container.
- Online Kratom Businesses That Operate Out Of Homes Push Cheap Kratom:
There are plenty of legitimate Kratom businesses online. A few are small home-based businesses. Kratom should be manufactured in a sterilized facility to keep out contaminants. So home-based Kratom companies are not following the industry standards. As such, their products are not up to par.
What Are Some Red Flags for Cheap Kratom?
For someone new to Kratom, they might not know what to expect. Here are some pointers to help.
- The Product Quality Differs From Other Kratom Sources:
With all botanical products, the freshness of the plant material has a direct correlation to how efficiently it works as a remedy. There are ways to determine if the Kratom you bought is newly harvested or not. For starters, freshly packaged Kratom has a natural, earthy smell. The same goes for the taste. Cheap Kratom has a stale taste and smell.
- Cheap Kratom Businesses Are Not Approved By The American Kratom Association:
The American Kratom Association has a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) program to protect consumers. Each business must adhere to those standards and participate in yearly third-party inspections to remain a member. Stay wary of Kratom companies that don’t engage with the project. Their manufacturing methods and Kratom lack any quality assurance.
- Kratom Packaging Is Not Up To Standards In The Industry:
Once you order Kratom, its packaging can tell you a lot about the quality of the product inside. Quality Kratom gets packaged in sealed, air-tight containers. They also have professional-grade labels on their products. If the packaging looks cheap, then it’s likely the Kratom inside it is, too.
Cheap Kratom Vs. Affordable Quality Kratom
Some people believe all Kratom is the same. They argue Kratom is just leaves picked off the tree. Those individuals don’t think there are any significant differences in Kratom. However, scientific data proves that theory incorrect. The molecular profiles of Kratom grown in Thailand differ from Malaysia. Likewise, the concentration of alkaloids in Kratom from Indonesia is not the same as the others.
The most significant discrepancies are when you compare cheap Kratom to quality Kratom products.
The Difference Between Cheap Kratom And Quality Kratom
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There are more differences when you compare excellent Kratom with low-grade batches. But they all boil down to one thing: cheap products are inexpensive for a reason.
What to Look for in a Quality Kratom Vendor
First and foremost, the most desirable feature most customers want from an excellent Kratom vendor is to have superior Kratom products. Nobody wants to buy subpar Kratom.
But, customers also want to visit a professional-looking website. A site that’s not user-friendly and looks thrown together doesn’t inspire confidence.
However, there are other standards that set remarkable Kratom vendors apart from the rest, too.
Knowledgeable About Kratom Products
The Kratom industry grows each year. As time passes, new products keep emerging. You’ll probably find Kratom energy drinks in shopping centers alongside canned and bottled Starbucks drinks in the future.
Plus, more Kratom strains appear each year. That can become problematic to an uneducated Kratom company.
Only buy Kratom products from a competent Kratom vendor. They should know all their products like the back of their hand. And they should have an innate ability to suggest the right Kratom strain for your specific problems. Otherwise, you’ll deal with a frustrating experience that bears no fruit.
Talk with some of the customer service associates before you make a purchase. That lets you know if their employees are experts in the field. You can check the company’s website, too. It should have an informative blog on the site. Those articles should cover any questions you have about Kratom in general. Plus, they should provide in-depth coverage not found in other articles on the topic. There are way too many blogs on the internet that only cover the basics. Sometimes, consumers want to read thorough explanations. After all, they’re searching for different answers.
An AKA Accredited Business
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refuses to protect consumers by mandating necessary manufacturing guidelines in the Kratom industry. So, the American Kratom Association (AKA) has stepped up to perform those functions for your safety. However, since the AKA isn’t a federal agency, it cannot force Kratom companies to participate if they don’t want to.
Instead, it created a voluntary Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Standards Program, which has a set of procedures all participants must follow. The program protects the well-being of Kratom consumers. But the AKA can only confirm the Kratom vendors involved with the initiative. They announce those companies to the public.
The Kratom advocacy group lists every AKA GMP Qualified Vendor on its site, making the information easily accessible. Each Kratom company participated and passed a third-party yearly inspection for GMP standards.
To go above and beyond, the AKA even lets kratom consumers know which companies have joined the AKA’s efforts. The Kratom Consumer Champion Vendors regularly donate to the Kratom consumer advocacy group. Buying from them helps fund the AKA.
Performs Laboratory Testing on Products
An authentic Kratom company always performs laboratory testing on its products. They do that by sending Kratom samples to a third-party pathogen testing facility. That provides the Kratom company with a Certificate of Analysis to display on its website. Those lab results identify several things.
- Confirms Botanical Source
The test confirms the product is authentic Kratom.
- Biological Contaminants
To protect consumers, it scans for biological pathogens.
- Heavy Metal Presence
It tests for toxic metals. Vegetation carries metal particles in them. But too much is problematic.
- Concentration of Alkaloids
These results illustrate the concentration of alkaloids in each batch. That lets you know whether the Kratom is potent or not.
- Unwanted Adulterants
Unethical kratom suppliers might alter the Kratom. They can add chemicals to make it stronger. They can add cheaper botanical products to rip you off, too.
- All Kratom should be thoroughly tested for contaminants before packaging. People can get sick from bacterial pollutants. Not only that, but heavy metals are a concern, too. Recent studies have indicated toxic metals were present in some Kratom products found in head shops in Illinois. Most head shops do not send off their Kratom for testing.
A Kratom Company With All Those Qualities
You want to make sure the Kratom company you choose to buy Kratom from hits all those requirements. Unfortunately, it can take a bit of effort to find. So, let Kratom Geek help! We give our endorsement to Happy Hippo Herbals.
Happy Hippo is the most knowledgeable AKA-accredited Kratom company in the industry.
They test every batch of Kratom for contamination. Plus, Happy Hippo created a system to choose the right Kratom strain for your personal needs—the Happy Hippo Kratom Strain Chart.
DON’T FORGET! You can get 20% OFF all Kratom products with our code GEEK20 at Happy Hippo!!
Kratom Speed Classifications For Picking Out The Perfect Kratom Product
The strain chart places each Kratom product within a spectrum that goes from the most stimulating varieties to those that provide relaxing feelings.
Fast Kratom strains make you very energetic shortly after taking them. They’re best for times in the day when you need some extra motivation in your life.
Use them when you require something to help you concentrate on a task without unwanted jitters. Moderate Kratom products allow you to focus while simultaneously lifting your mood.
Take Slow Kratom products at night when you want to unwind. They produce the most pain relief of all three types. And they allow you to sleep soundly.
How to Fight Back Against Cheap Kratom
Now, we understand that people love seeking out the best deals. People get a thrill from saving a dollar. But do not put your health at risk to do it. Besides, supporting any company that refuses to spend money for necessary protective procedures to safeguard their customers paints a bullseye on the entire Kratom industry. It gives rogue government agencies more ammunition to use in an argument about the need for a Kratom ban.
We should all participate in protecting our access to Kratom by following these simple rules.
- Refuse To Buy Kratom With Lower-Than-Possible Prices
It sounds easy enough, but the best way to combat cheap and unsafe Kratom is to refuse to buy it. Denying an unscrupulous Kratom business any profit forces them to look for other sources of income—outside of the Kratom industry.
- Become Involved In The Kratom Community:
Take the initiative and get involved with the Kratom community. You can volunteer with a non-profit organization like the American Kratom Association. Do your part to keep kratom legal and safe. Or instead, become an online advocate in Kratom social media groups. That way, you can get the word out.
- Stay Clear From Kratom Companies That Nobody Can Verify:
Some Kratom companies are fly-by-night operations. They’re trying to make a quick buck from unsuspecting customers. If nobody can vouch for a Kratom company, you should run in the other direction.
How to Find Great Deals on Affordable Quality Kratom
Just because you want to save money doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality. There are other ways to find superb Kratom without breaking the bank. Use these methods to afford great Kratom products.
- Only Purchase Kratom From A Respectable Business:
We recently addressed some pointers for finding professional Kratom vendors. Purchase Kratom from those companies. Otherwise, you might end up receiving older, less potent products.
- Become A Member Of A Loyalty Program:
Check with each Kratom company to see if they have loyalty programs. It allows consumer credits for each item bought. You can apply them to future purchases for discounts.
- Buy Kratom In Bulk:
Whenever you buy larger quantities of Kratom, you get a discounted price overall. So make sure to buy your Kratom in bulk and save some money.
- Utilize Kratom Extracts To Enhance Your Products:
Use Kratom extracts. It can make your Kratom powder last much longer.
- Look For Coupon Codes And Sales:
Most reputable Kratom companies provide sales or coupons throughout the year. Subscribe to their mailing list to get notifications.
- Take Advantage Of Discounted Payment Options:
Nowadays, the Kratom industry has started accepting cryptocurrencies for payment. And most offer discounts if you pay that way.
Kratom Geek Recommends Happy Hippo for Valuable Kratom Products
If you’re new to Kratom and are on the fence about which company is the best, Kratom Geek has you covered. The number one Kratom company we highly recommend is Happy Hippo Herbals. They remain our favored vendor because they meet or exceed our stringent expectations for manufacturing the best Kratom products online. They continue this feat every year.
Happy Hippo Herbals provides exceptional Kratom discounts. They have a section for ongoing herbal products on sale. Plus, they constantly have Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) deals all the time. Those offers get listed on their home page. But to top that off, the company provides a rewards program that lets you save each time you make a purchase.
Furthermore, Happy Hippo continues to operate its business as a staunch supporter of Kratom legalization in all 50 states. Instead of Kratom bans, they advocate for Congress to pass a federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act (ACT) that safeguards their consumers and the industry. They even donate heavily to the American Kratom Association (AKA).
So the next time you buy Kratom, choose Happy Hippo Herbals. Their potent Kratom and exceptional customer service experience will have you a repeat customer.
