Newbie Buyers Guide
Hey there! Danny here.
Thank you for considering Smart Doll! This article covers frequently asked newbie questions about payments, shipping, and more.
But first, I need to ensure you know what you are getting yourself into!
Smart Doll is certainly not designed for everybody, and I want to ensure that folks understand the philosophy regarding our business ethics and product before deciding to buy. I wrote this article covering reasons why Smart Doll may not be your best choice - please read it as it could save you 500 USD ;-)
How do I choose a Smart Doll?
Choosing a Smart Doll is straightforward - go to the Smart Doll category page and choose one which calls out to you! Many folks make a decision based on how they look, their name, or what they symbolize.
If you are unsure, choose Mirai, as she started the Smart Doll brand - none of this would exist without her.
On the product detail page, select "Fully Assembled" for the body type (we had many in the past but only one type now), upon which you will see the option to choose additional Option Parts such as Busts, Option Hand Packs, Stands, and Apparel.
You do not need to buy anything else, as Smart Doll is ready to play out of the box after you have attached their wig.
All Smart Doll girls are shipped wearing a sports bra and undies and include a telescopic stand for additional standing support. See what the packaging looks like.
Smart Dolls will look great at home on your desk or beside your bed in their undies, but they will probably get a cold or embarrassed if they venture outside without additional apparel.
You do not need to buy our apparel items, as many talented artists out there design and sell apparel exclusively for Smart Doll.
Or you can download the free patterns we distribute to make apparel for your Smart Doll.
What are Option Parts, and do I need them?
If you are buying a Smart Doll for the first time, you do not need to get additional option parts because your Smart Doll already comes with an S-sized bust and a pair of default hands. However, option parts will provide extra customization and play value.
Do the faces come painted?
If you have been researching online about fashion dolls, you may have come across brands where you have to pay extra for a painted face. This is not the case with Smart Doll as they all come with a painted face per the photos on the product detail pages. I thought I would mention this because so many people ask ;-)
Do I need additional stands?
All Smart Dolls come with a telescopic stand and are pretty good at standing on their own two feet. However, you may want to buy additional stands that allow for more posing possibilities.
What payment types do you accept?
You can pay using Paypal or credit card via Paypal - details live here. We do not accept layaways or Intergalactic Credits.
Where can I buy Smart Doll?
You can buy on our online store but not at our Tokyo store anymore - we now use the space for handling shipping and product development.
Folks in the US may be interested in buying from Fabric Friends, while folks in the EU can opt to buy from Anime Sugoi.
Resellers on eBay are not official retailers. We do not offer support for products purchased from a reseller.
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping fees are listed here. However, to find out exactly how much your order will cost to ship, add the stuff you want to your cart and proceed to check out. Our system will know how much shipping to charge once you enter your address/country.
Do you deliver to a PO Box?
Unfortunately, neither DHL nor FedEx can ship to a PO Box. If you write a PO Box in your address, we will contact you and ask you to change it as we have no other means to ship the package to you. Both DHL and FedEx usually send you an email (check your spam folder) which will allow you to arrange a date and delivery time.
What regions do you not ship to?
We want to ship everywhere, but our courier's cant ship to the following regions for whatever reason.
North Korea, Russia, Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Central African Republic - CF, Comoros, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Falklands, Guinea Bissau, Johnston Island, Kiribati, Mayotte Island, Nauru, Niue, Saint Pierre Et Miquelon, Sao Tome & Principe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, St. Helena (S. Atlantic), Tajikistan, Tokelau Islands, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Wake Islands, Ukraine, Mexico, Mos Eisely, Mustafar.
Which regions have the most complicated customs clearance procedures
Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Jordan, and Brazil. Read this article on procedures for Mexico.
How long does shipping take?
We ship products out after 15 business days which may take an additional 15 days to arrive. Read feedback from folks in different regions about their experiences.
How much will import duties be?
If you're based in the U.S., you can ignore this section as import duties don't apply to you. However, for those in most other regions, please be aware that you'll need to pay import taxes in addition to your order. This cost is collected by couriers such as DHL or FedEx on behalf of your government. Please note that we have no role in determining the amount of these taxes and are unable to predict how much you may be charged. Read feedback from folks in different regions about how much they pay.
If you're placing an order for the first time, it's imperative that you agree to pay any applicable import duties. We will not be able to ship the item otherwise, as it's not productive to send an item to those who have not indicated their willingness to bear potential import costs.
Can you combine orders?
Where possible, we endeavor to merge multiple orders and refund any excess shipping fees. We are not in the business of profiting from shipping fees. However, once an order has been packed and placed in the staging area and ready for pickup, we will not recall the package to combine multiple orders anymore. Learn more about combining orders.
What is your warranty and returns policy?
I'm glad you asked! It lives here.
Does it matter what email I Use when placing an order?
Yes! Where possible, avoid using Hotmail, Yahoo, Comcast, or AOL emails because these services bounce our emails - or if you are lucky, our emails may end up in your spam folder. In any case, check your spam folder if you don't get an email after placing an order.
What is the secret sauce for getting my order canceled?
Asking for the following will result in a cancellation and refund of your order.
- Asking for a discount
- Asking us to lower the declared value of your order
- Asking us to ship out ASAP
- Asking us to deliver by a particular date
- Asking us who shot first - Han or Greedo
Unfortunately, we don't own DHL or FedEx (yet), nor do we have celestial powers over a pandemic to guarantee a delivery date on the other side of the world - and we don't enjoy it when people refuse to pay import taxes resulting in goods being returned to us. Not to mention that there are people who reject packages that don't arrive in time for a birthday.
We presume that your order is reliant on such requests being answered.
We can't do any of the above and can't tell you who shot first, even though we think it was Han. So don't ask :-)
Can you provide discreet packaging?
Many folks who buy a Smart Doll as a prezzie often ask for discreet packaging. Unfortunately, the only box that can protect the dolls is the double corrugated boxes that have the logos emblazoned on the outside.
We can put tape over the logos, but the box will end up looking suspicious, resulting in higher chances of your package being inspected by customs. We do not have any blank boxes that can protect the dolls on the long journey.
SHIPPING COURIERS
We used to ship by EMS, but we now ship by DHL or FedEx - we choose which one depending on your region or the box size. The customer cannot choose which courier, and we ask that you leave the decision to us.
However, if you have issues with either one of these couriers, contact us first, and we will see what can be arranged.
Will you ship everything in one big box?
If you have a large order, we may have to ship our goodies out in multiple boxes spread out over a few days. This means that everything will not arrive on the same day.
Why do you need confirmation from me after I placed an order? Can't you just ship without the questions?
Many folks are shocked that one of our humans contacts the customer to confirm their order details while other companies would just ship the order. If all I cared about was money, I would not care where our products end up - I would just fulfill orders, no questions asked.
But I do care. I know better than anyone the time, love, and energy my team puts into the product, and I want to make sure our Smart Dolls go to a good home and get there safely.
For this reason, we vet each and every newbie order to ensure that the new owner does not end up with buyer's remorse - which will end up with a neglected Smart Doll in a dark cupboard. I think we have watched enough movies to know what happens when dolls are kept in dark cupboards.
We want to ensure that we have enough information for the package to reach the destination safely - many folks have typos in their mailing address and email, leading to missing packages.
We reconfirm that folks are OK with the handmade nature of our product (we've had people say "no - send me a perfect one") and also that if they live outside of the US, they are OK with paying import taxes - many of them are not and ask for a cancelation - this is great because we have avoided yet another return package after folks refuse to pay the taxes.
The final reason we need to vet each order is for fraud. We ask questions about the order that bots or fraudsters can't answer in a comprehensible manner.