The Celebration Box which arrived was not what we were promised.

OPINION: Insta-famous entrepreneur Iyia Liu's dessert box company Celebration Box left a sour taste for some customers.

Complaints about late deliveries, or boxes arriving that weren't as advertised, even went as far as to the Commerce Commission.

Celebration Box sells gift boxes online, which are filled with packaged and loose confectionery and doughnuts. And the price for these sweet treats? You can grab a sugar-laden box for between $40 and nearly $100.

Liu, who shot to fame after nabbing an endorsement from Kylie Jenner for her Waist Trainer, blamed the issues on high demand.

So Stuff decided to try the company out, and test whether it delivered on its promises.

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CELEBRATIONBOX.CO.NZ Celebration Box 'For the Girls' retails for $70.

After some tense negotiations (come on, who doesn't want to try the Throwback from the 90s) we ordered the 'For the Girls' box which retails for $74 (with an additional $5 for shipping).

Extras like chocolate-filled syringes, more doughnuts and a teddy bear cost anywhere between $4 to $15 more.

It was ordered for September 18, the week prior, so we could celebrate a pretend birthday together over our box of pink goodness.

The company states on its website deliveries could arrive between 9am and 5pm on the selected date, or one day after. And indeed, our box arrived a day late, and missed our hypothetical "celebration". Sad. (A notification email stated the order had been dispatched on September 19.)

So the company definitely stuck to its word there.

But what was the box like?

DANIELLE CLENT Stuff ordered a Celebration Box and it wasn't what was promised.

It was well packaged and tamper-proof, and it it lived up to its online picture in terms of impact; almost immediately we started to pick out bits we wanted to eat first.

But what arrived was not what was promised. On its website the box promised "six assorted doughnuts and cronuts, a large Nutella jar or three Nutella minis and fresh flowers".

Our box included five doughnuts and one 'cronut', three milk bars, a handful of other chocolates and a generous scattering of milk bottle and milk shake lollies.

But it lacked the Nutella and flowers and the raspberry licorice chocolate logs that were pictured.

The doughnuts and lollies were delivered in a hard cardboard box secured with tissue and tape.

A Stuff reporter said the doughnuts were "dry but delicious".

DANIELLE CLENT Our box lacked the Nutella and flowers and the raspberry licorice chocolate logs that were pictured.

While anybody could DIY a Celebration Box, what customers are really paying for is convenience.

But for $74 when what is promised does not arrive in its entirety or on time, it's no surprise customers would get mad.

In case, like us, a box was a bit of stretch to the budget, here's how much it would cost to make your own 'For the Girls' box:

- A packet of five doughnuts: $5.60 or 13 pack: $3.

- A milky bar: $3 or mini 11 pack $3.50

- Ferrero Rocher five pack: $4.50

- Party mix lollies: $2

- Zombie chews: $1

- Pinky bar: 80 cents

- Chupa Chups lollipop: 55c

- Gold coins: $2

- One K Bar: 75c

- Twix: $1

- Hubba Bubba four pack: $3

Plus what was advertised and didn't come:

- Flowers: Your backyard (or maybe the neighbour's)

- Raspberry licorice chocolate log bag: $3

- Cake box: $2

With the almost exact replicas of what came in the box (plus what didn't come) the grand total came to $29.2.

Less than half of what we paid for.

The verdict?

It was an impressive sight when we opened up the lid; the treats were well presented and in good condition; although this was an Auckland order so it hadn't travelled that far.

Despite ordering well in advance of the day our 'birthday' was missed, which would have been disappointing if we'd ordered it for real.

Save your money and spend it on a more thoughtful collation of treats for whoever you want to celebrate. Or order the box. But there is a lazy tax applied.