Online Shop Reviews

[ai-chan]

Have you recently bought any anime merchandise from an online shop? Use this thread to post your reviews.

Please use the following format -

Shop Name:
Shop Specialty:
Customer Service:
Pricing:
Payment:
Packaging:
Shipping:
Customer for How Long:
Final Thoughts:
Rating:

[ai-chan]

Hobbylink Japan
Shop Specialty: Figures, Art books, Magazines, Scale Models

Customer Service: Friendly and responsive. They usually respond in 24 hours.

Pricing: Sell at manufacturer's suggested retail price. But they do give 5% early-bird discount.

Payment: Accept Paypal, Credit Card. They don't take the payment up front, but only when your order is ready. You get 14 days to clear your payment.

Packaging: The packaging and the packing material (cardboard boxes) are top class.

Shipping: SAL, EMS shipping.

Customer for How Long: 3 Years +

Final Thoughts: Flawless! They are probably the one of best online stores in Japan. Highly recommended!

Rating: 5/5

[ai-chan]

AmiAmi
Shop Specialty: Figures, DVDs, Magazines, Scale Models, Manga

Customer Service: No Comments.

Pricing: They give a discount of around 19% on pre-orders.

Payment: Accept Paypal, Credit Card. They don't take the payment up front, but only when your order is ready. You get 7 days to clear your payment.

Packaging: The packaging is good but the packing material (cardboard boxes) could use a bit more reinforcement.

Shipping: SAL, EMS shipping.

Customer for How Long: 2 Months +

Final Thoughts: Even though they give a big discount on figure pre-orders, I would hesitate to order figures from them due to the slight chink in their packaging. However for magazines, art books they are recommended!

Rating: 4.5/5

[ai-chan]

CD Japan
Shop Specialty: CDs, DVDs, Figures

Customer Service: No Comments.

Pricing: Sell at manufacturer's suggested retail price. Don't offer any early bird discount on figures, but they do offer 10% off on certain DVD pre-orders. They have a points earned based on your purchase which you can use for discount. Additionally, you can get discount using the coupon codes they issue from time to time.

Payment: Accept Paypal, Credit Card. They take payment up front.

Packaging: The packaging is good but the packing material (cardboard boxes) could use a bit more reinforcement.

Shipping: SAL, Airmail, EMS shipping.

Customer for How Long: 2 Years +

Final Thoughts: I don't order figures from them any more due to the packaging. However for CDs, DVDs they are recommended!

Rating: 4.5/5

[ai-chan]

Otaku
Shop Specialty: Artbooks, CDs

Customer Service: Friendly and responsive. They usually respond in 24 hours.

Pricing: Prices 10%-20% higher than the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Offer flat rate EMS shipping for each additional item at $5.

Payment: Accept Paypal.

Packaging: The packaging and the packing material (cardboard boxes) are top class.

Shipping: EMS shipping.

Customer for How Long: 3 Years +

Final Thoughts: Though their prices are on the higher side, they do have a large collection of artbooks. If you are looking for an OOP material, do check with them. Recommended!

Rating: 4.5/5

[ai-chan]

Benippon
Shop Specialty: Figures, Artbooks, CDs

Customer Service: Friendly and responsive. They usually respond in 24 hours.

Pricing: Sell at manufacturer's suggested retail price. They give 5% early-bird discount on figures. Delayed payment for pre-orders.

Payment: Accept Paypal, Credit Card, International Bank Transfer, IPMO.

Packaging: The packaging and the packing material (cardboard boxes) are top class.

Shipping: SAL, Surface, EMS shipping. It appears they also allow SAL, Surface shipping to India. Earlier (around 3 years back) they only allowed EMS shipping.

Customer for How Long: 1 Years

Final Thoughts: Their inventory is small compared to the larger stores, but their customer service is very good. They "do listen" to your requests. Though I no longer use their shop, I would still recommend them. Great job, Mathieu!

Rating: 5/5

[6pack]

AI-chan, have you bought from this  site: MiobookinTokyo?

Can you compare the prices you paid for artbooks (from other site) with the prices on this site?

[ai-chan]

Nope, never used them.

They are selling the artbooks at the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

[ai-chan]

HMV Japan
Shop Specialty: CDs, DVDs

Customer Service: No Comments.

Pricing: Their prices are usually less than the suggested retail price. And they offer a number of discounts - special price for online member, deal of the day, points earned based on your purchase, discount campaigns from time to time.

Payment: Accept Credit Card.

Packaging: The packaging and the packing material (cardboard boxes) are top class.

Shipping: EMS shipping.

How long have you been buying from the site: Once.

Final Thoughts: I don't use them any more due to the fact that they don't offer SAL shipping.

Rating: 4/5

[ai-chan]

Akadot Retail
Shop Specialty: Art books, Magazines, GN (Graphic Novels)

Customer Service: No Comments.

Pricing: Art books are priced 20%-30% higher than the suggested retail price. They offer 1-year 'Akadot Retail Membership' for $15 which gives you an additional 5% off on your orders.

Payment: Accept Paypal.

Packaging: The packaging and the packing material (cardboard boxes) is ok.

Shipping: EMS shipping.

How long have you been buying from the site: 4 Months.

Final Thoughts: I don't use them any more as their prices are quite high.

Rating: 3.5/5

[ai-chan]

Tokyo Fantasy

Shop Specialty: Figures, Blythe Dolls

Customer Service: Friendly and responsive. They usually respond in 24 hours.

Pricing: Sell at manufacturer's suggested retail price. They offer life time 'FantasyClub Membership' for $10 which gives you an additional 10% off on your orders.

Payment: Accept Paypal.

Packaging: The packaging and the packing material (cardboard boxes) are top class.

Shipping: Sea, Air, Express shipping using Singapore Post.

How long have you been buying from the site: 2 Years.

Final Thoughts: Though its a very small store, they are very friendly and their customer service is great. They often send gift with your order - usually gashapons
Recommended!!

Rating: 5/5

[6pack]

In these 4 years I only bought from 3 sites. HLJ, Hobby Search and Play-Asia.

Shop Name: Hobby Search

Shop Specialty: Figures, Dolls, Magazine subs, Mecha, R/c Toys and Hobby Tools.

Customer Service: Excellent. Usually reply in 24 hrs.

Pricing: Less than many sites.

Payment: Paypal and CC only.

Packaging: Excellent.

Shipping: EMS, SAL via Japan Post.

Customer for How Long: 3 yrs.

Final Thoughts: Awesome site.

Rating: 5/5

Additional Inputs: You get points evertime you buy from them. You can use these points (no option of using part points) to pay for shipping or small items. Points valid for a year or so.

[BarizAjaz]

Shop Name: www.20north.com

Shop Specialty: ships items from USA to India

Customer Service: Aaargh. Usually don't even reply

Pricing:  more than many sites.

Payment:  <_<CC only or e-gift card ...purchasing from netbanking.

Packaging: ok.

Shipping:    Don't Know Exactly.

Customer for How Long: 1 week  .

Final Thoughts: If only I wud have chacked sites from JAPAN the most awesome country in the world

Rating: 2/5

[BarizAjaz]

Shop Name: Flipkart.com/books

Shop Specialty:Manga
Customer Service:Great.Reply Within 12-24hrs
Pricing:Very Cheap
Payment:Cheque/DD, NetBanking, Credit/Debit Card and Cash on Delivery also available for some locations
Packaging:Good
Shipping:Good but not for me as i live in J&K
Customer for How Long: Approximately 1 year
Final Thoughts:Good value for money
Rating:6 out of 5

[6pack]

^ 20North is way way overpriced. Even the customs duty they show is excess of 35% which is max customs duty on many items.

I suggest you try iccworld.com.

Its a courier company which will give you quotes from the links you give them. Its mostly around the 65-80 rate per dollar (depending on items) but you get the package via FedEx and in around 15 days time from when you pay them.

http://www.iccworld.com/shop-abroad.asp

Shop Name: iccworld.com
Shop Specialty: Buy from USA, UK (i think)
Customer Service: Good. Replies within 24 hrs through phone and email.
Pricing: Ok.
Payment: Cheque/ DD/ cash deposit (i think), NetBanking, Credit Card.
Packaging: Very good.
Shipping: Fast.
Customer for How Long: Bought just 4 times from them till now.
Final Thoughts: Good value for money for items not easily available here.
Rating: 5 out of 5