Soom Feedback (ALL)

* What did you order? (4 separate orders)
1) Adamelli w/ extra female body, with the default outfit, eyes & wig. Also an additional pair of Soom eyes.
2) Dune (WS) with the default wig, plus additional pair of Soom eyes.
3) Marl with face-up, default outfit & wig. Also ordered several items of clothing & accessories & combined the orders.
4) (Lottery) Mylo blank; Nenad with face-up & eyes.
* When did you order?
1) 5/24/11
2) 8/3/11
3) 10/11/11
4) 12/4/11
* How was the communication? Communication has generally been prompt, except around the time of vacations, which they warned of in advance. Always very pleasant, polite and helpful.
* How easy was it to pay? I invariably seem to end up with errors associated with Firefox when paying by credit card, although IE seems to work well. Also had errors with Paypal, though I was able to make payments manually without any issue. Not perfect, but still not difficult.
* How long did it take to ship?
1) Final layaway payment was made 7/29, arrived 9/30
2) Final payment 10/18, arrived 11/1.
3) Final payment 1/1, arrived 2/1.
4) Lottery dolls were paid in full at the order date & were in stock, arrived 12/15.
* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? For the dolls, the face-ups, the Marl wig, and the clothing, I would say yes.
The Adamelli default wig - no; the hair fiber was of poor quality, dry and coarse, and the wig cap shows very clearly. The Dune wig - not really; the fibers are better and the cap doesn't show as badly as the other wig, but still has some thin areas.
The eyes - sort of. There's some obvious pixellation in the iris when viewed up close. They also hold onto lint like crazy, but that's not such a big deal.
* Did the item look like the sales pictures? The Adamelli wig doesn't, as described above. The Adamelli eyes also looked an entirely different colour, and all the eyes have a distinctly pixellated look to them. Everything else did.
* Were you satisfied with the product? With the exception of the wigs, I've generally been satisfied. There was some minor bubbling present in the clear resin on the Adamelli & Nenad parts, and marks from company sanding were fairly obvious on them, but nothing that seemed out of line with expectations.
* If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem? I didn't make any complaint, so there was nothing for them to do.
* Would you order from this company again? Considering this is for 4 separate purchases... XD But yes, I've already got another order going and I don't anticipate that pattern stopping any time soon.
* Would you buy this company's products second-hand? The markup on many of the dolls on the second-hand market puts them higher than I'd be interested in paying, but if not for that, sure.

 

Definitely want to give Soom my kudos here!

* What did you order? Free choice NS Heliot, pair of silicone eyes.
* When did you order? October 17, 2011.
* How was the communication? Good, I like that they have status updates available for you to check on their site and when I asked when they estimated my boy would be shipped they actually sent me a shipping notice a couple days later. :3
* How easy was it to pay? Paypal, very easy.
* How long did it take to ship? Shipped December 27th and arrived about 5 business days later. Because this was a special event and dolls were made to order, I expected this wait and it was well worth it.
* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? Goodness yes!
* Did the item look like the sales pictures? Exactly! (Though there were no true sales pictures for him, he looks just like his original WS version and human NS version.) The eyes were also exactly as pictured.
* Were you satisfied with the product? Very much so! The quality is excellent, the sculpting is even more beautiful in person. I especially appreciate that he is coated. My only complaints would be that the horn has come off a couple times and I would have preferred for it to be magnetized, and he was strung very loosely. (Though Soom apparently does this to prevent damage, so this is normal.)
* Would you order from this company again? Most definitely, I have many plans to do so in the future!

 

What did you order?
Soom Post MD Sard/Heliot

When did you order?
2011-10-23

How was the communication?
Didn't communicate much, since I knew how their system works, and always paid on time

How easy was it to pay?
It was the easiest~

How long did it take to ship?
EMS took 5 days~

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes, the quality was very nice.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yes.

Were you satisfied with the product?
I absolutely was!

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
Yes, definitely! (1 boy is on layaway~)

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes, certainly.

 

What did you order?
Soom MD Arkose (LV) with outfit and shoes.

When did you order?
December 9th, 2011.

How was the communication?
I asked for a 5 months layaway and they fixed the payments right away. I didn't communicate with them again until a few time before my order was shipped. It was good.

How easy was it to pay?
So easy. Soom's layaway is the best with paying.

How long did it take to ship?
I finished my layaway on January 1st, so 2 months and a little over 1 week.

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes & no. The doll and outfit are impecable. However, the wings must be hotglued and so on if you want to use them properly.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Even better in person.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes, very much.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
---

Would you order from this company again?
Yes, I hope.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes.

 

What did you order?
Soom FC Onyx/Vesuvia

When did you order?
January 19, 2012

How was the communication?
N/A. I didn't email them any questions and I received an email with my shipping notice (which apparently not everyone gets?)

How easy was it to pay?
Easy. Used Paypal

How long did it take to ship?
Just under 60 business days

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes & no. My doll has a beautiful face and an awesome scorpion tail... but those are about the only things I like about her. She arrived with monstrous, fugly seam lines all over her body, I'm talking super obvious huge ones. Sonja is my 6th doll, but the only one who arrived without seam removal. Charging extra for seam removal on an otherwise high quality, expensive doll is a deal breaker for me.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Would have, if the seam lines weren't so bad

Were you satisfied with the product?
Not entirely. See above

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
There really isn't they can do. I understand that seam removal isn't part of their standard practice. I've seen older Soom dolls and the seams weren't as obvious. Perhaps my seams were this bad because they were rushing and working with older molds?

Would you order from this company again?
Definitely not, unless they change their standard practices to include seam removal in the already substantial price of the doll

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Probably not.

 

What did you order?
A biweekly outfit and special order wig.

When did you order?
February 12th 2012

How was the communication?
I got my order confirmation and shipping notice. I didn't need to contact them.

How easy was it to pay?
Easy, through PayPal.

How long did it take to ship?
Over two months (shipped 24th April), which was outside of the estimated time frame for both items, but still well within the 100 business days guarantee.

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Mostly. There was a loose bit of trim on the outfit that was easily fixed, and although the wig is lovely it's a little small on my Soom doll.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
The wig was a bit lighter than in the sales photos. Otherwise it was the same.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes, for the most part.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
Yes, and I already have.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes, and I have done before.

 

What did you order?
Soom FreeChoice Galena/Beryl (NS)
Soom MD Arkose (VS) with outfit

When did you order?
12/8/11 and sometime during the FC event (I forget the exact date)

How was the communication?
Good! Whenever I needed anything, Victoria got back to me quickly. She even emailed me when I had asked about a shipping estimate. She was always very kind and polite.

How easy was it to pay?
Very! Easy through Paypal.

How long did it take to ship?
EMS took about 5 days.

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
I do wish their dolls were a bit less expensive since they charge for seam removal, but neither of my dolls have massive seams to them. What seams they do have are short, soft and very rounded. Nothing sharp or jagged. They don't bother me one bit.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yep!

Were you satisfied with the product?
Totally - Garyl is my dream doll and Arkose is fantastic. His outfit is weighty and beautiful and both dolls pose wonderfully for me, standing right out of the box. I'm very happy.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
If I find something I can't live without, most definitely.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
I already have.

 

* What did you order? Soom Free Choice Galena / Vesuvia

* When did you order? Jan 12, 2012

* How was the communication? Excellent. It may take a few days, but Victoria tends to stay on top of it.
* How easy was it to pay? Paypal, super easy

* How long did it take to ship? She shipped April 12, so four months until shipping, and four days to reach me with a weekend included.

* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? She is fantastically well built, but I often feel that their price is a little steep (particularly in this case where they were fantasy parts only but still close to the original price). The shipping in particular tends to feel very expensive to me, but I don't think they have control of that.


* Did the item look like the sales pictures? Yes

* Were you satisfied with the product? She arrived with a good sized chunk missing out of her left rotator cuff. I was exceedingly bummed when I saw that. Especially as it meant waiting to blush her tail until a replacement part could be sorted out in order to match her lower torso to her upper.

* If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem? It took them a few days to investigate my picture/order, but Victoria got back to me by email within a few days (make sure to write immediately if there is a problem, it's in the "user agreement" in the handbook that you write within 24 hours of receiving your doll). A month later I poked them to be sure they were still sending me the replacement part, and a week afterwards to ask for a tracking as I did not receive one. It took a month and one week to send out the replacement part, but it has arrived and is perfect, along with the cutest card from Soom apologizing for the error. They didn't charge me for the replacement or the shipping (the latter I had expected them too and am pleasantly surprised).

* Would you order from this company again? This is my second from Soom, and I would consider ordering a third or more.

* Would you buy this company's products second-hand? Yes, I bought a pair of Breccia paws for this particular order second hand. They weren't heavily used and the original blushing is still in tact. I can't bring myself to remove it.

 

* What did you order? Amber (NS), Topaz/Beryl (NS) and Onyx/Vesuvia (Bronze) from the Super Gem female Free Choice event

* When did you order? January 23, 2012

* How was the communication? Poor, which was my biggest complaint with the experience.

I had heard about a potential problem with shipping more than 2 SG dolls (in that they would only ship 2 at a time, and would have to split shipments on orders of greater than 2) only through another user posting on Den of Angels. I scoured the site to double-check - I could find nothing about this policy in the FAQ, nothing on any of the order pages, including the FC event pages.

Even so, I expected that shipping might be higher on an order of 3 dolls. Prior to placing my order, I posted on the Q&A - I stated that I wished to order 3 dolls and asked if I could get a 5-part layaway (also a practice I knew about only thanks to DoA). I did not get a reply within 24 hours, and Soom went on holiday the day after. So as not to miss the end of the event, I placed the order and posted a second time - mentioning again that I had ordered 3 dolls - and requested the layaway be adjusted if possible. The layaway was confirmed and the payments were manually adjusted.

At that time, the cost of shipping was not adjusted. In reply to both of my posts, nothing was said about there being a problem with the order, shipment or shipping costs. In fact, I went through with all 5 payments without anything being mentioned or changed. It was not changed until AFTER I had made my 5th payment - 4 months later. I never get any Soom e-mails (address is confirmed correct), so I had no communication regarding the adjustment in shipping cost. In fact, I had no reason to believe my order was not paid in full until I happened to check the status of a separate order I had recently placed. At that time, I saw that the cost of shipping had been adjusted and I owed more money on what should have been a completed order.

I am not that familiar with foreign business practice, but as I am used to it, this was basically a break in the buyer-seller contract and a betrayal of trust. If they failed to account for proper shipping costs at the time the order was placed, it should have fallen on them to deal with their mistake, not just push their problem on me 4 months later.

I posted on the Q&A & got something vaguely resembling an apology and I was told that an e-mail had been sent to me (which I had no way of confirming.) I was, at least, told that they would be more careful with such things in the future.

TL;DR version: Soom had ample opportunity to let me know if the shipping cost needed to be adjusted and neglected to do so until 4 months later, after the order was completed. Poor communication and poor business practice.

* How easy was it to pay? Easy enough via Paypal.

* How long did it take to ship? The items were shipped 2-3 weeks after the final payment was made (not including the extra time it took me to realize I had to pay again for shipping.) I did appreciate that they had the dolls ready shortly after layaway was completed.

* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? More or less. The seam lines were very prominent, much more so than on most dolls I own, though I went in knowing that seam sanding was not part of the service.

* Did the item look like the sales pictures? Yes, exactly.

* Were you satisfied with the product? I was unsatisfied with the service, but satisfied with the product. The dolls were all lovely.

* If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem? They did not.

* Would you order from this company again? I gave serious thought to avoiding Soom in the future, if only for the customer service. There are many companies that make beautiful dolls, with whom I've had much better experiences. I really hated to think of it, though, as I do love their dolls. At this point, I'm willing to give them another chance, but I cannot imagine I would continue to do business with them if I have any further problems.

* Would you buy this company's products second-hand? If the price was right, yes. I do really enjoy their dolls.

 

What did you order?
Little Gem Lig in cream white, with faceup, outfit and shoes.

When did you order?
March 1st 2012

How was the communication?
I got my order confirmation and shipping notice. I didn't need to contact them.

How easy was it to pay?
Easy, through PayPal.

How long did it take to ship?
Just under three months.

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes, I think so. Their dolls are pretty expensive, but they really are lovely.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yes. Everything including the faceup was like the sales photos.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes, except for one of the leg joints which will require some very minor modification in order to stand.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
Yes, and I plan to very soon.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes, and I have done before.

 

Actually super late posting here, but here we go~

What did you order?
Soom MD Dolomi + Outfit

When did you order?
2011-1-08

How was the communication?
There wasn't much need for communication during the transaction, I think I asked a grand total of one question, but it was answered quickly and courteously.

How easy was it to pay?
Very easy.

How long did it take to ship?
Something around 3-4 days via EMS

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
The quality was great as far as the doll went, though the outfit had a small pucker in the stitching. I didn't feel that it was enough to contact Soom about however.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yes.

Were you satisfied with the product?
For the most part, yes.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
Yes!

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Absolutely

 

* What did you order?
1) clothed/blank Migma LV LAYAWAY
2) 2 naked/blank post MD boys LAYAWAY
3) Naked blank Arkose LV LAYAWAY

* When did you order?
1) july 13 2012
2) october 24 2011
3) december 22 2011

* How was the communication?
perfect! Victoria is very nice, polite and friendly

* How easy was it to pay?
easy. I couldn't pay directly from the site but paypal is still easy to use!

* How long did it take to ship? SHIPPING DATES
1) october 14 2011
2) april 6 2012
3) march 22 2012

* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
yes

* Did the item look like the sales pictures?
1&3) even better
2) meh...

* Were you satisfied with the product?
not with the bodies! the joints are very badly designed!
though fantasy parts are really cool!!!

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
order #2 took over 100 days to ship. soom answered quickly, shipped my order the next day (excluding the fact I contacted them friday. they shipped monday) and I got a partial refund.

Would you order from this company again?
they are definitely trustworthy!

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
sure

 

What did you order?
Free Choice TG Alk/Glati NS. Blank, no sanding.

When did you order?
Placed layaway order April 16, 2012. Finished payment April 26, 2012.

How was the communication?
Good. Automated emails to confirm my order and shipping notice,
used the Q&A board to say what gender I wanted for my doll.

How easy was it to pay?
Easy via paypal. They cleared up the part at the end using text
where the paypal button needs to be clicked another time to make
the payment go through.

How long did it take to ship?
Shipped July 18th, about 3 months after I completed payment.

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
For the most part-- The seams were worse on this doll than
the other two unsanded teenie gems I ordered. There is also
a black speck casted into his knee, but it doesn't bother me much.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
There weren't exact pictures for this event,
but he arrived looking like I expected him to.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
--

Would you order from this company again?
Yes.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes.

 

What did you order?
Teenie Gem Free Choice Alk head with Glati body in bronze, plus a biweeekly outfit.

When did you order?
April 25th 2012

How was the communication?
I got my order confirmation and shipping notice. I contacted them via Q&A before ordering, and the reply was within 24 hours.

How easy was it to pay?
Easy, through PayPal.

How long did it take to ship?
About three months

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes. The doll quality was great, the outfit was a little tight but was well-made.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yes, for the outfit. There were no specific sales photos for the doll.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
Yes.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes, and I have done before.

 

What did you order?
Soom Little Gem Elcubi Thera with faceup

When did you order?
2012-5-29

How was the communication?
They were fast and kind to deal with :3

How easy was it to pay?
Very easy.

How long did it take to ship?
She arrived 2012-8-23 so like three months. Once shipped EMS took 6 days to get her here.

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Personally I think she is. The only thing I think they could have improved on was the faceups eyelashes were a little unusual, but thats a preference thing, other that definitely worth my money

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Even better honestly. She looked chubbier in the sales picture so I was a little unsure about her, but I love her now.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
I plan to when I have more money

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Oh yes

 

* What did you order? joint hands
* When did you order? 2012.6
* How was the communication? purchasing agency did it
* How easy was it to pay? purchasing agency paid it
* How long did it take to ship? Not yet come
* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? I hope it will good
* Did the item look like the sales pictures? mayebe
* Were you satisfied with the product? too solwly

 

* What did you order? Teenie Gem Flint Xmas kit + Hawa's limited outfit
* When did you order? Dec 15, 2012
* How was the communication? Pretty much on par for a BJD company.
* How easy was it to pay? A snap, just used paypal
* How long did it take to ship? Just under 3 months from date of purchase
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? None, everything was well bubble-wrapped. I actually ended up with an extra set of bunny ears.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? N/A
* Would you order from this company again? Most definitely

 

* What did you order? Soom Monthly Picro
* When did you order? 10/2/12
* How was the communication? well,it was odd. When i asked a question, a few days later my doll shipped... but she got to me just fine. But i never got an answer to my question, but then it was a mute point? I would say though, they certainly pay attention!
* How easy was it to pay? relativity easy, the lay a way payments could be streamlined i bit i think, somehow....
* How long did it take to ship? Well i paid her off around 12/24/12 and she was shipped 3/14/13, for a blank doll, BUT there were weather issues.
* Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion? ABSOLUTELY!
* Did the item look like the sales pictures? Yes! even without the face up and body blushing.
* Were you satisfied with the product? I LOVE HER! she is perfect! i absolutely adore her in every way!
* Would you order from this company again? In A Heart beat! I have been "Soomed"

 

Five of my SOOM dolls were ordered directly from the company and I've had mixed experiences with them . . . I'll put them all together here:

What did you order?
First order: Mylo and Idrial, combined
Second order: Sov
Third order: Zinc
Fourth order: FC Heliot

When did you order?
Mylo and Idrial: Fall 2010
Sov: Spring 2011
Zinc: Summer 2011
Heliot: Fall 2011

How was the communication?
Oh boy . . . Mylo and Idrial — this was weird because I was in Japan at about the time they should have been ready so ship, so I asked that they be shipped to the store in Harajuku where I could pick them up since that was much less expensive than sending them to Maine. Well, they said they'd be there early February . . . then late February . . . then early March . . . and then two days after March 11th they told me they were not able to send them because of the earthquake. So I said to go ahead and send them to America, but told them I'd be traveling in Europe for a few months so I wouldn't be able to open them and make sure everything was okay until June. They said fine.

So I got back to America and opened the box. Mylo was fine, but Idrial had problems with one leg, both wings, and the dress. I sent pictures to SOOM and ended up sending her back to them to be fixed. They were really nice about it and paid for shipping and everything. But when they sent her back, they had actually sent me a whole new doll and forgotten to sand her. They offered to refund the sanding fee because of the mistake, but the problem was I couldn't just sand her myself because I had also ordered body blushing, which they had done right over the bad seams. So I had to send her back a second time.

Overall, a huge pain and nearly a whole year to get this doll, BUT on the plus side, SOOM was very friendly, fixed and paid for all the problems, and even sent me a free wig for the trouble.

I had no trouble with Sov, who I got fullset and had on a 5-month layaway, or with Heliot, who came completely blank with no discoloration in the bronze resin. With Zinc, the wig didn't fit at all, but the doll itself arrived in great condition.

But I will say the English-speaking representative, Victoria, is super nice and accommodating, so in that respect the customer service is easy to work with.

How easy was it to pay?
Very easy

How long did it take to ship?
See the epic journey above . . .

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes, I think SOOM has fairly good quality dolls, although I have noticed that the newer dolls tend to have thinner resin, particularly my Sov.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yes.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes, once all the problems were sorted out.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
See above

Would you order from this company again?
Probably

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes, in fact I have: a Bygg, a Glati, and an Adamelli.

 

What did you order?
Hyperon outfit and London wig

When did you order?
23/06/2013

How was the communication?
Good. I was emailed with a shipping cost update the same day and received quick notification when changes were made.

How easy was it to pay?
Easy (paypal)

How long did it take to ship?
2.5 months

Was the quality appropriate for the price, in your opinion?
Yes.

Did the item look like the sales pictures?
Yes.

Were you satisfied with the product?
Yes.

If you weren't satisfied, how did the company solve your problem?
N/A

Would you order from this company again?
Yes.

Would you buy this company's products second-hand?
Yes.