When What One Wishes For Is Far From What She Gets

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” (Proverbs 14:8 NIV).

Prudent–(adj.) thoughtful care concerning a decision that will impact the future.

I wasn’t, and that’s the problem.

“Wasn’t what?” some perhaps ask.

Wasn’t prudent, and now my pitiful purchase sits on the shelf, leaving me wondering what I should do.

The difficulty comes, too, in that I’m feeling quite sorry for that poor decision I made several weeks ago. You know–when I didn’t act prudently. My sorrow’s partly because I still long for what I thought I’d receive and partly because I feel sad about just tossing the purchase in the trash bin.

So maybe a little backstory would prove helpful.

I love dolls. Have loved them my whole life-long. When on vacations with family, having been given a particular amount of souvenir money to spend, I’d almost always purchase a doll.

One year it was the perfect ceramic doll–adorned in a gingham dress, a petticoat, and patent leather shoes. Furthermore, she played music, though the specific song I can’t recall.

Another year, I was in hot pursuit of a Native American doll, the kind that could be displayed on a pedestal, whose eyes opened and closed when tipped and had a papoose upon her back, with a tiny baby in tow.

There were others, too, along life’s journey. Some I still have, while others live only in my memory or in photographs if I’m lucky.

So when I saw the advertisement for the handmade dolls–a site called Layssard, its link just an easy click away from Facebook–I should have known better. But honestly, I haven’t had many opportunities to learn this lesson. Haven’t experienced being utterly ripped off like this much in my 50+ years. And that’s a good thing. I’m certainly not complaining!

The first clue should’ve been the cost, which really wasn’t much considering what the ad said I’d receive. A custom-made doll dressed in carefully tailored clothing, delivered to my door in a quaint box. I’ll take two! I said to myself–one for Lila and one for Emory.

I perused the site before choosing a doll that looked like my oldest grand-daughter–little wisps of reddish-blonde hair poking out from a cute cap, a sling purse across her shoulder. Her rosy cheeks and button nose were endearing, and her name–Evelyn–perfect!

Next I looked for Emory’s doll. It didn’t take long to decide upon Paisley–with her light brown skin and bright green dress. She, too, was displayed nestled in a box, and I immediately pictured Emory hugging her, seeing in her unique baby doll’s face–handpicked by Mora–a bit of herself, so unlike the fairer skin of her older sister.

And while these two cherished grand-daughters are too young to yet love dolls, I envisioned myself helping instill in them such tenderness–over tea parties and trips to the park, Evelyn and Paisley held tightly. It would only be natural for these little ladies to adore their babies as I’d adored mine when I was a girl of four or five. Just give them a few years, I thought to myself, and merely the vision birthed a smile.

Imagine my horror then when, after weeks passed with no dolls at my door, I decided to do some research. Clue number two certainly came too late–when I received an email stating the dolls had been shipped but with no way to track the items.

When I looked online for reviews of products from this company called Layssard… well, what I read was much more than a clue. It was proof. I’d been duped, and it brought me no comfort knowing that I wasn’t the only one. Scores of other dissatisfied customers voiced their anger, and my heart broke as I read–

From someone named KF–Don’t buy this doll! The doll is [trash] and they say to contact customer service yet they do not provide a way to contact them. I am going to email the company and then contact my credit card who will refund the money for a dispute and try to resolve the dispute.

And then there was this–

From SK–Dangerous Dolls! This is a fraudulent scam!
I ordered 3 of these dolls for my granddaughters, so I have been ripped off x3!! The dolls are shockingly bad–one has its head half off, the faces, clothes and actual dolls are incomplete and very badly made. The hair is nylon and falls out so would’ve be dangerous for any small child as it could be a choking hazard! They’ve used images of different dolls than the ones they supply! I have tried to contact via email but had no response! I, too, wish I’d read the reviews before being seduced by the beautiful images of the dolls I thought I was ordering! I have complained to Facebook for allowing the advert but heard nothing from them!
DO NOT BUY THESE DOLLS !

There were others, each just as angry–their claims just as negative.

So let’s say I’d had fair warning prior to the dolls being delivered just several days ago. Still, my heart hurt, and I simply haven’t yet been able to bring myself to throw the dolls away. (Honestly, I feel sorry for the poor things!)

They really are worse than I’d even imagined. Both are far from handmade–their clothes shabby and very poor quality. The stitching on their faces is coming loose, and there’s absolutely no unique characteristics. They were created in mass production and arrived in plastic bags, not the quaint boxes the site boasted.

Evelyn and Paisley are simply pitiful, and I’m thinking we will need to bury them somewhere rather than throw them away. Perhaps we’ll play Amazing Grace–the Chris Tomlin version that includes lyrics about one’s chains being gone and being set free. (Click the title if you, too, need an escape from this sad post.)

Again, poor, pitiful Evelyn and Paisley.

Writing this helps–sharing my sadness over the death of the dream concerning these dolls and the love I hoped my little ladies would have for them. I was scammed, and perhaps you’ve been scammed too. We likely have all had moments when we didn’t act prudently and suffered the consequences of such.

As the proverb says–

“The folly of fools is deception…”

And a company that calls itself Layssard (whose very logo, upon careful inspection, includes images of sneaky snakes!) is set on deceiving–preying on those of us who love dolls, likely many moms and grandmas who simply longed to share their love with those little ones in their lives.

Beware!

• Have you ever been scammed?
• What did you do to warn others? 
• How did you deal with your anger?

Dear Jesus, help us be prudent and protect us from poor decisions. May we remain trusting and trustworthy in Your presence, even when we’ve experienced deception at its worst. Fill us with discernment so we can know truth from a lie, and keep us from being deceptive toward others. Amen.