A Year of The Maple Box

Start: Summer 2022

End: Spring 2023

Total Spent: $501.76 including tax

Total Value: ~$800 before tax

Unlike most subscription boxes, The Maple Box does not do a lot of communicating. There are no annoying requests for feedback, or selling add-ons, no newsletters, or really anything. It’s basically radio silence. There aren’t even shipping updates. When I sent an e-mail in mid-February asking where the winter box was, as there was clearly a delay, they said it would be sent soon and that I’d be getting a shipping update. Of course I didn’t. The only shipping notifications I received were when I first ordered, and on May 30. I think the last one was to show that my subscription had been fulfilled, but there was no context.

I don’t like it when you don’t get notified when you’re on your last package, and I hate autorenew. As someone who tried out 20 different Canadian subscription box companies this past year, it can get a little unwieldy keeping track of everything, even with my handy dandy spreadsheet. So not only did Maple not notify me that my subscription had ended and that my renewal as coming up, but they just went ahead and charged my credit card. This feels a bit violating. I know it’s part of the terms, but that doesn’t make it nice. Because my credit card had been defrauded in the fall, the purchase didn’t go through, so I had an opportunity to choose not to resubscribe. I had some thoughts, looked back at everything I received over the past year and decided to try again.

Resubscribe: Yes

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5 Best Products of Summer 2022 – Spring 2023

My top 5 favourite products this year:

• The nicest spray I’ve ever used on my face – Summer 2022
• A really great supplement that is difficult to find – Fall 2022
• A very comfy, if a little transparent, silk sleep mask – Winter 2023
• The cutest dryer balls in existence – Spring 2023
• A very pleasant and nice-smelling face cleanser – Spring 2023

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5 Worst Products of Summer 2022 – Spring 2023

My 5 least liked products this year:

• The most ridiculous toothbrush in existence – Summer 2022
• Overpriced lip thing that is useless – Summer 2022
• The tiny campfire you can’t use indoors, but is really too small to use outdoors – Fall 2022
• A bad-tasting spray to make you relax – Winter 2023
• Possibly the most disgusting bars we’ve ever eaten – Spring 2023