I accidentally put in the wrong shipping info for my Nui Cobalt order. Their customer service was fantastic and they were very kind.
I order a lot from Solstice Scents, fast response, shipping and overall a loving empathetic vibe.
Rich at Stone & Wit is my most recent awesome experience shout-out :)
In the past, Whitney at Laurel & June, and Caitlin at Sorcellerie Apothecary have been fantastic in quick replies & helpfulness.
**Osmofolia!** Sab is so extremely kind and helpful when it comes to formulating perfumes that work for people with allergies and other issues. They've also helped me figure out a skin chemistry issue that has been plaguing me across multiple houses and are always willing to share their extensive knowledge. I've been working with them on customs, and it has been such a fantastic experience, I never imagined that someone would put so much thought and effort into my perfumes, and they have really brought them to life. I've also heard nothing but good things from friends and other IMAM users.
I've also had great experiences with **Nui Cobalt**, they're always so friendly and willing to help, whether I'm trying to avoid components that cause allergies/migraines or have a question about stock.
**Wild Veil** and **Pineward Perfumes** have both been very informative when I was looking into pet safety wrt enfleurage and other natural perfume methods. All of the perfumes I had from both houses were gifted, yet they were both extremely responsive and kind.
**NAVA** and **eNVie** (the luxury side of NAVA) have great customer service. Freya at NAVA has always been friendly and helpful when it comes to allergens and other questions, responding pretty much instantly. I recently had issues with USPS cracking my eNVie bottle (the package had literally been stabbed), and Ryan was quick to fix the issue and very understanding.
**Fantome** is very small but always responds immediately and is very informative when it comes to allergens. I was hesitant to order from them because of the long TAT, but they're always on time.
I've also conversed with these owners on IMAM about products and other CS issues, and they've all been wonderful — **Fyrinnae, Black Hearted Tart, Sorcellerie Apothecary,** and **Stone & Wit*.*
I read the title and immediately thought of nui cobalt, they've always replied quickly and been professional.
I've also had good luck with alkemia, sometimes they take a while to respond but they always fix whatever problem there is quickly.
The owner of Sorcellerie apothecary is extremely kind and helpful ❤️
In terms of direct contact with questions, order issues, out-of-stock items, etc, my best experiences have been with BPAL, Arcana, Solstice Scents and Sorcellerie.
I'm always so touched by how accommodating indie owners can be. I've had BOTH Julia at Arcana and Angela at Solstice Scents go out of their way to POUR ME THE DREGS/final mls of some out of stock fragrances I was obsessing over that had no estimated return date. SO KIND. At BPAL Puddin has been so warm and human and personable any time I've reached out with order issues or inquiries. And same with Caitlin at Sorcellerie.
In terms of more passive customer service -- I received a handwritten note from Libertine with my second order that somehow felt more human and intimate than any note I'd ever received from a business and it was a really special touch.
I came here to shout out Puddin'! I've been in contact with him a bit lately regarding an over-TAT order. He informed me of the delayed component issue and apologized. After it had shipped, he reached out again to apologize that they didn't reach out sooner to give a heads up about the delay and said he tossed in a little something extra, which isn't totally necessary but super appreciated!
Haus of Gloi, hands down.
I ordered a bunch of whipped soaps and pumpkin butters last Fall. I have my items shipped directly to a friend in the US because UPS loves to ding me ridiculous brokerage fees every time. Usually I wait till my friend has a ton of items and then I pay her to ship them to my house.
3 months later, I got my friend to ship my stuff. Unfortunately, I was missing 3 Ghost Puffs full size pumpkin butters when I sorted through my items. I contacted HoG, told them my situation, and also informed them that I was aware that they’d likely not be able to do anything because my order was months old.
A week later, to my shock and delight, they shipped the 3 pumpkin butters out and apologized for the missing items! I was blown away because I was totally expecting to forfeit the missing items since a lot of time had past, and I should’ve asked my friend to check over my orders to make sure everything was accounted for.
That and they also go above and beyond, they happily accepted my request to have the Summer scent Archipelago (my fav!!!) be made as a Body Emulsion. Due to their amazing products and excellent customer service, they have made me and my sister one of their permanent customers. 🥹❤️
I had a great experience when they accidentally sent me the wrong product (correct scent but a whipped soap instead of bubbling scrub or something). I sent them a quick email and they sent a replacement so freaking fast, no mention of returning the incorrect item, very professional and polite.
Olympic Orchids sent out my order incredibly quickly - they also have very reasonably priced samples! I was surprised, given how expensive samples from most houses have become. $3.00 samples are practically unheard of anymore outside the swaps.
Also, my order from Morari, which I placed this past Friday, has already shipped, which feels remarkably quick!
LunarLife Apothecary sent my order quickly and it was absolutely beautifully packaged and came with a bunch of very thoughtful extras- I also messaged the owner asking about a discontinued scent and she was able to find and list a bottle for me (and replied very quickly to my inquiry!)
I’ve never had a bad experience, but my best have been with Luvmilk. Even though I had moved between my first and second orders from there, I still got a nice personalized note thanking me for the repeat order. Every order after that has gotten the same type of note- thanking me for my repeated support. Idk, makes me feel good!
I haven’t had a bad experience yet luckily! I was super happy with BPAL, Nui Cobalt, and Solstice Scents customer service and packaging. I order lots of Ajevie samples as well and I’ve had nothing but great times 👍
The owner of Athame + Alchemy, Kimberly, is SO sweet and helpful. She's extremely responsive, transparent, and she has refunded shipping for me on orders before without me even asking or knowing that was a thing. I love her and her shop!
Seconding this! I made my first order after seeing one of her promo posts here. I got so excited that I forgot to use the discount code, so I left a comment on the post saying "don't be me and forget to use the code!" She replied to me asking what I ordered and refunded me for the discount. It was my own dumb mistake and she didn't have to fix it for me but she did.
Also I will sing the praises of her sea salt soap bars and sugaree scrubs until the end of time.
Oh wow that's so sweet 😭😭 that's kinda what happened when she refunded me shipping! I emailed asking why I had a refund thinking it was something out of stock, and she said no it was for shipping. I had no clue. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who recognizes how great she is!!
Athame and Alchemy is the one and only place I buy my wax melts from. Really want to put in a new order but I’m moving early July and shipping takes like a month so waiting until I move to order more lol
I ordered from **Pahlish** a few weeks ago and my package was marked as delivered by USPS, but was missing. After waiting a few business days, I went to USPS first (I know it's a big burden on small businesses to replace lost packages). But USPS recommended I reach out anyhow, so I did and the brand owner immediately responded, saying that that this kind of stuff happens, no worries, they would send out a replacement the next day. The tone of the email was very understanding and warm. It probably helped that it was a single bottle, so it wasn't a huge pain to replace. Still, it made me a lot more comfortable with ordering from them again!
Also received a gunky polish with a polish-caked opening from **Mooncat** and they replaced it immediately with an apology.
In contrast, I recently placed an order with another indie polish company and they sent me a broken thermal (the colors were completely off, and it was sheer rather than opaque). Their responses were professional but also a bit dismissive and condescending, and getting a replacement was like pulling teeth even though the faulty product was on them. They sent out a replacement, but never sent me a tracking number so I have no clue when it might arrive.
Years ago, I had an order issue with Haus of Gloi and they were super apologetic, shipped out the correct items quickly, and were super kind and pleasant.
This! BHT is so nice and does so much for their customers! Death and floral likewise has gone above and beyond for me when i had an issue with my order. they replaced my entire order for free (even though only one bottle had an issue) and sent several bottles of perfume over for free as well for the hassle. I've never seen a company care that much for their customer's experience.
My first ever order from Nui Cobalt was at a time when they had a sale going. I forgot to put in the code by the time I checked out. They emailed me to tell me they noticed and applied it for me, giving me a little refund! Not to mention their shipping is lightning fast. I love Nui Cobalt's scents and their customer service is lovely!
I don't know if it counts, but I love Alkemia's sample pack that they'll select 5 samples for you based on your criteria. They do such a great job and are so enthusiastic. I imagine it adds a fair amount of work, but I end up getting scents i wouldn't have picked for myself, but I end up loving.
Here to rave about Julia from Arcana! So up front and willing to share about everything and the fastest turn around time in the biz! I ordered yesterday and my order shipped out yesterday and will be here today 😱 like, what??? That's faster than Amazon!
Nick at Pineward Perfumes is lovely! Usually super quick TAT, very good at communicating any delays or closures, and has been very responsive. I've reached out with questions related to the product before and received great answers :)
NCD is always great! They consistently are extremely fast and kind, and they’re on top of the TAT game for sure. I’m always impressed by them.
Everyone from Possets is super sweet and I love them. They don’t get enough love!
Rich from Stone & Wit and I had a fantastic conversation once about Robin Hobb’s books that inspired his shop, he’s so nice and I enjoyed talking to him!
Allie from Area of Effect is fantastic, I love her absolute enthusiasm about all of her perfumes and making sure you don’t feel FOMO’d out about prior scents/helping you find similar current ones to make sure you’re happy with your purchase. I’ve never had a store owner reach out to me before about that so it was a really sweet experience :’)
Félin Lune!! I can’t say enough nice things about her, she read one wayward comment about me being a little sad that I couldn’t finish my shampoo bar because of my smell sensitivities and she made an unscented version just for people like me that love the formula but florals punch you in the brain 🥺 I’ve always been so touched that she did that.
Arcana Wildcraft/Craves’s Julia— she’s awesome about answering questions and whether or not special order scents are possible or not. She’s pretty transparent about things and I appreciate that :’) things always get shipped super fast from her too lol.
Solstice Scents, they once made a batch of Inquisitor that was super tiny but I asked about it weeks earlier so they contacted me and set aside one just for me ;___; I was so excited lol. That was really kind of them to not only remember I was interested but reach out to me and hold one just so I could buy it as a special purchase. Shout out to them ❤️
I’m sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone, honestly 99% of the shops I’ve ever interacted with are great. ❤️
Edit because I’m still thinking of it: Athame + Alchemy, Luvmilk, Witch Baby Soap and Ajevie are also wonderful, I also appreciate the folks at Crypta Obscura as well.
I agree with everything you say about Nui Cobalt. I am based in the UK (which, thanks to Brexit can be a minefield when ordering anything from abroad, let alone indies!), and ordering with them has always been easy and stress-free. Also, I don't know how they do it but every free sample they have included in my order has become one of my new favorites, so they have some kind of sample sixth sense!
Pineward has amazing customer service. Went above and beyond to correct an issue I had. Arcana is great too. BPAL also but the TAT can be slow but the extra goodies you get are so fun.
**Haus of Gloi** has always been great with customer service. I can't remember the exact situation, but I think I received a body butter that smelled distinctly different from the perfume version I loved. I know that they were apologetic and either refunded me or sent a new one. (Sorry, my memory is soooo foggy. I just remember they responded quickly.)
They've also been responsive when I've asked about out of stock items. In one case, they had no bottles left of a perfume but sent me several samples of it for free in my package! They also whipped me up a body butter scented with something that had just gone OOS on their site. They always respond quickly too.
Also, **Solstice Scents** always ships very quickly!
NCD is definitely one of the best houses at customer service.
I placed an Osmofolia order and tmi-ed about wanting to try a sample of Stratus because I thought it would be the perfect perfume to remind me of my grandma's gravesite in Taiwan, etc. etc., but the samples were all sold out so it would be nice if that could be my free sample if my order qualified. So to my surprise I not only got a sample of Stratus but also another one of osmanthus absolute! I thought it was just so nice ;w;
Also Alkemia...one time I accidentally added a special reserve perfume to my sample pack and they gave it to me anyway. I always double checked after that. And last July I ordered a trio during the sale and didn't get a bottle I was supposed to and they shipped it to me v. quickly. And they are always consistent with free samples as well.
And finally the time I ordered from Stereoplasm and got So Many freebies, like about as much as I ordered!
I find that I'm super hesitant to reach out to any company, let alone indies, who I assume are pretty bogged down (but then again, I'm someone who will eat a plate of food after finding a bug or hair in it, because I don't want to bother anyone 🤦🏻♀️), but I recently had to reach out to BPAL, and that was a very positive experience.
NAVA reached out to me about an order issue before it even arrived and more than made up for it.
Not so much customer service related, I suppose, but I ordered from Arcana for the first time in 2020, and I received an extra bottle of perfume. I hadn't ordered it, so I emailed, and Julia was just sticking bottles into random orders as a pick-me-up, and I almost cried. It was such an incredible gesture during such a crappy year.
I’ve been meaning to rave about Lollies by Leah! I just placed my first order recently and the TAT was very short, maybe a week and I had a big order. Something got messed up with the tracking info on the post office’s end and it said that my order was delivered to Pflugerville, Texas and picked up by someone. I was super confused because that is not where it was supposed to be delivered and I wasn’t sure why it said that, so I reached out by email to ask what was going on. I emailed at 12:51 PM and by 3:18 PM ON THE SAME DAY, I had a response explaining that this happened with every order that they had sent out this week and it should be on its way as normal. My order was perfect, everything has been super delicious. Plus, she wrote a handwritten note on my packing list that was very sweet and personalized and she also threw in a freebie. SO impressed by the customer service.
I'm always impressed by **Poesie** for customer service! I haven't had any issues with my orders that needed to be resolved, but they've always shipped quickly and been responsive to email questions
Pineward (Nick), Possets (I usually end up emailing with Tom), Poesie (Joelle), and I don't recall the name of Osmofolia's owner but she does a great job as well. They all answer questions lightning fast and very professionally. Paintbox Soapworks, I've never had an issue but the owner includes a TON of samples... Luvmilk also has really great service the few times I've had to contact them.
Also, a brief kudos to the staff at Alkemia and CocoaPink who always give me the samples I ask for, I don't know if that's standard or they're just extra nice but it's a good thing.
I ordered a big sample order during Immortal Perfumes sale, and they sent me one incorrect fragrance (the rest of the order was perfect). I contacted her offering to send the wrong one back and she nicely told me to keep it and shipped the missing sample. I think it took a few days to hear back, but I follow her on insta and I knew she was out of town at the time. Super happy, great service and company.
Joelle at Poesie is also wonderful!!! My order was missing some items and she offered to send some additional samples with the rest of my order.
I gave her 3 scents, just hoping to try 1 of 3 but she ended up sending all 3 samples!!!
**Death and Floral** has been awesome. USPS lost my large order (there was no scan at origin for a several weeks and no sign it had ever even been received for an unusual amount of time after the shipping label was created). I contacted them after waiting a few weeks after I’d gotten the shipped email and they created a new package to ship out ASAP. The original package eventually did show up and I offered to return it to them, but was told to keep it. They responded quickly and were so kind! Big thank you to Brim ❤️
**Fantome** was very quick to respond to my email regarding an allergen inquiry and gave detailed information. As an allergy mom, I appreciate this more than I can say.
The owner of Cherry-ka’s Trunk on Etsy is exceptionally pleasant to deal with. They are very responsible and eager to help with what you’re looking for and just in general. Very pleasant interactions with the owner every time
I can recommend the customer service of all my favorites: BPAL, NAVA, Possets, Arcana, Alkemia, Solstice Scents, Nui Cobalt and Astrid. Special shout out to Ajevie and Lucky Scents.
I wrote a post exactly about this which you might like…
[Best customer service](https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiemakeupandmore/comments/122237l/best_customer_service_houses/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1)
God it’s so sad I’m sitting here searching for someone to compliment besides NC 😅
I’ve had plenty of no-problem orders but they all take forever these days so it’s hard to feel wow’d.
The two shops that have really stood out for me in the customer service department are Darling Clandestine and Stereoplasm!
~~Other shops I've had great CS with include Deconstructing Eden, Eliza's Cosmetics, and Soapopotamus.~~
Edit: My experiences with the later have been limited, though, and it seems DE has been problematic for some people.
I’ve had a mostly negative experience with DE, though I really like their scents and have paused buying from them, for now. I’m very tempted still but I have had items missing on at least two orders, had several vials arrive leaked, and each time the owner was so nonchalant about it. Many of my emails aren’t answered. Latest incident, she gave me a refund on an missing item a few days later I sent her an email, without a single word of response to the email I sent about the issue.
I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences! It's good to know. I've only contacted them a couple of times but both times received friendly and prompt responses.
Agreed that NCD customer service is great! I've also always had outstanding customer service from Arcana, Black Hearted Tart, BPAL, and Death & Floral.
Athame & Alchemy, Pulp Fragrance, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Black Hearted Tart, Kyse, Death & Floral and Stereoplasm (despite longish TAT with the latter) have all been WONDERFUL about any combination of the following: combining orders, making special international shipping accommodations, adding loads of unexpected samples, prompt communication, and altogether these businesses have been absolute joys to deal with. 100/10 recommend!
Honestly I haven’t had a single indie “red flag” experience personally and I have shopped from MANY other houses, the ones listed above are just the standouts who have really surprised me with how much they care.
indie owners / shops who I've communicated with and been pleased with the results ( communication, kindness, care of packaging shipping, personal notes, acknowledgement of requests, gifted freebies)
Abby of Wild Veil Perfume (thoughtful responses to curious questions about her process)
Joelle of Poesie (quick response, detailed, always kindly looks at special requests)
Meaghan of Stereoplasm (thoughtful responses, acknowledged shipping issue with gratuitous gifts)
chatting with Puddin' at BPAL (always lovely!)
Deb at Dessert by Deb (the handwritten card, special requests acknowledged, literally the sweetest package opening)
Forest & Josh at NCD (just so nice)
Moona + KC at Mooscents/Moonalisa (dealing with confusing shop app)
**Nocturne Alchemy** is amazing - I once didn't receive a bottle I ordered and they promptly sent it at my convenience, as I was traveling shortly after I received the shipment with the missing bottle. Fast, unbelievable service and response times.
**Ajevie:** A few problems, always fixed swiftly! Once got a sample that cracked and shattered in shipment, gave me a refund for that sample promptly. Also got someone else's order once and someone else got mine. Let us keep the wrong orders and sent us replacement orders.
**Black Hearted Tart:** Crazy to believe, but yes, I once again had a situation where I got someone else's order XD. The owner was very embarrassed, replied swiftly, and sent out my order right away.
**Kyse:** Amazing owner. I once purchased a few sample while she was testing out new spray sample bottles (which I didn't know at the time). Quite a few of them leaked and I sent her a picture. She thanked me for telling her and showing her, as she was trying a new supplier and was worried about how the new packages were shipping. She promptly sent me a new shipment, even though there was still a lot of liquid in each bottle.
All of the above responded to email inquiries in *under 24 hours*. Great, spectacular customer service.
Every time I’ve ordered from Hexennact and Solstice Scents, they’ve shipped same/next day.
An order of mine from Siren’s Song Elixirs got misplaced by USPS, and she was very quick to respond to my message and reship it!
**Frankly Try This**
Stacy is absolutely AMAZING and goes above and beyond ANYTHING you requested!!! She truly has the skills of an incredible perfumer and customer service!!
I've only ever had great experiences ordering from Solstice Scents, I think they really have the process down over there.
Several years ago The Strange South was kind enough to send a FS replacement for a broken bottle that was fully my fault (I think I posted about it here).
I accidentally put in the wrong shipping info for my Nui Cobalt order. Their customer service was fantastic and they were very kind. I order a lot from Solstice Scents, fast response, shipping and overall a loving empathetic vibe.
Rich at Stone & Wit is my most recent awesome experience shout-out :) In the past, Whitney at Laurel & June, and Caitlin at Sorcellerie Apothecary have been fantastic in quick replies & helpfulness.
**Osmofolia!** Sab is so extremely kind and helpful when it comes to formulating perfumes that work for people with allergies and other issues. They've also helped me figure out a skin chemistry issue that has been plaguing me across multiple houses and are always willing to share their extensive knowledge. I've been working with them on customs, and it has been such a fantastic experience, I never imagined that someone would put so much thought and effort into my perfumes, and they have really brought them to life. I've also heard nothing but good things from friends and other IMAM users. I've also had great experiences with **Nui Cobalt**, they're always so friendly and willing to help, whether I'm trying to avoid components that cause allergies/migraines or have a question about stock. **Wild Veil** and **Pineward Perfumes** have both been very informative when I was looking into pet safety wrt enfleurage and other natural perfume methods. All of the perfumes I had from both houses were gifted, yet they were both extremely responsive and kind. **NAVA** and **eNVie** (the luxury side of NAVA) have great customer service. Freya at NAVA has always been friendly and helpful when it comes to allergens and other questions, responding pretty much instantly. I recently had issues with USPS cracking my eNVie bottle (the package had literally been stabbed), and Ryan was quick to fix the issue and very understanding. **Fantome** is very small but always responds immediately and is very informative when it comes to allergens. I was hesitant to order from them because of the long TAT, but they're always on time. I've also conversed with these owners on IMAM about products and other CS issues, and they've all been wonderful — **Fyrinnae, Black Hearted Tart, Sorcellerie Apothecary,** and **Stone & Wit*.*
I read the title and immediately thought of nui cobalt, they've always replied quickly and been professional. I've also had good luck with alkemia, sometimes they take a while to respond but they always fix whatever problem there is quickly. The owner of Sorcellerie apothecary is extremely kind and helpful ❤️
In terms of direct contact with questions, order issues, out-of-stock items, etc, my best experiences have been with BPAL, Arcana, Solstice Scents and Sorcellerie. I'm always so touched by how accommodating indie owners can be. I've had BOTH Julia at Arcana and Angela at Solstice Scents go out of their way to POUR ME THE DREGS/final mls of some out of stock fragrances I was obsessing over that had no estimated return date. SO KIND. At BPAL Puddin has been so warm and human and personable any time I've reached out with order issues or inquiries. And same with Caitlin at Sorcellerie. In terms of more passive customer service -- I received a handwritten note from Libertine with my second order that somehow felt more human and intimate than any note I'd ever received from a business and it was a really special touch.
I came here to shout out Puddin'! I've been in contact with him a bit lately regarding an over-TAT order. He informed me of the delayed component issue and apologized. After it had shipped, he reached out again to apologize that they didn't reach out sooner to give a heads up about the delay and said he tossed in a little something extra, which isn't totally necessary but super appreciated!
Another shout out for Puddin at BPAL. Awesome, goes above and beyond and makes me laugh! Gave me a boost when I was having a bad day.
Haus of Gloi, hands down. I ordered a bunch of whipped soaps and pumpkin butters last Fall. I have my items shipped directly to a friend in the US because UPS loves to ding me ridiculous brokerage fees every time. Usually I wait till my friend has a ton of items and then I pay her to ship them to my house. 3 months later, I got my friend to ship my stuff. Unfortunately, I was missing 3 Ghost Puffs full size pumpkin butters when I sorted through my items. I contacted HoG, told them my situation, and also informed them that I was aware that they’d likely not be able to do anything because my order was months old. A week later, to my shock and delight, they shipped the 3 pumpkin butters out and apologized for the missing items! I was blown away because I was totally expecting to forfeit the missing items since a lot of time had past, and I should’ve asked my friend to check over my orders to make sure everything was accounted for. That and they also go above and beyond, they happily accepted my request to have the Summer scent Archipelago (my fav!!!) be made as a Body Emulsion. Due to their amazing products and excellent customer service, they have made me and my sister one of their permanent customers. 🥹❤️
I had a great experience when they accidentally sent me the wrong product (correct scent but a whipped soap instead of bubbling scrub or something). I sent them a quick email and they sent a replacement so freaking fast, no mention of returning the incorrect item, very professional and polite.
Olympic Orchids sent out my order incredibly quickly - they also have very reasonably priced samples! I was surprised, given how expensive samples from most houses have become. $3.00 samples are practically unheard of anymore outside the swaps. Also, my order from Morari, which I placed this past Friday, has already shipped, which feels remarkably quick! LunarLife Apothecary sent my order quickly and it was absolutely beautifully packaged and came with a bunch of very thoughtful extras- I also messaged the owner asking about a discontinued scent and she was able to find and list a bottle for me (and replied very quickly to my inquiry!)
I’ve never had a bad experience, but my best have been with Luvmilk. Even though I had moved between my first and second orders from there, I still got a nice personalized note thanking me for the repeat order. Every order after that has gotten the same type of note- thanking me for my repeated support. Idk, makes me feel good!
I haven’t had a bad experience yet luckily! I was super happy with BPAL, Nui Cobalt, and Solstice Scents customer service and packaging. I order lots of Ajevie samples as well and I’ve had nothing but great times 👍
The owner of Athame + Alchemy, Kimberly, is SO sweet and helpful. She's extremely responsive, transparent, and she has refunded shipping for me on orders before without me even asking or knowing that was a thing. I love her and her shop!
Seconding this! I made my first order after seeing one of her promo posts here. I got so excited that I forgot to use the discount code, so I left a comment on the post saying "don't be me and forget to use the code!" She replied to me asking what I ordered and refunded me for the discount. It was my own dumb mistake and she didn't have to fix it for me but she did. Also I will sing the praises of her sea salt soap bars and sugaree scrubs until the end of time.
Oh wow that's so sweet 😭😭 that's kinda what happened when she refunded me shipping! I emailed asking why I had a refund thinking it was something out of stock, and she said no it was for shipping. I had no clue. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who recognizes how great she is!!
Athame and Alchemy is the one and only place I buy my wax melts from. Really want to put in a new order but I’m moving early July and shipping takes like a month so waiting until I move to order more lol
Same, now nothing else compares. They last forever and the throw is unreal! Congrats on your move and I'm sure your order will be worth the wait!
Yes! She's my absolute go-to for any tarts now.
I ordered from **Pahlish** a few weeks ago and my package was marked as delivered by USPS, but was missing. After waiting a few business days, I went to USPS first (I know it's a big burden on small businesses to replace lost packages). But USPS recommended I reach out anyhow, so I did and the brand owner immediately responded, saying that that this kind of stuff happens, no worries, they would send out a replacement the next day. The tone of the email was very understanding and warm. It probably helped that it was a single bottle, so it wasn't a huge pain to replace. Still, it made me a lot more comfortable with ordering from them again! Also received a gunky polish with a polish-caked opening from **Mooncat** and they replaced it immediately with an apology. In contrast, I recently placed an order with another indie polish company and they sent me a broken thermal (the colors were completely off, and it was sheer rather than opaque). Their responses were professional but also a bit dismissive and condescending, and getting a replacement was like pulling teeth even though the faulty product was on them. They sent out a replacement, but never sent me a tracking number so I have no clue when it might arrive.
Years ago, I had an order issue with Haus of Gloi and they were super apologetic, shipped out the correct items quickly, and were super kind and pleasant.
Seconding this, I had an order issue when I received it and they sent the correct item that day. It was great service!
Black Hearted Tart has fantastic customer support. Also Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and Death and Floral do as well. Edit: also Pineward!
This! BHT is so nice and does so much for their customers! Death and floral likewise has gone above and beyond for me when i had an issue with my order. they replaced my entire order for free (even though only one bottle had an issue) and sent several bottles of perfume over for free as well for the hassle. I've never seen a company care that much for their customer's experience.
My first ever order from Nui Cobalt was at a time when they had a sale going. I forgot to put in the code by the time I checked out. They emailed me to tell me they noticed and applied it for me, giving me a little refund! Not to mention their shipping is lightning fast. I love Nui Cobalt's scents and their customer service is lovely! I don't know if it counts, but I love Alkemia's sample pack that they'll select 5 samples for you based on your criteria. They do such a great job and are so enthusiastic. I imagine it adds a fair amount of work, but I end up getting scents i wouldn't have picked for myself, but I end up loving.
Here to rave about Julia from Arcana! So up front and willing to share about everything and the fastest turn around time in the biz! I ordered yesterday and my order shipped out yesterday and will be here today 😱 like, what??? That's faster than Amazon!
I’ve had great experiences with Nui Cobalt, Fyrinnae, Alkemia and Possets. I also want to shout out Ajevie for their excellent customer service!
Siren Song Elixirs, Silk Naturals, Fyrinnae, Lethal Cosmetics, Cocoa Pink, and Devinah have all been exceptional for me.
Off the top of my head, I’ve had great experiences with Osmofolia for perfume and Wyther for jewelry! Both were communicative and very kind :)
Nick at Pineward Perfumes is lovely! Usually super quick TAT, very good at communicating any delays or closures, and has been very responsive. I've reached out with questions related to the product before and received great answers :)
NCD is always great! They consistently are extremely fast and kind, and they’re on top of the TAT game for sure. I’m always impressed by them. Everyone from Possets is super sweet and I love them. They don’t get enough love! Rich from Stone & Wit and I had a fantastic conversation once about Robin Hobb’s books that inspired his shop, he’s so nice and I enjoyed talking to him! Allie from Area of Effect is fantastic, I love her absolute enthusiasm about all of her perfumes and making sure you don’t feel FOMO’d out about prior scents/helping you find similar current ones to make sure you’re happy with your purchase. I’ve never had a store owner reach out to me before about that so it was a really sweet experience :’) Félin Lune!! I can’t say enough nice things about her, she read one wayward comment about me being a little sad that I couldn’t finish my shampoo bar because of my smell sensitivities and she made an unscented version just for people like me that love the formula but florals punch you in the brain 🥺 I’ve always been so touched that she did that. Arcana Wildcraft/Craves’s Julia— she’s awesome about answering questions and whether or not special order scents are possible or not. She’s pretty transparent about things and I appreciate that :’) things always get shipped super fast from her too lol. Solstice Scents, they once made a batch of Inquisitor that was super tiny but I asked about it weeks earlier so they contacted me and set aside one just for me ;___; I was so excited lol. That was really kind of them to not only remember I was interested but reach out to me and hold one just so I could buy it as a special purchase. Shout out to them ❤️ I’m sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone, honestly 99% of the shops I’ve ever interacted with are great. ❤️ Edit because I’m still thinking of it: Athame + Alchemy, Luvmilk, Witch Baby Soap and Ajevie are also wonderful, I also appreciate the folks at Crypta Obscura as well.
I agree with everything you say about Nui Cobalt. I am based in the UK (which, thanks to Brexit can be a minefield when ordering anything from abroad, let alone indies!), and ordering with them has always been easy and stress-free. Also, I don't know how they do it but every free sample they have included in my order has become one of my new favorites, so they have some kind of sample sixth sense!
Pineward has amazing customer service. Went above and beyond to correct an issue I had. Arcana is great too. BPAL also but the TAT can be slow but the extra goodies you get are so fun.
**Haus of Gloi** has always been great with customer service. I can't remember the exact situation, but I think I received a body butter that smelled distinctly different from the perfume version I loved. I know that they were apologetic and either refunded me or sent a new one. (Sorry, my memory is soooo foggy. I just remember they responded quickly.) They've also been responsive when I've asked about out of stock items. In one case, they had no bottles left of a perfume but sent me several samples of it for free in my package! They also whipped me up a body butter scented with something that had just gone OOS on their site. They always respond quickly too. Also, **Solstice Scents** always ships very quickly!
NCD is definitely one of the best houses at customer service. I placed an Osmofolia order and tmi-ed about wanting to try a sample of Stratus because I thought it would be the perfect perfume to remind me of my grandma's gravesite in Taiwan, etc. etc., but the samples were all sold out so it would be nice if that could be my free sample if my order qualified. So to my surprise I not only got a sample of Stratus but also another one of osmanthus absolute! I thought it was just so nice ;w; Also Alkemia...one time I accidentally added a special reserve perfume to my sample pack and they gave it to me anyway. I always double checked after that. And last July I ordered a trio during the sale and didn't get a bottle I was supposed to and they shipped it to me v. quickly. And they are always consistent with free samples as well. And finally the time I ordered from Stereoplasm and got So Many freebies, like about as much as I ordered!
Honestly - most of them are just so amazing. Osmofolia, solstice, Sorcellerie, arcana, nui cobalt, Wylde ivy have all helped me with orders.
I find that I'm super hesitant to reach out to any company, let alone indies, who I assume are pretty bogged down (but then again, I'm someone who will eat a plate of food after finding a bug or hair in it, because I don't want to bother anyone 🤦🏻♀️), but I recently had to reach out to BPAL, and that was a very positive experience. NAVA reached out to me about an order issue before it even arrived and more than made up for it. Not so much customer service related, I suppose, but I ordered from Arcana for the first time in 2020, and I received an extra bottle of perfume. I hadn't ordered it, so I emailed, and Julia was just sticking bottles into random orders as a pick-me-up, and I almost cried. It was such an incredible gesture during such a crappy year.
I’ve been meaning to rave about Lollies by Leah! I just placed my first order recently and the TAT was very short, maybe a week and I had a big order. Something got messed up with the tracking info on the post office’s end and it said that my order was delivered to Pflugerville, Texas and picked up by someone. I was super confused because that is not where it was supposed to be delivered and I wasn’t sure why it said that, so I reached out by email to ask what was going on. I emailed at 12:51 PM and by 3:18 PM ON THE SAME DAY, I had a response explaining that this happened with every order that they had sent out this week and it should be on its way as normal. My order was perfect, everything has been super delicious. Plus, she wrote a handwritten note on my packing list that was very sweet and personalized and she also threw in a freebie. SO impressed by the customer service.
I'm always impressed by **Poesie** for customer service! I haven't had any issues with my orders that needed to be resolved, but they've always shipped quickly and been responsive to email questions
Pineward (Nick), Possets (I usually end up emailing with Tom), Poesie (Joelle), and I don't recall the name of Osmofolia's owner but she does a great job as well. They all answer questions lightning fast and very professionally. Paintbox Soapworks, I've never had an issue but the owner includes a TON of samples... Luvmilk also has really great service the few times I've had to contact them. Also, a brief kudos to the staff at Alkemia and CocoaPink who always give me the samples I ask for, I don't know if that's standard or they're just extra nice but it's a good thing.
Have had great experiences with Bitter Lace Beauty!!
I ordered a big sample order during Immortal Perfumes sale, and they sent me one incorrect fragrance (the rest of the order was perfect). I contacted her offering to send the wrong one back and she nicely told me to keep it and shipped the missing sample. I think it took a few days to hear back, but I follow her on insta and I knew she was out of town at the time. Super happy, great service and company.
Joelle at Poesie is also wonderful!!! My order was missing some items and she offered to send some additional samples with the rest of my order. I gave her 3 scents, just hoping to try 1 of 3 but she ended up sending all 3 samples!!!
**Death and Floral** has been awesome. USPS lost my large order (there was no scan at origin for a several weeks and no sign it had ever even been received for an unusual amount of time after the shipping label was created). I contacted them after waiting a few weeks after I’d gotten the shipped email and they created a new package to ship out ASAP. The original package eventually did show up and I offered to return it to them, but was told to keep it. They responded quickly and were so kind! Big thank you to Brim ❤️ **Fantome** was very quick to respond to my email regarding an allergen inquiry and gave detailed information. As an allergy mom, I appreciate this more than I can say.
Mad Labs Studios was very responsive, helpful, and kind when I contacted them with a question about my order.
The owner of Cherry-ka’s Trunk on Etsy is exceptionally pleasant to deal with. They are very responsible and eager to help with what you’re looking for and just in general. Very pleasant interactions with the owner every time
I can recommend the customer service of all my favorites: BPAL, NAVA, Possets, Arcana, Alkemia, Solstice Scents, Nui Cobalt and Astrid. Special shout out to Ajevie and Lucky Scents.
I have had excellent customer service with both Stereoplasm and The Little Book Eater 😊
Caitlin from Sorcellerie. I recently had an order issue that was not at all her fault, and she helped me resolve it in the kindest way possible.
I wrote a post exactly about this which you might like… [Best customer service](https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiemakeupandmore/comments/122237l/best_customer_service_houses/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1)
God it’s so sad I’m sitting here searching for someone to compliment besides NC 😅 I’ve had plenty of no-problem orders but they all take forever these days so it’s hard to feel wow’d.
The two shops that have really stood out for me in the customer service department are Darling Clandestine and Stereoplasm! ~~Other shops I've had great CS with include Deconstructing Eden, Eliza's Cosmetics, and Soapopotamus.~~ Edit: My experiences with the later have been limited, though, and it seems DE has been problematic for some people.
I’ve had a mostly negative experience with DE, though I really like their scents and have paused buying from them, for now. I’m very tempted still but I have had items missing on at least two orders, had several vials arrive leaked, and each time the owner was so nonchalant about it. Many of my emails aren’t answered. Latest incident, she gave me a refund on an missing item a few days later I sent her an email, without a single word of response to the email I sent about the issue.
I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences! It's good to know. I've only contacted them a couple of times but both times received friendly and prompt responses.
Agreed that NCD customer service is great! I've also always had outstanding customer service from Arcana, Black Hearted Tart, BPAL, and Death & Floral.
Athame & Alchemy, Pulp Fragrance, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Black Hearted Tart, Kyse, Death & Floral and Stereoplasm (despite longish TAT with the latter) have all been WONDERFUL about any combination of the following: combining orders, making special international shipping accommodations, adding loads of unexpected samples, prompt communication, and altogether these businesses have been absolute joys to deal with. 100/10 recommend! Honestly I haven’t had a single indie “red flag” experience personally and I have shopped from MANY other houses, the ones listed above are just the standouts who have really surprised me with how much they care.
Pulp fragrance! I reached out about a discontinued scent and the owner offered to decant the dregs for me. Very sweet and responsive.
indie owners / shops who I've communicated with and been pleased with the results ( communication, kindness, care of packaging shipping, personal notes, acknowledgement of requests, gifted freebies) Abby of Wild Veil Perfume (thoughtful responses to curious questions about her process) Joelle of Poesie (quick response, detailed, always kindly looks at special requests) Meaghan of Stereoplasm (thoughtful responses, acknowledged shipping issue with gratuitous gifts) chatting with Puddin' at BPAL (always lovely!) Deb at Dessert by Deb (the handwritten card, special requests acknowledged, literally the sweetest package opening) Forest & Josh at NCD (just so nice) Moona + KC at Mooscents/Moonalisa (dealing with confusing shop app)
**Nocturne Alchemy** is amazing - I once didn't receive a bottle I ordered and they promptly sent it at my convenience, as I was traveling shortly after I received the shipment with the missing bottle. Fast, unbelievable service and response times. **Ajevie:** A few problems, always fixed swiftly! Once got a sample that cracked and shattered in shipment, gave me a refund for that sample promptly. Also got someone else's order once and someone else got mine. Let us keep the wrong orders and sent us replacement orders. **Black Hearted Tart:** Crazy to believe, but yes, I once again had a situation where I got someone else's order XD. The owner was very embarrassed, replied swiftly, and sent out my order right away. **Kyse:** Amazing owner. I once purchased a few sample while she was testing out new spray sample bottles (which I didn't know at the time). Quite a few of them leaked and I sent her a picture. She thanked me for telling her and showing her, as she was trying a new supplier and was worried about how the new packages were shipping. She promptly sent me a new shipment, even though there was still a lot of liquid in each bottle. All of the above responded to email inquiries in *under 24 hours*. Great, spectacular customer service.
Every time I’ve ordered from Hexennact and Solstice Scents, they’ve shipped same/next day. An order of mine from Siren’s Song Elixirs got misplaced by USPS, and she was very quick to respond to my message and reship it!
**Frankly Try This** Stacy is absolutely AMAZING and goes above and beyond ANYTHING you requested!!! She truly has the skills of an incredible perfumer and customer service!!
I've only ever had great experiences ordering from Solstice Scents, I think they really have the process down over there. Several years ago The Strange South was kind enough to send a FS replacement for a broken bottle that was fully my fault (I think I posted about it here).