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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Fururun & Usagiyouhinten Reviews

Sooo...I finally got around to writing this post ( I should be doing my school work right now but as usual, good old procrastination intervenes).
The fantastic wardrobe posts on egl in January (There is something delightfully voyeuristic about going through the contents of another's closet--if only virtually and not physically) motivated me to start building up my loli wardrobe--I decided to refrain from making random purchases (oh my goodness, that dress is so cheap! I must have it) only to end up not wearing the impulse buys and focus on hunting down my dream prints (of which I have a whole list). Of course, like any other loli, I lurk on the egl comm sales and various second hand shops hoping to find a good deal so without further ado here is my review of two less well known second hand sites (I feel as though one on the infamous Closetchild is unnecessary--everything is very professional and all items are sent through EMS).

Click post title for complete review/photos



Alice + Fururun
http://www.fururun.com/
2/26- I saw that a St. Mephisto OP was available so I promptly added the item to my cart (a very useful guide: http://egl.livejournal.com/14606137.html although the fururun form has been altered a bit).

2/27- I received an email from fururun basically telling me to review and confirm my order

2/28- After confirming my order, fururun sent me my paypal bill (for the curious, shipping fee was 1,680 yen)

3/6- I took my time paying the bill (they give you about a week's time to pay) but after I did so, they sent me an email with an EMS tracking number.

3/10- I had a mini crisis when I saw that my package was being retained at the local post office (I was convinced that I had to pay customs fees although the USPS is usually pretty lax or that the package was going to be sent back to Japan). Apparently, this only happens when the post office finds your package suspicious (or they are too lazy to deliver it...). My problems were quelled when I got a pink slip telling me to go pick up my item...crisis averted.

Here are some photos of the packaging and my lovely frock:




(the typical fururun paper bag--the bear print is cute although I doubt that it will do much to protect your dress against the elements or the carelessness of some post office workers if something unfortunate is to happen). *They don't mark down the item (which is just as well) but it is sent as a "gift".*



(the dress is wrapped up in yet another plastic bag)



(a flaw with the cross button on the neck piece...--this is not so much the fault of fururun, it was listed under a B ranking, but I thought I would mention this)


My beautiful dress (It's insane how much I love this inanimate thing)

Overall: 4.5/5 (The prices on fururun are very low and the turnover is fast)

Usagiyouhinten
http://usagiyouhinten.ocnk.net/
2/10- I saw a Baby skirt on their website and I sent them an email to notify them of my interest and ask if I could opt for a cheaper post option. They promptly (within hours) answered with a list of postage options, graciously admitting that the skirt (which was really cheap) was not worth the cost of EMS shipping (that is, in their exact words: " We usually use EMS but this time it might costs much for you?"). Anyhow, they were very understanding and helpful. (Follow the guide on their website: http://usagiyouhinten.ocnk.net/page/19 or you can choose to email them using the following template:

Hi,
My name is ______________ and I'm interested in:

Item name that you can just copy and paste (Include Type

and Price)

.My address is ________________________
and I live in ____________(<--country); and my telephone number is ____________.
Thank you!
______________ (name)
2/12- After clarifying everything (I chose SAL for it was the cheapest option at 1,090 yen), they sent me a paypal invoice.

2/13- They emailed me informing me of a mistake I made in my own address (I know...I am so pathetic ^^;) but this only goes to show their fastidiousness and their impeccable customer service-- they cared enought to go back into their records of my past dealings with them and located my error. Although they had already sent the package off to the post office and it may have already been shipped they promised to right this problem as soon as possible. In retrospect, they were very apologetic...I felt immensely guilty throughout this ordeal for I was the one who made the blunder.

2/14- They emailed me again telling me that they fixed my address

2/27- I received my skirt (yes, it was rather long but this was through SAL so it was to be expected...)

Some photos:

(The sturdy cardboard box the skirt was packaged in...I'm surprised the box arrived so pristine...I guess I have read too many horror stories about the post office)


(a personalized note...the skirt was wrapped in two layers of plastic)


(look at the cute heart buttons! Also the waist ties were folded neatly and placed into their own individual plastic bag)

(my skirt...honestly this was not my preferred colorway but the price was so low I could not resist the temptation)

Overall: 5/5
I have ordered quite a few times and I have to say that their customer assistance is wonderful--they are very patient and oftentimes, although they prefer to ship via EMS to avoid any complications, if you request it they can ship the items through other means (just ask them for a shipping quote for SAL or airmail)--I don't know if they only extend this offer to returning customers but it can never hurt to ask.
Do check out these two sites!

Also...my sketch of GACKT sama that I did for my art class assignment (my teacher was quite aghast)...♥

With that, I will take my leave...
                                                                                                                                  Joules

3 comments:

  1. Two years and still relevant, thanks for the detailed post!! Dat gackt tho...;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Two years and still relevant, thanks for the detailed post!! Dat gackt tho...;)

    ReplyDelete