Where is better to buy: Directly or Dealer?

[Pleasesaveheart]

I'm ordering a doll soon and was curious who I should order from, via the middle man or cut the middle man? I'm not sure what's better.
What's the advantages?

[Vetinari]

Depends on the company and the dealer!

For instance - I prefer the dealer Angelesque, since I'm in the UK - there's no unpleasant surprises wrt tax. Her customer service is lovely, and she's always happy to answer qs.s

However I've had good experiences with buying direct from BBB, the customer service was good and I was able to put a custom order through that might have been difficult with a dealer.

[SetsunaKou]

I prefer dealer most often, to avoid high shipping costs from China. (Always EMS) But if it's just a part or head, then I go through the company directly.

The good point in buying from dealers is that they have the dolls in stock and ready to ship immediately.
Or if not, the shipping is still lower than from the company directly.

The downside is that it's often a longer wait from dealers than directly from the company. Not quite sure why, but probably because the company gets such a large order from a dealer, they can't make/ship out as quickly as a single doll to you directly.

The good side of dealing directly with the company is like Vetinari-san said, if you have a custom or special order/request, they'll usually accomodate it, whereas the dealer may or may not. (Usually not. ^^)

[Greyhaunt]

If it's a dealer like Junkyspot who only sells what he has in stock - I would buy from there first if he has it. I've done many pre-orders from Mint on Card and Junkyspot an they are both reliable. I like Mint on Card because you can do layaway! So instead of shucking out big bucks up front, I can pay it off while the doll is being made, and when they tell me it has arrived I pay the final leftover all at once (if it's not already paid off).

Be careful of "new" reps. There was a rep for Angel of Dream a long time ago who ended up screwing a lot of people out of their orders after they paid. I was a lucky one who got my doll, but not all are the same.

[Nella]

It really depends on what company and what dealer you're dealing with. By using a dealer you often save on shipping plus you don't have to worry about a language barrier when asking questions. If the dealer does preorders, then there will be more of a wait that if you got the doll directly from the company. As Greyhaunt already mentioned, there are some dealers allow layaway and some only sell products that are in stock, both of which can be great perks. With dealers you do need to check not only the feedback of the company you've buying from but also the feedback of the dealer.

Buying directly from the company often costs more in shipping, as many companies only ship by EMS, but you can do special orders much more easily than through a dealer. Also the only way I know to get custom faceups done by the companies, if they offer that service, is directly through the company. It's too much hassle for a dealer. Keep in mind that plenty of doll companies only sell through their website, such as Luts and Iplehouse, so chossing to go through a dealer limits your options.

[Trethowan]

I'll second Greyhaunt. Junkyspot and MoC are my two favorites for US based customers. Always reliable, honest, great customer service, better shipping rates. Can't go wrong.

I took a chance and ordered from a brand new doll company once (when Granado first appeared) and had a great experience, but then you hear the horror stories of people who were ripped off, ended up with re-casts, toxic smelling dolls, etc.

[SoapBubbles]

I've actually never ordered from a dealer, so this thread is interesting for me to read as well. Maybe I'll also take a look at JunkySpot and MoC and see if shipping is still cheaper for me (I'm in Canada, not the US).

[Kirahfaye]

The only manufacturer I've ever dealt with was Custom House, and ... well ... they are great to work with, but it takes freaking forever to get one of their dolls.

I've bought dolls through Junky Spot, Mint on Card and Denver Doll. I'm not a big Denver Doll fan, but as everyone else has already stated, JS and MoC are terrific to work with. It's just that there are several manufacturers who only work with one of these three.

Unfortunately, some companies do not use reps or dealers at all, like Dream of Doll, so you have to go through them directly regardless.

[Nella]

I've actually never ordered from a dealer, so this thread is interesting for me to read as well. Maybe I'll also take a look at JunkySpot and MoC and see if shipping is still cheaper for me (I'm in Canada, not the US).

Shipping from MoC is very expensive because the only registered and trackable shipping option through them is FedEx. I had to pay 45$ for a one pound box with 90$ of merchandise. I have no idea how expensive shipping a doll would be for them. Shipping through JunkySpot is much more reasonable.

[Kirahfaye]

Wow, that was expensive, but that's probably because you are in Canada and US postal charges even to Canada are ridiculously high - even for private carriers like Fed Ex and UPS.