12/19/2013: I wrote:
Do you have an estimate for when you can complete this bust piece and send it out? I’m in no hurry, but would just like a timeframe.
Thanks.
12/19/2013: Mirodoll wrote:
We will mix the color and make the bust piece next week. When it is done we will send you pictures. ^_^
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No communication from them occurred between 12/19/2013 and 1/1/2014.
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1/1/2014: I wrote:
Hi, how’s the casting on the bust piece going? Thanks.
1/1/2014: Mirodoll wrote:
We will do it this week. Thanks!
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No communication from them occurred between 1/1/2014 and 2/4/2014.
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2/4/2014: I wrote:
Hi, I haven’t heard from you in a month on the status of the bust piece. After receiving it in the third week of December, you stated that it would be cast the week following, though it was not. At the beginning of January, you stated that it would be cast in the second week in January, but it was not. I’m now very worried about the status of this piece, as well as the headcap I shipped you for color matching. Please provide me with a firm deadline by which the custom bust piece will be cast and shipped [with headcap] back to me. I really need my doll’s headcap back. Thank you.
2/5/2014: Mirodoll wrote:
We are sorry for the delay.
We did have tried to make the color before the Spring Festival, but the color is not very satisfying. We will make and ship the doll bust next week. Our factory will come back to work next week. If the color can not be worked out, we will also ship the headcap to you next week.
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No communication occurred from them between 2/5/2014 and 3/1/2014.
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3/1/2014: I wrote:
Hello. Please ship the headcap back to me by EMS and provide me with a tracking number when you do so. Thank you.
3/5/2014: Mirodoll wrote:
We have mixed out the color. We will send a comparison picture to you. It is not eady to match the colors, and we have many travial things to do every day. Hope your kind understanding.
3/11/2014: Mirodoll wrote:
We finally mixed up the color. It is very close, but not 100% match. Please find the pictures.
If you are satisfied with the color, we will make the doll part for you, or you can order a whole body.
I approved the color match and asked them to cast the bust piece.
They cast the bust piece in March and returned it and the headcap to me by insured EMS, as requested, and it arrived some time in late March, 2014.
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In short, Mirodoll told me twice that they would do my custom cast promptly, within a week [give or take] of my inquiry. They actually took about four months between receipt of Yamarrah’s headcap and the date on which they finally cast the matching bust piece.
During those four months, Mirodoll communicated scantily with me. Though clearly they were breaking for holidays and then having troubles making the resin match, they volunteered none of this information. I learned the status of my custom cast only through repeated followups.
To be clear, I do not object to a four-month wait for a custom cast BJD part. Having had BJDs for many years, I understand that long waits are standard, that doll companies go on breaks for holidays, that weather and humidity interfere with casting, that resin matching is a finicky process, etc., etc., etc. I accept all of these factors.
I object to the fact that Mirodoll told me twice that my custom cast would be done "in a week," but then took four months to complete it. I object to the fact that they did not keep me informed of their vacations and challenges in resin matching. Because of my frustrating experience with Mirodoll, I cannot recommend this company’s services.