DollZone mini Discussion Part 15

Different question:

Has anyone any experience with Alice‘s collection and their layaway service?
As I understood, I pay 1/3 of the full price initially, my product gets ordered and produced and shipped to Alice’s collection but will be on hold there until I pay the last bit. Then it gets shipped to me... is that right? Or is the order produced when I eventually pay off the layaway?

 

I love using Alice's Collections. Their layaway service is really easy. Just take a screenshot of your cart and email it to them with a layaway request and they'll send you an invoice. They've always responded to me within 24 hours.

The doll begins being produced when you place your order with Alice's and will be shipped to you when it's ready and you've paid it off. To be honest, with the wait times on dollzone, none of the layaway options Alice's offers will be long enough that your doll will be ready when you make your final payment. The current wait time is 6-8 months officially, but can be significantly longer depending on when you order and what you order (blank head vs fullset with body blushing will have very different wait times).

 

@SabaQu If you want a long layaway of a length that matches DollZone's wait time, I suggest BJDivas, they offer the longest and most flexible layaways. There isn't a large down payment upfront required either. I've heard that some people can even start one with a lower down payment than the rest of their payments. Despite this, BJDivas also puts in the order with the first payment. Really snazzy in helping distributing the money you spend!

 

@SabaQu Note that ordering though BJDivas (and any other western dealer) can take even longer, because they recieve their doll orders in bulk deliveries rather than getting your doll once it's ready.
I have a layaway for a Dllzone doll with Alice's Collections right now, it's going fine, layaway is for six months, I have three payments left. You have to email Alice anytime you make a payment and she'll answer with the remaining balance.
Clover Singing is also a good choice.

 

Yeah, there are a lot of factors to consider and balance. Alice's charges PayPal fees, which is roughly 5% for international transactions. If you live in the US, domestic shipping will be significantly cheaper than international shipping. Another important factor to think about with covid messing with shipping and more damages happening than usual is that international shipping either has no insurance, or is a pita to get an insurance claim to work out. A dealer in your country that receives your order directly from the company checks for damages from the overseas shipment and can solve any issues that arise from that. If you receive a shipment directly from the company and it has issues, they'll most likely fix it, but if you receive it from an overseas dealer, they may or may not fix it because the problem occurred between them and you, not them and the company, so the company isn't obligated to help you and the dealer might not want to because they'd have to pay out of their personal pocket to rectify the issue. I can't speak for other countries, but in the US there's shipping insurance that you can purchase, so if something gets lost or damaged in transit, the courier has to pay for it.

 

Hm...that definitely are some serious things to take into account.
Maybe I should try to look for a dealer that is already located in Germany. But if the wait times with dollzone are really that long, maybe covid isnt even really a factor anymore when time comes. Or not as much of an issue (which is just desirabe >___>).
Anyway, thank you all for your input. I will consider anything further. Also a shame that dollzone takes so long to ship their stuff. While understandable, because their dolls really are pieces of art, I am so hyped right now and half a year is quite some time for an impatient kid like myself :P

 

That's the thing, we currently don't really have a dealer here. Alice's Collections, however, offers reasonably priced express shipping options and I know from experience that these arrive in Germany just fine (ask for DHL Express over EMS for customs related reasons). American dealers really aren't a great choice for us. There's Angelesque in the UK, but feedback for her is spotty.

 

Really wish Alice's didn't charge PayPal fees

 

I guess the best alternative to AC is Clover Singing. Doesn't charge fees and is just as responsive.

 

In terms of damages, I received a body from Alice's Collections with a broken hand, and they were incredibly helpful and ordered a replacement for me with no fuss.

 

Hello, hello! I was wondering if anyone had gotten their dragon Po/Chuan yet? I put my order in in January, but I know the order period didnt stop till March. I know dollzone usually has long wait times and covid definitely doesn't help, so just wanted to check in

 

There are a couple in the Box Opening/Arrival Gallery.

 

To those who bought or intend do buy DZs Cyborg doll...

What type of body do you consider and why?

I had quite the struggle deciding on a body, primarily because the doll in it's entirety is so...sparsely dressed. I want the full set for this piece of art and I want it displayed just as seen in the promo-pictures. And yet...I kinda don't feel comfortable having a nude hyperrealistic doll with blushed nipples sitting on my shelf. So I thought maybe the male body would make the chest less awkwardly nude but I'm afraid that would only dislocate the problem a few inches further south. XD
Usually I am really not squirmish if it comes to nudity, especially in inanimate objects and yet... those dolls are really quite realistic and it would be displayed rather prominently because sure as heck I want everyone to see it if I pay this much for it!

What are your thoughts and feelings on the matter?

 

Imo, the fullset's body makeup really goes with the artificial aesthetic of the cyborg concept. That, plus the clear dress and the natural joints of a bjd makes her pretty far from realism imo. I don't find DZ's bodies particularly realistic either, there's Dollshe and Iplehouse for that. I think if you get her in gray, it'll be even more clear how it's a piece of stylized art rather than a hyperrealistic naked doll sitting on your shelf.

 

Ah, thank you so much! I didn't realize there was a box opening gallery

 

@SabaQu as a fellow german and long time collector I share my experience about ordering. I've ordered from Angelesque (UK) a few times and I personally had never any problems. And the best part about ordering over them is, you don't have to run to the customs office... well at least back then, not sure about now with the Brexit stuff going on. And then there is something else you must be wary about shipping from china with EMS: GDSK
It's the german shipping partner of EMS China and they offer you their "Zoll service" and charge extra fees on top of your customs and tax fee and keep the doll hostage until you pay their service Or send the doll back after 7 days I think. Well, there is a way around it (Selbstverzollung bei der GDSK) but better let it ship with DHL.

 

@Froschschenkel
I ordered my Zero last week via Alice's Collection since people recommendet them and the initial communication went really well (since I had several extra wishes). I hope everything goes well though. I had mixed experiences with different orders and different countries of origin though the years, especially as a cosplayer. Never had problems with things shipped from china but had to travel to custom centers several times when ordering from the US.
I don't really know how to controll this beforehand or how I can know if Zoll issues might occur or not...

 

I only had problems with EMS China because of their choosen german partner. The first time I ordered from Alice collection years back, I found out about GDSK and paid their charges with gritted teeths. The second time, I was prepared with this page I posted but then we had this Poststreik (what's this called in english? I don't know) and I got the GDSK letter 7 days too late and they send the doll back to china on that exact 7th day, a friday and around the Time I opened that letter as I learned after a phone talk moments later and I had some hazzle to get my doll shipped back to me, this time with DHL.
The third time I forgot to ask to ship via DHL but I went through the steps from that page I posted and It worked flawless.
So, hopefully everything will go well with your order and if you encounter GDSK, just use the Instructions on that site.
Good luck.

 

I got a Luke (retired now) about six years ago, and was really shocked when I opened him and saw how absolutely tiny his head was and how awful it looked on his super long neck. I've just kind of lived with it, but now I'm wondering if anyone knows of a smaller body that fit well with DZ heads? We also have a Megi, and his head and body are perfectly proportioned. I put him up on the marketplace, but if I could find a way to get him looking a little less silly, I'd definitely want to keep him. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

 

Hmm... I think Doll Chateau would work. The bodies are long and skinny, but their narrow shoulders might work better with a tiny head.