A well-known “doll doctor” who repairs plush toys in Shanghai has received complaints from customers about his high costs and accusations that he lacks a business license.

A customer surnamed Wu said he recently took his child’s plush pillow to “Uncle Zhu’s Doll Hospital” for repairs, but encountered repeated price increases totaling more than 10,000 yuan ($1,381). Wu claimed that the “hospital” did not provide a contract, price standards or even a business license.

He contacted “doll doctor” Zhu Boming online, waiting for a simple repair process. However, he was required to pay a registration fee before starting any ‘treatment’. After a month of repairs, the toy was not fully repaired, and the budget had already exceeded the original estimate several times.

“The registration fee was 180 yuan, and a single cleaning cost one or two thousand yuan. The most outrageous part was the replanting of the furs, for which he charged 30 yuan per square centimeter. We ended up paying over 5,000 yuan for it and the total cost came to 10,300 yuan. I feel like I was tricked step by step and they never disclosed the total price,” Wu told Xinmin Evening News.

The plush pillow was eventually repaired, but Wu didn’t think the cost was worth it.

Zhu, 77, opened a “toy hospital” in his Shanghai home to repair toys in 2016. He gained some fame and many media outlets reported his story of repairing dolls.

He said they not only repair toys, but restore their owners’ precious childhood memories.

According to previous media reports, in 2022, Zhu’s high fees were already being questioned by consumers. At that time, the local authorities of Hongkou District summoned Zhu for rectification. He declared that he would “try not to levy taxes and advance in the direction of public welfare.”

Two years later, the problems remain the same. The district market supervisory authority said Zhu had not yet obtained a business license.

Many netizens left comments on social media sharing similar experiences of being overcharged by Zhu when seeking his services to repair their dolls.

One netizen said, “Originally, I clearly stated that I am a student with a limited budget of 1,000 yuan. However, Zhu gradually tricked me, capitalizing on my worry and desperation to fix my doll. He kept asking for more money. the doll might be damaged if I refused to pay, I reluctantly agreed to his increasing demands several times it barely resembled a restoration. It was just a patchwork effort for the doll.