Review: BestFromJapan.com
~bestfromjapan.com review~
positive!
First off, I'm writing this review for the people that have found this website already, but were unsure about ordering from it because there aren't (or weren't) any reviews or mentions of the site--at all!
Since the end of spring, I'd been searching and comparing deco websites for what seemed like forever. I came across bestfromjapan.com, a craft supply webstore owned by A-Smart Corporation, a company running out of Japan. All the etsy/independent sellers that imported Japanese clay, molds and the like that I could find seemed all ridiculously overpriced, and here I am, stumbling onto a site that's prices seem too good to be true (at least for an overseas buyer). So I look and look for reviews or even just a MENTION of the site anywhere on the internet...and of course, come up short. Did I want to be scammed? Hell no, but I was so desperate to get my money's worth (stupid, I know), I took a chance and ordered.
Website Navigation & Checkout: 4.5/5
Navigating the site is incredibly easy to use--and it's all in English! (claps for use of English on Japanese websites~ *cannot read Japanese for the life of her*) They have each section compartmentalized well, so there's no confusion. You'd be surprised how confused I've gotten/can get by independent sellers' websites ~that's probably just me, though~. Using the shopping cart is fast and simple, and after you complete the form, they send you an automatic summary/receipt of your order. The only reason I gave it a 4.5 instead of a full 5/5 is there seems to be this nagging little glitch on the site that happens at only certain times--you'll add everything to your cart, then when you go to check out, it'll show your shopping cart as "empty". Though it's definitely not a deal-breaker. If that happens, just exit out of the site, and wait a couple of minutes before you go back on it and try again.
Communication: 5/5
Being the unlucky soul I am, I had two problems, once which one was exceptionally annoying: the first that the card was shown as trying to be charged with an amount higher than the actual payment came to, and the second being the credit card I used for the purchase kept declining. Had to call the CC company and everything (what good did that do? ..none whatsoever). But they were very, very friendly and helpful, and scanned it again for me after the credit card company had been spoken to, and explained to me the charge difference (due to yen-to-dollar conversion rates). Of course, it declined again, and they suggested PayPal as the best way to solve the problem, which I was reluctant to do--horrible PP experience--but did anyways. Fortunately I didn't have a problem with using it THAT time. And on a side note, the quickness of their replies was pleasantly surprising, though I don't know if that was just my timing being (unusually) good or what.
Shipping: 5/5
After I paid via PayPal, the next day--or really morning (1:42AM to be exact)--I received an email notification telling me that my order had been shipped, and the tracking number that came with an EMS order. Now coming from a girl that doesn't shop online *that* much, I won't say this is unusual, but it was an exciting and unusual occurrence for me personally. I picked EMS for shipping, since I didn't have an existing account with FedEx or UPS and didn't want to bother with one, so I don't know how fast the shipping is with the other two, BUT the email came on a Thursday, and the package was on my doorstep that next Tuesday. Can't say I can complain!
Packaging: 5/5
The box came to me in (an unusually) nice condition. I would be a little bit more strict with the packing (as you can see in the photo above, there was no bubble wrap or any sort of inner protection) if I had ordered anything more delicate. But what I ordered would need probably AT LEAST 100+ pounds to land on it to damage, and in that case, I think bubble wrap or packing peanuts would do little good.
But in any case, all my order was there and packed up neatly.
Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5!
In the end, I couldn't be happier that I took the chance I did. Even with EMS ($12.00), I still paid LESS than I would've had I ordered from a seller in the States! Cheers for savings! （ﾉﾟ∇ﾟ）ﾉキラッ☆