As mentioned in an earlier post, I was thrilled to find a pair of black Volks x BABY the Stars Shine Bright rocking horse shoes for sale at Dollfie World, and purchased them immediately. I ordered on May 9, and opted for registered airmail instead of EMS. I usually choose EMS for overseas shipments. It’s pricey, but it’s also very fast, insured, and reliable. I don’t mind paying more for that peace of mind. I didn’t choose EMS for this purchase, however,  because I didn’t need the shoes by a certain date and the jump in pricing from airmail to EMS was nearly quadruple!

In hindsight, I wish I had ordered EMS!

My item shipped on May 12–very promptly after my order. I kept an eye on the tracking information, noticing that it made it to the US and passed customs on May 20. The final note stated that it had been delivered on May 23.

The only problem was that I didn’t have it.

I searched my area, asked around about it, called the postal service to inquire, and almost put up signs near mailboxes asking if anyone had received my package. I didn’t find it in a week, or two weeks, and I started to feel convinced that it had been stolen. I live in Chicago–packages get stolen all the time. For me, this was really upsetting. The post office had delivered my package and recorded it as delivered, so I couldn’t claim the insurance. I was simply out of luck.

This soured my interest in dolls. I stopped being very active on Den of Angels, left my dolls in their carrier, and didn’t browse doll-related websites. Every time I did something doll-related, it reminded me about the shoes that I had paid for and never received. Whoever had stolen my package certainly wouldn’t be able to profit from a pair of doll shoes, so I imagined that the still-sealed card was tossed into a garbage can or dumpster, discarded by the perpetrator as worthless. I briefly looked for a replacement pair, but it was so upsetting to think that I’d have to buy the same item twice just to own it once!

When I was finally coming to terms with the fact that the shoes were gone, I came home from work on June 30 to find a “we missed you” delivery notification in my mailbox. I wasn’t waiting for anything and the tracking number wasn’t filled out, so I didn’t know what it was. I stopped at the post office the next day, handed in the card, and received a book-sized package. The customs form noted the contents as “DOLL SHOES.”

I opened it and was thrilled to see the rocking horse shoes I bought in May!

I contacted the postal service to ask what had happened, and the explanation that I was given was that my package had been scanned incorrectly–indicating that it was delivered when it had never been out for delivery. It was later found and then the actual delivery was attempted. Not a very satisfying explanation, but I can’t really do anything to change it!

Overall, Dollfie World did a wonderful job packaging the shoes. Within the outer brown envelope, the shoes were taped up in layers of bubble wrap, and the bubbled wrapped shoes were then slipped into a cardboard sleeve to prevent them from being crushed. I really appreciated that kind of detail, because I wanted to save the plastic bubble and back card. (At least for a little bit.)

They look really great~ ★ I’m so satisfied! They look even nicer in person than they did in the pictures that I saw when buying the shoes. The material is smooth and has a nice sheen without being shiny. The straps are thick, but don’t look too overwhelming, the fit is good (it should be, since they’re from the same company as my doll, but sometimes that sort of thing just doesn’t work out as it ought to), and the platform soles look really nice. (I’m not sure if they’re actually wood or not–they’re well-painted so they could potentially be plastic or another material.)

Overall, I’m incredibly satisfied!

Quality: 10/10
These shoes are so nice that they just don’t have anything to improve on!

Price: 9/10
These were not inexpensive, but I didn’t feel the price was totally unreasonable. The amount that I paid was actually slightly less than it would have cost me had the shoes been brand-new shoes subject to the current exchange rate between yen and the US dollar.

Communication: 10/10
Dollfie World was particularly helpful during my ordeal with the package. I emailed to get more information about the shipment, hoping to track down more information, and Natalie always responded to me right away. Before the fiasco even started, they began with solid communication regarding the order–I received emails to update me at every step along the way.

Service: 10/10
The order was processed without complication and shipped immediately. My only lack of service came from the US postal service.

Shipping: 10/10
Was this a shipping nightmare? Yes. Was it Dollfie World‘s fault? No. They filled out the forms correctly, addressed my package correctly, packaged my purchase sufficiently, and mailed quickly. They don’t deserve to be penalized for something beyond their control.

Satisfaction: 10/10
My satisfaction with the reseller, Dollfie World, is 100%! I would certainly order from them again.

My satisfaction with the US postal service…not so much. At least I received my package eventually!