OK, I've done some research today on this question about returns, exchanges and repairs and I want to share some thoughts about it.
First, let's define what these dolls really are: they are anatomically correct 1:1 scale models of the human body. Their life-like build puts them into a completely different class of product from torsos, inflatables and the like. As with real partners, where sex is only one aspect of the relationship, these dolls are ACs where sex is also only one aspect to ownership. Sex is not their sole purpose.
The term "adult novelties" should only be applied to products whose sole purpose is sex. That's just not the case with the high-end dolls. Using the term as a shield for makers to hide behind to avoid all returns for repair or exchange is scandalous. Makers could easily attach stipulations to a policy that ensured their own health and safety, while giving owners an avenue of recourse for dolls that have problems.
These dolls should be manufactured to a higher standard consistent with their pricing, and the maker should stand behind their products with warranties for defects in manufacturing, which clearly, these reported problems are.
In each of the cases I've read on TDF, it was necessary for the owner to unwrap the doll and work with it a bit before the hidden defect became known, such as major skin splits and broken joints. A maker should not, at that point, be saying the equivalent of "Ha! Ha! Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)!" and leave the owner to suffer his own repair.
A reasonable time of 30 days should be permitted to ensure the good workmanship of the doll. That's a standard return/exchange policy at other places, such as Amazon. As long as the doll is returned clean, and with its original packaging, with an RMA, and subject to factory inspection, there should be no issue in exchanging it.
If, for example, an owner tested his doll's orifices with a slim glass bottle or similar item in lieu of sexual contact, that would completely avoid the health question. In addition, all the joints should be put through their full range of motion to check for structural problems with both the skin and the endoskeleton.
Normal wear and tear is an owner's responsibility. Product defects and faulty workmanship are the responsibility of the maker. That's a standard clause of consumer protection law.
Makers should hold themselves to the same or similar quality principles as embodied by the
Good Manufacturing Practices law used for medical devices. And just as with medical devices, "The designation of a device as a 'custom' or 'customized' device does not confer a GMP exemption." This is an international standard codified by many governments for quality control.
For example, I have found male and female medical models of the full human body (50-67 inches tall and weighing 35-105 pounds) used for nurse training, CPR, auscultation, patient simulation, birthing, gynecology, medical procedural practice and so forth that cost between $1000 and $4000 US Dollars and variously come with a one year to lifetime manufacturers warranty. These dolls aren't necessarily built to be beautiful, but it's interesting to see what's out there.
Some of these dolls have lungs that breathe! They have a pulse! You can give your doll an injection, check her blood pressure, perform CPR, defibrillate her, intubate her, pump her stomach, or give her a colonic irrigation.
And there's variety too: into geriatrics? There's a grandma doll that comes with sagging breasts and her own walker.
Like performing surgery on your dolls? You can do that with a medical simulation doll without destroying it. Comes complete with internal organs. Ok, so I know surgery and doll repair aren't quite the same thing.
I was just having fun with that.
Most importantly, these dolls withstand repeated use in clinical, educational, and emergency medical training situations. One of the dolls I found is used in car extrication simulations and firefighter training, hauling it out of a building with the arms wrapped around the trainee's neck and dragging its feet behind it. They get a lot of handling, moving around, etc., and they can take it! Isn't that interesting.
These dolls have a manufacturing history dating back to 1960, so dolls with excellent structural integrity are nothing new. They are anatomically correct, and they are built to last. If they can do it, love doll makers can do it. Period. End of story.
Love doll makers are already charging up to six times the price of medical doll makers and for what: the dolls can be made for less. We are paying a premium for beauty; her insides should be just as sturdy as a medical doll that costs a fraction of the price.
Thank you for your attention. Comments?
