Reviews Tokyo Otaku Mode

Buying from TOM is a mistake, they used to have good deals, now it's just one misleading sale after another, and they claim 7-10 days to get an item shipped from Japan, but try more like 22-25 days. This retailer has genuine merchandise and a good selection, but their shipping options are poor, their customer service is borderline, and their shipping warehouse in the US will poorly pack your items and get them damaged. Do yourself a favor and check ami ami - big bad toy store or solaris before you buy from TOM, all much better options. I HAVE MADE MY LAST PURCHASE FROM TOM, HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS SOMEONE ELSE, DONT DO IT!

Bought a figure from them beginning of April, today is already April 25th and they have not shipped it yet. Keeps telling me different excuses that there is a delay in shipment with Japan Post even though when I buy from AmiAmi using Japan Post, they are able to ship it out with no problems.

Definitely not buying from TOM again and definitely would not recommend doing business with them.

They are overpriced and appeal to masses with a convoluted coupons and points system. And each time I maneuver the website or even go to checkout, they try to upsell on buying ‘Premium,’ a subscription. Then, once you’ve bought premium they give another sales pitch to update from monthly to an annual subscription. I’m just angry right now. They are just as high as any local shop seller in my country except they offer bare minimum FAQS and less customer service support.

They have a no preorder cancellation policy but supposedly for instock items IF you’re quick enough a cancellation is allowed. They also charge in full for preorders in advance.

Anyway, I was suckered into getting the premium subscription at checkout and all these bogus discounts pop up (along with a welcome $3 off coupon they constantly harass your email inbox about) only to be put back at…the advertised price. The points from after my purchase were pennies based on what I spent to go towards any future purchase and a measly 10% coupon.

Also, take note, if you pay with PayPal on this site at checkout and accept the ‘Premium’ subscription with your order their site will prompt for you to put in a card for the total purchase and a second form of payment for the subscription. If you used two different cards and took them up on the free trial, whatever card you used LAST gets charged in full. The payment will process quickly under a ‘billing agreement’ where it’s preauthorized. I called PayPal quickly about the error and my bank. Nothing could be done because of the billing agreement and funds quickly being processed. PayPal responded they pride themselves on fast payments and I basically don’t understand the process. On my end, It wasn’t fraud either and not worth the chargeback. And the only options to edit after checkout is you address. I’m really just drained.

The shipping options on the site are also a joke. They offer a USA and Japan warehouse, and the details page gives details on the arrival date and which warehouse the item comes from. When I attempted to put any items like prize figures in my cart no free shipping or bundled shipping was offered. A shipping price was given for EACH item.

I’m really not impressed by this shop and expected more given its popularity. I will praise their inventory managment and easy cancellation if you do chose their ‘Premium’ subscription. That is all.


I cannot attest to if they will charge after the free trial because I canceled the card. I don’t trust their business practices with all the hoops I went through with this first purchase and do not recommend.

I've never had any issues with TOM until this year. The last 2 figures I have received were 1/4 bunny figures, Nakiri Alice and Shion. Both of these were packed well.

When I took the figure box out however, it was clear someone had opened the box from the bottom due to clear creasing.

Absolutely disgusting practice from these guys. One time, ok, I'll take whatever excuses are given, now another.

Definitely not paying retail for "new" opened figures from these clowns anymore.

I haven't used TOM in over a year, but I was a frequent customer from early 2018 to (roughly) 2020, to early 2021. This mostly just going to be a short review. I can't speak for how they have ran things in the past two years (later 2020, '21, and '22) but I'll give my experience based on the past.

I wouldn't use their service unless they're an extreme last resort. Even as a US customer I felt cheated out of paying a lot for a certain scale that only they and a few other places stocked, as they were the only partners the manufacturer had. Using a JP retailer as a US customer feels way more worth it if you're just ordering once every blue moon. While many take advantage of their points system, I feel that the difference to actually get those points isn't worth it.

Their packaging is OK. It was sometimes a bit overkill though, and its a pretty big deal if they over package small items like a nendoroid or prize figure, since in the past they've asked me multiple times to pay a difference in shipping. It wasn't cheap either.

Their customer service does answer pretty often, but they are so completely clueless themselves, nor can they help in actually giving you an answer at times that I feel like I was talking to a wall. I would ask a lot about when/if things would delay, besides other pretty important matters, and they'd always always help; but they also had their uncertainties that honestly didn't make it worth it to purchase from them.

For their in-stock items, I don't think with current inflation, and their already higher prices before the pandemic, that I can recommend them. Any standard JP retailer as a US customer at the moment is a better deal. It's barely different of a grand total if you have to pay a higher shipping cost.

For preorders, I can't speak for what they offer nowadays, but they do sometimes stock things that some JP retailers do not. That is truly the only benefit their store has. Aniplex is a partner with them, and they carry exclusive POs/restocks, so that's good; but it's also ... probably the same price ... as buying from JP, even after all the fees a proxy (if you had to buy it from an exclusive site) would throw onto you.

I feel like I'm repeating myself (sorry).

I think that's all I have to really say about their service, so I'll conclude my review here.