Should you have to return your broken doll part when you are paying for a replacement

Umm... What? After reading the subject, I was sure it will be about dolls damaged during the shipping etc.^^; I didn't know any company would do that-- I find it ridiculous. When I buy a new pair of shoes for my doll, should I give back the old one? Ridiculous. Maybe they worry someone would copy their dolls using the extra part, but if someone really wants to do that, she/he could use the body that is already in their possession. Let's pretend I somewhat understand why the company wants the replaced part back, and since the part we needed isn't really for sale, they are kinda kinda nice for providing it... but damn, they should pay for the shipping for sure.

 

Does this actually happen often? I was going to ask DOD for replacement parts for my boy soon. Not because he's broken, I just want the new parts for him, but I was going to pay for them of course. I don't think its fair to have to send the parts back. Does it matter that much to them? The parts are broken already and its not like they can be reused since who knows WHAT the owner has done to them (not saying people would do things of course just...you know). I don't want a whole new body just for these leg parts, but what if I want to mod and have the other original parts to swap with? I don't see why there's a big deal if you are paying for the parts what you did to the original parts or if you have two of whatever part. Especially if one is broken. They sell extra hands and feet and heads and don't require us to send those back to buy new ones.

 

That seem very odd to me.
If you want to buy anything new, do you have to take your old or broken one back to the shop first? Simple answer...no!

 

I think it's valid enough to ask for the part to be shipped back, so that the company can assess where they might be able to prevent this from happening in the future and determine if it was a problem in the sculpt itself, the resin being weakened by bubbles, not packed well enough for shipping or just an isolated case of misfortune.
Demanding it back without allowing someone to buy the replacement part outright is a little odd, but I think there is a good enough reason for them to ask if you would ship the part back to them.

 

I don't understand why a company would do it, but I know there are those who have this policy. I don't think it's necessarily fair, but they must have their reasons. Have you tried asking them why this is so?

 

I believe Volks does this so that they don`t have FCS-parts out there more than they should. (You could always say/photoshop/etc. the image and say it`s broken when it wasn`t to order another piece)

I kinda understand their point. But as to non-FCS stuff I really don`t know why they bother.

 

there could be valid reasons for this, they may need to assess the damage and correct it to prevent further problems. they may need proof that in fact the part is damaged/defective, as they don't normally sell these parts and don't do so unless there really is a problem, they don't want to just make a part because someone wants an extra one, and they may not want their defective parts circulating in the secondary market. it may seem strange, but if you need the part, i would just go ahead and send it back.

 

I've had to do this once for a doll I'd had for almost two years. It sucked because he had to sit around without a thigh part for a couple of months, but he was a tanskin FCS and to me it was worth it to pay for the part because those bodies are not at all easily replaceable. Yes, it did suck that I had to pay for the part, but I'd rather pay for a part than have to buy a whole new body especially for a nearly two year old doll. I got lucky on shipping since I was in Japan at the time so I didn't have to deal with anything overseas.

Volks does have a one week grace period for dolls if there's a problem within the first week of arrival, though I don't know much more about that since I've been lucky. Each company will differ on their policies and it's just unfortunate that one of the big issues is compounded shipping costs in some cases. I would like to imagine most companies would take responsibility for shipping costs if it was a case where a doll arrived damaged.

I agree with Miss Ally, if I were a company it might be good to see the damage first hand to figure out what happened. Anything from poor resin batches to flaws in the design of a doll can cause issues.

 

If the company doesnt offer the part normally then I guess for whatever reason they dont want spare parts floating around. I can think of a few companies who dont offer parts normally. If this is the case then whether or not I question sending the part back would depend on how it was broken and how much they were charging me, if it was cheap, as in close to cost and I broke it through carelessness then I would feel more like they were doing me a courtesy than as if I were buying a new part from the company so I wouldn mind sending it back. If on the other hand it broke because me a design flaw or in shipping and they wanted a high price for the part then I would question sending the part back and I would be reluctant. The other thing is if the part limited in some other way like exclusive to their limited dolls, then I can completly understand then wanting the original part back

 

hmm, weird?!
The only other reason that I could think why they would want the part back is to mach the resin for the new part so it does not look odd on your (their companies) doll. That I would understand and be more than happy to send said broken piece to them.
Someone already asked you but have you asked them why? and will they ship your broken part back along with the new part or have they stated they will keep it?
I would love to hear the outcome of this!

 

I guess maybe they don't want random parts of their dolls floating around and only want whole dolls in people's posession? It is kind of odd but there's probably a real reason for it other than the company just being difficult

 

If they want it to evaluate the damage, to work around any weak spots and what not. Sure.
Only if they return it to you, as you paid for it, therefore own it.

 

You as a customer paid for the whole doll including the damaged part, but handing in the damaged part may be part of the payment for the replacement part.

If a company does not use the damaged part for colour matching the new part or inspecting the flaws, it may want to keep the damaged part as a way to discourage people asking for parts that are not sold separately under normal circumstances. Otherwise the company may get flooded by requests for feet, torsos, legs or whatnot, if they appear to make them on request.

Keeping the damaged part as part of the payment for the replacement part may be indeed company policy. If the broken part is not part of the warranty and the doll is not damaged due to shipping or was a flawed product to begin with, you just have to deal with it. They offer you the service of a replacement part with their terms, but they don't have to. It would be bad customer service if they don't want to help you, but they do want to help. It's just that they have conditions attached to their help. It's up to you to accept that or not.

 

I think the problem with Volks was that people were saying they had a broken part and getting doubles of parts that aren't sold separately, then potentially using those parts on other dolls or even selling them. I can understand why a company would do that for a part they don't sell separately, especially if it's a limited part (i.e. unique hand sculpt, animal style parts like some of Soom's dolls have, unusual skintones, etc). If a company doesn't usually sell parts separately and it was broken by the owner after they've had the doll for a while then the company doesn't even have to let you buy the part, they could just tell you to glue it back together or buy a whole new doll. It might be a real pain to have to send the part back but at least they're letting you buy something they don't normally sell, and that's their way of guaranteeing people will only put them through the hassle if they really have a broken part.

 

I can understand a company wanting to evaluate the damage, but if they are charging you for a replacement part I don't really think it's fair. If they're replacing the part for no charge, then I completely agree with sending the damaged one back.

It's a completely different industry, but where I work we will replace a customer's defective product. If it turns out that the error is our fault, the replacement is free. If it's determined that it was the customer's fault (they filled out the order form incorrectly, dropped it, etc), they will usually pay for the replacement... but we don't force them to return the damaged one since they're essentially buying a new one.

I feel that it's just good customer service to offer after-market maintenance options, and it's kind of rude to make a customer purchase a new part AND send the damaged one back. If it's the only way I can get a replacement hand for my doll, I'll do it... but that doesn't mean I think it's good business practice.

 

OK the 2 experiences I have had with broken parts were in both cases my error, and company both times did not ask for piece back. I was paying for part, paying for shipping so why should I pay to ship a broken piece. If they wanted part to see what flaw was in the case of Elf Foot I can tell them flaw, no S-hook. But if they recycled, or wanted to see if it was a factory problem like fingers to thin or to extended to correct a picture or two would work just as well to me after all they have a factory full of parts. Now if they were replacing part for free and wanted proof of breakage, that is another matter, then pay shipping. But otherwise no. If damage happened when doll was brand new then take pics of damage and copy of invoice you got in email of shipping so they know it is indeed new. Then if you want only part replaced you should send part. As that is final proof of damage. It's a tricky choice, just have to figure out if free you pay if not free you pay. Either way money is coming out of pocket again.

 

It's their prerogative. I believe policy varies vastly between companies, as I have heard stories of situations where a company will rush out a replacement part at their expense, based exclusively on photos or anecdotal evidence. This is one of the situations where having obtained your doll through a company-approved dealer may be advantageous - the company will feel far more comfortable releasing a replacement part to someone with whom they have an established and ongoing business relationship.

I can see certain companies may want the damaged part to asses quality control, or out of fear of copying. Unfortunately, this hobby seems to have more than its fair share of bootlegs and scammers, and if a company has been advised to a certain course of action by their directors, there isn't a lot the people following this policy can do. To you it's an annoyance, but to them, it's their livelihood.

I think they should pay the shipping cost, though.