Otacute loot
I am trying out other internet retailers other than HLJ and Hobby search. Last time I tried Amiami, figures were well packaged but expensive shipping, this time it's Otacute. I recieved this package yesterday morning, as you can see it is also well packed, and in a reasonably sized box. Time frame for SAL shipping was 2-3 weeks, but got the package in a weeks time. Their prices may not be like Amiami or HLJ but for Gizmo Drossel and Cute were reasonable (and they were still available!). Fortunately, its also slipped thru customs without charge although it costs around £98 (with shipping), so thats still money saved! I also noticed that Otacute seems to give small freebies to customers, like the set of card calendars (don't know what anime or game they're from) I got with the figures. Overall, a good experience with Otacute, I will definitely comeback for future orders.
I would like some assistance from DC members who are able to read japanese(note pic 3). I found this post it at the back of the Queens Blade artbook, if anyone care spare the time translate it for me? Just curious.
probably what was in your order.
You're right. The top part says "Queen's Blade Spiral Chaos + Figma", so even though I can't translate the bottom part well enough I think it's safe to say that it is just a label for the order.
Many thanks for your efforts!
Nice loot! I ordered from Otacute for the first time too last Thrusday. Hoping I get my figmas in a week's time too. >.<
I got those calenders too from Otacute, but the calenders itself are old since I checked if I could used them but it doesn't match so can use them as display or something.
lol i did also, i also got key chains from earlier orders.
I've ordered twice and gotten two cute key chain characters I have attached to my monitor. One is very tsundere and the other is super moe! Nice combo.
I got none of those but a beer box... ^^;
http://www.figure.fm/post/en/1939/%E3%81%8A%E5%B8%B0%E3%82%8A%E3%81%AA%E3%81%95%E3%81%84+%E3%81%8A%E5%AC%A2%E6%A7%98+Okaeri+Nasai+Ojou-sama.html
Would have been better if there was actually beer inside it. XD
The word "strong" printed on the box has piqued my curiosity!
My Drossel came in a Kirin beer box. Almost tempted to keep the box itself but the mail people messed it up so badly that it wasn't worth it.
I ordered a Drossel Nendoroid from Otocute and this is my first time ordering from them. Good to know they include freebies! Also, I'm not sure how other sites handle pre-orders, but Otacute doesn't ask for any payment info when you pre-order something! Just log in, click "pre-order" and it's yours!!! But when they get the item in stock on the release date, you have a few days to pay or else they charge you a re-stocking fee, which is fair and reasonable. Within the past week I've pre-ordered like 5 things. I think I'm getting carried away! >__<
I pre ordered the Yui figma from otacute,will be my first time with them
Oh, so you're the one who bought both last figma. hahaha. I thought of getting it again.
Yes, I saw that they were both labelled "last one" so that "helped" in making the crucial decision.
Damn, How i Hate u disney!! >.<
How much was shipping from AmiAmi? Don't they sell things around a 20% discount so that pretty much is the shipping cost right there?
I got Saber Lily from Hobby Search and shipping was around 3200 yen or about 34 bucks. Expensive shipping, but still cheaper than buying from eBay or domestic anime store.
With EMS I've found that the shipping is pretty much identical across all stores for most items. In the event that AmiAmi did charge a little more, their lower stock prices would more than make up for it.
It might be a different story, but if you use EMS I don't think AmiAmi can be beaten on price from what I've seen.
I agree with you on prices but they cannot guarantee that your package will be sent as SAL even if you've requested it. They sent my first package by EMS which screams "Charge me customs", aside from the hefty EMS fees, I also had to pay customs charges, which totally negated the savings I made at Amiami, making it cost more. See my previous post.
http://www.figure.fm/post/en/6774/Freeing+Figma+Ex+ride+vintage+scooters.html
Shipping was 4300 yen, scooters 5600 yen, custom charges £26. More than 10,000+ for 5 flimsy scooters. I could'nt cancel it because that would close my account with Amiami. I regretted my decision afterwards.
Saber Lily remains to be my most expensive figma to date, as I have acquired her from ebay, but she is the Gem of my figma collection and no regrets having to fork out a fair amount to get her.
my recent order with them got stopped by customs, hope it never happens to anyone else
That sucks! I'd hate to pry but, what exactly did you order? Don't worry you don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable XD.
So far in my years of online buying, I have not experienced my package being stopped by customs, and I hope I never will.
I think it was a yui nendoroid and they charged me £12 for it, more than half of the nendoroid price itself :< (late reply)
In USA the limit free of charges is about 200 U$ I guess , what is on UK ? Here is just 50 u$ , and if the order got stopped by customs, you have to pay 60% of the price of the order, it sucks xD And the shipping by EMS is so expensive, 1.5kg is 5400 yen, anyway I aways order my gunplas with EMS shipping and I never got stopped by customs, but no more than 1 mg per order =/
£36, something like $55-60. You get to pay 1/5th of the price plus "handling charges". I find EMS too expensive and would only use it as necessary.
I got my Figma Drossel from Otacute when they were the only place that had her left - I also got her in a beer box (sapporo iirc - strange because I was drinking sapporo at the time!) with a free keyring~
SUSPICIONS CONFIRMED. All Otaku please AVOID OTACUTE!
Stay far away from OTACUTE (http://www.otacute.com/). My colleagues & I discovered that "OTACUTE" and MILESTONE (http://www.mile-stone.jp/info/en.html) are the same company (even in the same building on the same floor!) In fact, "Otacute" is just the name of Milestone's second website! Otacute is NOT EVEN a company, it does NOT exist. "Otacute" is just a couple employees at Milestone who run a web store that sells small quantity (i.e. higher prices) while the official MILESTONE company site sells wholesale (i.e. lower pries). That means Milestone sells goods to overseas store managers while Otacute secretly sells the same goods at a higher price to the customers of overseas store managers! Anyway, if you MUST get something from "Otacute", just buy your things from the Milestone web site because those prices are cheaper. Otacute is a rip-off because it is just a Milestone web site with higher prices. More than anything, I recommend that you don't mess with Milestone nor Otacute because their business practices are extremely unprofessional and abstruse.
If desired, I can provide conclusive evidence of Otacute/Milestone's shady behavior. Anyway, here is something to think about.
(1) Why can't you find the address of Otacute on their website? What about phone number? Contact information? Who is the CEO?
(2) Why do "Otacute" and Milestone have the EXACT SAME INVENTORY?
(3) If you wanted to place a huge order from "Otacute", then someone named "Yuhei" probably referred you to their friend at "Milestone".
(4) Call the phone number listed on Milestone's website. Ask to speak with the customer service person (that you met through Otacute). Surprise.
Buyer Beware.