In a plain brown wrapper, please.
May 17, 2010 12:18 PM Subscribe
Who will discreetly ship sex toys and not sell my name and address to everyone?
For the first time ever, I am about to pull the trigger on some mail order sex toys, but would really like some advice on vendors who ship discreetly and are not going to sell my name and address out.
I'd really rather not do this and start finding all sorts of oddball ads and catalogs in the mailbox. Am I over-worried here? I spent a few bucks to send a mail-order fruit basket one time and was getting paper-catalogs from that company for years afterward. Ditto for Pepperidge Farm.
In the grand scheme of things, I'm buying some pretty plain vanilla stuff. Nothing particularly out there or exotic. This being my first time,though, I'd like to hear some recommendations. Am leaning towards Smitten Kitten, FWIW.
For the first time ever, I am about to pull the trigger on some mail order sex toys, but would really like some advice on vendors who ship discreetly and are not going to sell my name and address out.
I'd really rather not do this and start finding all sorts of oddball ads and catalogs in the mailbox. Am I over-worried here? I spent a few bucks to send a mail-order fruit basket one time and was getting paper-catalogs from that company for years afterward. Ditto for Pepperidge Farm.
In the grand scheme of things, I'm buying some pretty plain vanilla stuff. Nothing particularly out there or exotic. This being my first time,though, I'd like to hear some recommendations. Am leaning towards Smitten Kitten, FWIW.
Good Vibrations.
- Their boxes are extremely plain (the return address says something incredibly vague-yet-wholesome like "Better Health Products").
- They don't spam you with special offers or deals, and only contact you about your pending order. Once it's complete, you're done. They don't sell your info.
- Great products, great selection, and lots of good tips and advice from the staff.
posted by Mendl at 12:25 PM on May 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
- Their boxes are extremely plain (the return address says something incredibly vague-yet-wholesome like "Better Health Products").
- They don't spam you with special offers or deals, and only contact you about your pending order. Once it's complete, you're done. They don't sell your info.
- Great products, great selection, and lots of good tips and advice from the staff.
posted by Mendl at 12:25 PM on May 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
i've never gotten weird mailings from ordering sex toys online - i've ordered from small custom shops all the way up to adam and eve.
this page will answer you questions as it pertains to toys in babeland. i usually suggest good vibrations as well, but i couldn't find this same sort of copy on their site.
posted by nadawi at 12:26 PM on May 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
this page will answer you questions as it pertains to toys in babeland. i usually suggest good vibrations as well, but i couldn't find this same sort of copy on their site.
posted by nadawi at 12:26 PM on May 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have had good luck with Extreme Restraints (which sells a lot of vanilla toys), Smitten Kitten, Babeland, and a number of kinky toy vendors.
I was sold only once, by Adam & Eve. When contacted they promptly took me off their email and mail lists.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:26 PM on May 17, 2010
I was sold only once, by Adam & Eve. When contacted they promptly took me off their email and mail lists.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:26 PM on May 17, 2010
I've had great experiences with JT's Stockroom shipping things quickly and responding to emails. I've shopped in the store at Purple Passion and they have a really amazing staff, I'd trust them completely.
posted by jardinier at 12:33 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by jardinier at 12:33 PM on May 17, 2010
The Smitten Kitten (like Babeland) is another good, sex-positive, feminist toy shop. Here is their privacy page.
posted by gregglind at 1:05 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by gregglind at 1:05 PM on May 17, 2010
I found out last week that Amazon sells a crap load of sex toys.
posted by nooneyouknow at 1:06 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by nooneyouknow at 1:06 PM on May 17, 2010
You know who else sells sex toys online?
The wife and I have ordered from Babeland and Good Vibrations (IIRC) and, being as I work from home and thus get the mail, my reaction 100% of the time has been, "What the fuck is this random package? Why are these people I've never heard of sending us presents?" Discrete, in other words.
And no respectable, woman-friendly sex shop has given us any trouble unless the amish supply store sold us out to the aforementioned pervy fuckers.
(A note to anyone from the aforementioned who checks the referrer logs: This is a sarcasm-friendly community and my remarks will be interpreted, rightly, in a positive way. Good on y'all!)
posted by stet at 1:42 PM on May 17, 2010
The wife and I have ordered from Babeland and Good Vibrations (IIRC) and, being as I work from home and thus get the mail, my reaction 100% of the time has been, "What the fuck is this random package? Why are these people I've never heard of sending us presents?" Discrete, in other words.
And no respectable, woman-friendly sex shop has given us any trouble unless the amish supply store sold us out to the aforementioned pervy fuckers.
(A note to anyone from the aforementioned who checks the referrer logs: This is a sarcasm-friendly community and my remarks will be interpreted, rightly, in a positive way. Good on y'all!)
posted by stet at 1:42 PM on May 17, 2010
Be very careful about Amazon!!! I harmlessly purchased a mild erotica book a few years ago, and for a long while after that, whenever I called up the home page, it would say in big letters, "since you recently purchased --, you may also enjoy..." followed by a long list.
posted by Melismata at 1:43 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by Melismata at 1:43 PM on May 17, 2010
I was a little embarrassed when Good Vibrations put me on their mailing list to receive their catalog, though I'm not sure why I was concerned about my mailman's perception of our sex life. The cover had lots of pictures of their wares so it wasn't discreet and apparently my prudish side is alive and well when it comes to members of the postal service.
Drugstore.com also has a pretty big selection.
@Melismata: As for Amazon.com's "since you recently browsed/purchased" suggestions, you can easily delete your browsing history and designate any purchases as "Do not use for recommendations". Handy.
posted by cecic at 1:55 PM on May 17, 2010
Drugstore.com also has a pretty big selection.
@Melismata: As for Amazon.com's "since you recently browsed/purchased" suggestions, you can easily delete your browsing history and designate any purchases as "Do not use for recommendations". Handy.
posted by cecic at 1:55 PM on May 17, 2010
As a Minneapolis lady, I have to go up to bat for Smitten Kitten! Feminist-friendly, progressive, and perfectly discreet!
posted by superlibby at 2:43 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by superlibby at 2:43 PM on May 17, 2010
To me, Eden Fantasys is the Amazon-style website of sex toys. They have reviews and actual size photos (that are adjustable to your monitor resolution), they have a number system for noise and intensity level, material safety ratings, pretty much anything you would need to know without seeing it in person. Everything I've ordered has been shipped in nondescript boxes and I've never received any random mail from them.
posted by FreezBoy at 3:01 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by FreezBoy at 3:01 PM on May 17, 2010
Adam and Eve sold my email address immediately, though that was 7-8 years ago so it's always possible they've reformed. I suspect Babes in Toyland might've done the same, but that one wasn't verifiable.
Amazon (including several Marketplace vendors), Eden Fantasys [sic] and Good Vibrations have been discreet and reliable. No unexpected mailings. When I suscribed to EF's glossy magazine, SexIs, even that arrived in an envelope from some nondescript address.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 3:09 PM on May 17, 2010
Amazon (including several Marketplace vendors), Eden Fantasys [sic] and Good Vibrations have been discreet and reliable. No unexpected mailings. When I suscribed to EF's glossy magazine, SexIs, even that arrived in an envelope from some nondescript address.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 3:09 PM on May 17, 2010
No problems with either Blowfish or Good Vibrations.
posted by plinth at 3:37 PM on May 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by plinth at 3:37 PM on May 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
I believe there was a recent kerfluffle about Adam and Eve on consumerist - catalog without wrapper, etc. I've used Blowfish without problems for several years, at various addresses, had no problems w/r/t discreteness.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 4:38 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 4:38 PM on May 17, 2010
Babeland (as mentioned above) is fabulous! Not only is their packaging discreet, their billing is even discreet. The name that will show up on your credit card bill is vague and almost impossible to trace back to them by googling alone. I know this because I once called my credit card company, concerned about what this mysterious charge on my bill was. It took me and the girl at mastercard quite a while to figure it out, working together. And then I was really glad that she, too, thought it was funny.
posted by dizziest at 7:24 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by dizziest at 7:24 PM on May 17, 2010
Come As You Are (bricks-and-mortar store in Toronto, Canada) is excellent, and the packaging for shipping is very discreet. Their Privacy Policy is at this link.
posted by purlgurly at 8:48 PM on May 17, 2010
posted by purlgurly at 8:48 PM on May 17, 2010
i've ordered from several different companies (good vibrations, adam and eve, mypleasure) and not a single one had their name on the outside package. they also had a code name that appeared on my credit card. any sex toy company half worth its salt is very discreet.
posted by dithmer at 4:56 PM on May 18, 2010
posted by dithmer at 4:56 PM on May 18, 2010
forgot to add:
just pick whatever website you want to order from and check the faq. more likely than not they'll mention their shipping and billing practices.
posted by dithmer at 4:57 PM on May 18, 2010
just pick whatever website you want to order from and check the faq. more likely than not they'll mention their shipping and billing practices.
posted by dithmer at 4:57 PM on May 18, 2010
Mod note: From the OP:
Went with TSK, in case anyone is wondering, thanks.posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:06 PM on May 20, 2010
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