"toxic Smart Doll community"?

On a FB group I'm on someone just posted that they were banned and they have zero idea why. They got an order cancelled and no reply from customer service or DC on instagram. They assume it's for some comment made in passing and he looked at their FB name. But... They don't even know what comment?!

This honestly freaks me out. How does he connect social stuff to website orders? Like apparently this person was a big SMD influencer from early days.

There's just two dolls I want to order from CJ and then I'll probably not be chatting about SMD too much, because I'll be focused on getting them clothes and stuff and just playing around, but will I even be able to buy them? Maybe I need a special email just for SMD site? This all seems so creepy to me 😶

Edited April 25, 2021 by ladyroselie

I feel like having the "right" to ban people from your products because they didn't fill out a survey right* or something is pretty entitled in itself. And in turn, making people feel "special" because they follow your rules and blindly support everything you say and therefore have the "privilege" of buying your dolls without harassment is going to create a sense of entitlement in your customers.

Basically: "No, Danny, you are the Entitled.

And then Danny was an Entitled."

*and not for legitimate reasons like repeated failures to pay within the timeframe or aggressively harassing your employees.

1 hour ago, ladyroselie said:

Maybe I need a special email just for SMD site? This all seems so creepy to me

The safest bet is to use an email that isn’t connected to any of your social media accounts, and don’t talk about what you’ve ordered / plan to order publicly; at least until you are done buying dolls from him. I would avoid SmD groups on social media that are fan clubish in nature; fans can sometimes be pretty crazy.

One way that he might be identifying people is the social media contact consumption feature and poor privacy settings on people’s accounts. If you allow those services access to your contact list, they often use them to try and connect you with people you know. 

It’s also a good idea to block access to your profile to everyone who isn’t on a friend list. If your profile is set correctly there should be no way for Danny to connect your social media to your SmD account.

The problem is if you buy anything other than Milk, you are dependent on CultureJapan for parts. With Milk you could put the head on a DD body with a bit of work. Possibly on an Obitsu too, but I don’t know if they are a good match.

Eventually someone may write a book entitled ‘How to Buy a SmartDoll And Not Get Banned.’  XD

 

1 hour ago, ladyroselie said:

They assume it's for some comment made in passing and he looked at their FB name

Could even be mistaken identity. 

40 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

The safest bet is to use an email that isn’t connected to any of your social media accounts, and don’t talk about what you’ve ordered / plan to order publicly; at least until you are done buying dolls from him. I would avoid SmD groups on social media that are fan clubish in nature; fans can sometimes be pretty crazy.

One way that he might be identifying people is the social media contact consumption feature and poor privacy settings on people’s accounts. If you allow those services access to your contact list, they often use them to try and connect you with people you know. 

It’s also a good idea to block access to your profile to everyone who isn’t on a friend list. If your profile is set correctly there should be no way for Danny to connect your social media to your SmD account.

I can't share screencaps as those were shared in a private group chat, but Danny also asks his most loyal fans to snitch on others for him, and rewards them with freebies/right to purchase special items.

1 hour ago, bbotss said:

I can't share screencaps as those were shared in a private group chat, but Danny also asks his most loyal fans to snitch on others for him, and rewards them with freebies/right to purchase special items.

Beginning to feel like we’re dealing with the capo di tutti capi of the doll world.

1 hour ago, bbotss said:

I can't share screencaps as those were shared in a private group chat, but Danny also asks his most loyal fans to snitch on others for him, and rewards them with freebies/right to purchase special items.

They... what... This is getting crazier than I'd imagined. 

 

36 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

Beginning to feel like we’re dealing with the capo di tutti capi of the doll world.

And now I cannot get this image of him out of my head

9 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

The safest bet is to use an email that isn’t connected to any of your social media accounts, and don’t talk about what you’ve ordered / plan to order publicly; 

Could even be mistaken identity. 

That's a good idea, thanks! It is probably a good thing that I've had my fb set to private for a long time and don't use my full name there 😬 As for my instagram it's all enamel pins at this point, so no worries there 😅

But seriously... This seems like a lot to go through for dolls. I think a lot is going to depend on if I can manage to snag the blue girl I want. I may just keep it to my one Milk secondhand girl and call it good. 

I wondered about mistaken identity too! What a way to burn your loyal customers!

8 hours ago, bbotss said:

Danny also asks his most loyal fans to snitch on others for him

That's beyond words... I mean if there were people who were saying they cheated SMD somehow, charge backs etc. then yeah, anyone should report that. But just general criticism? Like why does he even care so much? 

I find it hard to believe that it's really that many customers who make life difficult for him. Maybe he got burned so bad he's preemptively trying to ban everyone he thinks could ever possibly be an issue? 

I've been a collector of all kinds of things for years and I've bought and sold stuff. Yes, there are nasties that are rude and difficult, or try to cheat you. But you just block THEM, and then usually you're fine. At least that's my experience 🤷🏼‍♀️

Edited April 26, 2021 by ladyroselie
Grammar

1 hour ago, ladyroselie said:

Danny also asks his most loyal fans to snitch on others for him

No jokes, I remember some screenshot that is from the elite group about this case. 😨

1 hour ago, ladyroselie said:

But seriously... This seems like a lot to go through for dolls. I think a lot is going to depend on if I can manage to snag the blue girl I want. I may just keep it to my one Milk secondhand girl and call it good. 

As far as I know, no other doll company puts people in the position of having to fear being caught saying the wrong thing on social media. 

On 4/25/2021 at 1:46 AM, BeyondTime said:

His Solar Marines may discover that every Napoleon must eventually meet his Waterloo

Like so... ? (text profanity ..)

I guess im getting old ... I remembered this being a bit more funny back in the day...

If I ever get a SmD, it's going to be secondhand or through Fabric Friends and Dolls. I ain't got the time or energy to deal with that shit.

Maybe once the physical store re-opens proxys will become an option as well. Unless DC decides to spend his days sitting by the door and interviewing every single person that comes through his store to see if they're worthy.

10 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

As far as I know, no other doll company puts people in the position of having to fear being caught saying the wrong thing on social media. 

I agree, I don't know of any doll companies that do this... But I know of a lot of fantasy pin makers that do. It seems to come around when a hobbist or very small bus. artist suddenly gets popular and then doesn't have/make enough stock to meet demand. They usually start selling only in private groups and get really picky about customers.

That being said, customers in that hobby do get truly mean to pin makers when they can't get what they want. Hence why I'm leaving that hobby, it's legit toxic ever since the pandemic and people started buying more online.

Maybe there's something to be learned there though. Fantasy pins are not a sustainable business, despite a lot of makers calling it their small business/full-time job. They are ripping off someone else's intellectual property to sell their brand and products. DC is not, it's his IP, he has a recognized business, he can just hire a business manager and step back to just focus on creative. But instead he's choosing to make it this way. Protecting employee time is so admirable, but he also needs to be sustainable and I don't think his practices allow that. Even if someone didn't get caught in the social media stuff if they saved and waited and could never catch the doll they want they get discouraged and leave. That happens too often and well... 🤷🏼‍♀️

14 minutes ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

If I ever get a SmD, it's going to be secondhand or through Fabric Friends and Dolls. I ain't got the time or energy to deal with that shit.

Maybe once the physical store re-opens proxys will become an option as well. Unless DC decides to spend his days sitting by the door and interviewing every single person that comes through his store to see if they're worthy.

Omg maybe he will just sit there! 😖 There's a level of need to control that's gotten off the charts and gone beyond sensibility. 

I see more and more people want to buy from Iris at FFD. Maybe he should just let her handle all american orders and keep himself to local stuff.

Edited April 26, 2021 by ladyroselie
Grammar

I’m kinda scared to buy a SmD cause I’m afraid I’m gonna get banned, I’ll probably  just order a SmD from Fabric and Friends, it’s too scary and complicated buying from directly from the SmD site. I don’t know why Danny bans people, I mean people are putting money in his pocket.

1 hour ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

Unless DC decides to spend his days sitting by the door and interviewing every single person that comes through his store to see if they're worthy.

11 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

As far as I know, no other doll company puts people in the position of having to fear being caught saying the wrong thing on social media. 

Usually it is the other way around - People boycott companies that say the wrong things.

22 hours ago, bbotss said:

I can't share screencaps as those were shared in a private group chat, but Danny also asks his most loyal fans to snitch on others for him, and rewards them with freebies/right to purchase special items.

In Smart Doll Lovers group, (the original), I remember a couple people talking about this and preventing the wrong people from getting their hands on his Smart Dolls, especially during the whole fiasco with the anti-Danny group that featured him with a not so kind symbol on his shirt. Not saying the last part to stir up trouble, but I'm just telling what I saw happen. I know HE spied then as well as a few of his loyal followers to infiltrate the group and get names.

2 hours ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

Unless DC decides to spend his days sitting by the door and interviewing every single person that comes through his store to see if they're worthy.

Now I got mental image of him being behind Idols/Talent table and judging... "and how exactly you got the idea that you could be the next Smartdoll owner? Does your family support you?"

2 hours ago, Akito said:

Now I got mental image of him being behind Idols/Talent table and judging... "and how exactly you got the idea that you could be the next Smartdoll owner? Does your family support you?"

I was thinking more like "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Because one of the few things I have in common with him is that we're both giant nerds lol

I was more thinking "blocked. blocked. blocked. you're all blocked. none of you are free of sin" 😂

Doll shopping shouldn't be possible to sum up in a dril tweet.

Now I'm thinking of the bridge of death bit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Katsudon
"What is your favourite colour?" "Blue. No, yellow! Aaaaaa...!"

2 hours ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

I was thinking more like "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

 

That made me think of this:

In rode the Lord of the Entitled. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Entitled under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.

All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat SmartDoll King upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Tokyo Big Sight.

"You cannot enter here," said SmartDoll King, and the huge shadow halted. "Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!"

7 hours ago, Deyja said:

In Smart Doll Lovers group, (the original), I remember a couple people talking about this and preventing the wrong people from getting their hands on his Smart Dolls, especially during the whole fiasco with the anti-Danny group that featured him with a not so kind symbol on his shirt. Not saying the last part to stir up trouble, but I'm just telling what I saw happen. I know HE spied then as well as a few of his loyal followers to infiltrate the group and get names.

Just to clear this up, I saw said image on that FB group and there was NO symbol on the uniform.  It was replaced with the CJ logo and had Dannys face photoshopped onto the body.  It was an obvious military uniform we all can identify and was definitely in poor taste.  But whoever posted it did take out the really bad bits.

 

As for the person who was possibly banned from buying on the Mirai Store, it was definitely NOT a case of mistaken identity. He tried twice to buy Singularity as soon as she was available online and both times the finalized email went thru and money was taken out of the account and then promptly put back in and his orders cancelled. Many people in a Discord channel were watching the whole Singularity sale go down in real time and I was chatting with this guy the entire time.

I'd love to think it was a simple mistake of a card machine going bad or one number being off but I seriously doubt that it was.  I'd love to think all kinds of things that make all of these scenarios not be true and chalked up to nothing but silly misunderstandings.  But I've been in this hobby for 11 years now and I've been there for the initial start up of Smartdoll the company.  And it really saddens me to the core to see what started out as a truly great idea and mantra fall so far from what it was originally intended to represent.

 

That's all I have to say about that.  

 

 

Billy

1 hour ago, baldylox said:

Just to clear this up, I saw said image on that FB group and there was NO symbol on the uniform.  It was replaced with the CJ logo and had Dannys face photoshopped onto the body.  It was an obvious military uniform we all can identify and was definitely in poor taste.  But whoever posted it did take out the really bad bits.

Thanks for the clarification; I never saw the photo directly. I wasn't in the group (happened and was over before I knew about it), but I remember reading the aftermath on instagram stories.

 

I agree, too, and I feel sorry for the person that was banned at the worst possible time and completely ignored when they tried to contact support.

9 hours ago, monkeypizzasonic said:

I was thinking more like "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Because one of the few things I have in common with him is that we're both giant nerds lol

One dollmaker to rule them all

I feel really bad for the person who was banned. Especially as he doesn't even know why, and it's unlikely that he'll find out as he can't get through to anyone. Even if he could, I don't think Danny or anyone would admit to whatever petty reason, which sucks because there's no way for apology and healing. It says on their site that they treat customers as friends, but friends don't spy on each other and block without explanation. Even the friends I have fallen out with, there's still a route back with apology. It sucks that Danny doesn't give people that chance.

Anyways...

"I must not be entitled. Being entitled is the mind killer. It is the little death that brings total obliteration." 😆

Edit: I don't remember a time before the scary stuff because I came to Smart Dolls so late. So, @baldylox, sympathy with having to watch it all slowly unfold. I still love the dolls so much, despite a bit of snark, and wish the scene was more chill. I'm usually a positive person, but keep censoring myself in case I sympathise with the wrong person or like the wrong thing. Argh, I dunno what point I'm heading towards! I think I wish I was making happier posts, and that none of the awfulness and sadness in the scene happened. I'll just go look into my cute Justice's eyes for a while and that'll make everything OK hahaha 😥

Edited April 27, 2021 by Katsudon
I got sad about stuff again

On 4/25/2021 at 11:07 AM, ladyroselie said:

On a FB group I'm on someone just posted that they were banned and they have zero idea why. They got an order cancelled and no reply from customer service or DC on instagram. They assume it's for some comment made in passing and he looked at their FB name. But... They don't even know what comment?!

This honestly freaks me out. How does he connect social stuff to website orders? Like apparently this person was a big SMD influencer from early days.

There's just two dolls I want to order from CJ and then I'll probably not be chatting about SMD too much, because I'll be focused on getting them clothes and stuff and just playing around, but will I even be able to buy them? Maybe I need a special email just for SMD site? This all seems so creepy to me 😶

It's worth noting that this is the same dude who made a buncha option hands, one of them was a middle finger hand. I'm guessing that's why danny banned him because he doesn't like what the dude is doing to his dolls... Which should be none of his BS IMO especially because it's pretty harmless.

9 minutes ago, lucidium said:

one of them was a middle finger hand

That's a very important detail for context. I try to remind myself I'll typically never know the full story unless I'm involved, who knows what the true information is.

Edited April 27, 2021 by Veravey