Company vs. Dealer

I generally prefer ordering direct from the company, myself, unless I want to use layaway and the company doesn't offer it directly. It's generally a faster turnaround time, and many of the companies I like don't offer dolls via dealers anyway. However, I have used dealers a few times in the past, and have always had good experiences from them.

 

I prefer from the dealer when it comes to the money, since it has the potential to save on duty for me if I bring the dolls over the border on my own.
However, having been in the waiting room for Fairyland for a few weeks now it's obvious that those who order from the company get them faster, which makes sense. So for those with less patience and more dough, or don't live in an area that will allow them to try to save on duty, then I guess the company is the way to go.

 

I've ordered a couple of times through dealers, but I tend to order directly from companies more because while one dealer I've worked with has been excellent, another dealer... well. I'm not sure if I'm unlucky or not, but every time I ordered through them, something arrived broken or missing or...

I think the double-handling when it comes to shipping means it's more likely that a doll will get broken in transit, too.

But if a website is in a language other than english, or if I'm ordering things from multiple companies at once, I think it's easier to go through a dealer because it condenses all of your costs into one handy package.

 

I much prefer ordering directly from the company. I've never bought a doll through a dealer, and I honestly can't see what would entice me to do so. I've had nothing but good experiences buying dolls directly from Soom and Pipos (and Leekeworld for wigs), and I don't believe in fixing what isn't broken.

 

I have bought from both. If I need the layaway time, I will go through a dealer. It is cheaper in shipping costs as well. However, there are some things that I can only get from the company, so that is where I go. I don't mind waiting. The other thing about buying from a local dealer is if the BJD company goes belly up, I have recourse to get my money back.

I don't mind waiting 6 months for the doll to arrive if that is my layaway term. It allows me manage my budget/addiction a little easier.

 

If a dealer had what I wanted, then I wouldn't mind ordering through them to save on shipping. But under most circumstances, I would prefer to directly order from the company. I've ordered from five different companies so far, some of them more than once, and I've experienced good customer service overall. I would consider going through a dealer in the future if they dealt with a company that I wanted to purchase from.

 

So far I have bought direct twice and from a dealer, DDE, three times. On one occasion my order to DIM didn't go through when I made it directly the first time so I reorded through DDE. I feel safer dealing with a dealer in my country than buying direct sometimes. Right now if one wants a Doll Chateau Ada/ Russell hybrid DDE seems to be the simplest way to get it. Some companies don't use dealers or only have some things available through DDE, in which case it's better to order direct.

 

I am very scared of customs tbh... that's why I ordered my first doll through Angelesque. It also seemed that is not much more expensive, I don't need to do anything, and if something happens they will deal with the company for me. I wouldn't mind otherwise going directly to the company, but I don't want to pay 80€ or 100€ to rescue her or having to deal with some lower price on the package that they don't accept etc etc...

 

I prefer buying from dealers since they are more likely to have my item in stock, sites are usually easier to navigate, owners speak English fluently and shipping is usually a lot less. That being said, I really don't mind
ordering directly from a company if it's the only option, the site is well managed and the customer service speaks English fairly fluently.

 

It depends. If I need a layaway and the company does not have a layaway plan I'll go through a dealer. If the doll I want is in stock at a dealer of course I'll order it. But I usually prefer to deal directly with the "company." Most of my dolls (aside from my Volks dolls) are made by a single doll artist who sculpts, paints, markets and sells. It's nice to be able to chat with my doll's creator while waiting for her to be made

 

I ordered my first doll from Angelesque too, for pretty much the same reasons Hybris mentioned. Customs, returns, support. And it costs about the same. I also ordered a couple of other things through Angelesque at the same time, which saves having to place multiple orders with multiple companies.

 

I prefer to order through a dealer, unless it's going to make the wait much longer. Often, I can do layaway with a dealer that I can't with a company, shipping is often much lower, if I have a problem, communication is easier and sometimes I want to buy clothes and accessories for the doll at the same time and not all companies have styles I like, which dealers usually have more variety.

That being said, the only dealer I really like to work with is MintOnCard, so if I can't get it through them, I'll generally go straight to the company.

 

with companies you know for sure your doll is legit. My favorite dolls are heavy targets for recasts so I can't trust dealers. (even respected ones) the risk is too high.

 

I prefer to buy a dealer authorized by the company to avoid customs and any transportation problems.

 

I generally prefer to order directly from the company, but part of that was because companies are more likely to mark down their packages for customs purposes - now that I've moved to the US (where dolls aren't taxed), that's no longer a particular benefit to me.

I do think that buying in-stock dolls from dealers in your own country makes solid sense since you save yourself the waiting time and cut your shipping costs.

 

I'm looking for the best deal and the best way to get the doll I want.

Sometimes you have to go to the Company site to get certain dolls. Even if there is an agent, sometimes you can only get certain choices directly from the company.

If all is the same, choice-wise, I'll go for the best deal-- Usually the shipping costs are best using a domestic agent. Not always, but usually. So I don't see why I shouldn't save some money and order through an agent.

Time-wise, it might take a bit longer to order through a domestic agent--BUT, since I usually like layaways, that doesn't matter to me. I'll go for the best layaway deal and the best shipping deal.

Most of the time I order from the Company. I feel a bit more secure about getting what I want from them, and sometimes if there is a problem it is easier when you buy direct instead of working through the agent. That's rare, though. But it helps my peace of mind to order from the Company.

But DDE and MOC and FFD and others... I've ordered through them, too.

 

I go with companies. For example, If I can get a certain company at Angelesque (UK Dealer), I'll definitely go for it. If not Angelesque, I'll go through an american dealer, either MoC or DDE. My final step is to go direct through the company if I can't do any of the above.

 

Wow--I'm surprised about the recast issue, Czechmix! I'm sure that's always an issue, but any legitimate dealer would never risk his or her reputation by selling recasts from any company, especially not if the dealer is endorsed by the company directly.

I find some dolls are nearly impossibly to find except through dealers, when you're in the US and have limited language skills, so I use mint on card for Xagadoll and Asleep Eidelon, and Junkyspot for Limhwa. Plus, sometimes, you (well, maybe it's just me) need an immediate, in-stock fix, and these dealers plus Denver Doll and Fabric Friends and Dolls have just what I need. As long as you can the retail price, and pay the same cost (or less) in shipping, that's a good way to go. But if I can, I too prefer the company direct, so I can take advantage of frequent shopper points and faster shipping.

The queen bee does not like to wait!

 

I'd prefer to order from a dealer, just because the price might be higher but I'm sure I won't assume any custom fees, which are ridiculously expensive ~

I've heard a story about a dealer actually selling a recasted body as a legit (and at legit price, of course). So just make sure the dealer can be trusted before you order and there should be no problem.