Valentine’s Day is a special time to show love and affection to those who matter most to us, including ourselves. This year, I decided to treat myself to the Soma Chocolatemaker Large Love box, priced at 100 CAD with an additional 40 CAD shipping fee. The description on Soma website described the box as “a beautiful gift filled with chocolate hugs”. Soma Chocolatemaker is creative and whimsical. It is often referred to as one of the best craft chocolate makers in the world. As a craft chocolate lover, I was eager to try Soma’s offerings, but my experience was far from what I expected.
Missing Value
I was immensely disappointed when I received the box and discovered that the collective value of the items inside was only 92.50 CAD. During pre-order, the only item listed was the Wild Heart cake. The lack of other information in it made me assume it was a mystery box. If it were a mystery box, then I assumed that the value of the box will be more or at least equal to the cost of the box. If I had known the actual lineup would be worth less than the price of the box, I wouldn’t have made the purchase in the first place.
Broken Soma Chocolatemaker Bars
The second issue I faced was the lack of proper cushioning in the box, which resulted in some of the bars arriving damaged and broken into multiple pieces. It was particularly bad for the mini chocolate bars. The only cushioning used was some crumpled craft paper, which was not enough to protect the delicate chocolate. I suggest using honeycomb cardboard to ensure the chocolate arrives in good condition. Imagine buying this as a present thinking that you are getting them something lovely and special and for the recipient to open devastatingly broken bars.
Lack of Proper Description
Another problem I encountered was the size of the Dream Machine with the Hazelnuts bar, which was not disclosed beforehand. I assumed it would be a full-size bar just like all the other bars listed. However, it turned out to be mini-sized, which was really disappointing. They should have listed the sizes of the included items.
Lack of Customer Appreciation
Furthermore, there was no personalization in the box. There was no note or postcard or even a simple “thank you” message included. I found this to be a missed opportunity to build customer loyalty for a premium brand like Soma Chocolatemaker.
Delayed Shipping
Finally, I was not happy with the shipping process. The website stated “Pre-ordering now ready to ship Jan 20th,” but it was only shipped on January 25th. I was notified that it was going to arrive on the 27th but it arrived on January 30th instead. Considering I paid 40 CAD for shipping, the delay without any communication was not acceptable.
Disappointing Customer Service
I reached out to customer service, however, their response was very lacking. They mentioned that the missing 7.50 CAD was for the cardboard box and the time it takes to assemble the box. I think that is a very weak explanation. As a business owner myself, I know that this cardboard box, even though custom, does not cost that much. If I ordered all the same items inside the box, they would still have to put it all in a box and there wouldn’t be a fee for it so the “assembly fee” makes no sense at all. I think they are just up charging the box because it’s Valentine’s Day but would not admit that. That seems really shady to me.
Conclusion on Soma Chocolatemaker
In conclusion, my experience with the Soma Love Large Box was disappointing, and I do not recommend it to others. I don’t think I would order from the Canadian chocolate maker again in the future. If you love Soma Chocolatemaker products, it’s better to pick out the items you like and create your own box. You can also buy them from stockists to save on shipping costs and receive them in a timely manner. Better yet, buy some chocolate from ethical places that care about their customers’ satisfaction like Seek Chocolate Shop or Bon Bon Bon.
