Iplehouse Waiting Room v35

I have a package coming EMS from South Korea (SJ). Several large orders of clothes, not dolls. It was shipped on May 7. On May 15 it was received by air carriers with a flight number. That's the last I heard. I doubt it left since then or I'd have heard that it was in NYC. I did look up the flight. It appeared that there was only one jet every day or every other day leaving from Incheon International Airport to JFK, New York.

Some sellers are using DHL which has it's own fleet of planes and is faster (but then it seems to be handing off to USPS and is now languishing with them inside the US). What is weird is that DHL is no extra for some sellers and for others it is very expensive (hundreds of dollars) so they are unwilling to switch or they will pass on the cost to customers. I'm wondering if it has to do with a shipping contract they have or haven't. Does anyone know?

 

Well, just for reference, I can say that a head I ordered in January from another Korean company that shipped via EMS and got here a couple days ago took two extra weeks in transit. And that was a small package to the USA, which suggests that the backlog to other countries with fewer flights available and/or transfers required could be worse.
Totally understand why anyone would be frustrated with the lack of consistency/explanations, in any case.

 

That lack of proper communication is the biggest problem among artists and bjd companies, unfortunately.
I have noticed that many artist just don't bother answering questions or behave inadequately towards clients.
Possibly because of the cultural difference, possibly because of the accepted trade customs/rules within the community, or because not all producers realise that communication is a must in business.
Seriously, just One artist answered all my questions in the polite professional manner, gave me the information requested, guided around her timelines and what I should plan. Maybe, because she is from the economic background.

 

As far as I know and read in the past years, most companies do indeed have a contract with EMS, which is why shipping is somewhat cheap in comparison for an express shipping option. When you got a contract with a carrier you can ship in bulk/ship for cheaper than as a private person. EMS is fast, reliable and pretty much delivers everywhere in one way or another (even if it later on hands it over to a local carrier).
DHL is for most not really needed when they have EMS instead, even if I often wish it was an option nonetheless. But I'm German and DHL is our main carrier for packages, my EMS stuff (unless it's from China) is handled by them anyway. I understand why for some others it would just be a hassle to get their orders via DHL.
Right now it REALLY would come in handy though to have it as an option, I have friends that happily order from Japan at the moment using only DHL Express and barely wait a week at times. Meanwhile my Taobao order hasn't left China for over a month now, despite EMS shipping

And I'm really terrified of my EID being shipped with EMS at the moment, I don't want him to cruise around for weeks on end

 

The good news is that my DHL shipped Loongsoul doll (which was only days from China to the US then handed to USPS which sent it further and further from my house) is now here! I think my delayed EMS from SartoriaJ has finally flown out. I hope USPS doesn't drive me crazy again with the EMS package!

 

I ordered some items from DDE in preparation for my girl's arrival. My DDE package was shipped out Monday the 18th and has been delivered today to my mailbox. I need to go get it as it is in the neighborhood cluster. Unfortunately, my status is still "inbound into customs" at Chicago ISC (since Saturday, May16th) for my girl. I know Chicago got a ton of rain this weekend which resulted in flooding of parts of the city, but I'm hoping she'll be out of customs this week... and hope that the influx of rain didn't affect my package.

This coming Monday is also an US holiday... so I imagine there's going to be additional slow downs as well. I must be patient...

 

Just wanted to share my recent experience with EMS shipping as there has been some discussion in this thread about it. This wasn't related to a package from Iplehouse, although I am waiting for an order from them, too. I received a shipping notice from a different Korean BJD company on May 18th with an EMS tracking number. Tracking showed the package moving within Korea, then on May 20th it said:
INTERNATIONAL POST OFFICE, Returned for aviation security reasons, Prohibited for air conveyance.

Later that day I received an email from the doll company stating:
Today, the doll we sent to you was returned and we didn't expect this situation.
We asked EMS and they said that could deliver to ONLY TORONTO.
We also confused about this issue but we will keep your doll and send it to you if delivery is possible.
We understand your disappointment and apologize for your long waiting.
Please understand this situation and do not worry about your doll because we will do our best for you get it.

I'm sharing this because it may be relevant for people in Canada and possibly other countries waiting for EMS shipments. Sorry for the over-long post

 

@Hmac58 - Ah, well that sheds a little more light on the situation. Thanks for sharing!

 

yeah i got a similar resoince from Iple saying they could only deliver to VANCOUVER... but that is the point of entry for Iple anyhow... I just gave up.. i'll get my dolls when i get them... hopefully I will still want them by than

 

Actually, you have just voiced out my worries.
I am afraid that the doll I wanted for a long time will just come too late (I am waiting for another doll (Lillycat) and another head (new artist) is scheduled in August).
And it already seems that I might love the second doll and particularly the new head more... I try to go online and see what can be done with the Iplehouse doll in terms of styling and clothes, but I sort of don't feel I want to do it anymore.

 

im stepping back from 'haunting' iple and hope some away time so to speak will help... I have 2 sitting at iple until covid shipping junk unlocks and a dollmore Lusion that shipped and is now in limbo in where ever they keep mail waiting for a flight. That doll is not one I am keeping... it's part of a trade... and the one I will be getting is still in production at DM. and with long layaways im used to up to a year + 2 months with the big dolls lol. Not so patient with iplehouse ... especially when the dolls are ready lol. Right now I am spending time looking for a new stove and washing machine... both need replacing >< ... so that has been keeping me occupied since I've never had to do this lol

 

Aria has made it safely to me. From shipping to my house was a little over two weeks (a little under a week waiting for a flight out of Korea, a bit over a week to get through customs and USPS final delivery), which given the current environment, I am going to say is pretty good.

I do not have a wig that I love for her, so I will have to buy or learn how to make one. I love how delicate and feminine she looks though and look forward to creating some cute outfits for her. I hope that everyone's dolls makes it safely. Hang in there all! I will likely be back here waiting as I plan my next purchase. I think she needs an SID boy to complement.

Looking at past events, there may be a summer sale in July? Though this year has been a doozy, so I can totally see them not having a sale...

Spoiler: Photo

 

VeraLyne, congratulations. She is so cute. I like her face up.

 

@VeraLyne She is beautiful and well worth the wait. Congratulations!

 

She's lovely.

 

Hi! I thought I would join this thread as I am waiting for a JID Owen He's on layaway and my last payment for him will be in July so I'm hoping by then the delays with EMS won't be as long. I admit I was (and still am) anxious about ordering him during this time but as far as I understood, Iplehouse is still working and EMS is still shipping, albeit with delays. I figured by the time he'd be ready to ship the international shipping situation would be more under control. Fingers crossed
I just hope no one here has to deal with a missing or damaged doll while shipping is such a mess!

@VeraLyne your Aria is lovely! So glad she arrived safely to you

 

Congratulations!
She looks so gentle! A fine lady!

 

I haven't been checking this waiting room for many, many weeks as I'm so frustrated and disappointed in Iplehouse refusing to ship my doll (claiming EMS to my county isn't possible, even tho other S.Korean companies ARE able to ship EMS to my country!)
My doll has been stuck now in their office since the beginning of April...
I contacted Iplehouse for the 2nd time, but I got this bleh reply from them "We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the production and delivery delay due to the corona virus. Your doll Nancy is currently has been packed and ready to be shipped. However, we are still waiting for EMS shipping to Denmark to be resumed. We don’t know How Danmark post office is going on, but it’s still impossible to publish an invoice of the parcel to Denmark here.
We will ship it as soon as delivery is available. The parcel is currently stored in our office."

Has anyone asked them if it's possible for them to ship by a different service than EMS?

 

@Lotte Rotten I'm so sorry that they are treating you this way, I really hope that they get their act together.
They'll probably say the same thing to me when my doll is ready to be shipped out even though Australia is accepting mail from South Korea.

 

I don’t know, how it is from Korea, but in the other direction from my country to Korea they accept only letters and small air mail packages. So a head or accessories would work and a whole doll would not. The good thing is, just three weeks ago they even didn’t accept letters. My IP doll shipped two days ago and lingers at the international distribution center. I also have a Raccoon, which has now been waiting there for 10 days. At least she was not brought back to the company like @Hmac58 ‘s and I still have a little hope, she will get a flight someday. And there are also these moments, when I think, it would have been better, if the dolls remained at the companies’ storage place than getting lost.
Most doll makers have contracts with shipping companies for better conditions, so I disbelieve they would ship with another. But maybe someone has already asked and can answer your question. I can understand your restraint to disturb them again and again very well...

 

IH not shipping to your country or in my case my 'province' in my country (even more stupid) is not something Iplehouse has any control over. If they gave the parcel to the post office it would be kept by the post in some warehouse with every other parcel not being sent out and that would be a greater risk to our dolls. If they keep it at the office it won't "get lost in the mail". This is not actually under the control of IH but the postal systems AND the actual # of planes allowed to fly in and out. with stuff like social distancing etc. they cannot keep as much staff to do the work. Things will take longer Iif they are moving at all. Also "necessary" things get priority right now. if your want to blame someone.... blame the postal system that use NON private methods... IH is as much a hostage of this as our dolls are...

 

Received the identical message from them, just Nancy swapped to Yur and Denmark to Australia.(((

 

I ordered an EID Aaliyah on January 11. When I checked my account today, she is shipping! I haven't gotten a shipping notice yet, though. I'm in Canada. Hopefully she'll get here quickly.

 

Congratulations @Ryishe . I hope that you'll get your Aaliyah soon.

 

@Kaname Kimura I hope your doll will be shipped out to you quickly once it's ready *fingers crossed for you* @quake I think you're probably right that Iplehouse has a contract with EMS and most likely wouldn't ship by a different service, maybe I will ask them anyways... @Lady Tiku I have been in touch with EMS here in my country and was told that mail from S.Korea IS working, that's what's making me so confused about this whole thing ;___; @Dunpeald I'm so sorry your doll hasn't been shipped yet either, I do hope you will get your Yur soon.

I think I will try to just 'forget' about my Iplehouse doll for now- and if/when she ever gets here I hope I haven't lost interest in her ><

 

Well, I did it. I just ordered my first doll in 7 years! An EID Jessica. She's been one of my dream dolls for a very long time. I'm really excited and also terrified reading about how much trouble everyone is having getting their dolls.

 

My Dane's head has not moved in customs since the 22 where it said it was in the US and inbound.
I really hope it gets through customs and to me soon I would like to have Gideon in one piece. Bright point his pants, shirt, and shoes got here like a week ago. (Also from IH and with only a 3 day head start.) Least he will be fully dressed.

 

Let's all hope for the best!
And prepare for the quarantine delays lasting until September (read some optimistic articles recently, nearly finished one bottle of wine with those).

 

My EID Dylan just shipped today. Let’s see how long it takes.

 

Just a little update, but the EID that was supposed to ship first end of April, then end of May according to Iple...still hasn't shipped
No clue when he, or my FID, will finally be shipped. I just hope that once they do it won't take forever for them to arrive.

 

Been waiting just over three months so far on Caleb. It'll have to go over four to beat my longest previous Iple-wait though.

 

Six months from ordering a month longer than my longest from Iple...

 

Ouch. That might be a new record for IH. Really hope they get things moving for you soon!

 

Yeah, the same here - six months of wait and hope as they offer zero proper communication or regular updates.
Looks like my Lillycat doll on layaway will come sooner (presumably in August).
Will delete my wish list plan on Iplehouse website. There are plenty of cute fish out there)))

 

After a long wait, a damaged face up, a return flight for his head, a short time to fix it, and then what feels like forever stuck slowly moving through return shipping. Gideon is home, in one piece, and handsome as hell.

Meet Gideon Elijah Hawthorne, my vampire from the clan Daughters of Cacophony.
Gideon is one of my favorite all time Vampire the Masquerade PCs.

(My Dane has gotten his travel card stamped for sure.)
I am super happy and thankful to have him home and whole, and will be spending the next few weeks making stuff to get his look perfect (I play him in both tabletop and in a LARP so trying to match his doll outfit to the one I wear as him at the LARP. And yes I am that nerdy gamer.)

Now back to waiting on my Caleb and my two Noel dolls.

 

Good to hear it! He does look very handsome! And there's plenty of us nerdy gamers around here, believe me.

 

Is he a Dane sculpt?
Good that he is back!

 

I'm pretty sure that well over over half my dolls are play characters of mine, mostly from table top super hero games with a number of D&D and WoD PCs in the mix.

He a Dane, in fact he is the "Warrior Dane" with face up B on the SID model body as it's become my fave doll body.
Dane was back for a tiny bit last Dec so him and an Eric were X-mas gifts to myself.

The details of the B face up are lovely, you can not see them so well in pix cuz my flash on my phone is evil, but he has the cutest spattering of freckles on his nose checks and chin.

 

Oh, I haven't even recognised him, though he was in my wish list for some time.

 

my FID Dane was supposed to ship end of April...waitin...I got the whole "its the shipping company" but I wrote back with "er EMS is still shipping to Australia", got no response...I don't care I'm just adding extra stuff for all my dolls each pay fortnight : ) : )

 

@Lelm That is what I'm afraid they are going to say when my doll is ready.
I check the Australia Post website once a week and mail between the two countries has be relatively normal for a while.

 

I just wrote them a message to ask about shipping, less a "when will it ship" but some clarifications regarding EMS from Korea to Germany.
I heard that it's still happening, but also that there is no insurance and as such no tracking number?! Not sure I feel comfortable letting a 900$ order be shipped that way during a time packages take forever

I asked them now if this is true AND if DHL would be an option. DHL is right now just more reliable, and since I'm in Germany (where they are our main parcel service anyway) overall a better option than EMS.
I don't mind having to pay extra for getting my package faster and safer

 

@Ara I can confirm, this is definitely not true! I received my Raccoon doll yesterday and my Iplehouse is on the way. Both shipped with EMS and both have tracking numbers. It took more than a week waiting for the Raccoon to get a flight from Incheon, there are not enough flights atm. But after that, everything went pretty fast. It took only three days for customs clearance and shipping from FFM to me. It arrived with DHL and was trackable on the dhl.de page the whole time. My Iplehouse has now been waiting at the airport for ten days and I hope she will catch a flight soon too.

 

I have a Dollmore Lusion that will be in Vancouver by now and it was sent EMS but also sat for a while waiting for a flight but she was in the air the other day flying out from Inchon. So stuff is moving via EMS

 

Hmm, Looks like stuff is moving but not the Iplehouse's. Wonder how different their relationships with EMS are compared to other companies that got their stuff delivered.
I still think there is something in IH procedures that is not working right. Hmm, I would love to dig into their processes... (sorry)))

Any FID owners here?
Would you mind sharing some patterns with me?
I have time and would love to spend it doing something, rather than worrying and being upset.
Thanks!!!

 

P.S. just received the flight number for my SID Isabel, the airplane lands at 3p.m. today

 

Well, the day has arrived. My FID Bichun is paid off at last!!

Although, PayPal sent the notice for the cancellation of the recurring payments prior to the confirmation of the last payment being sent. I think I nearly collapsed...

Still, all I have to do now is wait for that shipping notice, as well as pray to all the available deities that he doesn't get delayed somewhere along the way or for too long.

 

@quake Thank you for your reply!

I actually got an answer from Iple now and...it's not a good one.

So my order is apparently now stuck too?

Also no DHL shipping option. I honestly don't get why Iple wouldn't offer that, simply because...how many dolls are currently stored at their office?!

 

I think if they have no agreement with DHL, the shipping is hundreds of dollars. They may have an exclusive agreement with EMS. Conjecture on my part, but Jay at SartoriaJ told me DHL would cost $200 for a box of clothes. Alice's Collections in China however had no problem shipping my doll DHL.

 

A little more conjecture over here, but a private seller in France was able to DHL me a box for like 38 euros, and I (Canada) could get one to the states for like $50 (on netparcel, which is like a proxy service, almost). If NP is available there, that could get costs down a little. I’m not sure how DHL operated out of South Korea, because I know a lot of Chinese companies use it (Alice’s, Ringdoll) so maybe that’s why it’s so different.

 

Yes, it's pretty expensive in comparison. I remember choking a little when I ordered my Spiritdoll body back then and it was nearly 150$ shipping via DHL for it. However, in my case DHL Express means I get it straight to my door and can pay customs there. Regular EMS instead means having to cruise around several hours to the customs station, sit there nearly forever, open my doll there and then haul it all back home via train. Oh, also all before work because customs isn't open on Saturdays, and closes at 4pm on weekdays (even earlier on Fridays).

But Spiritdoll is also in China. Maybe DHL is indeed not as widely available in S. Korea than it is in China, and Japan as well.
Honestly though, if I'd be able to I'd just be glad to get orders out of my office. People would stop complaining about them, they don't take up space, less risk for hiccups or storage accidents. And if someone is willing to pay a lot extra for the DHL shipping, just let them.
Maybe Iple is just using it as a way to avoid saying they are behind orders. Easier to say "sorry we can't ship because circumstances" than "sorry we are massively behind orders and yours is actually still not done"

 

Double post, sorry for that, but...I had asked Iple directly about my orders now. Mostly because I wanted to know if they are done, but now in storage, or still actually being produced. Here's the reply:

So now they went from "can't ship to Germany" to "will ship your doll this week"?
Also my FID has been further delayed, yay

 

Dear Lord, I am loosing hope.
Been browsing on IP website looking at wigs and on a Mohair Wild long wave image there was an impossibly cute doll. I was pretty sure it was something discontinued. Wrote them a letter and asked about my long forgotten order and that pretty girl.
Reader, it was Yur. But EID, not FID that I have ordered. No idea, should I laugh or cry here...

 

Yur can look really different depending on the faceup and wig! She looks like the renewal Yur with the type B faceup. (I like EID Yur's faceup options more than the FID's even though it's basically the same mold just different sizes... The FID A faceup is similar-ish.

My own Yur is probably still months out, mine's the big one. Yur club represent.

 

My EID Dylan arrived in US customs Saturday night and was marked for delivery today which I found odd since he’s still in Chicago and I’m in Texas. He’s been in customs ever since.

 

Yur is an amazingly versatile sculpt. I have ordered FID A face up, though I doubt that it will show up before September given the economic forecasts I am getting regularly. I regret spending my limited funds on IH now.
I am getting another doll from more client-oriented doll maker, and it looks like i am more excited about the latter.

 

Ooof this does not sound promising. I'm all set to order a EID Jessica in a few days. She's absolutely perfect looking but i hope waits aren't obscene

 

@deredereyanyan The waiting times at the moment are longer by Iplehouse standards but at least it isn't Dollshe!
I am waiting for two dolls from them (10 and 11 months so far)
I'm nearing the 3 month mark for my SID Camilla.

 

yup! I'm gonna order no matter what. I've never had an iplehouse before tho.