Customer Support after receiving my doll

[Upper_Object]

Within the first week of my new doll ownership, I ran into three problems.

Foot bolts do not extend beyond the silicone skin. Being a new doll owner, I did not see this as a problem. After standing my doll up, one of the bolts ended up cutting the skin around it. The factory installed bolts were already extended as far as the threading would allow. Either the manufacturer put in the wrong bolts, or her skeleton was off in the mold causing the bolts to be too deeply recessed? Regardless, I went to a big box hardware store and picked up four new bolts so they would contact the floor before the skin. The heel bolts are fine.

While doing my first cleaning, her soft silicone mouth (sold as having oral function) tore in the corner. This really surprised me! There is no way I could actually have oral sex with her if just my finger gently cleaning her caused a tear.

On my first use, her anus tore slightly, and a significant amount of paint was rubbed off. Again, I was pretty shocked by this. I hate to say it, but I am not well endowed. I was liberal with my water based lube and I was taking it easy with her.

I have contacted Silicone Lovers and told them what has happened. They were very quick to respond (same day) and have started the warranty process.

[crazedcat]

Damn that sounds like a nightmare. Hope it all turns out well for you.

[Dolly_Llama]

I’d be pretty gutted too if my new muse suffered tears like those you experienced. I’m sorry that happened. Was your doll made to order or one that was already in inventory? Was it a brand on the TDF “recommended list”?

I have seen a few posts from people who experienced similar tears with their new silicone dolls and I got the impression that some silicone blends can “dry out” more easily than others—a factor that could be related to either or both of the questions I asked.

Hopefully, SL can help you address this. I definitely believe that if a doll is marketed and sold as having the ability to be used as you did, then it shouldn’t have such failures with proper care.

Since you purchased through a TDF-approved vendor, you should be able to leverage the TDF resolution process (provided you adhere to the rules) if SL’s response is unsatisfactory. You definitely need to give them the benefit of the doubt and also avoid disparaging SL or the manufacturer on the forums while you work to resolve the issues.

Good luck. I hope it all gets sorted out to your satisfaction.

[Upper_Object]

Damn that sounds like a nightmare. Hope it all turns out well for you.

I wouldn't call it a nightmare. But it is something I have to navigate that I would rather not. I am sure it will work out.

I am just glad I bought my doll through a vendor so they can handle all the heavy lifting for me.

[Upper_Object]

I’d be pretty gutted too if my new muse suffered tears like those you experienced. I’m sorry that happened. Was your doll made to order or one that was already in inventory? Was it a brand on the TDF “recommended list”?

I have seen a few posts from people who experienced similar tears with their new silicone dolls and I got the impression that some silicone blends can “dry out” more easily than others—a factor that could be related to either or both of the questions I asked.

Hopefully, SL can help you address this. I definitely believe that if a doll is marketed and sold as having the ability to be used as you did, then it shouldn’t have such failures with proper care.

Since you purchased through a TDF-approved vendor, you should be able to leverage the TDF resolution process (provided you adhere to the rules) if SL’s response is unsatisfactory. You definitely need to give them the benefit of the doubt and also avoid disparaging SL or the manufacturer on the forums while you work to resolve the issues.

Good luck. I hope it all gets sorted out to your satisfaction.

Well, I am hardly gutted. I would rather not have to deal with it though. I ordered her custom and can assume she was made to order. From my order date it took around three months to receive my doll. The manufacturer is on the recommended list.

I have no doubt that SL will make every effort to help me out. They have continually met and exceeded my expectations.

Thank you for your well-intentioned advice, I do appreciate it. But I am not interested in the TDF resolution process. I do not need to give anyone "the benefit of the doubt." If there is a problem, I will share it. If there is solution, I will share that as well. I think all is best and good when aboveboard. Again, thank you for sharing your advice though. It could be important for someone else to read and be of benefit.

[DG]

I am very sorry to hear what has happened to your doll, especially so soon after her arrival.

[Upper_Object]

I am very sorry to hear what has happened to your doll, especially so soon after her arrival.

Thanks for saying so! In my short time in the doll world, I have heard of people with much worse luck. All in all, I am optimistic it will work out.

[Dolly_Llama]

Thank you for your well-intentioned advice, I do appreciate it. But I am not interested in the TDF resolution process. I do not need to give anyone "the benefit of the doubt." If there is a problem, I will share it. If there is solution, I will share that as well. I think all is best and good when aboveboard. Again, thank you for sharing your advice though. It could be important for someone else to read and be of benefit.

Sorry if the advice was out of line. Frankly, I wasn’t aware of the official “TDF Moderation process” until I ran across a thread where a doll owner had shared a warranty issue that they had some initial difficulty getting resolved. The information I shared was based on the gist of that thread.

I hope you have a better experience.

[DG]

I am very sorry to hear what has happened to your doll, especially so soon after her arrival.

Thanks for saying so! In my short time in the doll world, I have heard of people with much worse luck. All in all, I am optimistic it will work out.

Oh man, I could tell you my own stories!

[Upper_Object]

Sorry if the advice was out of line. Frankly, I wasn’t aware of the official “TDF Moderation process” until I ran across a thread where a doll owner had shared a warranty issue that they had some initial difficulty getting resolved. The information I shared was based on the gist of that thread.

I hope you have a better experience.

Your advice was surely appropriate. I hope I have a better experience also

[TChris]

I’d be pretty gutted too if my new muse suffered tears like those you experienced. I’m sorry that happened. Was your doll made to order or one that was already in inventory? Was it a brand on the TDF “recommended list”?

I have seen a few posts from people who experienced similar tears with their new silicone dolls and I got the impression that some silicone blends can “dry out” more easily than others—a factor that could be related to either or both of the questions I asked.

Hopefully, SL can help you address this. I definitely believe that if a doll is marketed and sold as having the ability to be used as you did, then it shouldn’t have such failures with proper care.

Since you purchased through a TDF-approved vendor, you should be able to leverage the TDF resolution process (provided you adhere to the rules) if SL’s response is unsatisfactory. You definitely need to give them the benefit of the doubt and also avoid disparaging SL or the manufacturer on the forums while you work to resolve the issues.

Good luck. I hope it all gets sorted out to your satisfaction.

Well, I am hardly gutted. I would rather not have to deal with it though. I ordered her custom and can assume she was made to order. From my order date it took around three months to receive my doll. The manufacturer is on the recommended list.

I have no doubt that SL will make every effort to help me out. They have continually met and exceeded my expectations.

Thank you for your well-intentioned advice, I do appreciate it. But I am not interested in the TDF resolution process. I do not need to give anyone "the benefit of the doubt." If there is a problem, I will share it. If there is solution, I will share that as well. I think all is best and good when aboveboard. Again, thank you for sharing your advice though. It could be important for someone else to read and be of benefit.

Thank you. People act like they don't want to share problems they have with their doll manufacturer, or vendor.. we are paying customers (some people unwittingly paying much more for the same product)..manufacturing problems specifically need to be shared so they are addressed. I can tell you a certain mfg is still producing the same flaws for the last two years as they claim they are making improvements (while asking people to remove negative posts, basically a bargaining (blackmail imo) chip).

I've seen a video where Irontech was advertising off their new movable jaw head.. literally the mouth was ripped at the corners and they had to use full muster to close the mouth..if that's considered promotional material, it definently wouldn't be surprising to have such issues on a new doll. Yet people on the thread were all "I want that" and not questioning literal damage lol.

Point being, wether the vendor/mfg is TDF approved or not has nothing to do with defective or low quality dolls being sent to customers. That's usually the first reason someone will give of you mention one or both. Also, the approved vendor kool-aid..

Hopefully Evan Zhang/Starpery stand behind their product, my experience with their QC and customer service was bad.

[homersexual]

100% TChris, I couldn't have said it better. One of the great things about TDF and why I joined was the community support. It's one thing to abuse your doll and blame the company or vendor, another entirely when they do you wrong and expect to be above criticism, doubly so when they try to cajole, bribe, or argue with the customer that got a bum deal.

[Upper_Object]

On November 29th I had my first contact from the warranty team at SL. This was the same day I made my damage report, so a near instant response. Fantastic! I sent my reply email the same day as well. I will summarize below their initial email and my reply...

They offered me some advice on standing bolts / foot damage, "It's quite common for foot damage so we suggest always double socking and protecting feet." Genuinely good advice, but of lesser value after the fact. I suggested that they include this advice in their unboxing email or in one of their many helpful guides on the website. There was no recognition to the fact that the standing bolts on the balls of my doll's feet were over 1/3" below the skin. Now that I have a little experience handling my doll, I cannot see how the damage could be avoided the way the doll was manufactured and delivered. The replacement bolts I put in needed to be twice as long as the originals to be level with the skin and remain threaded. I also suggested that one of three people could have given me a head's up that the foot bolts were too short and needed to be replaced; the original installer of the bolts, the factory QA and finally the SL Rep who sent me the factory photos. The factory photos included pictures of the standing feet that looked odd to me. I asked the SL Rep about it at the time and was told it looked fine. I am not trying to blame anyone specifically. I feel sure a more experienced or smarter doll owner would have recognized the problem and solved it before mishap. I do feel better understanding how things went wrong and what could have been done to prevent it.

SL offered to send me some silicone glue or reimburse me if I wanted to buy some on my own to avoid shipping delays. I thanked them for the offer and said I was fine with paying for the glue myself as long as it was under $25. I did ask for their advice on which brand of glue I should choose and if they could point me towards some detailed instructions on how to attempt silicone repairs.

There was a slightly odd response to the small tear in the mouth. I was told I should clean the doll's mouth using an irrigator and asked if I got one with my doll (I did and did). My issue is that my doll is sold as having oral function and the damage was done from me inserting my finger into the doll's mouth. My finger is not as big as my cock. There is no way I would attempt to have oral with my doll lest she end up with a Glasgow grin! This is not as upsetting as it could be. I never intended or wanted to have oral with my doll. But I do want to be able to insert my finger without further damage.

There was no specific mention about the small tear in the anus or the loss of paint there.

I was also thanked for helping out with a shipping problem they had when trying to get my doll to me. They wanted to send me some wigs and eyes for my doll. I had already gotten x2 free wigs having made my order as a TDF user and have heard replacing the eyes of a soft silicone doll was a very bad idea. It was kind of them to make the gesture, but I refused. The eyes would be cool, but the last thing I want to do is destroy my doll's face trying to remove and replace her eyes! There is no reason why I should trust that her eye sockets would not tear also. In fact, before I ordered my doll a SL Rep. warned against changing the eyes because it was difficult and could result in damage.

I appreciate all the offers from Silicone Lovers for the free stuff. I think that is generous and an appreciated gesture. I myself, am much more interested in the information. I would like to see a standing bolt guide or tips being made available to future doll newbies like me. I am hoping to find out what brand of silicone glue is best and how to repair tears in a doll's 'used' areas. I am also curious if small tearing is normal in certain areas and if it always gets worse with use. Finally, I want to know if the manufacturer is involved with this process at all. I think it is imperative that the factory gets feedback when a doll is seeing damage on first interaction.

Currently I am patiently waiting for a follow up during this busy time of year.

[Dolly_Llama]

Thank you for continuing to share your experience with this situation. That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone express reservations about swapping out doll eyes in a soft silicone head. I guess it makes sense, but I agree with you that it would be helpful if more of that kind of information was made known to purchasers on the front end.

[Guy2bd]

Sorry to hear about your case, I kind of understand how you feel, a bad first experience makes you not believe in this thing anymore.

And the feeling cannot be expressed in writing.
I really hope that SL will be able to find you the best solution for you!

Keep us updated!