Conflicted! Price vs Customer Service - "Quilt" Jigsaw Puzzle by Soonness
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Kia ora from New Zealand! I'm Donnalouise - a puzzled puzzler puzzling puzzles who is building my first Soonness jigsaw puzzle and I am so very conflicted. I can't wait to read all your comments. Is the price too high? Does customer service justify the cost? Original artwork? So many factors at play here... Enjoy!!
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Brand: Soonness
Series: January 2024 PNP
Title: Quilt
Artist: Soon Cho
Pieces: 1,000
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I recently finished a Sooness puzzle and was missing a piece. I always assume I somehow lost it because over many years of puzzling I have found a piece or two in odd places around the house. Since this was so expensive and I loved the puzzle so much and wanted to frame it and they had information for replacing missing pieces I did contact them. As with your experience, they replied instantly and were so nice. No questions asked, they replaced the piece and gave me a 15% coupon. Really good customer service is unusual today so I was very impressed with Sooness and will purchase puzzles from them in the future.
So pleased to hear that you had a great customer service experience as well and nice to give you a discount coupon - smart on their behalf.
At that price, one shouldn't need customer service -- the puzzles should be perfect! They're way too expensive here in Canada too -- on the Soonness website $93 each (including tax) but then there are added shipping costs and import taxes/duties on top of that since they ship from China. I think it's the responsibility of any company to stand behind their products. It's good that Soonness does that well, but in my opinion exhorbitant pricing isn't justified by decent after sales service.
You make a good point - I shouldn't have expected good customer service just because of how much I spent. No matter the price, a company should always stand behind their product and I have received amazing customer service from other companies selling puzzles for way less.
First of all, I love your outtakes at the end. I look forward to them now, they always make me smile! Second, you explained perfectly well abt the shards in your puzzle box. It has already been mentioned that in US dollars they are $58. That is definitely out of my budget for a 1000pc puzzle. We do have a lot of options here in the US so that does add to it, but I enjoy a good Buffalo or Ravensburger puzzle at a fraction of that price. Thanks for your review of this puzzle. I'm glad customer service tookk care of you, but that is definitely a quality issue, quality control should have caught that.
Glad you enjoy the outtakes - they aren't in every video but I do try to put them at the end in most. I kind of feel back for Soonness as I think they had to rerun a few puzzles with these three. Perhaps a reason for them to look at someone else to manufacture their puzzles. 💜🧩
I got Soonness's original gradient therapy collection puzzles when they did their kickstarter. They were stunning and I think I only paid $35USD for each puzzle - still expensive but much more justifiable. Their new puzzles are double that price, and I just can't justify that. As much as I understand why the puzzles are that price, and supporting artists/small businesses is important, I would have to be several tax brackets higher to even consider buying them regularly.
$35USD - now that's much more affordable and I would consider that for sure for their puzzles. I wonder why the price increase by so much?? They are definitely out of most every day puzzler's price point.
You explained the cut issue very well. I actually figured out what happened as soon as I saw the debris in the box. I checked the prices for here in the US and that puzzle is $58 right now. They had most puzzles at that price with a few discounted into the $40 range. $58 is way out of my price range for a 1000 piece. I find it hard to spend even $40 on a very special 1000 piece. I don't think you can use "it's art" as an excuse to charge more. There are probably hundreds of artists out there creating art specifically for puzzles. The amazing artist who did your downtown puzzle comes to mind. To me, what he does is more artistic than the quilt puzzle. You can find his art on puzzles of all price points. What makes Soon Ness worth so much more? I just don't see it. But that is just me. Customer service is great but not enough to part me from $58+ per puzzle.
Love your reviews.
Ciro Marchetti is the amazing artist that designed the Downtown puzzle - and you are correct, that was an amazing piece of work! And a lot more cost effective for it being 6k pieces. You are right though, what makes one brand stand our over another to justify such a price...??
I think it's the limited runs. Mass production is cheaper than having small runs of products and this company builds their brand on having limited on time runs. It's not the metal puzzles from Lazels (where only have an hour to order them) but it's still a very similar concept and I don't have the money for either of them.
My preference was the prism image btw and I feel like that art is relatively generic. Cloudberries, Blue Kazoo (which is already expensive to import here), or Ravensburger could do it well too and for less money. Or maybe even a brand like Jumbo or King. I just don't feel like the run this puzzle belongs to has artwork that's that unique. I feel like I've created stuff like it and like I've seen it in colouring books before. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but it's just not something that special. Same with certain books. They can be very entertaining but not good otherwise. If then the book price goes up because a certain person wrote it, it would still not actually be worth that money.
I'm happy for them that they feel that confident about their art, but that doesn't mean I have to spend my money on it, you know. I do want to try the puzzles for myself now though. Maybe some day.
@@ammalyrical5646 I would agree that the artwork from this puzzle run was not all that unique. I picked the Quilt one as it was the most fun of the three. I would say if you can find one secondhand or greatly discounted, it is worth the puzzling experience. I did love the pieces!
I would never spend thát much money on a puzzle, but its nice that they had such a great costumer service and emediately replaced it.
I don't think I would buy it either if it wasn't for the channel and wanting to try different brands for the videos. I'm glad I've done one though.
RoseWillie in Quebec sells Soonness puzzles. That one you did is regular $75.99, and currently on sale for $69.99. I feel like I have a really decent puzzle budget but I can't spend that unless the puzzle image screams my name. I did buy the Kitchen Life puzzle. I also trade a lot and I feel like I couldn't trade a puzzle I spent that much money on unless is was for another Soonness. Like even the really premium brands from Australia sell for way less here in Canada (Reverie, Tania Wicks, etc) and I'd much rather buy two of those. Just my thoughts. I do like the brand but cannot justify the cost.
I agree - difficult to trade a puzzle that cost you so much unless you really get something of same value/quality in return. I will admit that the Arctic Life image annoyed me - penguins in the Artctic! And maybe I shouldn't have taken it so literarily. And yes, I'd also have two other premium brand puzzles instead of just one overpriced. It is too much to justify indeed!
@@fortheloveofpuzzles 🐧 🐻❄
You explained the situation with the pieces really well! In Quebec, Canada, I love the artwork of Sooness puzzles but at $75.99 and then tax on that, I can’t justify spending that much on 1 puzzle. I do really like their sustainability (only produce how much is ordered and the encouragement of trading or reselling) love that! Great to hear that the CS was fast and they took good care of you. To echo some other commenters, there’s great CS at other lower priced puzzle companies too.
The quilt puzzle you completed is gorgeous! The colours are so vibrant and beautiful
Agree fully that other companies selling less expensive and more affordable puzzles have just as amazing customer service. I shouldn't have expected more because of what I paid - it should be a given. Lovely looking puzzle indeed and the pieces are so much fun but yeah, don't think I'll be splurging this amount again on them any soon.
I haven’t done a Sooness puzzle. I just checked and the puzzles are about 58 US dollars. Still pricey.
I will say I have had good customer service with all the brands that I have had issues with such damaged boxes, missing pieces, or pieces not cut all the way through! The puzzles were all less than $20, so it isn’t necessary for the puzzle to be expensive to get good customer service.
Many comments have pointed this out to me also - I shouldn't just expect great customer service because of how much I've paid for for puzzle. I've had great service from other brands who sell their products for a lot less. It appears that they are pricey pretty much everywhere and in every currency. 💜🧩
I understand what you’re saying…that’s a lot for a puzzle. You gave a great review and told us the story about their customer service, so I think you went above and beyond already. I know if I ever find one for cheap I will snag it cause of the quality I’ve heard from your review and others. Quilt in the US is $58.00
Definitely if you found one secondhand or greatly discounted, grab it!
Your explanation was very clear, no problem. As for the price, no way, especially for a 1000 piece. And yes i like the pattern but for that price it wasn't a really challenging looking design either. On the other hand, i like the idea that they don't overproduce and have sustainability in mind. Customer service is to be commended - the one company I emailed directly about a problem was Eurographics and i got absolutely zero response from them. I bought the Persian Blankets jigsaw that was so ridiculously blurry - i emailed them and enclosed photos but heard nothing, which did not impress me at all. And by the way, i couldn't even hear the outside noise, lol
No good that you never heard back from Eurographics. I never heard back from Educa nor from Prime3D. Bad customer service does stick in my memory! Glad you couldn't hear the outside noise - the road is now all fixed up.
Quilt is currently $89 AU on their website with free shipping for 2+ puzzles. I have one Soonness jigsaw - "Reflections", purchased a couple of years ago, the cost was $80 AU with free shipping, I saved and splurged on that one, can't justify purchasing another but it was a beautiful puzzle to do. I feel more comfortable with $25-40 for a 1000 piece but most companies are now $40-50 which is just too much! Especially if you add shipping.
Wow! So expensive! I just bought 13 puzzles for little more than 70 €:
Trefl, clementoni, anatolian, gibsons.
And its 4×500, 8×1000 and 1×1500
@@ruzicas.5819 I would love to be able to get so many puzzles for only 70 Euros!
I am definitely glad that I bought one and that they did right by me and sent me a new puzzle. Like you, it was a nice splurge but I can't justify supporting them for every PNP and not sure when or if I would buy again. The artwork would really really have to be something special and meaningful to me.
Your explanation made sense. Here's my take: I think it is great that they take such good care of customers who have issues. However, I figure that we don't have to pay that much money for good customer service and good quality puzzles. Not even close to it. For instance I've had excellent customer service from Buffalo and Springbok, brands that cost a mere fraction of the price Soonness is charging. They were responsive, attentive, and gave me new puzzles to make up for a problem. Also those companies have a huge library of great images too. Also I've heard great things about Ravensburger customer service.
I enjoyed watching your video as always, and I think you had a great nuanced take on it. Personally I'd grab it if I saw it in a thrift store though for sure! Nearly 80 bucks NZD is about 60 bucks USD -- there is just no way. I would pay maybe half of that much in USD absolute max. The value is not there for me, sadly.
I'm so glad you gave it a try and shared it with us!
Many have commented like you - that other brands have great customer service for a lot less expensive products. And good customer service should be a given when one has a problem with their product. Glad you enjoyed the video - I always worry when I have a video that showcases a puzzle that had issues.
I feel like kind, quick customer service that handles issues without questioning or blaming the customer should be the norm, not an additional service that you have to pay a premium for. The puzzle is beautiful but absolutely outrageously priced.
Many others have commented the same thing and you are all correct. Good customer service should be the norm for any brand. I love what you wrote "The puzzle is beautiful but absolutely outrageously priced."
I thought your explanation was very clear. I don't own any Soonness puzzles. With the purchase price, here in the U.S., being between $50-$60 before shipping, I'm not even tempted to buy. There are so many beautiful images for much less than that. Glad you had such great customer service.
It appears that they are pricey no matter what currency/country. Many in the comments here agree that the price is just not affordable...and I can't see myself running out to buy another either.
Would not buy the brand because of the price no matter how good the customer service is. My opinion. They look lovely, I would not pass them up at a Goodwill or thrift store second hand. Thank you for the review!
Definitely worth a purchase if you can find secondhand or at a thrift shop but yeah, the price is just too high. I'm glad I did one but can't see myself rushing out to by another brand new any time soon.
That Soonness comes to about $50 US; I have spent that much ordering from overseas, but not for a “local” one (North America, that is😉). But I understand the conundrum of cost 👎 vs. customer service 👍🏼. 🤔 It’s so rare to receive that courtesy anymore from a company in any industry, so I have high regard for them! As always, I so enjoy your videos and voiceovers, Donnalouise. 😸
So pleased you enjoyed the video since I was quite conflicted and a bit lost with my thoughts.
I’m so sorry to hear that you had this experience and I definitely agree that the pricing is a bit exorbitant for the product, especially given that it’s not a very large puzzle. If it were a 2k or 3k perhaps but 1k piece really shouldn’t be that expensive. Here in the US they run about $60 which is very expensive for a 1k puzzle. Hopefully they will rethink their pricing structure for future puzzles.
I do think they might be able to reduce the price if they made some packaging changes but then again, perhaps this is their model - a boutique jigsaw puzzle brands that only expects to sell a limited number of copies to high-spending buyers...?? 💜🧩
To be honest with pictures of pieces not cut through, I would have expected good customer service. Sooness being in the high (very high) end market it's a must. And things like this happens. I was there yesterday window(s) shopping, and even I used to the 30 USD price for a standard Ravensburger just thought that was too much. Think it's because they are still a small brand so they don't have economy of scale, and all that extra stuff. Like outer box (the one you didn't talk about), the postcard, the extra paper bag, those push the prices up. Paper bags in most cases have a larger footprint than plastic, worth keeping in mind when we discuss sustainability.
For puzzles I'm crazy about, I would pay this much. However, most of the time I'm sane and sensible, so there won't be Soonness soonish for me. The puzzle looks awesome & fun though.
At the time of first filming, I didn't think to mention the outer box but yes, that definitely adds to the cost. I love he poster but the postcard (although nice) is not necessary in my opinion. Now that I think about it, even the main outer shipping box had special puzzle branded tape on it - another added cost to the overall price which could be cut. I'm curious why you wrote that paper bags have a larger footprint than plastic...interesting...??
@@fortheloveofpuzzlesWhen paper bags were the rave in shops, I tried to see if paper or cotton was better, and this is learned.
Paper production chop down entire forests, it is then transported by vehicles that uses diesel to a paper mill. When turning wood into paper it uses a lot of chemicals and according to some studies (way back in 2010 mind you) it gave out 3-4x much air pollution as the plastic bag.
In making paper you need a lot of water and there is more water pollution associated with paper bags vs plastic, I vaguely remember it to be twice as much pollution, but please check yourself.
Also, the production has a higher energy consumption. And then there's transportation, paper is heavier than plastic which also requires more energy in transport. Both materials are to a degree recyclable.
So my conclusion is just because it's paper (or worse cotton) doesn't automatically mean it's better for the planet. It's more complicated.
Thank you Donna Louise , I understood the problem just fine and think you explained it really well. $78 nz works out at about £38uk. I did pay £44 for an art and fable with shipping and yeah that is a lot for a 1000 piece puzzle but I loved it and would buy another if the image was spectacular. I do not have any puzzle stores around me so I have to buy online BUT it is my birthday next Saturday and my husband is taking me to the Yorkshire jigsaw shop. It is a 3 ½ hour drive and I am so excited.. I will be 64 eeeek . I have not tried sooness puzzles so I will have to look into the cost from the UK .. Thanks again Donnalouise xx
Happy early birthday!!! It is tricky for me also to get puzzles as I don't have any local shops to me either and also need to buy online. I can find some Art & Fable 750 piece puzzles here for $30NZD which seems to be cheaper than for you. I'm not sure where that brand is from originally. I'm told from other comments that Soonness is quite pricey in British pounds as well but do have a look.
I don’t think I’d ever spend that much on a puzzle, no matter the quality and service. I absolutely understand why a small company that has nice art and great quality has to charge that much, but for me it’s just out of my budget.
I think it is out of many people's budget. I justified it for the channel but I would also be hard-pressed justifying one at each of their PNP events.
I have never done a Sooness puzzle. They are nice, but there are many cheaper ones which are also very nice. If you pay that much I would expect the puzzle to be right on the first try. Having to contact customer service is a pain. They were helpful, so good, but I would not be happy to have to deal with customer service if I bought such an expensive puzzle. There definitely should not be any problems at that price.
I've now heard that they had issues with this run and on the other puzzle designs from this PNP. I can only imagine the hassle it is causing them and their customers. Perhaps a reason to look into a new manufacturer...?? I also agree that there are many other nice brands out there for much cheaper.
$58 US, and I would pay this again if I loved the artwork. Not all of it speaks to me. But no one does piece shapes like Soonness.
I must agree that the pieces are so much fun!!! And the colours so vibrant - at least one this one I did.
I love the piece shapes and the image but the price is no where in my budget $87AUD...
Yeah, even very expensive in AUD and then with shipping...but I agree, the colours, image and piece shapes were so much fun!
The price in swedish krona is 617 SEK so the same amount as for you. It is really pricey but I really want to try one of them out some day! they are truly gorgeous
I'm glad that I had this chance to try one, and would try to buy secondhand if possible - but don't think I can justify buying brand new again. They are so vibrant though and the pieces are fun!
Thank you for this video. I did order three puzzles during this PNP. I haven’t done the Quilt puzzle yet, but now I’m going to because this is my second time seeing issues with this puzzle. I did the Prism puzzle first because the box was a bit damaged and felt like it had been wet. Thankfully, the pieces were okay and fit together well, sometimes too well as they were hard to take apart. I didn’t contact them about the box, because the puzzle itself was okay. Off to do the Quilt puzzle now. Fingers crossed there aren’t any issues. My price was $42.20 each with the discount. I also order one other that was $52.70. I agree, it’s very expensive and I doubt I’ll purchase anymore because of the price.
Ah, perhaps that was what Soon was referring to when they told me that some boxes had been damaged. Glad that the pieces were all okay though. They do fit very well together and I needed to take great care to separate them. Let me know how Quilt was for you and if you had any issues. It's nice to try a brand once but year, the price makes it difficult to keep buying over and over again.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles I finished it with no puzzled shards and everything fit nicely. I think the issue with having puzzles at this price point, it greatly raises expectations of perfection. I had several pieces where the “outs” were slightly bent or the paper was lifting up. Wouldn’t have given it much of a thought with a regular priced puzzle, but for over $50 dollars, I really take more notice of imperfections. 😕
@@aerikaj Oh no, that is a bummer. I agree that I am also more particular about imperfections depending on the price tag - I think that's human nature. Are you going to let them know? I call the "outs" - "prongs"
@@fortheloveofpuzzles No, I won’t bother them for those small issues. I don’t plan to sell them. They’ll be permanent fixtures in my collection.
For the price they are charging, the puzzle should have been perfect the first time. And clearly the puzzle wasn't special enough to complete a second time.
So true - I didn't actually bother completing the second copy. I will keep the problematic one and may redo it at some stage, but probably not for a few years.
hi donna louise. i think your explanation of the shards and how it happened is spot on. every puzzle company be it budget end of the market through to the most expensive should have the same level of customer service. i wonder what the level of quality control is like. surely this issue should have been spotted before the puzzles were put out for sale. i would expect some accents in gold leaf for that price but that is just my opinion 🤣🤣
I did hear that they had issues with a few puzzles in this run so maybe it't make them rethink who they use to manufacture their puzzles. I would have loved for some gold foil on this puzzle - would have flaked it off to sell! hehehehe
They are even more expensive in the UK!
Really?!?! Oh goodness!
Seems like a great company, but I can’t justify the price on that either… I think the honest feedback your providing may be just as valuable in return to them… potentially allowing them some genuine feedback to allow them to look at potential avenues to better allocate their resources and/or operations to provide a better price. (I’m sure these are not quick fixes or easy things to implement,don’t get me wrong.)
Challenging? Yes, possible… perhaps?!
They seemed to be eager to provide a good experience to the customers, I’m sure they will be eager to look at other aspects that may now help them to grow.
I think there are some things that they could change to reduce the overall price - postcard, outer box (seen in video but not mentioned), ... And I can just imagine they would prefer to sell more puzzles at a reduced price and expand their customer base...???
They are very expensive here in the U.K. too. Nearly £50…. They are nice images though. Customer service goes along way for me too.
I do wonder how many copies of each puzzle they need to sell during the PNP for them to produce the puzzle. I wonder if they lowered the price that they would sell more...??
Read Whistler's fight with Ruskin over the value of art. Great fun. 😊
Ohh...I must look this up!
I was a giant fan of Soonness and have most of their puzzles from before the small runs. They are too expensive for me in us dollars also.
I'm curious - what do you mean that you have most of their puzzles from before the small runs?? Did they sell puzzles before doing these PNP events? 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles yes. They had many puzzles that were available on Amazon and through their site for under $30 us. They had a whole collection of gradient puzzles and fun cartoony illustrations about life in the forest or the arctic. Karen did a video here she mixed 3 together. If you google soonness magic box or jelly bean you will get on the right track to see them.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles they had a lot of fun gradient puzzles and cute illustrations with little characters living in the forest or the arctic. If you google jelly bean or magic cube, you will see some of the gradients. The others were called life in the forest etc. they were available on Amazon for under $30 and I loved them. Karen did a video where she mixed 3 together and I think Vicki did one recently.
I understood your explanation. It's a very pretty puzzle but never do e any by them. I might look them up though.....thx.
Very pretty.🎉
I do wonder if they could reduce the overall price by removing some of the extras like the postcard, outer packaging box (which is seen in the video but I don't point out) and perhaps other things could be reworked to still produce a quality puzzle but at a more affordable price.
I remember looking at Soonness puzzles maybe a few months ago and just saying "nope" when I saw the price. I feel like quality and customer service can be worth a little extra, but other companies provide both at more reasonable prices. Like Blue Kazoo, for an example.
That is so true - many companies provide great customer service with much less expensive products - like Blue Kazoo as you mention.
That's inconvenient, still a brand I would only get as a treat.
I don't know how much it costs because they don't ship to Brazil, but if a brand has bad customer service, I don't buy them often, only images that I love.
I think they ship worldwide if you buy during the PNP 6 day event but if you buy after that, they may have limited shipping options.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles Will check it out but for 57usd we have taxes, so still super expensive
Nope, way too expensive. I splurged on a Jiggy puzzle once, but that was less expensive AND came in a gorgeous glass canister. Good luck to them.
I have not heard of the Jiggy brand - I must look up. A splurge time by time for a special reason perhaps but even then, they are quite expensive indeed.
I think of companies like Soonness as boutique companies. If they were selling shoes, they would be pointy, shiny, edgy shoes - with unusual heels or colours perhaps. There are people who willingly pay a lot of money for shoes that put them on the leading edge of fashion and that's who boutiques serve really well. They have great customer service because of their size, and I think it's a big point in their favour. Many of us would love to be more on the front edge of fashion than we have budget for, and we've for the most part adapted our tastes to what we can get at more middle of the pack type retailers...beer tastes on champagne budgets, just to mix metaphors. That particular puzzle from their website is currently $82 CAD plus $14 CAD regular shipping. That is too much for me, but I consider my budget for new 1000 pc puzzles to be $20-30. I value local production highly - I would likely pay more for Aurora or Villager because although outside my normal budget, they're local to me, and their artwork resonates with me more than blocky brightness. But that's just me. How great that there are so many companies offering so many different choices! Also, loved all the "wonky donkey" references - a classic Kiwi kids book for sure - did you see the viral RUclips of the grandmother reading it to her grandbaby?
I think $20-$30 for a 1k puzzle is a very reasonable budget and should afford to get good quality puzzles for that price too. Or is it Champagne taste on a beer budget?? hehehehe Are Aurora and Villager puzzle brands in Canada? I'm not familiar with them. And yes, I have seen the video of the grandma reading the Wonky Donkey - hilarious!!! 💜🧩
@@fortheloveofpuzzles They are both new - Villager in the last two years, she is out of Comox on Vancouver Island (I am on the same Island) and Aurora is out of Alaska, and she is still in her pre-ordering phase. Both can be purchased from the company websites, and Villager is available through Puzzles Canada and Puzzle Nerds. I love the artwork in both companies...but I am saving up.
There was nothing wrong with your explanation, it was fine. Soonness puzzles are lovely but very expensive. The UK price is £47 and I don't think that included shipping. £47 is the equivalent of buying three 1000 piece puzzles at £15. Their images are wonderful but not at that price. Great that their customer service was very good. There are puzzle companies whose prices are very high and you need to really, really, really want the puzzle to pay the price asked. Look forward to your next video, hopefully about BOTYP4.
From all the comments, the price is too high for most everyone. We hope to release details for BOTYP IV soon!!! It's got a twist this time!
I think for a gift or a really special puzzle I’d spend that much. I usually get mine used or from Half Price Books, but I can justify an extraordinary puzzle as a collectors item.
Definitely as a gift or a special reason - I would consider spending this much on someone else. I'm glad that I bought one of them for sure and could make a video on it for everyone, but don't think I can justifying one from every PNP event.
I think the limit for 100% funded is 100 puzzles. When I bought the newest puzzle the funded percentage rose 1%.
Oh okay - 100 puzzles does seem like a small run amount to sell. I wonder how many of each puzzle they end up selling on average per run...??
@@fortheloveofpuzzlesI did my order an hour before the funding time ended. Then about 140-160 of each puzzle were funded. They also order some to store so it might be about 200 of each they make totally. 3 different puzzles so it will be about 600 puzzles.
Great video, and I agree with everything you said. Have always wanted to do a Soonness puzzle but the price and shipping cost makes it a difficult decision. I think I would rather spend that amount of money on getting a jigsaw with a larger puzzle piece count or buying multiple jigsaws from a cheaper brand. It looked a lovely puzzle though and the piece shape would have made it fun.
The shapes are so much fun! If you can find one secondhand or at a reduced price, I would definitely suggest buying as you wouldn't be disappointed. I wish I could afford to buy more but am happy that I got to do at least one. 💜🧩
I love SOONNESS and have been a fan since her first set (pre-PNP and pre-random piece cut). I feel these are more in the boutique category which means they’re not meant to be affordable. (That sounds terrible, but like nice perfume or shoes - there’s bargain, quality, and designer). I’ve tried many in this price point and I’ve been much more impressed with them than a couple of others that have had thin pieces, poor fit, false fits, etc. If I pay for a designer puzzle, I want it to feel like a designer puzzle and that has been my experience. That’s why I continue to support them. I appreciate your videos and honest review, but I don’t think it’s fair (not sure that’s the best word here) to consider just the price, the size, and customer service. Designer products aren’t for everyone and honestly they’re not meant to be, but if that’s the target audience then you’d better hit the mark and for me they do. ❤
You are making me think - does pretty much every type of product have a budget, regular and boutique brand??? For example, I love perfumes and have bottles that cost me $5, some were $50 and I have one that well...add another 0 to that last price. I'm familiar with boutique brands in cosmetics and fashion, but I guess it's still somewhat odd to me to think of a boutique jigsaw puzzle. brand. Designer products are definitely not for everyone - you would never catch me spending money on designer shoes but as you read, I have for perfume. And I guess if Soonness is profitable and has their market and customer base stable enough to do so, then they realise not everyone will buy their puzzles and they are okay with that.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles there’s absolutely designer/boutique brands out there! have you seen Michelle Wilson, Jiggy, Pallette, and the ultimate designer puzzles: Lazels (last puzzle was >$800!)?? I think it’s a niche that some are targeting - high end specialty puzzles with a smaller, exclusive audience. ❤
@@katiegrnfld I have only heard of Lazels from that list and I could never justify spending that amount on one of their puzzles. Also, I don't think I would enjoy the puzzling - too small for fiddly for my hands. I'll have to look up the other ones you've mentioned. 💜🧩
Lovely puzzle but too expensive for me. I would love to try one though.
I'm glad that I've done one and can share my experience, but doubt I will be buying another one anytime soon.
Very nice cut!
The price would be ok for a 2000 piece puzzle.
Yes, I agree that I would pay this much for 2k pieces and up.
Here in Australia are 89 dollars to expensive you are right❤
Pricey everywhere then!
Does anyone know if they pay their people livable wages? Sustainability I can understand a higher price point, but if the puzzles are similar in comparable companies, the only other increase I would be willing to pay a higher price point for is worker pay related. Paying for quality, sustainability, and fair equity is cool.
Now I have to do some research.🤔😊
Interesting question... I honestly have no idea. And I also don't have any idea how much they pay an artist for their work. For example, the last PNP used artwork from Rowon - no idea how much they get paid. I would definitely be willing to pay more if I knew the artist were being paid what they felt was fair and livable. 💜🧩
This puzzle looks really cute and fun, also the Prism puzzle looks awesome. I checked for the prices but they are way to expensive for me, would not pay that much for a 1000 pieces puzzle. Too bad since the look really fun and the piece cut looks great and they have awesome images.
Also you can buy multiple puzzles for that money and some big count puzzles as well, for example 9000 pieces Trefl costs less in the online shop. The most I paid for a 1000 piece puzzle was around 25 eur for Paperblanks, they are awesome with with different print feels across the puzzle with some glitter and gold or silver plaiting but are quite pricey. Want all of them 🤣
I must look up Paperblanks as I am not familiar with that brand. I agree - for the amount that I spent on one Soonness, I could buy two from another brand or even one much larger piece count puzzle.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles If you get a chance try them. My favorite brand so far. It's Canadian company btw and they many other very nice things like planers, notebooks and such. All very good quality. It's quite price though.
I don't think anyone is going to call 80$ for a puzzle worth it anywhere. It's understandable that in your currency their puzzles are too pricey. It's like us in the US shopping other area's and paying 50-75$ for shipping, it's bonkers- too much money but sometimes you do it ha!!
I have found every puzzle I have ever had an issue with has fixed it right up if I email the company. Their customer service to me is what any company should do and they do!
oh I forgot to say- in the US Sooness puzzles are 58$ before shipping. 59.75 with "package protection (not sure what that is)" and then 10 in shipping, so 69.75 even in US $!!! WAY too much for me personally even in the states. They do have some in a bundle of 3 puzzles for 130 and that puts them at 43 each before fees and shipping.
@@stacyssassystyles What is "package protection" indeed?? Shouldn't that just come standard with any online purchase? I wonder if there is free shipping on the bundles since that is more than 2 puzzles. But maybe not since they are already discounted.
@@fortheloveofpuzzles agree- the protection should be paying those prices- at least imo haha
I don't have experience with Soonness and like you, the price of the puzzle is a bit too steep for me. Yet I think as a treat every so often wouldn't be too terrible given the quality of the puzzles and how the customer service treats their customer base when issues arise. It really is a crapshoot when it comes to the right answer here.
It is a crapshoot indeed - I agree that there is no one correct answer but just an area for good debate. I do think most have commented that the price is out of their comfort zone to spend on a 1k puzzle.
I've looked at Soonness puzzles and they have some I really like but I just can't justify spending that price. Puzzles are about $5 at my local goodwill and they have a lot of like-new or even brand new ones.
It is difficult to spend that much money on a 1k puzzle. I am glad that I tried the brand though.
Although the puzzle looks great and as you said the customer service and packiging etc. is great, this is truly too out of my price range. This puzzle costs 96 NZD which is like 1340,- CZK, and that is the price I am not able or let's say willing to pay for 1000 piece puzzle. Sorry to say because everything else seems really nice, but if I can get like 13500 pcs Trefl puzzle or 2x6000 pcs puzzle or even as much as 10x1000 pcs puzzles for the same amount or even less money then what is the point? I get that the artist and company itself are not trying to grind the money or so but it is just too high of a price for me personally. Average price for 1000 pc puzzle in Czech Republic is 100 - 350 CZK which is like 7 - 25 NZD. If I like a puzzle I could pay around 600 CZK (43 NZD). The price range of Soonness is just too steep for me and I think for most Czech people. What a shame🤷
That's a great price in the Czech Republic for a 1k puzzle - so cheap compared to here in NZ! I agree, it's difficult to spend this type of money on one 1k puzzle when you could many others from a different brand for the same amount.
There are some puzzles from the brand that are really calling my name, but I'm not in the tax bracket where $60 dollars for a single puzzle is a reasonable amount 😅
It is definitely unaffordable I think for most puzzlers. We have a nice brand that we can get in Australia and New Zealand and their premium versions are $20 NZD for 1k piece - not the same artwork but I can't really justify spending that much more because of the image.
Wow 😮 even in the US that’s pricey to me. I completely understood your explanation. Very clear. I’m sure you felt that it was worth it for you to try their brand once. And maybe you will buy again sometime. So I’m very glad you had a great customer experience. That being said, the puzzle was expensive. Love your videos always.
Definitely worth it to try once and I'm glad that I can share this experience with you all.
I like wonky piece shapes too! I think it really helps in the puzzling process by eliminating options. I also like false edges! I will say I mainly see them in wooden puzzles where it becomes a welcome difficulty increase-r (smaller number of pieces make a quicker puzzling experience but the price is more than a traditional puzzle, so taking longer helps me justify buying.)
Customer service goes a long way with me but when it's a luxury/"want" product like a puzzle, price definitely is a big factor for me. I get charging more for a better quality but that seems like too much.
I checked, the Quilt puzzle is $58 USD, plus $10 shipping. Considering I can get very high quality puzzles, same piece count for $20 and free shipping? Nope, totally would not buy. Also, the warehouses are in China, which means much longer ship times.
I'd say for good customer service I might be willing to pay up to $30 including shipping for a premium product but never $68 (and that doesn't include the almost $2 "insurance" they add on as well, so would be closer to $70).
I agree - it's just too much when there are many other amazing brands with great quality and images out there that sell for much less. 💜🧩
Oh yeah, Soonness is criminally expensive. I bought a bundle of some of their first puzzles at a huge discount and even then they were mindblowingly expensive!
Definitely not going to buy from them again unless they get their prices down. Quality was top notch but I don't like their art *that* much and the inconsistency in piece cut is bothering me. Just pick a piece cut and stick to it, whether it be random cut or grid cut or something else.
Have you also encountered issued with the piece cut? When you write inconsistency, do mean that you have received some puzzles with better quality piece cut than others? Perhaps they have changed their cut over time and I am just not aware. I did love all the crazy shapes in this puzzle.
I have wanted to purchase some for a long time. Right now, the economy in the US is a bit chaotic. Even $46+/- is still up there.🤷🏾♀️
It's definitely not a rpice point for the everyday puzzler - and when times are tough and you just want to puzzle, it's not affordable at this price sadly.
I've never bought or built a Soonness puzzle. Way too expensive. I cannot justify the price. If others have the budget, and love the company, perfect. They obviously have a market for them. I'm not that market, and great customer service doesn't change that.
Other companies have awesome customer service. I had an issue with a Cloudberries puzzle, contacted them and got an amazing response. Cloudberries are less than half the price of Soonness in my world.
Everyone has their favorite companies for their own reasons. Sharing experiences is great, so that others can make informed decisions.
I do think Soonness has a faithful following of buyers - which is good for them. Glad that you had great customer service from Cloudberries. And I must admit, I shouldn't expect great customer service just because of the amount I spent - every company should back their products and provide stellar service when possible. I can get new Clouberries here for $40NZD which is a lot less than what I paid for Soonness - so definitely more affordable.
This is a tough one!!! The image you put together was really nice but not my favourite from Sooness. The colours were so vibrant and the piece cut looked so enjoyable.
For me, the puzzles designed by Rowon are so gorgeous. I would love to buy one (or all) of those but I wouldn't - £47 is not a price I would be willing to pay. The most I have paid for a puzzle in the UK is £24.99 for a 2000 piece and £19.99 for a 1000 piece. In fact, I usually would not buy a puzzle full price.
I would classify Sooness as a high end, luxury puzzle and a part of me feels that some comments have been a little unfair. Part of the appeal of these puzzles surely is the enjoyment and luxury feel of putting it all together.
There are so many companies charging ridiculous prices that people are willing to pay. Apple, for example, do not need to charge as much as they do and yet it bothers me to admit that I have owned an iPod, iPad and iPhone and didn't really 'need' any of them and yet loved the look and quality of them...🤔
I think why maybe a few feel the comments have been unfair is because most people don't think as there being a "boutique" or "high-end" part to the jigsaw puzzle industry. I certainly never thought of it that way. I felt there were budget brands and then standard brands - but now I need to open my mind that there are boutique brands which don't cater to everyone and are outpriced for many. It's just kind of weird that's all. I would agree that Apple is a high-end electronics brand but I am willing to pay for them as I feel I get the return on my investment. I still use my mac I bought in 2014! But maybe for this puzzle, doing it just once, not displaying it as art, it just didn't feel luxurious enough for the price. It's a tough one but I am enjoying reading everyone's thoughts on the matter. I do find the Rowon artwork to be lots of fun and I wish I would have waited for this last PNP to order one of theirs instead.
You are right - I am still using my iPad from 2012 (…I do still feel that Apple are charging ridiculously high prices though) and a puzzle made from cardboard which is possibly built only once does not need to be as expensive as this one is in almost every country.
I just can't spend that much on a puzzle unless its 6,000 pieces. You explained everything well.
I wish I remembered how much I spent on the 6k Clementoni Downtown - loved that puzzle and it was well worth it whatever I did end up paying.
I don't think you need to feel bad! If it's too expensive for you, that's okay. And maybe someday you'll feel differently! Personally I completely understand the high price--keeping a small business running is hard and it costs extra to put in sustainable measures and pay employees and artists well. But also as a consumer, it's too expensive for me. I just don't make enough money to spend that much on puzzles! I don't hold it against the company, but it's just not in my price range for my life at the moment.
It's kind of like I can't justify spending money on certain fragrances/perfumes - it's just a bit weird to be that we now have like boutique jigsaw puzzle brands. Same here, won't hold it against the company, just difficult to keep buying from them.
Even in the US, at $58, they're pretty pricey to me. But I bought a few on sale and loved them. So I would consider getting these as a special occasion. I got "Marching Spring" and "Avant Garde Arcs" because I loved the images. It does feel good, too, to support a more independent company and artists, especially with the good customer service!
I'll have to go look up those images as I am not familiar with them. And yes, it does feel good to support smaller independent companies - it's just may be out of many people's price range sadly.
I am from Hungary, a small country in Europe. The puzzles cost 21000 Ft, which is about twice as much as most puzzles in the shops. I feel like, they are expensive, but they look really enjoyable. I would like to try one someday, but as you sad, it would need to be for something special.
I do think a lot of people would love to try them and I know most would love them! I tell people if you see one secondhand or discounted, snatch it up! But it is difficult to justify spending the equivalent of two or three puzzles on just one.
Yeah, $89 Australian dollars at the moment, and free shipping with 2 puzzles. I love the quilt design but too steep for me...
Even to get free shipping and spend that amount for two 1k puzzles, it's not in most people's budgets. They do have some lovely artwork though.
I ordered the Cubes puzzle and had a different issue with the cut. I didn't have shards, but many of the pieces had very thin connections that I found concerning, and a couple were even broken. I reached out to Soon and she replied immediately (on a Saturday!) and explained that the dies shifted, and she sent me a replacement puzzle. I received the replacement quickly and just finished completing the puzzle yesterday. I even compared some of the pieces that were affected the most and there is a huge difference. I really enjoyed assembling the puzzle, and the quality is amazing as well as the customer service.
Oh no!!! Looks like they had a few problems with this print run then. Glad you got such amazing customer service as well. I feel bad knowing that they had issues with this PNP as I'm sure that would really disappoint them. Perhaps they may need to look into a different manufacturer. The Cubes one looked quite tricky - glad you enjoyed it.