Amazon webstore "Anime Truck"/animetruck.com feedback 2009

* What did you order? 2007 DollZone Pet limited white fox, with faceup

* When did you order? 3/24/2009

* Did you order directly from the company, or through a distributor or dealer? Company is a dealer/distributor, they mostly seem to specialize in anime/game/comic goods but they do have a small amount of BJD stuff. They do have a website, animetruck.com, but I stumbled across them on Amazon.com and ordered through Amazon's interface since I already had an account there. This review only addresses the experience of buying from them via Amazon, not orders placed through their own website. (The Amazon storefront is here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/at-a-glance.html?ie=UTF8&seller=A2VZWA40GP4QBD.)

* How was the communication? Prompt and professional, the usual Amazon.com automatic notices confirming receipt of my order, and follow-up (with tracking information) when the order actually shipped. I did not need to contact them personally with any questions, so I can't comment on how well they respond to such direct email inquiries.

* How easy was it to pay? Very easy, since this was using the standard Amazon shopping cart and checkout system.

* How long did it take to ship? I placed the order on March 24th; the shipping estimate was that it would go out on either March 25th or 26th, and it did indeed ship on March 25th. I used standard rather than expedited shipping, so UPS's delivery estimate for coast-to-coast ground shipping from CA to VA was that it would arrive between March 30th and April 2nd; the estimate again was spot on, my package was delivered on the morning of April 1st, so it was six days in transit, pretty typical in my experience for the shipping method and distance involved.

* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? Absolutely. This was a bit of an impulse purchase as I hadn't been looking for a DZ Pet, and stumbled across the store while idly checking to see if anyone on Amazon had BJD accessories. I fell in love with the doll but made sure to check around before ordering to ensure the price wasn't being inflated as a "convenience tax" on Amazon shoppers who weren't familiar with other places to buy dolls and supplies -- I was pleasantly surprised to find their price for the DZ fox *with* faceup was actually a bit less than what some other doll stores were charging for the unpainted version! Now that I've handled them in person I would say that the DZ fox is absolutely worth even the higher price, so for what I paid it was a real bargain.

* Did the item look like the sales pictures? Much, much better. The only picture they used in the Amazon listing was one of the original DollZone promo pictures, at a much smaller size and lower resolution than on DZ's website; it doesn't show the full doll, the details of the naked doll body, or the different skin colors available. I made sure to check around on DoA and DollZone's own site to check out more complete pictures to be sure I liked the little guy before ordering, and even the wonderful owner pictures and DZ's own promos don't do the little guy justice. The DZ pets are absolutely adorable, and the default faceup is subtle and lovely. The doll even came with very nicely done full-body blushing, which was a wonderful surprise since it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the item listing!

* Were you satisfied with the product? Absolutely. I'm head-over-heels for my little fox. Shipping was also quite satisfactory -- as notied above, the processing time and time in transit were all prompt and within the given estimates. As shown in my box opening post, the doll was packed in a large box with a great deal of cushioning, and carefully labeled as "FRAGILE" in a very large, highly visible font; they even included a free gift (a brand-new, sealed set of a collectible card game).

The one potential quibble is that the doll itself was not wrapped up in any of the usual bubble wrap, pillows, etc. -- it was placed in a thin, unpadded fabric gift bag, which in turn was placed inside a paper/cardboard giftbag with velcro closure -- all quite appealing to the eye, but perhaps not the most protection possible for fragile dolls or delicate faceups! I've never ordered from DZ directly so I have no idea if this packaging is their default for the Pets, or something the reseller did on their own. Still, my little fox was flawless when it arrived, so I have no complaints, but it's something potential buyers might want to ask about if they want extra care taken, especially for dolls with faceups.

* If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem? N/A, I had no problems whatsoever.

* Would you order from this company again? Yes, although I'd make sure to doublecheck prices, specs, photos, etc. from other vendors first since BJDs are not this company's primary stock in trade; as noted above, I might also enquire about special packaging for shipment before ordering, especialy for a larger doll and/or one with full faceup/blushing.

* Would you buy this company's products second-hand? N/A, they're just a dealer/reseller. I'd definitely buy DollZone items second-hand now after seeing their quality, though!