Well, this has obviously been long overdue.
As many of you may know I have had a little trouble with a ridiculous website who the owner of , thinks it is her job to be the judge , jury & executioner of items being sold on the world wide web.
I do agree, that there are good points of her website, for instance if she calls out 'resellers' a term used by the artisan community meaning someone who buys mass produced factory items then pretends they are handmade and sells them.
Yes, I too dislike where the mass produced market and slave labor factories has lead this country to in general- lost jobs, housing losses, etc..
So, for the most part, I have no beef with that part of the website.
But what I do have a problem with is when she picks out actual handmade items just to belittle the seller. Her defense for doing it is that if you make it, and put it on the internet for sale , then you are asking for critiques. Sorry darling, you are dead wrong. If I entered art school and made things, then I would know they would be judged, or if I went on American Idol, then I go on knowing I will be judged.
When I make something with my own two hands, I don't understand how it gives you or anyone else the right the poke at it.
I have a policy in my store which clearly states "If you don't like it, don't' buy it".
I guess the problem is everybody needs a job, and this is hers. She makes money doing this.
She also has a boat load of followers. Who actually are pretty nasty people.
As it went:
She featured one of my handmade items on her site. It had a terrible description, I admit it.
Some of the posts were hysterical. I laughed at myself. But some posts were, wow, the lowest of the low. So I offered to throw down artistic talents with any of them, they didn't like that. They called me butt-hurt. So, because I pissed them off, some of them came to my store with malice intent to buy just to leave negative feedback. I reported them to Etsy. Those negative feedbacks were removed. All but one, because I couldn't at the time 'prove' the motive. So be it. I had 1 negative feedback. Then came the aftermath of being reported to Etsy for being a 'reseller' which Etsy does not allow. Etsy contacted me and wanted proof that I was not a reseller, to which I sent them photographs of my workshops, me casting gold and silver with a torch, etc... They then apologized and thanked me for being part of their handmade community.
This was almost a year ago.
Then shortly after that, that website featured one of my friends & dragged her through the virtual meat grinder. That really pissed me off & I actually ended up buying her item to keep the dogs away. Sticking up for the underdog has always been a part of who I am as a person.
I had told my brother about this insane-ness, and he took it upon himself to create a Facebook page that ridiculed the site & it's owner. Well, the site & it's owner got really butt-hurt, I'm talking snot bubbles in the corner butt-hurt... I guess what is good for the goose is NOT good for the gander?! So, from the facebook page a little phrase was dubbed about the followers -who are some of the nastiest vulgar people I have ever seen post some things in the first place. They were called fat ugly jealous losers. I believe, and from what I was told, it was a metaphor, because really, how can someone presume the physical state of someone else merely from online posts? So I had a little contest in my shop offering $15 credit to someone who could tell me what "fujl" stood for. Wow, did that pinch a nerve with some of those nasty vulgar people. Just when I though you couldn't get nastier & more vulgar, they proved me wrong. Dealing with that aftermath was a breeze, I just deleted all the hate mail. And soon after it died off...
For the past year, my sales had increased, business is booming then all of a sudden , I make a sale- to that one chick who left me the negative feedback ! At first I was apprehensive, like why the hell is she buying from me? All she did was buy something from me, just to leave negative feedback, did she all of a sudden start liking my stuff??
Well, I let the sale go thru, and she left a nice positive feedback. And that was about 6 months ago.
Just a few weeks ago," it"for lack of a better word, came back to buy more things from my shop. 3 items exactly.
I actually left her positive feedback while using the batch feedback tool.
Right after that, I received an email from her which was the biggest bunch of bullshit -directly after that initial email she sent I had someone do some checking up for me in which they found in some private forums on that website her intent to "get that bitch" meaning me of course because she was talking about how her shop still does not have 100% positive feedback due to me leaving her a negative the first time she tried to buy something- that feedback said:
Steph Sension
January 31 2012 8:25pm EDT
Invoice: www.etsy.com/your/orders/47033477
Hi. I got the package today and it had been cut open. the only thing in there was a black mesh bag with lavender in it. I'm not sure what to do from here.
Are you serious?! Wow! Well, i can replace the rose earrings, the other two items however were just one of a kind, so I can either 1.) refund for those or 2.) make something similar but not exact.
Let me know
x Chy
was the zebra print bag still in the package? that is just so odd, the lavender was in a zebra print bag With the jewelry... so odd the jewelry would not be there but the lavender would be...
not the first time I have heard of this though...
can you send me a photo of what you have??
thanks
Hi Steph, writing again, because I have just found out that Ets was having issues for the last few days with their convos so I want to make sure you know that I responded, here is what I wrote:
Are you serious?! Wow! Well, i can replace the rose earrings, the other two items however were just one of a kind, so I can either 1.) refund for those or 2.) make something similar but not exact.
Let me know
x Chy
was the zebra print bag still in the package? that is just so odd, the lavender was in a zebra print bag With the jewelry... so odd the jewelry would not be there but the lavender would be...
not the first time I have heard of this though...
can you send me a photo of what you have??
thanks
yeah I can take a picture of it when I get home tonight. What I recieved was the bubble mailer which has the side cut open, looks like a box cutter or razor blade cut it. Inside of it was a zebra print bag which was torn with an invice and little bag with lavender.
I do really like the earrings, so if you have more that's great. As to the other items, maybe I could just find something similar or of = value.
Of course that all sounds great! Let me know what you like in the shop & I will just go ahead & de-list them & mail them ;)
oh no worries about sending photos, i talked to the post office and they said if it wasnt insured they couldn't do anything which sorta sucks, but its okay
Do you have any more of those rings with the velvet circles? I really like the purple one but I cant find any of those.
will do darling! I will make the bracelet today & try t get everything shipped, if not today, definitely in the morning ;)
Hey lady! :D
Did you get your new package of goodies yet???
let me know!
x, Chy
Okay, so kudos to you, you got a bunch of free stuff and were still able to leave me negative feedbacks. However, in case you didn't already notice, it did not hurt my feedback score.
First, I already knew what you were planning the very moment you said there was no product in the bag, but there was a lavender sachet because all the jewelry and the lavender were stapled in the same bag. So I knew you were a bold faced liar.
Second, I have problems with you in the past buying things from me maliciously JUST to leave negative feedback.
And thirdly, only after you contacted me with you lie, I checked up on you and found that you were planning on doing this because you posted it in the Regretsy forums. Several of my own team members had found your posts there too and notified me.
So congrats on your master plan, you must feel awesome, if that's what a person like you needs.
But Im sorry to inform you that this conversation is an official notice of me activating my lawful & Etsy right to refuse service to you in the future. Do NOT ever buy from me again.
I also like to let you know that all the transactions along with your malicious intent are being reported to Etsy.
Steph Sension
February 11 2012 12:07am EDT
First. I do not appreciate being called a liar.
Second. I did not do this to you before
Third. I did not plan anything.
Fourth. I never posted anything about you in any forums.
Fifth. I'm going to pray for you I think you need Jesus to come in to your life and fill the God shaped hole. He will bless you if you ask for forgiveness of sins and turn away from witchcraft.
Chymiera
February 11 2012 10:34am EDT
Whatever.....go check your email and DO NOT EVER buy form any of my stores, and DO NOT contact me again.
First, you are a liar, and I can prove it.
Second, yes you did do this before , and I can prove it.
Third, yes you did plan it, and I can prove it.
Fourth, blah blah blah.... post wherever the hell you like..
Fifth, you are an idiot , anyone who says they are Christian and Christ-like, yet does the things you do is the biggest hypocrite . Jesus doesn't like hypocrites, nor does he like bullies.
Sixth, how dare you Presume to know me.
Seventh, you didnt get that fat off Ramen noodles.
Eight, DO NOT ever contact me again and stay the hell out of my stores- If i was so bad the first time around {dealing in witchcraft & whatever the hell else you think}, then why in the HELL would you come back to buy more stuff????
Oh, to give me negative feedback.
At this point I consider yours & mine business relationship has expired- and I will issue your measly 11 dollar refund when I retrieve the items you send back- which by the way, better be the EXACT same items I sent to you, and I have notified my post office that I will be receiving suspicious mail from a very sick person (yes, your name is now on a postal watch list) and I have no idea what it will contain- it cold contain jewelry, it could contain nothing, or it could contain something dangerous., so now till the 20th- thats the day paypal is requiring you to return the items - my po box is on lock down. NO mail will go into it and all packages will be opened in front of 2 postal clerks- videotaped. So I would think very wisely about what you send.
But in the end WWJD?
So, now at this point, i have sent all this evidence to etsy, and ask that they kindly remove the feedback left that was solely left with malicious intent. Here was there reply:
Hi Chy,
I'm sorry to hear that you are having difficulties with a specific buyer. Etsy does not have a "block buyer" function for our marketplace. However, we do offer sellers the option to refuse service to a buyer due to an extraordinary circumstance.
Etsy's policy regarding a seller refusing service to a buyer can be found in the DOs & DON'Ts of Etsy, in the Transactions section: http://www.etsy.com/help/article/483#transactions_refusingservice
Regarding the feedback that was left for you, I truly understand your frustration with this situation, however, after careful consideration of our policies, I have concluded that this feedback does not qualify for removal. Etsy does not judge the outcome of feedback, or the experience of its author. Every member has a different perspective and taste. We do not believe that it is our place to judge that experience. We also cannot judge the fairness of feedback, or if the recipient deserves it.
Etsy does not revoke the feedback privilege from members unless it violates one of Etsy's feedback policies, which are very few and for extreme cases. You can read these policies here: http://www.etsy.com/help/article/483#feedback.
You may be able to use Kiss and Make Up, our feedback resolution tool, to change this feedback. This feature allows you to request that the author of the feedback change a neutral or negative rating to a positive rating. Both parties must agree to the Kiss and Make Up proposal for the feedback to be changed.
You can learn more about how to use Kiss and Make Up on our Help site:http://www.etsy.com/help/article/104
I hope you and the other member are able to work this out!
Best,
Nick
Etsy Trust & Safety
http://www.etsy.com/policy/dosdonts
Really Etsy? wow. It may be worth the $150 bucks my attorney wants to get that court order.
