I'm rather upset with Dream of Doll... (doll problems)

I'm so sorry you've had such problems with your DOD! My first doll (Logan) is from DOD and he's been absolutely BRUTILIZED and he's still fine! I'm talking Left in a car that got to be 110+ degrees for hours, Legs slammed in a car door! (also an accident!) Dropped off a kitchen table onto ceramic tile, used as a spring board by my 83 pd german Shepherd, and he's completely unscathed!

I know that Korea has a 'rainy season' per say when it is quite wet, is it possible that these 'bad batches' of resin are not sealing correctly because of moist air? O_o There must be a reason some of these resin batches come out less durable then others.

 

legs slammed in a car door O.O that would give me like 18 heart attacks in a row!
I feel silly for not knowing, when is Korea's rainy season? my boy seems perfectly sturdy (had him about 6 months)the only abuse he suffered was falling over backwards on the carpet, so he lives a pretty safe life. but I'm wondering if he was made in an agreeable season or not out of curiocity.

 

My Si boy fall a lot of time (and 2 times on my head), and he never broke anything, but my head don't forgive it XD

 

Might be the bath?
I have 3 DOD dolls. They fell loads of times and almost never got hurt...
Just Chocolate, once... but the place she fell in is really... how do I say? it cuts things easy O.o'
when you fall on it your knees get red and bleed...
oh well... I can't remind of the word.

I'm sad that it happened to you ^^
I hope you can replace it ^^

 

sorry to hear about your doll~

have been dealing with DOD molds and resin for the pass one year and so far i have encountered 2 case of serious chipping and breaking of DOD resin. did some research and looking at the characteristics of resin, resin is basically made with two factors , volume and pressure. only with the correct pressure and constant volume, the resin would be able to have a strong hold. looking at the earlier batches of resin by DOD, their lighter and more stiff unlike French resin or the mentioned 'volks' resin which have a higher volume that makes them more 'creamy' and easy to cut. being lighter and more stiff makes the doll more easier to sand or surface but NOT strong towards pressure or sudden climate change. i wouldn't know if you have ever brought your dolls on trips on a plane? cause the most worst condition is for example:
i am from Singapore, sunny, humid at times, takes my doll to Japan, which is like snowing and dry air on a plane ride. the following will occur:
hot (Singapore) -> pressure on plane -> cold (Japan) -> pressure on plane ->hot (Singapore)
the above factor will cause the condition of the resin to deteriorate and might cause it to become brittle and not durable to sanding or cutting.
your dolls condition might be have already been threatened before it even it got to you, or perhaps due to traveling on planes and maybe of the country's climate change during the seasons.
in summary, weather and pressure plays important roles when it comes to the condition and discoloration of resin.

cheers

 

As mori.m said, there are lots of reasons why the resin may be particularly weak, and they are not necessarily an indication of DoD's quality standards.

As with anything that requires a chemical reaction to form, resin is extremely tempermental, and any air or moisture contamination prior to mixing the components could greatly comprimise its structural integrity. Its components also have a very short shelf life, and are quite sensitive to cold temperatures. After pouring, the difference in integrity may not be readily apparent.

Of course, there are means to strengthen resin after casting it that I think any company charging a substantial amount of money for their dolls should take. Resin is an expensive casting material, but it's still only about 10-20% of the cost of your average BJD. I doubt any of these companies take those measures, but that's besides the point.

Perhaps my sculpture babble is inconsequential, but long story short: the resin quality may not be DoD's fault at all--but I agree that their customer service skills suck...

 

Have you heard from DOD yet? I'm sure we'd all be interested to know what they had to say about this!

Just to add my 2p, my U's finger randomly snapped off after less than a year. I was less than impressed, but I wasn't all that surprised either. Your problem sounds far worse, though, and the amount of complaints against them in comparison to other companies is starting to get a little worrying.

You're the customer, you gave *them* money, not the other way around, you have every right to be disappointed. Keep on at them until you get this resolved =)

 

I got my DOC U back in June this year and so far he's a pretty tough lil guy, no cracks or breaks and still has his makeup. I have heard about makeup coming off. I've heard people say it could be due to conditions with the weather and whatnot, possibly the oils in your hands? but that seems to be a small problem compaired to the weak resin. I'm wondering if maybe you can get someone on DOA to maybe help you fix your baby? It would be worth a shot to look and see if there're someone handy around here that would fix him up for a small price if you can't get DOD to help out. I don't think you should give up on him yet or sell him unless you totally make up your mind. Anyways, good luck and i hope it works out for you!

 

Another thing: With these kinds of situations, it can be hard to tell whether the doll really is defective, or if it's just a noob freaking out about their parting lines or I-didn't-know-you-couldn't-put-them-in-the-microwave type of stuff. But I'm starting to think it's better to give the owner the benefit of the doubt. From what I've seen, doll companies can be vastly irresponsible. It's absurdly common for them to send out wrong items, leave items out, send defective items, etc. and take their sweet time in rectifying the situation, if they even do! I wouldn't put much past them. That kind of stuff would never fly in America, regardless of the circumstances. :\

 

The only DOD I've ever played with (I don't know which one it was) was incredibly light, shiny, and had air bubbles. He felt like plastic, and it was REALLY apparent next to the other brands of dolls present. I think it was the bad batch people keep talking about. I see no reason to defend DOD or any other company just because YOUR doll is great; it's like buying a certain model of car, then defending the company to the death when ten or fifteen of the cars sold end up exploding.

But I can vouch that other companies have some issues, too. I have an El that's literally tan and a strange, heavy texture, and he's an NS from January 2005.

 

Hmm.. My own two DOCs are two years old now, and I've had no problems at all.. I've handled them pretty roughly, too. As well, the four others I'm familliar with have all held up well. It sucks that some people have gotten so unlucky with them..

 

Well I ordered my T. Too & T. Bee A in October and it is surprising how much the quality between the two differ. My Bee is beautiful and has been strung perfectly. My Too on the other hand has been strung rather loosely and his ankle joints hasn't been molded properly. They don't fit to foot right, there's a parting line where there shouldn't be one and the resin on the inside is literally flaking off. How can two dolls produced at the same time differ so greatly in quality?

What's worse is that I ordered a wig from DOD at the same time I ordered my dolls and I still have not received it. The package list says the item was included, but it was not. I've emailed DOD several times about the wig and they have not even responded. I'm rather disgusted with them. As nice as their designs are, I am not recommending them to anyone.

 

I ordered my TK (yen) from DOD almost a year ago, and have had no problems. I even brought TK to the park once for a photoshoot, and he fell 5 feet into jagged rocks X_X (i swear! i felt soo bad, and was soo sure he'd break to pieces) but nothing happened. A chip on his ear was all he got, surprisingly. Heck, i think i've had more problems with the S-hook chipping away each time i try to change his eyes...

i'm not sure if your problem is an isolated case or not, but either way it's unfortunate. Hopefully you can find a solution?

 

About the faceups rubbing off (less than 6 months time): Unless in the company information/policy section, FAQ or doll description it says "faceups do not come sealed", all faceups that come with DOD dolls should be sealed. There is no good reason a company like DOD has for failing to protect this customer's $30-60 investment. If there is reason to believe, within the first month or so, that there is no sealant applied to the face, the company should offer to replace the makeup (and seal, of course) for no charge. This is the company's error, so the company should pay for it.

If it is true that DOD's faceups frequently rub off so soon after the customer receives them-- from usual handling and without the use of chemicals-- DOD is at fault 100%. Failing to apply a clear coat is nothing but a time and cost-cutting technique that degrades the quality of the finished product. In ethical, honest businesses that claim to sell "high-quality" items (supposedly "worth every penny"), these things should not occur but on very few, individual occasions.

I do not have enough knowledge of DOD resin to make a decision as to whether or not it is relatively weaker than other companies' resin.

It is the customer's responsibility to immediately document and report claims/problems with a company's product. This includes doll owners and doll companies. If a finger breaks off, it is much cause for alarm. So long as the doll was not inapproriately handled, an incident such as this should be reported as soon as possible. The company may or may not replace the part, depending on the individual's particular situation. If for some reason the owner of the doll is at fault, new hand and foot parts can be replaced. But I would be very weary of a company that does not find fault with themselves on this matter.

Over time, most high quality items (with strings!) that may or may not have regular usage need maintenance. For this reason, I would not necessarily find reason to complain of loose stringing. Unless the string itself is damaged or the joints to not fit smoothly together, there doesn't seem to be cause for alarm. Dolls from all companies arrive at their destinations with varying degrees of tension. Unless I ordered a doll to be strung and it comes in pieces instead, I would not likely have to send it back to get restrung. Something like that, when included in the order and paid for, should most definately be expected.

The chipping of the resin at the ankles and other joints is certainly cause for alarm(especially when the tension is loose)! I can only attribute this to flaws in the resin, so long as the doll is being handled normally, outside of extreme climates.

"...And his ankles are chipping. They never really.. sat together right, but I ignore that..."

This statement is very disappointing, because this gives the company reason to doubt your claims. If the joints never sat right, ignoring it is not the answer. I do not wish to be critical or mean in saying this--just honest. If there is a possible defect or deformity in the doll and it is not even questioned (that is, you did not even ask the company if this was their error-- let alone report it as one), then you are virtually saying to the company "I accept your product as I received it". This does not mean that you are any less in-the-right to report the ankle chipping. That is probably a problem with the resin, as stated before. But it can weaken your claim/s and your chances of getting helpful and effective customer service (that is, if you receive service at all!)

I am not sure what to think about the toe modification incident, simply because there aren't enough straight facts. While it is true that doll-owners make successful toe modifications all the time, they do have an amount of risk associated with them that the doll company may or may not choose to claim responsibility for. Although the resin was cut with an "exacto knife", and the resin was "carefully peeled away", I am not 100% that the technique or tools used were appropriate. Exacto knives dull, so blades are replaceable. Although it was sufficient enough for one successful modification, it may have been a dull blade. Altough I am not fully familiar with the properties of resin, I will say this about the cutting procedure: If a sharp blade is used to cut into resin that is not especially hard or brittle, there should be very low risk. The risk is greater if the knife is more deeply "buried" in the resin for any length or time (that is, sandwiched between the resin as it cuts). If a sharp blade is used on very hard or brittle resin (the kind of which was unknown at the time), there is a much higher risk of breakage due to any "slicing or piercing" techniques used. A hard, brittle resin will more likely chip or "shard". If a blade is buried in such resin for any depth for any length or time, the resin surrounding the blade exerts a pressure on the metal (which has a much higher strength and durability). The pressure is greater because there is no "give" in this harder resin. Pressure is then transferred from the blade to the next weakest point-- back to the resin. And that is how the poor toe bit the dust!

I would not say that the resin is weaker or stronger. Rather, because it has such a different chemical make-up (making it hard and brittle), I would call it a different resin. And it is a poor resin, in my opinion, for doll-making. That being said, it was poor in thi case, but not in others. So I would have to conclude that DOD's resin (as said in a previous post), is of "inconsistant quality".

It is up to us, as the consumer, to report any defect as soon as possible. There is never a good reason for a company selling such expensive items to put out dolls of poor quality-- dolls that would likely fail a quality-assurance check at other competative companies (had it been their own product). Because we do not want situations like these to happen to us or any other customer of DOD, we must report all instances of questionable or poor quality accurately and truthfully, and in a timely manner. Otherwise, we do not give the company a chance to recognize and correct the problem on normal terms and conditions. Likewise, failing to report problems indirectly allows a company to continue producing problem-items, whether intentional or not.

For the record, I believe DOD is at fault in this particular instance for putting out a faulty product. Your doll should be evaluated and replaced if they (the company) find any truth in your claims (truth which I have every reason to believe until proven otherwise).

Until these problems are resolved, every doll customer purchasing from any company can do their part to make sure this situation does not happen to them. Do I sound like a public service announcement yet? Because it is easy to become overwhelemed with the excitement and unrelenting joy of receiving your doll, many detectable mistakes are looked over early on. Here are some of your responsibilities as a proud new doll owner:

Upon opening the package the doll or doll-related item is received in, the owner must check for quantity/number of items first (because it is the easiest and most obvious step). Missing items should be reported after an extensive check of the box and all of its contents. Include whether or not each paper and electronic document lists the item as being present. If you find and provide proof of the company's inconsistancies for them, you may speed up the process of getting the situation rectified. We all make mistakes, but the bigger mistakes are the ones we make due to our own laziness or lack of concern.

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Next, every item should be checked for quality one-at-a-time. The more expensive and complex the item, the longer we will have to inspect it. But this process will be well worth it if we can find detectable problems early on. The most important items will likely be the doll head and body. Look for known or common problems as they appear on any of DoA's related threads--like this one, for example! Look for bubbles, cracks and chipping. You may have to loosen or unstring the doll if you want to be sure the joints are in good condition, inside and out. It is up to you to decide whether or not this step is worth it. Of less concern are seams, because DOD and other companies may not fully sand their dolls before sending them out. This should be stated on their web site. If you are sure you purchased a doll that is advertised to be a fully-sanded finished product, you have received an unfinished product. Send it back until they finish it unless you a)want to spend money for a service you never received and b) are too impatient to wait the who-knows-how-long-that-would-take! The choice is yours alone, but I believe you deserve to receive what purchased and agreed to purchase-- no more, no less.

If you feel uneasy or unsure whether or not damage is due to poor quality or shipment troubles, take the time to photographically document the damage. If you see anything that looks odd, report it. There is nothing wrong with being sure you are getting what you agreed to and paid for. You can also take the extra step to explain your situation on DoA, including the photos. There could very easily be a member of the forum that has had a similar situation. Whatever opinions you receive on the matter, do not let them persuade you to give up if you believe you were wronged. There is nothing more worthy to search for than the truth, whether or not the truth matches 100% with your claims. If you believe a company wrongs you or fails to do their part to correct a wrong that they, themselves made, you have every right to keep trying. Ball-jointed dolls are big investments, and no one knows that like the owners themselves! Sometimes companies are hesitant to spend money to fix their own mistakes, but do not let that become your problem-- make it theirs.

In closing, I respect and admire the companies and individuals who make and promote the fine, ball-jointed dolls we love. I do not wish for any company to have a bad reputation that is undeserving of one. But at the same time, I will not allow any company to lower their quality unannounced while maintaining a price unfit for the altered product. Even good companies like DOD are not immune from making mistakes and poor judgment calls, so lets keep them honest and reward them with business!

 

My DOD Shall snapped her thigh part off at a meet up, Randomly. (The place where her knees bend.)

And luckily, it was an easy repair for a customizer, For me. I was shocked and saddened by it. I do think DOD Resin is a lot more breakable than most resin, More fragile than most too. I love DOD's Sculpts too. Apparently its pretty common to have your DOD's knee area snap. I've seen it in the Help section a few times. :/ Its sad.

 

I agree wif u..

 

woah...perhaps the resin they used was experimental at that time?

 

this is quite concerning actually, i plan on ordering Homme Kirill soon.
i've had no problems with my U, but it looks like a lot of ppl have had some with theirs

 

Thats really terriable. I can see why you are so upset, I would be too.

I own a Tender too and touch wood they are ok and my two SD's are fine too.

Its heart breaking when somthing happens to your doll