Fabric Friends & Dolls Company Review

I have bought several dozen BJD's from IRIS at FFD. I have always had a wonderful experience. I especially appreciate being able to lay things away and make variable amount ($$) payments at variable times. No doll has ever been flawed coming from her. I have purchased: a Dollmore Elf Dahlia, Marbled Halls Lizzy, DreamHigh Studio Elvene, DHS Elvenia, DHS Ilionia, DHS Fira, DHS Boo, DHS Squee, DHS Gooble., DHS troll, DHS VOX, DHS valenia, DHS Iris, DHS Rose, and probably others. I am not sure what others are referring to when they mention eating the paypal fees, as I've never been charged a fee for my layaway payments.

Personally, i really wish FFD sold more brands of BJD's. Because I would buy more from them.

 

* What did you order? Nude Islanddoll Jessie w/ different eyes and wig
* When did you order? 7/4/14
* How was the communication? great, fast
* How easy was it to pay? easy
* How long did it take to ship? shipped on Monday
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? nope - everything perfect
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? na
* Would you order from this company again? Absolutely

Service was amazing - I wasn't sure if they had a nude Jessie in stock since what was listed was a fullset Jessie - so I sent an email on July 4th expecting a response back on Monday. I got a reply back the very next day, Iris said she would be in the next day and put my order together. She sent me an invoice on Sunday, I paid on Monday via Paypal she was shipped, she showed up on Wednesday morning. Prompt replies, very accommodating considering that it was a holiday weekend and Jessie was very well packed. Even got some very nice eye putty added.

Pretty much found out about them due to the BJDCollectasy article and am very glad that I did.

 

* What did you order?
An item advertised/confirmed as a Dollmore Catish Mint Sherbet Reaa.


I was told this was Dollmore's floor model. A photo (above) advertising the doll shows pink eyes instead of green eyes, and a black outfit instead of the pastel outfit Dollmore offers (see below)

Dollmore Catish Reaa Mint Sherbet

I understood the eyes & outfit were different. I was never told anything else about the doll was different from the Mint Sherbet Reaa.

I also ordered a Leekeworld wig.

* When did you order?
6/27/14

* How was the communication?
Fairly swift via email. I had 1 telephone conversation with "Iris"on 6/28. She said she contacted Dollmore; they informed her it was a “floor model.”

* How easy was it to pay?
Very easy; Paypal.

* How long did it take to ship?
Doll was shipped insured w/ tracking on 6/20 & arrived on 7/2.

* Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
The doll’s body was not that of Catish Reaa. It was the body of (what I believe is) a Kid Dollmore Charmant. No problems with the extra wig.


* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being abysmally bad, and 10 being fantastically stellar, I would grade Fabric Friends and Dolls so deeply into the negative that I would run out of characters with which to post. This was a nightmare.

When I told Iris the doll had the wrong body & I wanted to exchange it for the right body (Dollmore Kidpire hands, Judith Body, and Judith Heel Feet) she said she'd contact Dollmore about it. Her response:

“I talked with Dollmore. This is there explanation. Since they lost the original outfit for the catish doll and replaced
it with the outfit they sent. The catish body would not fit that body. They used a KidDollmore body that the outfit
would fit. This is also why the price was lower, because normally the catish limited dolls go for $428.00. If you
want the catish body, you can order one for your doll but then the outfit that was included will not fit. Then a
Kid Dollmore head can be ordered to fit the Kid Dollmore body. This is how Dollmore explained it and I do
understand why they did it this way and why they gave a better price.”


I responded, saying I’d like to keep the head, its pink eyes, the stock wig, and the Leekeworld wig, but that I’d like to return the doll body (everything below the neck, including outfit, paperwork, box, etc.) for a refund. I also explained that it didn’t make sense for me to order a different head to match the body I’d been given, and then spend more money to buy the body that was supposed to be on the doll in the first place. Iris' response:


"Dollmore did not explain to me ahead of time that this had the KidDollmore body. I did show a picture of her
on my website so customers would see what they are getting.. I am sorry about the miscommunication.
Please send the entire doll back to me, I can not accept just the body and outfit. I need the entire body
to sell her. I will not be able to put the new info on my website. As soon as I receive the doll and check that
she is in the condition I sent her, I will refund your money plus shipping.”


While she was willing to offer a refund if I returned the doll, she was not willing to rectify the mistake that was ultimately hers, instead shunting the responsibility for her mistake to Dollmore, and to me, the customer, because I couldn’t tell from the photo that the doll’s body was different from the Judith body.


By this time I was lucky enough to find and buy a Mint Sherbet Catish Reaa fullest secondhand. Since Iris was so keen about getting the doll back intact, and I was very fond of the doll head that I had with its pretty faceup and pink eyes, I proposed the following:


"I’ve managed to find another vendor selling the Dollmore Mint Sherbet Catish doll I’m looking for. It is in excellent condition. It was displayed once briefly with its fullset and wig and then undressed and returned to its box. The vendor is its original owner.
I prefer the faceup and eyes on the doll I purchased from you, I am wondering if you would accept the head of the Mint Sherbet Catish doll I’m purchasing instead of the one you sold me. The only real difference between the heads (apart from the eyes) is that your doll’s nose is lighter than the other vendor’s.”


Iris’ response:

"Please return my doll that I sent to you. I will refund you when I receive my
doll. If you make any changes I will not refund you. I would like the doll sent back by Tuesday, I have a 7 day return
policy and I am willing to give you a full refund since you are not happy. I do not want her altered in anyway. The doll
you are purchasing would be a collector not a vendor. I do not want the doll from a collector, I have another customer
I just spoke with today that is interested in my Dollmore Catish doll and I have showed her pictures, so I need you to
return the doll you received, in the condition you received it.”

Based on the above, I asked Iris if she would be willing to share the additional pictures of the doll with me, because the one I posted above is the only one I had ever seen of the doll. Here is Iris’ response:

"I showed her the picture from my website that Dollmore gave me.”

So, no additional photos that might give more insight into the doll’s body. Fair enough.

I let Iris know that if the only option she could offer me for keeping the head was to keep the entire doll, then I would not be returning the doll.

* Would you order from this company again?

Not knowingly. Not if you held a gun to my head. Never before have I been made to feel as if I were inconveniencing a vendor, and that any mistakes made in the purchase were my own.

 

I've made purchases from Fabric Friends & Dolls a number of times now. Thus I am going to lump the sum of my experiences there into one response template.

* What did you order?
I haven't made any actual 'orders' from the online shop, but I have done plenty of buying at this shop in person. I've lost count of the shoes and clothes I've purchased from here.

* When did you order?
I've been aware of Fabric Friends & Dolls since late summer 2014, and I've been visiting and buying there at least once a month since learning of it.

* How was the communication?
Iris is very friendly and helpful. She often gets to help me search for certain sizes of clothes among her stock. She also lets me put items on hold if I can't quite afford to pay for them all, so I can purchase them the next month, which is very awesome. In fact, Iris lets the dolls try on clothes, which is great if you have a hard to clothe doll with an off size.

* How easy was it to pay?
Very easy in person. I've paid with cash and debit with no troubles.

* How long did it take to ship?
N/A - Haven't had to have anything shipped since I live within driving distance.

* Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
N/A - I have only bought from this shop in person, so I am able to check everything I buy.

* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
N/A - Have not had any problems thus far!

* Would you order from this company again?
I am very likely to continue buying clothing and accessories from Fabric Friends and Dolls. I am also considering putting a doll on layaway through Iris in the near future. It's a wonderful venue to have close to home. If you're within driving distance, I'd definitely suggest visiting sometime!

 

* What did you order? Nikki Britt Truffle
* When did you order? August 8/2014
* How was the communication? Excellent. I heard from Iris immediately.
* How easy was it to pay? Very easy. I paid with a c.c. over the phone.
* How long did it take to ship? When doll arrived (it was a pre-order), I heard from Iris and she was shipped Dec. 16/ 2014
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? No.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? N/A
* Would you order from this company again? Yes

 

* What did you order? A LUTS Outfit, and two LUTS wigs.
* When did you order? January 28th, 2015
* How was the communication? Great! No problems at all.
* How easy was it to pay? Very easy, I just used paypal with their online system.
* How long did it take to ship? The order was shipped within an hour! I was thoroughly impressed.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? No, everything arrived safely.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? N/A
* Would you order from this company again? Absolutely, yes.

 

* What did you order? Two Luts Model Delf girl bodies, wigs, and clothes
* When did you order? End of December with a 6 month layaway
* How was the communication? Amazing! Super fast responses and very professional
* How easy was it to pay? Very easy! With a lot of options as well.
* How long did it take to ship? After I paid off my layaway, she shipped the that same day.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? Everything was packed very carefully and nothing was missing.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? Luts accidentally sent some of the wrong event heads. (I got two summer heads instead of winter heads) Iris was very understanding and made everything right in no time flat.
* Would you order from this company again? Absolutely!

 

* What did you order? Dreamhigh Ossia in Tan
* When did you order? 03/17/15
* How was the communication? Flawless. I was quickly informed about payment being accepted and doll being shipped out.
* How easy was it to pay? Using Paypal was perfectly easy.
* How long did it take to ship? It was sent out the day after I ordered and since I live in the same state was there the next day.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? Nope.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? N/A
* Would you order from this company again? ​Absolutely.

 

* What did you order? I ordered a Luts Zebrataur Hansel.
* When did you order? March 27, 2015
* How was the communication? Fantastic...Iris kept me updated, and worked with me to get exactly what I wanted (and wasn't able to get on the Luts site).
* How easy was it to pay? Very easy, Paypal
* How long did it take to ship? She arrived June 17, so just under 3 months. Not bad considering all the painting work.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? No, everything was fine.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? Zero problems!
* Would you order from this company again? Definitely. This was my very first order with FF&D, and I couldn't be more impressed. Thanks so much, Iris!

 

What did you order?
Doll eyes and clothes.

When did you order?
July 2015

How was the communication?
Excellent. I spoke with Iris over the phone, then placed my order for in-stock items through the website.

How easy was it to pay?
Very easy. Log into Paypal and agree to total, done.

How long did it take to ship?
Order placed Thursday, shipped Friday, received Monday.

Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
No.

If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
Not applicable. Everything was fine.

Would you order from this company again?
Yes, and I already have.

 

I have ordered and received many items from Fabric and Friends including 3 Luts Tiny Delfs, a Luts Honey Delf, Delf and Dollheart outfits and many shoes, wigs, etc. I have found Iris, the owner, to be helpful and kind and she really likes dolls...not just in this for the money which is a big plus to me!! She has spent literally an hour on the phone with me helping me pick out what I needed. She has also ordered for me from Leekeworld and Luts just the items I wanted not only what she had posted.
I think she is a super person...and one that I am pleased to do business with for hopefully, years to come!

 

I am in Canada, and have never had the opportunity to set foot in a brick and mortar doll store. That would be a dream come true. Everything I get has to be sight unseen and believe me, it's quite frustrating. I am grateful to stores like Iris' and to her for her service. I bought a Luts Tiny Delf Gretel elf version that was an in stock item. We had a slight miscommunication about our Canada Post system completely exploding, but once that small bit of information was sorted everything went as smooth as silk. She even went the extra mile to call the post office there for the best option for sending my purchase. Ended up being less expensive and she made the proper declaration for customs. They had mercy and I didn't even have to pay extra. With our dollar at around $.75 that was a pleasant surprise. Iris seems to be very accommodating. I appreciate the extra mile service and love the doll, wigs, and clothing I bought. Matter of a fact, she immediately became my favourite little doll. Even named her Iris. I wouldn't hesitate to deal with her again.

 

(Happy 100th post!)

* What did you order?
Angell-Studio Army Leisure Full Set
Angell-Studio anti-dyeing underwear and stockings (Male)
Nine9Style SD13G leggings
Oscar Doll Eyes (16mm)

* When did you order?
October 1st

* How was the communication?
Fantastic! I got replies in less than 24 hours, sometimes earlier than that. Iris was very patient with my emails (and let me tell you, I sent a lot of them). I cannot thank her enough for the stellar communication.

* How easy was it to pay?
Easy; via Paypal.

* How long did it take to ship?
I had planned to do a layaway, initially, but ended up paying in full earlier than expected. Iris had stowed away the Leisure army set, assuming I'd be taking a 3 month layaway, so it took a while for the items to ship to me. When they were shipped, the items came to me in 2 days via Priority Mail.

* Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
I asked for an Anti-dyeing shirt for male, but received one for female. I contacted Iris about this immediately and was told a replacement was going to be sent soon.

* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
See above.

* Would you order from this company again?
For the service I received it would be impossible for me to say "no". I'd love to do business with Fabric Friends and Dolls again!

 

*What did you order?
I was able to order a Dollzone event Angela.

*When did you order?
October 16th, 2015

*How was the communication?
Excellent!

*How easy was it to pay?
Very easy! I was able to use PayPal and not my cc.

*How long did it take to ship?
As my order was in stock, it was shipped the next day and arrived in two days. Super fast!

*Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
No, everything was packaged very well.

*If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
No issues.

*Would you order from this company again?
Absolutely! The service is excellent and was a pleasure to order from.

 

* What did you order? Luts Chaplin hat (black), Luts SDF Girl Black Pleather Pleated Skirt & I attempted to buy a Luts SDF Sherard V.2
* When did you order? March 2015
* How was the communication? Belligerent
* How easy was it to pay? Oh, she had no problem taking my money
* How long did it take to ship? I bought in store
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? No
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? As said, I attempted to place an order for a Luts Senior Delf Sherard V.2 in White Skin with faceup on no more than 4 month layaway. Iris informed me however, that she did not accept layaways that long for orders less than $100. When I pointed out that the doll with faceup was going to be around $500, plus the clothing I would order with him, I was asked "oh, can you afford it?" She then informed me that it would take about 8 months to receive my doll after ordering him. I ordered him from Luts; he came within 3 months. If I hadn't already bought the hat and skirt, I wouldn't have bought them; I don't appreciate being condescended to and made to feel like I should be lucky she allowed me to spend money in her store.
* Would you order from this company again? Not if ordering from her was the only way to stave off Ragnarok.....

 

* What did you order? Dreamhigh Studio Feilene Reborn GID blue w/substituted flat chest piece
* When did you order? June 2015
* How was the communication? Frustrating at best. It seemed like only half of each email I sent was actually read, and I had to repeat myself. Once we had agreed on layaway terms, I received an emailed invoice with a payment schedule different than we had already discussed and agreed to, and had to ask for it to be corrected.

I have for years used (first initial) (lastname) as my name for mail, general communication, online purchases, etc. Fabric Friends was the very first company to ever take issue with that. I was told my order simply could not be completed without my full name, not for legal or fraud-prevention reasons, but because Iris' son didn't personally like having customers' names formatted that way when setting up spreadsheets for her. ???

I only found out after the fact from other Dreamhigh Studio customers that the doll artist had given any updates about production problems and extended wait time. Unless Mr. Harijanto only informed his direct customers and never said anything to official dealers of his work, Fabric Friends chose not to pass this information on.

My final layaway payment went entirely unacknowledged. I figured this was because the doll was still in production and Fabric Friends does not have an automated email system, and that I just wouldn't hear anything until my order was ready. However, when my doll arrived there, I was asked to pay another $107 installment OVER the full amount. It turned out Iris had just not noticed my completed payment or the note with it in her paypal account or email, and I had to send the transaction number and screenshots so she could go look it up.
Even if you're a very busy small business, how do you get by with bookkeeping that lax?

* How easy was it to pay? Easy to send money through paypal; trying to clearly set out a layaway arrangement was a bit more difficult.
I'm not sure where to put this under, but I am still not comfortable with the fact that this US-based business openly breaks Paypal's terms of service in order to avoid paying fees, and tries to convince customers to send money as "personal" for layaways. I chose to pay extra to cover the fees rather than forgo all protection in case something went wrong.
* How long did it take to ship? Very quick shipping to me once the completed doll arrived there and all issues were sorted out.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order? Nothing broken.
As for missing I'm a little uncertain? The artist/company announced an extra figurine that would go out with all the orders from June that experienced an excessive delay, but as far as I know those didn't materialize for anyone. In any case, it's not something I technically ordered, and I don't think it has anything to do with the dealer I purchased through.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them? See above under communication.
* Would you order from this company again? I would not preorder anything or buy on layaway from Fabric Friends again; it's not worth the hassle at all. But if they were the best available source for something they had in-stock already, I might go ahead.

[Edited for typos]

 

I've only tried to order something once from them but just emailing and asking about it was enough to persuade me to drop the idea and the store from my bookmarks. Enough said really....

 

* What did you order?
dollmore/narsha Boots, undies, stringing tool and string
* When did you order?
11/27
* How was the communication?
I didn't need to contact them.
* How easy was it to pay?
it was through paypal so it was easy.
* How long did it take to ship?
It shipped 11/30 and arrived the next day. it was really fast shipping but thats probably because we're in the same state.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
Everything was accounted for.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
Nope, everything was perfect.
* Would you order from this company again?
I would consider ordering from them again as the shipping speed was very fast. I'm not sure how it will be for an actual doll but my experience was great!

 

What did you order?
Two BJDs and accessories (one of which was special order)

When did you order?
Lay-away from July - December.

How was the communication?
Fantastic. Over the course of six months we communicated via phone and email. If I left a voicemail, I received callbacks or email acknowledgements in a timely fashion.

How easy was it to pay?
Very easy. I provided a credit card and each month I called/emailed to authorize payment; in October I arranged for a partial shipment.

How long did it take to ship?
Final payment made 12/29, all items received by 12/31 (partial shipment from October was also received very quickly)

Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
No. The items were carefully packed and all items received.

Would you order from this company again?
Yes, I've had excellent service from Fabric Friends & Dolls with both in-stock items and lay-away items.

 

* What did you order?
Luts Honeytaur, Eye and Wig.
* When did you order?
September 2015
* How was the communication?
They responded fast when I messaged them. I had to message them about did my doll arrive & apparently it had been there for a while. When they wanted me to pay personal for my layaway statements so they didnt incur fees or pay extra so they didnt have the fee lost from their own pocket the communication was confusing but overall I did not mind that. There was an issue with my order and we were able to work through it just fine!
* How easy was it to pay?
It was through paypal so it was fine. I never got any payment reminders unless it was late. They should really update their system to how other doll dealers are able to accommodate layaways and invoices and payment reminders. Just my own preference.
* How long did it take to ship?
I chose the slower shipping option and it took a week.
* Were there any missing or broken items in your order?
No broken items were in the order but the wrong eyes.
* If there were any problems with your order, how did the company handle them?
There was an issue with my order where the wrong eyes were ordered. With such a large catalogue from luts it was an easy mistake. They did not catch the difference, nor did I. Communication with the problem was a bit difficult however they contacted luts and got the correct eyes. They sent me the eyes and I ended up paying for both sets because I enjoyed them.
* Would you order from this company again?
I would absolutely order from them again. They really do their best by us and are willing to work with their buyer.

I have editeded this review a few times after the order came through and I was able to look at it clearer and less in the moment frustration which was not that big of an issue.