Your Trust for BJD Dealers

Which dealer was that? I wouldn't want to to do business with a liar.

I'm very sorry this happened to you. Did you end up getting a refund / doll? Did you go to the police?

 

I have dealt with dealers before, but only well known official dealers with good reputations, and I haven't had a problem. To check these things, first I would contact the company to see if the person is an authorized dealer for them or not. Secondly, I'd check their feedback, see if others have had problems with them. Most dealers either have the dolls in stock, or give you a date that your preorder will be submitted (some do the day you order, others have set dates that they order all preorders). Wait times usually are longer through a dealer than a company, because they're making many more dolls, and that takes time. Plus there's the time it takes to gather enough orders to submit a large order to the company, then shipping to dealer, giving the dealer time to check all the dolls in, then repack them and ship them to you. Expect it to take a little longer, but definitely not double the time! This is one thing I love about MintonCard--if your order is not there in 40 weeks, they give you the option to have a refund.

What your friend did was very untrustworthy, and I would definitely not buy from her again. Let the company know what happened--if she is an authorized dealer, they should know that she's making their company look really bad, and basically scamming people. It's easy to understand that people put their school or work first, but being a dealer is a real job, not something to do on the side when you're bored. It's a big responsibility.

 

this thread is really interesting, as an ex-dealer myself, I have been amazed at the trust shown to both new and established dealers, with large sums of money. It's as if bjd buyers see a dealer as some kind of holy intermediary between them and a higher deity! Dealers are just people - some good, some bad, some efficient, some lazy, some honest and some dishonest - so you really need to check it out carefully with the doll company, before parting with any money.

You cannot start a dealership without investing a larger sum of money than normal (for me it was $3000) So be aware that someone who is unlikely to have this kind of cash is unlikely to be able to fulfill their first dealer order as a new dealer. If they say they have several companies on their books, and yet have no dolls in stock, it is likely they only have an AGREEMENT from several different companies, that they may become a dealer if they invest $3000 (or whatever) in their first order. In this situation they will be trying to make up enough orders to fulfill that first order with each company. If they can't get enough orders together, then they can't become a dealer for that company, quite simply.

 

That's really interesting! It actually makes me feel better ordering from official dealers now knowing that they actually have to make an investment to become one! It makes a business seem much more legit knowing they aren't just some random person ordering your dolls...

 

I'm going to second what CloakedSchemer said: always check with the company whether a dealer is legitimate or not! If the company does not directly answer you on their own website's Q&A (or through an official company email) with "yes, so-and-so is an official dealer with us", then I wouldn't take the risk. You're not merely taking the risk of having someone scam you by taking your money and not ordering the doll, but you may also potentially be risking being sold a recast/counterfeit doll instead of the real thing. If a dealer is not an official dealer for the company, one that the company itself recognizes (preferably on their website, or at least through their Q&A or asking through direct email to the company), then you could be at risk for being scammed or sold a fake.

What elve said is a good point too... it's a good idea to make sure that a "new dealer" has already paid their dues to the company and does not merely have an agreement that they can become a dealer if they order over a certain amount or something. If they are representing themselves as a dealer, but have not actually fulfilled the company's requirements yet, then they are being dishonest, and I wouldn't want to order from them anyway.

Personally, I only feel comfortable ordering from established dealers, ones with plenty of feedback and a reputation for good customer service (like Denver Doll Emporium). Otherwise, I will only order directly from the company when buying a doll or spending over a certain amount (I have ordered wigs/eyes/outfits through Group Orders and Splits here on DoA before, but even in those cases I usually try to pay with a credit card to cover any potential situation where I need to do a chargeback if I am beyond the Paypal claim period).


In your situation, you should definitely contact the company and let them know that this person is representing herself as a dealer for them and is potentially attempting to scam customers by accepting money without actually placing all the orders (and then lying about it). Be sure to let them know that she is not providing a positive image for their company through her actions. If she is an official dealer, hopefully the company will no longer allow her to be one. If she's not a legit dealer, the company can make a statement telling potential customers not to order from her, as she is NOT a dealer through them, even though she claims to be. They may also be able to take some form of legal action against her for falsely representing their company.


I hope you get this situation sorted out in a way that is satisfactory to you! It's terrible how sleazy and dishonest some people can be, even in this wonderful hobby.