Tuesday, January 26, 2010


Well, like many of my favorite etsians, I've finally fallen victim to the crazy customer. Crazy customer is fine, but this one broke my perfect 100% feedback rating. Don't worry I've filed with the proper etsy channels to have the feedback removed, but the good people at Etsy are currently swimming in emails and it'll be a few days before I get a response.

For those who are curious, the story goes like this: An etsy customer ordered my pink rose pendant, a lovely choice. They however did not pay at checkout. After a day I sent them a friendly reminder that the item wont ship until payment clears, and that I haven't received any payment yet.

This happens sometimes, people forget, they get distracted, real life gets in the way, so I wasn't expecting anything to be different about this case. I said I'd wait a week for a response, if I didn't get any word I'd cancel the sale and leave negative feedback stating that the person is a non-paying customer.

Yet again standard etsy fare, by posting that they are a non-payer in their feedback page, it alerts other etsians (those who might be newer and very, very excited about an order) not to get their hopes up if the payment is not included at the time of purchase. I know my heart goes all a flutter when a sale comes in, especially when it's for my roses, which I am very proud about developing.

Well another day or so goes by, and I get a convo from the customer stating that they changed their mind. I was more than a little peeved about this, as all of my pieces are one of a kind, it's not a simple case of renewing an item if one sells. I have to clear off the workspace of what I'm doing, and make another one or there's a big gaping hole in my storefront. They also remove all of the hearts and veiws that the item had, and get my hopes up about selling another rose.

For those who haven't shopped at etsy, when you purchase an item, there is a big "Commit to Buy" button that you must click. That means you are committing to pay for the item, as by clicking that button, it gets removed from the store, the seller gets an email, and a little happy dance ensues at the sellers home.

This seller clicked that big magically button, then ignored payment, taking up my time, and the time of some poor etsy support staffer who has to go through the case and remove the item from our transactions, credit me back the amount, and delete the history of the item.

So I send a quick response, that the commit to buy button is purchasing the item, and that it is considered nonpaying to ignore the sale, and that it is frowned upon on etsy to be a nonpayer. I explained all of this because ther person seemed to be very new to etsy, with only a few purchases under her belt.

The customer must've been looking for a fight because she responded that I needed to check my emotions before repsonding to convos. I have written several emotional papers in my day, but this is my business. I don't let emotions in when dealing with a case like this. I apologise and say that I was not emotional when I wrote the convo. She replies that I should not contact her again. So I don't.

I delete the convo and go about the business of filing the "cancel a sale" form on etsy, relisting the item, and leave the customer feedback stating that she is a nonpaying customer.

She responds by leaving negative feedback about the quality of my item being lacking and named another seller to go to for better pieces. Not only is it impossible for her to know the quality of my items since it never shipped, it is also strictly prohibited to advertise other shops in feedback.

(I've checked out the store, it's a lovely new store, with lovely items, and the roses are sculpted in a more realistic fashion than mine are, but mine are meant to be simplier and more fantastical, they're mine! So if you are the shop owner of that store know that I hold no hard feelings and wish you many, many sales!:)

So there is a non customer who is criticizing my craftsmanship, advertising another shop in my feeback, and ruining my perfect 100% feedback score. You can guess that I'm not too happy about that, here's hoping the etsy gods move swiftly to restore my name.

In the mean time, the pink rose is back on the market, as are rose pendants that are all the colors of the rainbow!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Behold the new face of my shop! Take a look at the new rainbow of colors available as rose pendants, also notie the destash and clearance categories, both of these are at ridiculous prices to get them gone! I hate waste, if I didn't I've probably chuck them outright since I have no more room for the fabric, bottle caps, old projects and rikrak piling up. (Not actual rikrak for those crafters waiting in baited breath, I just love the term.)

Please buy all the clearance and destash, deals offered for anyone who emails/convos me about buying in bulk!