Does seeing so many companies have 'issues' make you worry more when purchasing BJDs?

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?
Yes. I just prefer to deal with people / companies that can keep their promises and should anything happen, would be willing to solve the problem. I have avoided Soom for a long time when I heard that some customers waited for 7-9 months just to get a doll. I took the plunge only after having made sure that the service had improved - and had a great experience with them.
I tend to avoid new companies, unless it's a sculpt I really, really like and would like to add to my collection. Even then, I try to get a head instead of the full doll ^_^;

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?
The time stated in their ToS is the time I am ready to wait. If it takes longer, I expect some sort of update with the reasons and possible shipping dates.
3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?
Not really - I trust companies I know and those that get positive reviews, and avoid those that are experiencing problems.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?

I've always been the type of person who enjoys doing extensive research on my hobbies, so from the very beginning I've been extremely cautious, having read about problems with certain companies early on. Our family simply can't afford to throw good money into the wind, so it's my personal responsibility to see that doesn't happen. I'm extremely strict about it too. I decided early on that I wouldn't deal directly with any overseas companies, thereby reducing the risk. Once I found out about Denver Doll Emporium and the marketplace here, I felt I just didn't need to do so...what would be the point? I've always been able to find exactly what I want in one of those two venues. (And you can be sure that any purchase I've made in the DoA marketplace has been prefaced with thorough research into the member's feedback as well!)

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?

I'm so strict about this that I won't even pre-order a doll from Bobobie at DDE because they take so long. (Instead I'll only purchase what is "in stock" from this particular company.) Here's a perfect example of how delayed shipping can go horribly wrong. Long, long ago BBB's green resin was a lovely soft shade of minty green, and I ordered one through DDE with thoughts of making her a little garden fairy. Nearly 5 months later, she finally arrived...and in the interim, BBB had completely changed their green mix to a bright frog-colored yellow green! I had to box her right back up and sell her immediately because that color didn't fit into my plans at all!

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?

How could it not? From the very beginning I've heard about the occasional problems. DDE used to preorder CCC dolls, and I'd considered getting one...but I found out what was going on in my preliminary research and that nixed it for me immediately. Even with preorders though a reputable shop like DDE, I make sure I only order dolls from rock solid companies with excellent reputations. I know DDE would make good on a preorder regardless, but I want to know for sure I can actually get the doll without having to worry about any issues. A nice relaxing wait is something that is very important to me.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly i.e. wait times and product quality before purchasing?
Oh, goodness yes. I have to know everything about everything before I go to buy something. I enjoy finding information on things I am interested in and like being educated beforehand so I don’t have to ask the questions everyone asks over and over because I’ll already know.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?
No, not really. I’ve only purchased Resinsoul dolls first hand because I trust them wholeheartedly. My first doll I ordered from them took only two and a half weeks to ship out while the second one that I ordered during the Christmas rush only took thirty days to ship. I’ve never worried about getting a doll from them. I try to find everything else second hand if I can help it. It’s usually because it’s cheaper to do it that way, but I do plan on getting some dolls from other companies someday when they have a really good sale that makes buying a doll directly worth it! I will only order from a company I feel very comfortable with, one with glowing feedback because I don’t want to have to deal with anything nasty.

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?
No, Resinsoul only impresses me. They are just wonderful to deal with, extremely helpful, and have always really listened to their customers. I really cannot say enough good things about them!
They’re the only company I trust at this point so I don’t have any experience with anything bad happening with a company. I know there are many companies I will never buy from because of the stuff they’ve pulled, but I’ve never had that happen with any company that I own dolls of, Resinsoul, Planetdoll, and Iplehouse.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?
I try to research any company and individual I'll be buying from. I'll check the feedback on both, and make sure to pay extra close attention to any negative feedback. I want to see if it's a one-time thing, or if it's consistent. For example, my two newest purchases of Dollzone and Soom. I checked Dollzone's feedback from the previous year (ordering end of year last year) to the present. Of course, I was checking wait times, but still. It helped me prepare for what I might find. As with Soom, I read their entire feedback (not separated into years), and what I read put me on guard and prepared me.

I'll admit, sometimes in the rush of buying a new doll, I don't always check first. But I generally deal with established companies, but it's a habit I'm trying to get into, big time.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?
Mm, I've only dealt with companies twice myself, and my girlfriend three times. All established companies, and all with excellent customer service. Their wait times were about average for me... With DZ, I checked, and re-checked, and generally gave myself a math-headache averaging out the wait times and counting the days and business days. With Soom, I'm being a bit more laid back (not that long into my wait), and haven't yet started doing that. However, I check their feedback and Waiting Room threads and see how long people had to wait, and comparing that to previous wait times.

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?
Mmm, I always hold myself in a kind of cynical bubble when dealing with any individual or company, and not just with buying things. While I don't think it'll happen to some of the companies I deal with, or plan to deal with, I also don't expect a perfectly smooth transaction with any company. As said, I'm cynical. These companies are businesses, and they will try to keep our business. To quote from my very first job: "our customers write our paychecks." Just because we aren't their main custom doesn't mean they want to alienate us. While the examples above make me sad and just frustrated in general (to say nothing of how those affected feel), I won't judge every doll company by those standards. I also won't say that those examples haven't colored my opinion, in the sense that it's put me on guard for possible instances.


And I'll just say, it's sad when business screw us over like that. It can ruin the hobby for their victims, and make the rest of us that much more suspicious of new companies trying to make their way, and unlikely to buy from them.

 

I find it kind of interesting that a number of people have said "I don't worry much because I only order from reputable companies." Even in the four years I've been in the hobby, I've seen the fall (or temporary hiatus) of supposedly reputable companies plenty of times...from the great Luts fiasco of 2007, where they had to stop offering faceups at all for a few months in order to get through their backlog of delayed orders and clothes/accessories that had been ordered by one customer and sold to another (since which time they've been great as far as I know), to the aforementioned DollFair breakdown, where a previously reputable distributor went haywire who knows why, and the previously reputable sculptor didn't exactly distinguish himself subsequently either.



I don't so much research a company I'm about to buy from as try to stay at least a little abreast of current events in the doll world. By the time I ever buy a Narae doll, who knows if anybody will still be talking about last year's issues? But if I do decide to buy from Bimong, I'm glad I know about this episode in the history of the company.

Once I order a doll, or sometimes when I'm still planning the order, I do join the company wait room, look at box opening threads, and read the doll's size-specific discussion thread if it exists. If I wasn't reading the waiting room for Luts back in 2007, I wouldn't have known that people were waiting more than the stated 45 days, I wouldn't have put 2 and 2 together from things a number of people had said, and I wouldn't have contacted the company to say "is my doll delayed because X wig I bought is now out of stock and you're waiting until it's back in stock before sending my doll?" (They ended up refunding me the price of that wig and sending the doll a day or two later...I used the store credit in 2008 to buy...the same wig. ) I think the company feedback threads and waiting rooms are an absolutely invaluable resource here on DoA.

I've been fortunate enough never to get caught in a significantly longer than expected wait. My Luts doll, I now realize, was barely delayed - just a couple of weeks longer than the stated time. My Soom Faery Legend took longer, but because I know the company's history, that they had shockingly long waits but have now cleaned up their act, I wasn't worried. As I approach the end of my expected wait, I am slightly more likely to ask the company for an estimate on when they will ship my doll, but I try to phrase it as politely as possible, and if they say "three more weeks," I sit back to wait three more weeks. I often don't have to ask, though, since in a waiting room there might be three or four other people who ordered the same doll around the same time as me, so if just one of us asks, I take the answer to apply to me as well. I'm a lot more comfortable waiting when the company is communicative, whether through official bulletins as seen with some of the Soom monthlies, or in direct response to customers. "We have a high volume of orders right now and may take extra time to process" goes a long way with me. No response does not.

As far as general trust in doll companies goes, mine has definitely taken a hit in 4 years. My first doll was ordered pretty much blind (although I did have 3 friends who'd ordered from them within 6 months and had good experiences) and I don't foresee that happening again. But in general, the effect I feel is more a desire to get my finances in order such that I can buy dolls sooner rather than later, because who knows what company will be the next FelixDoll, blithely sending out great products one minute and declaring bankruptcy the next?

 

But the logic still stands. If you purchase from a company whose reputation you know has heretofore been solid, then they ARE always a safer bet than a company whose reputation is dodgy, or whose track-record is still too insufficient to be judged. Nobody's saying that service-hiccups never happen, even to companies with reputations for good service. All online purchases are a gamble. It just causes less worry to purchase from a more reputable company, whose methods you and/or your peers are already accustomed to.

If one withdraws one's business from all decent companies, out of fear that they may someday go bad, one will just have to content oneself with the secondhand market (and its even less-guaranteed service). I personally cannot imagine shooting myself in the foot like that, & purposefully cutting off so many avenues of good shopping, because I think life is too short to live in fear.... but hard-liners may not mind.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?

The very first company I purchased from was Volks. When it was still 'new'. But my doll came remarkably fast (In less than a month!) and was perfect. My dealings with them have made me much more open to dealing with 'new' and fresh-start companies. For example, I ordered from one of the new Chinese companies (Illusion Spirit) around Christmas. I've been waiting for my doll from them five months. >Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot of information on them to find.
Usually, I stalk feedback threads and waiting rooms. I'll read off-site reviews. I do my homework. Extensively.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?

After about two months, I begin to get antsy. That's 60+ days. Most companies promise turn-around in 30-40 working days.

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?

As much as I love particular sculpts, I will probably never order from Illusion Spirit again. Let alone Custom House.I'm certainly willing to risk Dollshe, however, because I've been lusting after a Saint for some time.
There have been many companies that have had rough periods-- Dollzone, for example. I don't know about you guys, but I remember their massive backlog. It was a nightmare for customers.

 

I prefer to buy in-stock dolls from domestic shops I've had good experiences with. Of course, any shop or doll company can go belly-up without warning, so nothing is ever guaranteed. So far, I've had no problems with any of my doll purchases, domestic or international, but there are several companies I would definitely steer clear from, based on their terrible feedback. I always browse the feedback threads here before I purchase any doll.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing? I try to but some info is hidden away, so it takes quite a bit of searching to come up with something.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?
I am a very impatience person and 3 months seems to me a long time to wait after 6 months I start to worry about whether I will get my order.
3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about? Probably, in business reputation is everything and some bad service means greater potential or more bad service.

I aslo prefer to buy instock from distributors like Mint on Card or Denver Doll et al.

 

Not at all what I was saying! I was not remarking on people who say "I will buy from this company because their track record is good," but rather people who say "I have nothing to worry about because I could only ever possibly choose good companies." Several people have mentioned a company being "established" or "well known" or "large" as though it's armour against problems, which to my mind ignores the fact that at least half of the problem companies mentioned in Hobbysue's original post were long-established and well known at the time when they started having problems.

I in no way mean to suggest that we should all stop giving our money to companies! Even for people playing the second-hand market, there have to be new dolls coming in from somewhere! I was just surprised that so many people were saying not "I've decided not to worry too much about this because it's always a bit of a gamble and I only have so much mental energy to spend and anyway it's more likely than not to work out fine," but rather "I don't need to worry about it because the doll companies I like are older and better known than the ones having problems."

And I have to admit, I didn't realise until just now that this thread is in GD and not Dolly Debate. So I'm sorry for getting a bit debate-ish, heh.

ETA: okay, I just saw that this thread was moved from debate. Now I feel less silly.

 

I call Hair-Splitting! ^^ Thing is, I'm not really hearing that latter statement. I don't hear anybody claiming that any company gives you that absolute "nothing to worry about". Sounds like most of the posts here are in the former category, "I'm not really worried, even if there might be a risk". I don't hear many folks harboring any big illusions that larger/older companies are infallible. I do hear faith/trust being given more easily to such companies (which stands to reason), unless the company has taken a big fall (which also stands to reason).

But either way, the unanimous lesson we're taking away after these 2 pages seems to be "do the research!" Or at least, "check the feedback!"

 

When you are dealing with a company -

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?

1. Yes, I do. While I'm slowly saving for my dollies, I will stalk the waiting room and box opening threads, hahaha... 8D I gotta know, what kind of customer service I'll get, expected waiting time, resin quality, etc etc...

2. I'll just wait. Perhaps I will post in their Q&A, but I'm sure everything will be okay.

3. Depend on. People are making mistakes, but as long as they can catch up and make up, I think they can build & get the trust again.

 

Maybe it was just the particular posts that caught my eye. Or maybe I'm just having one of those butthurt "don't you malign lesser-known companies for no good reason even if that's not actually what you meant!" kinds of days.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?
Yes. When I'm investing something over $100, I'm not going to just paypal it to anyone! I've heard horror stories about people buying dolls from other people (not companies), and getting totally ripped off. I'm not so rich that I will trust my money easily to other people! I know there are ALWAYS risks... but I try to learn as much as I can beforehand, so I don't get ripped off...

I have heard of lots of problems with companies, but most people end up getting their doll, at least. Or their items. They may not be 100% satisfied, but most companies WANT to stay in business, so they will try not to make a lot of customers unhappy.

I think buying from a company is a lot safer than buying a doll from a person.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?
I don't mind long wait times. I'm not an impatient person and I know things can go wrong and be delayed... sometimes very, very delayed.

I think 3 months isn't horrible for a wait time. That's what it might reasonably take for a small company to take orders and schedule a time for going into production casting the dolls, then assembling them and getting them ready t ship out... OR even a bit longer for faceups or other things (special outfit or something).

6 months won't make me too upset--but I WILL want to know what's going on, if the company is experiencing unusual delays like that.

9 months to a year-- Well, as long as I finally get the doll and the company doesn't act like total idiots, I may forgive them. But that's ranging on bad new for repeat custom IF the company doesn't handle it properly. The company needs to be clear that there is a problem. They should not be overly optimistic and promise dates they cannot fill. They need to keep good communication up with their customers. They need to make sure such a thing does not happen again.

Most companies are small businesses, and it doesn't take much for them to get into trouble. I understand that and won't kick up a huge fuss if the company is trying hard to keep customers informed and trying to make sure they can fix the problem so it won't happen again.

I recently had an order for 3 outfits with Arcadia Dolls--I had to wait a year to get them. I was one of the last to get them because I'm not a 'squeaky-wheel'--but that's how it goes. They previously had a pretty good rep, but something happened and outfits were delayed up to a year. Many people were upset with them. I wasn't that upset... as long as they were trying to fill orders and wouldn't run off and disappear with my money and/or declare bankruptcy (which also means I'd probably be out of luck), I wasn't going to get too pissed at them. Most small companies don't have a huge cash flow and can't easily refund money (they may have paid for materials already and can't get their money back on that). I do wish stuff like that wouldn't happen, but as long as the company does their best and doesn't run off and leave me with nothing, I'm going to be OK. Not happy, but OK.

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?
No. Stuff like this happens all the time. You do the research, you assess the risks and you either buy or you don't. If you can't stand waiting--definitely don't buy from a company that is not known for being super-quick. I've been buying bjds since '04 and am used to waiting. It doesn't bother me.

And I've never been screwed by a company... not for lots of money or major things, anyway. Small stuff, I just deal with.

{I'm a free-lance illustrator and have seen a number of companies get work from artists then something would go wrong and the artists would be out hundreds to thousands of dollars. I've seen software companies do this to employees--the paychecks start bouncing and the company declares bankruptcy. In these cases, usually no one or most people never get their money back. Believe me, the doll companies are totally stable and reliable and good compared to how businesses often work!!!}

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?

I always research before I buy, even if it is from a major/old/established company. Businesses are not static; management, quality control, production, etc. - all can change, sometimes in a short period of time. A company that may have been wonderful four years ago, may have major quality issues now. The way I see it, I can never have "too much" information before making a purchase.


2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?

I am fine waiting the amount of time that is specified in terms of sale at the time that I make my purchase, plus a week or so as a grace period. For example, I just ordered LTF Luna from Fairyland. The terms of sale state that it will take 50 days to have her ready. I am fine waiting up to 60 days for her to be shipped until I start contacting customer service.



3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?

I still have trust in the companies that have had a good record over the years. But, I am leery of any new companies that enter the market. I generally will not purchase a doll from a brand new company until it has been in business for sometime with good feedback.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?
For more established companies like Luts, I will generally just read a few recent feedbacks to see if their services or quality is being maintained. For lesser known companies, I will read those feedbacks very extensively, and get a feel for estimated waiting times from the waiting threads so I can roughly gauge if they are keeping to their delivery promises. I will also drop a few questions on the FAQ/Email so as to gauge their response time and service level.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?
I will wait as long as they "promised", ie, the waiting time they stated on their doll page. If they have to take slightly longer (e.g. due to the holidays, etc), and they communicated to me promptly about it, I'd be willing to wait. But I wouldn't wait indefinitely even if it is an established company.

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?
No. I myself have some "minor" bad experience with one of the more established company, but for every bad experience I have, I have more better ones with the others. So my trust in BJD companies will not be affected in general, but just limited to those that I've heard so many horror stories about, e.g. CCC, etc.

 

I'm a little worried. I've only bought dolls from the DoA secondhand market, so I haven't had to worry about that now. However, I want to buy from a small Chinese company now, and I am a little worried about the dolls not being sold anymore, or something bad happening. Obviously even Ringdoll's having problems, and while you shouldn't judge one company by another one...it doesn't kind of give you shivers.

Which is why I'm trying to get the dolls ASAP so that I can get them while the going's good.

 

I deliberately didn't buy my BBB Feng through BBB as their forum was full of complaints about waiting times and not being able to contact the seller. This did however mean I had to go through ResinSoul which was mainly not in english and I had problems using. But upon emailing them, Sun always answered my questions and was remarkably helpful with good english and I got my doll in the quoted time.

 

1. Do you always research them thoroughly ie wait times and product quality before purchasing?

Nowadays, I tend to research on quality if I'm looking to buy from a new company, because there are so many around. Usually ends me up in the waiting room threads as well, so I get an idea of wait times without intending to. That said, the only companies I've ordered direct from so far are Soom, which has been quite reliable lately, Leeke, which was quite ok, and Impl, who lacked a bit in communicating when not prodded, but sent out their stuff reaaaaaaal quick.

2. Once you have bought your doll is there a length of time you are happy to wait before you start to worry whether it will be delivered, or do you feel secure enough in the company to wait indefinitely?

Generally, I feel quite secure, since I do my research. So long as Q&As get replied to in good time, so long as there's communication, I wouldn't worry.

3. Do you feel your 'trust' in BJD companies in general has been eroded by some of the bad examples you have witnessed/heard about?

Nope, not at all. After all, every company is different. You can't judge the whole lot of them by the actions of a few.