FAQ

GENERAL

What's a group order (GO)?

A group order is a type of organized buying process to help multiple people buy the same item. One single order for this item will be submitted to the seller and the seller will ship everything to the group order manager's address. The group order manager (in this case, me) will then pack the item for each joiner and send it to them individually.

Can I join your group order if I’m not from Canada or USA?

Yes, worldwide fans are welcome to join. However, please note that all items are shipped from China to my address, and then from my address to the joiner, so be prepared to pay much higher shipping costs.

If you are located in SEA or Australia/New Zealand, I highly recommend looking for a local group order or agent instead of joining this GO, as shipping costs can be extremely expensive!

How do I update my contact information and mailing address?

For permanent changes to your contact information and mailing address, please use the Profile Update form.

If your package needs to be delivered to a temporary address, please wait until you receive your second payment confirmation e-mail and then reply to that e-mail to notify me.

What stores do you buy items from?

For official merch I will always buy from official, authorized sellers, unless otherwise stated. For fanmade merch, I also tend to stick to stores with high ratings and those that have sought permission from artists to produce merch using their art. 

I've completed over 1,000+ orders on Chinese shopping platforms so rest assured that everything you receive is legitimate!

Can you give me the direct purchase link for [x]?

Sorry but I used to get far too many requests for purchase links and have my hands full running this group order already. There are other resources you can use to find links so please take the time to research them yourself!

Wha's your availability?

Since I have a full-time job, I usually only check emails and socials after work (after 5:00 PM EST) or during lunch (around 12:00-1:00 PM EST).

I sent you an e-mail but I still haven't heard back - what do I do?

I get a lots of e-mails everyday so sometimes e-mails can get buried by accident - please just send a follow-up e-mail to remind me!

Why are you not answering my Direct Message or my reply to a post?

I don't check DM's or replies often so if you have questions, please always send an e-mail or Tumblr Ask.

Where can I find feedback from past joiners about this GO?

You're welcome to view the feedback Tumblr site here. 

ORDERING

Can you open a group order for [x]? 

Please use the Request form to request a group order for an item you're interested in! I process requests around once a month and if I can host a group order for your requested item, it will be included in the round of pre-orders for the following month. 

Please note that I primarily specialize in merch sourced from Mainland China, so if you're interested in Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese or merch from other countries, I may not be your best option!

Can you still help me buy [x] if there's no group order for it?

If there's no group order for an item that you really want and would like my help finding it, you can send a Personal Order request after becoming a member. Membership details can be found here.

I want to order [x] but the group order deadline has passed. Can you still help me buy it?

I usually don’t re-open group orders so if the deadline has passed, I'd suggest trying somewhere else or you can wait and try to grab any extras from the In Stock sales.

If you are a member, you can request for a closed GO to be re-opened using this form, though this is subject to store availability. Alternatively, you can request a Personal Order, but this will depend on store availability and is not guaranteed. See Membership for details and the Membership FAQ for more information.

Can I cancel or make changes to my order after I've submitted it?

No, as soon as you finish checking out on the Order site, your order is final.

Do you accept refunds or exchanges?

No. Since I’m not the seller, I have very little control over the quality of your items and my role is to help place orders on your behalf and make arrangements to ship the items to you. However, if there's a major issue with the item, you can e-mail me and I'll do my best to help. However, please understand that I can't make any guarantees as some things are beyond my control.

What happens if a seller cancels an order before it's released?

In this situation, everyone that joined the group order will be notified and a full refund will be issued. 

I received a credit for a previous order - how do I use it?

If you'd like to use the credit for your first payment, e-mail me and note the Order ID that you'd like your credit to be applied to. If you'd like to use it for your second payment, please reply to the second payment confirmation e-mail.

Please keep in mind that credits are not always applied automatically on my end, so please always e-mail me to double check if it's being applied. Please also keep track of your own credits available and do not delete any e-mails from me relating to credits, just in case you need to refer to them later.

Are there any fees included in the prices?

The first payment includes the cost of the item converted to Canadian dollars, plus a 3%-4% mark-up to cover overhead costs, including:

• Payment processing fees - fees charged by Stripe and Paypal every time you make a payment

• Foreign exchange fees and fluctuations - price differences and fees that get charged when orders are submitted to sellers

• Chinese shipping fees - additional shipping fees that the seller charges to ship orders to the China address 

• Service fees to agents - a fee is charged for every order that the warehouse agent process and every package that's consolidated and shipped out

• Duties and taxes - amounts that must be paid as part of customs clearance or to the government

• Site maintenance - monthly and annual fees to keep the main website and order site running

• Packing supplies - cardboard boxes, bubble mailers, tape, bubble wrap etc. to pack your orders with

Why does my order status in My Account say 'Awaiting Processing'?

This status is the order platform's default status and will not change. Please refer to the Status page for the status of your orders.

PAYMENT

What payment methods are available?

For both the first and second payment, you can use card (processed by Stripe), PayPal or E-Transfer (for joiners with Canadian bank accounts).

Will I receive confirmation that my payment has gone through?

If you paid by card or PayPal, your order status will automatically change to 'Paid' once your payment goes through.

If you paid by E-Transfer, you will receive a confirmation from your bank once I have deposited your transfer.

How do I pay using E-Transfer?

Before sending any transfers, please e-mail me to request the required info.

I placed multiple orders in the same week and want to pay by E-Transfer - can I combine the totals into one transfer?

Yes, first payments for multiple orders can be combined, but you're still required to make the payment as soon as possible.

Can I make one combined payment for a new order and my second payment?

If you are using E-Transfer, that's fine, but please e-mail me to give me a heads up! For Card and PayPal, you will need to make the payment for the order at check-out and another payment for your second payment separately.

SHIPPING

How long will shipping take?

International shipping (i.e. from China to my address): 2-4 months (delays caused by weather, customs clearance, logistics etc. are beyond my control).

Domestic shipping (i.e from my address to yours): 5-10 business days for Canada/USA joiners, 2 to 6 weeks for worldwide joiners.

How are the shipping costs calculated?

The international shipping costs are split between all joiners according to the weight* of their items. The domestic shipping is based on the weight* of your individual package and the courier service's prices; the heavier the package and the further away you are from where I'm located, the higher the cost. 

*All shipping costs are calculated based on the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight. Actual weight is the hard weight of the item when you put it on a scale. Volumetric weight is based on size, so items like cushions and large collector's boxes will have a high volumetric weight. This means that shipping costs tend to be higher for both oversized and heavy items.

Can you tell me how much shipping will be for [x]?

Unfortunately I can't because the shipping cost for every order will vary and won't know the exact number until I know the size and weight of the item. There are also sometimes factors beyond my control such as foreign exchange rates and duties/taxes that can also impact shipping costs.

How can I budget for shipping costs?

My personal rule of thumb is to expect shipping to be about equal to the price of the item so multiply by 2 to get an idea of the final cost of the item. If you are ordering heavy items like books, or large/bulky items like cushions or clothes, you may want to multiply by 3 or even 4 to guesstimate.

Please keep in mind that this method of estimating shipping costs is just a ballpark - shipping costs are based on weight but the cost of the item is not always proportional to its weight. Also, the shipping cost for irregular items are much harder to estimate, so the 1:1 method of estimating is not always reliable.

What are prepaid shipping costs?

For some group orders with very heavy or bulky items, there will be an amount added to your first payment to cover a portion of the international shipping costs. This will always be noted in the item description.

When the items arrive at my address and are ready to be sent to you, the shipping you prepaid will be applied to your second payment. For example, if you ordered an item that had a $10 deposit in the first payment, and your second payment is calculated to be $30, the amount you'll need to transfer for the second payment is $30 - $10 = $20.

Are there any shipping restrictions?

Items containing liquids and batteries sometimes need to be shipped using an alternate shipping service, which is usually pricier. When an item like this is listed, the description will usually contain a warning if there are shipping restrictions.

If you are located outside of Canada/USA, please understand that you assume all risks associated with shipping restricted items.

My orders have been in transit to Canada for more than 3 months - should I be concerned? 

Sometimes packages can take additional time to ship from China to my address because of delays in transit, such as customs delays, weather conditions and pandemic-related issues. Unfortunately, I have no control over the timing of packages once they're in transit but they usually do make it eventually, so you'll just have to be very, very patient!

Can I forward my own items to your China Address and have it shipped to me?

Unfortunately, there are already too many packages for me to track and manage and I won't be able to help. Please ask an agent for assistance instead!

FORWARDING

Where will my package be shipped from?

I ship packages out to joiners from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) in Canada.

How often will my orders be shipped to me?

I usually receive a round of shipments every 2-3 months and the arrivals will be noted on the Status spreadsheet. If you have orders in every shipment, then you should expect a package every 2-3 months as well.

When will I receive my second payment e-mail?

Once a group order arrives at my address, it will be updated on the Status spreadsheet in the 'Arrived in Canada' section. It normally takes 2-4 weeks for me after that to sort and pack the items, so you can expect an e-mail around then.

How will I know if I've missed a second payment e-mail?

There will always be an announcement posted on Tumblr/Twitter/Bluesky once I've finished packing all the orders in the current round of arrivals. If you ordered something that's showing as 'Arrived in Canada' and haven't heard from me, please e-mail me to follow up after the announcement.

I will also send 2 reminder e-mails if I don't receive the payment or a response to your second payment e-mail. Please always check your inbox and spam folder regularly as it's not the best use of my time to chase after joiners to make their payments!

What are the steps I need to follow after I've received my second payment e-mail?

The Forwarding Guide will have more details but here's the TL;DR:

1. Check the Status page to see what items should be included in the package

2. Let me know if you need to use a different mailing address or need a credit applied to your total

3. Transfer the second payment according to the instructions

When do I have to make the second payment by?

Please pay as soon as possible! If I don't get a response from you and you take an unreasonably long time, your order will be cancelled and your items will be put up for claims.

How will I know what items are included in the package being sent to me?

The Status page will have a list of all the items in the current round of arrivals. Your package will usually contain the items listed as 'At Canada Address'. Any exceptions will be noted in your second payment email. 

Item [x] that I ordered has arrived at your address - can you hold it until item [y] also arrives?

Unfortunately, I'm unable to accommodate extended holds because my home is not a warehouse and I'm always dealing with space constraints when new shipments arrive. When you receive a second payment e-mail, it means your package needs to be sent out ASAP.

If you have a couple of small items at my address and have something expected to arrive in the next 2 rounds of arrivals, I can hold your items until those arrive. If the items you're waiting for have not yet been released by the seller, this hold option is not available. However, if any of your items are large or bulky, I won't be able to hold them either. Thanks for your understanding!

Can I transfer an item to someone else and have it shipped to their address?

Unfortunately, I don't have the capacity to coordinate changes to orders that have already been submitted. You can request that your entire package be sent to a different address, but the package will contain all the items in that round of arrivals.

Will there be a tracking number for my package?

Yes, once your package is shipped out, a separate e-mail will be sent to you with the tracking number and a link to where you can track it.

Why did I receive multiple tracking numbers?

When you have many items, they may be packed into 2 or even 3 boxes. You will receive a tracking number for each individual box that is sent to you.

My package's tracking number status hasn't been updated in more than 3 days - what do I do?

If your package was sent using UPS, USPS or Canada Post, please e-mail me ASAP. If I don't reply straight away and your package was sent using UPS, you can also try calling them yourself (1-800-742-5877).

If your package was sent using APC or Post NL, status updates are usually infrequent so please be patient. If there hasn't been an update 2 weeks after you received your tracking number, please e-mail me ASAP so that I can ask the shipping agent for an update.

Can I purchase package insurance?

Yes, please e-mail me once you receive your second payment and I'll calculate the additional cost of the insurance based on the value of your package.

What happens if my package was damaged during while in transit?

If you did not purchase package insurance, unfortunately there's not much I can do. You can try contacting the courier company yourself and try filing a claim.

If you did purchase package insurance, please email me photos/videos of the damage and I'm happy to work with you to file a claim and hopefully receive compensation for the damage.

What happens if my package was stolen after it's delivered?

Sadly, there's nothing I can do once a package is marked as delivered, even if it's stolen. Please always keep a close eye on the status of your package and have friends/family help keep an eye on it if you're unavailable.

I received the wrong item or am missing an item - what do I do?

Please email me and try to provide a link to your full unboxing video and I'll do my best to help resolve the issue!

I'm a worldwide joiner and need help with customs - what do I have to do?

1. Keep a close eye on the status of your package and check your inbox for any e-mails sent by your country's customs.

2. If you notice that your package is showing as being stuck at customs but haven't received any e-mails, please contact me ASAP so that I can check in with the shipping agent.

3. Once you do receive the customs e-mail, please e-mail me with a list of the documentation needed (e.g. invoice, shipping label etc.) and I'll prepare those for you as soon as possible.

Do I have to pay taxes or tariffs on my package?

For American joiners, the de minimis rules means that no taxes or tariffs will be charged if the value of your package is under $800 USD. If your order exceeds this amount, your items will be split into to 2 or more packages.

For European joiners, you may have to pay VAT or other taxes according to your country's rules regarding imports. No VAT or other taxes are prepaid on your behalf when I make the shipping label for your package.

Do you provide in-person pick-ups?

If you’re from the GTA, you're welcome to come to Markham to pick up your merch in person. Please give me a heads up after sending your second payment to book a pick-up date/time.

If you're from Mississauga, I occasionally offer pick-up when I'm in the area for work, but my schedule isn't always set so I can't make any guarantees.

If your question about the group order process has not been answered above, please e-mail me!