Worth the wait

[ShinyMonkey]

Placed an order for a custom doll on March 11 and as of today, still no update on progress. I emailed the company twice over 4 days and received no response. I can’t believe my first experience with buying a doll turned into such a frustrating experience. I now have to start a dispute with PayPal. Can’t wait to describe to them what I was buying

[ShinyMonkey]

Someone recommended that I try calling the number on their website (duh!), which, as I discovered, connects you to the Canadian "mother ship". To my surprise, the owner picked up and assured me that they have my order and that it was sent to WM for manufacture. So, while their website says 1-3 weeks for manufacturing, it may be more like 4-6 weeks, especially for popular models. Failure to respond to 3 email attempts to contact the American subsidiary is still unacceptable but he readily agreed with that and said he'll act on it. Rick was very nice and helpful on the phone so I'm hopeful that they'll be a positive outcome to this and that I'll be able to come back here and post a positive review.

[Rock13]

I think that you should rethink the title of your topic. Timely communications between manufacturer, vendor, and buyer are a fairly common occurrence, so ordering a doll often requires equal measures of faith and patience. Also, you ordered your doll on the heels of the Chinese holiday and there was a recent factory closure due to another wave of CV. Hang in there, it sounds like Rick is on top of it.

[ShinyMonkey]

Yes, I will definitely do what you suggest once I receive my order. As you saw, I’ve already modified the title of my response to make sure other readers give them the benefit of the doubt. All that being said, no response to 3 emails over a whole week still fits the definition of “terrible” to me.

[Justinpassinthru]

I have multiple experiences with sda and have only the best to say about them. Yes, communication can be slow but that's because of the trickle of information and time zones, not negligence. Once you've put in your order, they have to get the info together and send that to China, which is a whole other company, time zone, language, and culture (one which does not usually prioritize customer service). You can usually expect a response 2-3 days after your initial request, at best. This is standard practice in this industry. It pays to be patient here and don't expect a lot of information quickly. You'll get factory pics several weeks later out of the blue, and the same with your tracking number. This is not the vendor's fault. Trust me, the wait feels like forever but it's a little much to request too many emails saying "Nothing to report." Simply put, you'll know when there's something to know.

[ShinyMonkey]

My thanks to those you PM me with useful info. Just FYI, I’m not yet authorized to send private messages so I can’t respond.

[SeenHerB4]

I think that you should rethink the title of your topic.

I agree. I think the OP should change the title of this thread. It is a little harsh.

Maybe try one of these:

• Help. No email response from SDA.

• Custom Order Placed Extended Wait No Email Response from SDA.

• Hello SDA Requesting Order Update

But I also understand the frustration, pain and suffering with the custom order purchase process.
The full experience can turn out to be very different than advertised (for many different reasons).
Seems to be some kind of quazi right of passage, or something.

N' the reason I only buy In-Stock dolls.
Its my personal fantasy the industry in the U.S. moves to a predominantly "In-Stock" business model where the custom order is the exception, not the norm.

[PopTarts]

My first doll is in transit. I can assure you, it is a waiting game. Patience.

As somewhat of a newb myself, I can tell you this. If you are unaware that there would be a lot of waiting, even for responses, strap in. It will be a ride. What I have been doing during this time is educating myself on how to care and maintain my doll when she arrives, ordering her clothes, watching makeup techniques, etc. There is a LOT to learn. A LOT. And I think that it is safe to say that if the wait is catching you off guard, you might also be caught off guard with how to handle your doll when she does arrive. Use this time wisely!

Questions that you should know the answers to should include...

How do you carry your doll?
How do you store her?
What positions should her body rest in?
How do you wash her inside and out?
How do you dry her inside and out?
How often do you oil her?
How often do you powder her?
What size clothes does she wear?
What size shoes does she wear?
What color and fabric of clothes are safe?
How do you remove stains?
How do you repair minor damage?

Also, when you doll does arrive, document everything from the way the package looks sitting on your front porch to close-up details of all of her orifices. She might arrive with a minor problem that you can fix, or one might surface within a few days of owning her. And as someone else recommended to me, when my doll arrives, I'm not going to get too carried away and take her to bed with me, I will spend some significant time with her, understanding exactly how each joint feels when it moves, and understanding how to safely get her into positions before getting to know her intimately.

Hope this is helpful, from one newb to another! Good Luck!

[ShinyMonkey]

All,
Thank you for your advice and for walking me off the ledge. I’m more than willing to de-harsh the original post but my newbie status may not allow that, at least I can’t find out how.
Anyway, it’s been 6 weeks and still no pictures from the factory. SDA has been a lot more responsive though so I’ll just continue to wait.

[ShinyMonkey]

So, it took about 7 weeks to get to the factory pictures stage. But it was worth the wait. She looks great! Last stage, can't wait for the tracking number.

[Kite]

If you want your title changed just let me or any staff member know.

I may be a bit biased as they did good with me. For new dolls the timeline always sucked. Its not always the vendors fault there. Once she actually ships ur going to habe 1 more wait spot when she hits customs. All of my dolls got stuck there for a few days.

[ShinyMonkey]

Kite, I PMed you to change the title. Thanks!

I’ll take the opportunity to update the group. I received the doll 2 weeks ago so happy ending (no pun) to a loooong adventure. Communication from the vendor was a little better but not as much as I was hoping. For example, they never emailed once it arrived in the country, cleared custom, or was on its way to me. The only heads up I got was from FedEx when I got a tracking number out of the blue. On the other hand, the vendor was great catching errors they made with the doll options so they saved me a big disappointment. Overall, I’d order from them again now that I know what to expect.

[mrgatorade5]

thats good news then. im gonna place an order with them eventually. i do hope the communication is better now though.

[velmavisuals]

I also placed an order on may 11th and haven't received any updates and they have not responded to my multiple emails. Last year I ordered a similar doll from them around the same time of year and it only took 3 weeks from order to delivery.