My personal experiences with dolls buy at AlieExpress

[Floydpink]

Every mention is an advertisement, regardless of the context. You've probably heard the saying "there is no such thing as bad publicity", and that's very true.

But fine, if you insist, the "brand" was AJDOLL, if you search that you will find the models and seller. They don't sell 92cm doll but they sell 100cm, which I am guessing is actually the ~92cm one.

Also the tracking did indeed show 11kg and 94cm long package, and I originally wanted to just have it returned because of that, since I then would not have to pay return shipping fee. But aliexpress didn't accept that, they refuse to process "incorrect size" dispute if the tracking number don't show that the package was delivered and accepted.

[RGC_0767]

But then, if you are reluctant to share the info, it makes your story less believable. I don't dismiss it, but perhaps there is more to it? First, you are not doing an advertisement for them, because you clearly indicated that they messed up your order. Second, nobody sells 92 cm doll on aliexpress. And, finally, the package size and weight is registered with carrier, so proving the case of undersized doll is fairly easy.

Even hardliners on this forum accepted the reality that people won't stop buying cheap dolls. If you check where the purchases were made from, then you'll find a lot of BRIC countries. For example, nobody from Russia would ever pay two grand for a doll. And, make no mistake, people from those countries are not less critical to product quality -- if one gets 135cm doll instead of 168 one, then they would reflect it in their rating and review.

Finally, let's talk about approved TDF vendors. How can I verify that the reviews on their sites is legit? What is the order protection? And, most importantly, how can I rank them? I don't know their sales volume, it is not trivial to check how long they existed, so what is the criteria to prefer vendor A over B?

I clicked on the WM link on TDF here. Browsed around there. One thing I did notice was their lack of reviews. Dolls that have been popular in the recent past have ZERO reviews. Isn't that sort of strange? How does that help a first time buyer?
I bought a cheap doll mainly because I know myself. I would regret spending a lot on a piece of plastic. It is doubtful anyone on here could coax me into spending a couple grand on one. People on here putting others down because they own something they do not approve of, is very immature.
But I'll live and Let live. I'm not here to knock others. I'm glad they are happy with their great looking dolls. They're all nice looking!! No matter TDF approved or not... it's called THE DOLL FORUM.... not THE ______ FORUM <--- fill blank.
They're all a work of art, some better done than others is all....

[haremlover]

Finally, let's talk about approved TDF vendors. How can I verify that the reviews on their sites is legit? What is the order protection?

With a TDF vendor your protection is that these vendors are in the public spotlight.

And I have experienced a number of dolls, as quite a few other members of the forum. If something doesn't sound quite right one of us will be picking up on it and I have taken vendors to task before now for one reason or another. No TDF vendor can afford to think they can get away with anything out of the ordinary for very long at least, and in fact many of them are vendors because they are enthusiasts first. This puts a very different complexion on what they do and how they go about things.

Manufacturers don't need to put reviews on their sites - their reviews are here on TDF.

Speaking of which, who does a review is actually quite important. When I review or comment on a new doll that's come to me, I know what I'm looking for. I hope that came across in my approach to reviewing the SY doll recently https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 96&t=99066 . I think most newbies to dolls would have given her 10/10 all round but I know what other dolls are like and I'm willing to be as vicious as I can be with criticism so as to avoid any accusation that I'm favouring the manufacturer. It's a brave manufacturer that sends a doll to me for review. viewtopic.php?f=24&t=100867 is another.

Best wishes

Harem

[Kira-sama]

It's luck-based until you know you're buying straight from the manufacturer. Then it comes down to who you're exchanging emails with. I have bought 3 dolls from Alibaba. First one, I was almost 100% sure I was buying from the manufacturer, but eventually I trusted that they were legit with all the videos/photos they sent and answering almost all of my questions and found out for sure later that I was dealing with the official manufacturer. If someone wants to buy from the manufacturer on Alibaba to save money and wants to be sure that it's the real manufacturer, then contact them via their official email on their website and ask them for a link to their Alibaba store. This way you'll know for sure that it's the real manufacturer.