Wait Times Pre-order time estimate missed - how much longer is acceptable?

Personally, I never went for a refund in such cases because I don't care more about delays than I care about actually getting the thing. At the end of the day the goal for me is to always get what I ordered, even if it might take longer than expected.
I have a bunch of dolls here to work on, I am in the hobby for a long time, if this thing now takes 10 or 12 months instead...whatever. I don't depend on it being on time, and I am not someone that goes all "oh no, now this doll is tainted for me!" because the wait time was long/there were issues.
As long as it is clear orders are being shipped, I am calm. I know it might take some time, but it will be shipped.
However, I would speak up at around the 9 months mark and ask for an actual estimation of when to expect my order.

Judging from what you described, it unfortunately sounds like business as usual in this hobby
The longer I've been in it, the longer wait times have become on average...and it only got worse through Covid and other current events!
So as long as communication is there, the artist is somewhat transparent about the issues and orders are being (slowly) shipped, I wouldn't worry too much.
You only have to ask yourself what matters more to you: getting what you ordered, or receiving your money back. Keep in mind though that it's like resetting a counter. You might take that money, turn around to buy a different doll with it, and then have to wait 8 months again

 

I agree with Ara, it's mostly reliant on how much you want the doll

I don't have a lot of experience with wait times (90% of my dolls were bought secondhand) - I've had one doll that took a smooth 4 months to arrive, and then I have other dolls that I've been waiting on for just about 1 year and nearly 3 years...I figured on the day my wait hit 3 years, I'd ask for a refund, but in the end who knows if I'll really do that or not, the artist's dolls don't come up secondhand all that much...

If the company/artist has good communication, maybe send an e-mail (or their preferred method of communication) asking about your order. They may be able to fill you in with some info (about where you are in the queue or estimated further wait time etc.) I think if you're easily able to reach the company/artist, that will give you a lot of reassurance and help the wait feel less painful.

 

It comes down to how much confidence you have in the artist and at what point your frustration cancels out your desire to own the doll.

I am a bit more negative and cautious after the mess that is Dollshe. I don't think I would wait more than a year for any doll and I would have to really trust the artist/company and be madly in love with the doll.

 

I hate this one, and it's a common pattern.

To answer your question, though, as long as some orders are going out, and the artist is still communicating, I'll wait. But that has burned me once or twice.

 

Oh wow alright, that is an information that certainly would have made me hum and haw a little longer before posting my reply
19 months, and the added "within 6 months nothing happened in the waitlist" is...uh, that's quite a lot. And yes, as a new person having this be your first full doll makes it especially frustrating.

May I ask which company we are talking about, and which dealer? I have a vague feeling, but at the same time...there are too many companies/artists/studios like that out there, that keep having these outrageous wait times

 

Expected the artist, wasn't sure about the dealer but not surprised either (Divas is usually very low on the priority scale for most companies)
Dlace is notorious for spitting out new stuff constantly, he's insanely creative and constantly making new stuff...but his casters regularly struggle with his designs. Someone on Discord also had to wait forever to get their male Machina.

What I would try is to reach out directly to the artist on Insta: Trey Gegenfu (@trey.gegenfu) • Instagram photos and videos

Explain to him the situation (when did you order through whom), that within the last six months nothing happened even on the waitlist, and that you're starting to feel like you'll never actually receive this doll. Ask him if he can provide some more insight.

 

I think it's wonderful you can even ask about where your order is at on progress, but ooh, the 6 months with no movement in the wait-list hurts. If you can contact the artist, please keep us posted!! I'd love the story to end where you can bring your doll home, but I can totally understand unrest with that...

 

Oh wow yes, 2 years is a long time to wait! I think you've been more than patient. Most dealers wouldn't mind if you asked the artist directly, I'm not sure about BJDivas though, they seem more "sensitive". Good luck on whatever you decide to do!

 

To be fair, I was just connecting the dots here. There aren't that many artists that keep constantly pumping out new stuff, have long wait times, are extremely difficult to find on the second-hand market, have problems with the caster and fulfilling orders, are handled by dealers etc.
DLace is quite the machine for how much he finishes and tinkers around with his works constantly, I just wish his creative output would match his order fulfillment output. The problem though is that most of the time it is a bit out of his hand. He's not the one casting dolls. But I think he should, uh, re-think which of his ideas are actually commercially do-able. Just because you can sculpt one master, does not mean you can easily cast 20 dolls of it. His engineering is just often too elaborate and finicky for that. There's a reason why the first caster at some point threw the towel.

And no, I don't think you could have known. A friend ordered the very first Machina girl he did, which took a couple months and had her little faults, but overall nothing too crazy. Afterwards stuff just went really out of hand.
He's also not as known or popular as other artists/companies, so there isn't a lot of discussion out there.

Honestly, I'd just write him. What the dealer doesn't know won't make them complain. And afaik, your last request where you are on the waitlist wasn't too long ago, and nothing had changed there. Dlace probably knows more than they do about the overall situation

 

Apparently that happened during the time the male Machinas were supposed to be casted. They were too much, and the first caster gave up I don't have all the information there though, I only read about it through a person in the BJD Discord that was waiting foreveeeeer for their male Machina too. They just got him actually, and are still waiting for another doll from him. But they would also pester him personally on Instagram, which is why I said to give it a try.

My friend's female Machina came with a broken head mechanism, which was partly due the fact the parts are insanely thin in her head. She did get a replacement head though!
The rest was mostly an issue from the dealer (Dolly Planet), who shipped her with minimal padding in a barely fitting box. Apparently things got better afterwards.

Regarding his message: eeeeep
But it's good you gave him a nudge. Would explain though why nothing moved on the waitlist since then. I'd just take the offer of him, and to keep him by the neck.