Buyer Beware: A Long-winded Blog Post

I've been debating on how I should address a recent situation. Typically, I'm not one to engage in/ start drama, nor am I one to 'call out' people publicly. However, this time, I'm making an exception. But first, some background info.

I had an idea for a St. Patrick's Day wall hanging. It's been floating around in my head for almost a year and I decided that I would try it out, and if successful, would post a tutorial along with photos of the finished project. I wanted to have it completed before my scheduled surgery date or by St. Pat's weekend. My idea required solid fabric and I didn't have the correct colors in my stash so that meant it was time to go shopping.

My first order was placed with Lola Pink Fabrics. I absolutely LOVE these ladies!!! They have the BEST customer service and always go above and beyond. I know we all have our favorite places but if you haven't ordered from Jen and Janet yet, you should really try them out - you won't be disappointed!

Unfortunately, they didn't have all of the solids I needed so I had to order from another shop too. I searched around and found a place that had the remaining fabrics. The name of the shop is Simply Solid Fabric. She/they are out of Delaware - only 2 states away (this is significant). I have to say that in all the years I've made purchases online (fabric or other items) I have never been so outraged.

After making my purchase, I received confirmation from PayPal but not from Simply Solid Fabric. I didn't think anything of it until a week later when I still hadn't received my package. The website states that they ship within 24 hours. I ordered on a Thursday. When I get mail from my family/friends in Jersey, it rarely takes longer than two days. Not to mention I received my Lola Pink fabric (from LOUISIANA) that Monday - because they're awesome. Again, a two day turnaround. So what happened with this new place?

I sent them a very nice email explaining I had placed an order on their site, that PayPal withdrew the money from my account and sent a confirmation, and that I never received confirmation from them nor had I received my package. Then I waited. And waited. And waited.

And then I got pissed and filed a complaint with PayPal, sending another email to Simply Solid Fabric through the PayPal site. Still, she/they ignored me. After the allotted time, I escalated my complaint and eventually PayPal awarded in my favor and my money was refunded.

Although I am grateful for the refund, I can't help but still be angry with the shop and its owner. You may be thinking that perhaps there was a family emergency or some other unforeseen circumstance. That maybe I should take that into account. I agree. That's exactly how I felt when I sent that first email. However, thanks to social media, it wasn't hard to track down the owner. While I waited for my package and/or a response to my emails, she was busy on Pinterest. Clearly she had time to 'play' but couldn't send a simple email acknowledging the situation. But probably the most interesting thing I learned was that I know who she is. Last year I read her blog post about having her Etsy shop shut down without warning. I remember feeling bad for her and feeling outrage that Etsy would do such a thing. In light of my experience, I read some of the feedback from her Etsy shop (which is closed). Not surprisingly, around the time they shut her down, someone described an incident like the one I was currently having and they too filed a complaint with PayPal.

Obviously this person has no idea what customer service means. But even beyond that, what about common decency? Not once, has she acknowledged anything that happened. Maybe she just has so much money that she never even noticed when money suddenly appeared, then disappeared from her account... Maybe life really did get in the way... Maybe she was beamed up... Maybe she got lost in the land of faeries... Maybe she just doesn't give a.... I guess I will never know.

Anyway, that's my rant and your PSA. I feel much better now - thanks for reading!

(Disclaimer: As with any post, these are only my opinions. Neither shop was aware I was writing this. I chose to endorse Lola Pink Fabrics because they rock and deserve the credit. The other shop deserves to be called out for their horrible customer service. I received nothing but warm fuzzies for writing this.)