My first experience with Fairyloot (accessing a subscription)

Dear Reader,
Today I am going to be telling you about my first experience with fairyloot. Fairyloot is the UK's number one bookish subscription box. Don't know what that is? Don't worry, I got you covered. So there usually a monthly subscription box where you receive a pre-release or recently released book that is widely anticipated amongst the ya community (at least this is the case for YA boxes such as owl crate and illuminate). As well as a book you will receive anywhere around 4-6 bookishly themed items. Just a few known items are things like candles, bookmarks, enamel pins and mugs all themed around popular bookish fandoms such as throne of glass, harry potter (boooo) shadow hunters and so on. 

Here are links to some boxes:

https://www.owlcrate.com/ - owlcrate USA based
https://www.fairyloot.com/ -fairyloot UK based
https://www.illumicrate.com/ -illumicrate UK based
https://faecrate.com/ - fae crate USA based
https://www.beaconbookbox.com/ -Beacon book box UK based

note: some of these boxes have shipping departments in different countries so their shipping isn't too expensive. 



So, obviously, this is something every bookish nerd (such as me) wants to arrive at their door once a month. But the box does come up to around £33 with VAT and Shipping so it really is not something that I could afford on my own, so I made a bargain with my dad. I explained to him what this box was and why it would be really cool for my blog and me. It took me about 3 months to convince him but finally, I got the payment details saved onto my phone I was ready to go. 

Then it all went to hell. 

The first thing that happened was I went on the website and all the boxes were obviously completely out of stock (I don't think I realised at the time just how popular these boxes are) and there was no waiting list or email updates that were live on the website yet so I was kind of lost in the woods for the minute.
Every day I would check the website for some more boxes, I would comment on their Instagram pictures with questions and send them emails getting nothing in return. Then one day, I stopped checking. I realised that my likelihood of getting on the subscription plan was very slim and I gave up. 3 or so days later I was explaining the box to my friend and I go on the website and a waiting list is up. Obviously, I sign up as quickly as I could. Another 3 or so days later I see an update post from fairyloot saying that they would start emailing people in the waiting list in the next week and if you were not contacted then you would most likely not receive a spot till October. In other words, I would have to wait another 3 months until I could get on the subscription plan. At this point, I was so almost done with fairyloot but I'm a pretty resilient person, so I sent them one last email. It went something like this:

Dear team fairyloot, 
I am following up on an email I sent about a week ago. 
My email was concerning the waiting list and when It was set up. This is so I can get a rough idea of when I can start my subscription. 
Many thanks,
Issy. 

Short and sweet, my last card. They sent back:

Dear Issy,
We are very sorry but the chances of you getting a box in the following months are very small and we urge you to not get your hopes up. However, in October more spaces will be opening up and we would be happy to invite you into the fairyloot family. Sorry for any disappointment and we hope to be able to bring you onto the subscription plan very soon.
Best wishes, 
The Fairyloot team. 

All hopes now diminished I set about another option. Thus ladies and gentleman, welcome to the cautionary tale team illumicrate. Illumicrate had just sent out an email saying they were opening up spots for subscriptions starting in august but that you could preorder them now. After looking into illumicrate and seeing it was similar to fairyloot (in my opinion not as good but still) I decided this was my best move. 

Ordered, confirmed and excited, I was up watching illumicrate unboxing videos every night in anticipation. It was one of these quite boring nights when I receive an email from my old friends at team fairyloot. Take one guess. 
Yes, that's right. 

Dear Issy, 
we are very excited to welcome you to the fairyloot family! 
Use the code below to start your subscription!


My reaction consisted of a lot of swearing since I had been waiting 6 months for this email and though excited, I had just placed an order on another box. However, because I apparently have no loyalty to small businesses so I cancelled my illumicrate preorder and paid for my first box, which I think is coming at the very end of this month. Tada!

That was a journey but we got there in the end. 
So this months theme is:
Resilient Royals!
Link for more info:  https://community.fairyloot.com/july-theme-resilient-royals/
 
This will be my first box and I am very excited to receive and review it for all of you! Thank you so much for reading me rambling about my first world problems and I hope this helps you if you ever try and subscribe! 
Until next time, 
Issy 
x












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