What is your worst experience?

What is your worst experience?  Either as a buyer, or a seller……  let’s not name names here but care to share yours?

 

I’ve been an online buyer and seller for well over 10 years, I’ve always been a very understanding buyer, I understand that once items are within the postal system it is really not possible to trace, so I count those as my own lose, never had I claim with sellers for those items.

 

Yet as a seller, if I can replace the item I will!  I love nothing less than a happy customer!  I tend to go out of my ways to please in fact!  Because that is my job!

 

And I understand those “real life” incidents, as long as communication remains open, I am extremely understanding too…..

 

Now with that said, I am going through one of the WORST experience as a seller that I’ve ever had, through all these years of selling online or in person!  Which has seriously made me reconsider if I should just forget about offering Custom Order, and stick with creating to my own heart’s content, WYSIWYG thing…… *sigh*

 

Here’s the whole story!  Since this is MY BLOG, so I can talk about it!  Though still, no names will be revealed.  And I will leave it up to you to judge!

 

The background story…..  this is not the first time that I dealt with this buyer.  Earlier this year I received a conversation ( from here on will be referred to as “convo”, a message system used on an online selling venue, where I’ve been a seller since ’06 ), with a question of whether or not I can size down one of my wire wrapped ring, I was able to by adding more wire to ring shank, so I resized it and ship it off to her.  When she received the ring she said that the color combination is not flattering on her finger, so I’ve agreed to her returning this ring, but will deduct wire cost since I had to use a few feet of 14kt Rose Goldfill wire for this resize.  She blew up on me.  After I explained further she finally agreed to the very minimal cost of wire to be deduced from her purchased price.  So that is taken cared of and transaction cancelled, refund issued.

 

We’ve kept in touch for the next few months because she states that she still would like me to make her a ring similar to the one she returned, though from previous experience I’ve pretty much put this on the back bench, I really should have listened to my own gut feeling….

 

A few months later, she approached me with a Custom Order for a special event that she’s planning on attending.  After a few convo back and forth trying to pinpoint what she wanted, and photos of clothes that she planned to wear, we’ve settled on a design that I’ve made, except all pieces will be made with 14kt Rose Gold filled wire, ladden with gemstone.  I can still remember trying to make her understand why I needed a deposit to start this Custom Order, alas, that was purchased so I started on this order.  We’ve decided to make a necklace with a matching ring, she states that she’s US ring size 5.

 

I was really rather pleased with the outcome of this set!  And I have to be honest here, it went over the budget that she gave me!  But I am perfectly OK with that since….  well I want to make pieces that will make me proud, which I believe will also make my buyer happy!  So I shot some photos of the set then forward to her for approval.  Then proceed to set-up another listing so we can complete this transaction.

 

I received a convo from buyer a few weeks later when she received these pieces, but oopsy!  The ring doesn’t fit.  So I send her a ring sizer, and she convoed me back stating that she received the sizer, and she’s a US ring size 5.5.  OK……  so I proceed to remake the ring, without questioning her about her previously provided ring size.  Reship this ring, she received it, and it’s still too small!  Then she returned this ring, along with one of her other purchased wire wrapped ring from I do not know who, as well as the ring sizer.

yes as you can see, it is not even US ring size 5.5….. still, I did not question, since really, it is entirely possible to have moved during transit right?  So once again, I remade another ring……  Oh and she purchased a set of my stacking ring at this time too!  And for those who has any experience with stacking ring, you know that we need to size up slightly to make it wear more comfortably right?  So I’ve made one in US ring size 6.25, while the other 2 in US ring size 5.75.  And I shipped via EMS because it is cutting really close to the original deadline of that event that she’s attending.

 

And once again, she received it, and still too small…..  and asked me why the stacking ring set fits while the one she was really waiting for did not.

 

Then here comes the kick.  Please keep in mind that at this point, I am as discouraged and disappointed as any artist can be!  I want to please!  Because that is my JOB!  She said that she fell out of interest of having me make her a matching ring, then pointed me to this item that I have listed in my shop, which was the inspiration of the Custom set that I’ve made for her….

She states that since I’ve screwed up with my “contract” at this point, so I should compensate her with this, which is listed in my shop.  I replied with detail of how much I would list her necklace for since she is please with that, and I am not really making money anymore at this point, of the very little that I’ve charged.  So how much does she think the ring is worth?  I’ll be more than happy to deduct that amount from the listing price.  Sounds reasonable?

 

She comes back with a bill to a ring that she HAD to buy locally to match the necklace that I’ve made, and shipping cost that incurred from returning those 2 previous rings (which I’ve already deducted from when she purchased the stacking ring set), oh and my stacking ring set that she had to purchase, totaled at $410 USD.  And I should just compensate her “trouble” with this cuff.

 

It took me about 24 hours to compose a very professional convo with help from my friends, but even before I replied she sends another convo asking why she hasn’t heard from me, so I replied, stating that at this point I would like to cancel this whole transaction, and I will even refund her for shipping back to me with proof of shipping.  She blew up, again!  Stating that she will now bring this case to the sale site Support.  Then a day later, she convo me again, stating that she will just return my goods and cancel transaction, as long as I refund her the full amount.

 

And here I am, thinking that I can finally end this unpleasant experience!

 

And a week later……  no proof of shipping, no contact……  and I’ve done enough waiting, all the while in the known…..  I have to take the control back since….  well I know she asked for this Custom set to wear to an event, so I sat and came up with a Rental Clause…..  it’s been a week since she stated that she will ship my items back to me, and I am giving her another 24 hours to ship my items and provide proof of shipping, otherwise I will be starting to deduct 10% of total cost of items as “rental fee”.  Does this sound unreasonable to you?

 

Of course, she blew up again!  Surprise surprise!!!  States that she’s had enough, and will take this to the sale site support now.

 

You have any idea how happy that I am at this point?  That I can almost see the end of this??

 

So now, once again, I am sitting here, waiting……  again…..  but I believe I’ve done and said all that I can.  Have I missed anything that I haven’t done?  To provide good customer service?  I really would like to know what I’ve done so wrong through all this!

 

Now….  if you read cards, care to do a deck for me?  LOL  I really would like to know what I’ve done to deserve this….

 

Until next time!  And hopefully I will have some good news by then….