Alyaka.com

It was incredibly difficult to reach someone via email or instant messenger on site. I was promised a July discovery box as the item I ordered went out of stock and I was not advised. Consequently I did not receive the discovery box or the item and just received a refund for the item I had ordered without notice, forcing me to purchase it elsewhere. I would be reluctant to order from Alyaka again.

I have been ordering from Alyaka for at least five years now. On the plus side, and a big reason for my quite regular placing of orders as an international customer, is that they stock a range of brands that are not easy to find elsewhere, and they run quite frequent promotions and offers. When it works optimally, shipping has been fast and free ( although there is a question mark over this latter feature at the time of writing). On the negative side, the website contains frequent glitches, none of which seem to be regularly fixed or updated. Most significantly and infuriatingly, the customer service is practically non-existent. The 'Contact Us' widget on the site doesn't work, and emails remain unanswered for up to weeks on end. Needless to say, there is no phone contact and they seem not to have any presence on social media, which would bring much greater accountability. If you have a problem or an issue, good luck getting any kind of speedy or professional response - I have had to resort to threats to actually get queries answered , and I know from contact with other customers that my experience is far from unique. It's a shame, as this is potentially a great retail resource for those of us who love eco, niche and artisanal beauty at good prices. That said, if I could find a more efficient competitor, I'd take my business there, just for the customer service issue.

Poor Customer care

I didn't receive an expensive Susanne Kaufmann cream as per order #1000047972 made on September 21. Still not resolved and my card should be refunded for the amount as the product was not delivered!

Customer service could be better