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So, way too long ago, I commissioned a costume from an online tailor. He had an ebay store with lots of great feedback. I contacted him privately about doing a commission for me, and he agreed. I paid via Paypal.
A couple days ago, I sent him this e-mail, it pretty much tells the story:
I ordered and paid for a >superhero<costume from you on January 17th, 2011. At that time you indicated that the completion date for the costume would be 4-5 weeks. It has now been almost five months since I placed the order. I understand that sometimes people’s lives can be disrupted in unpredictable ways and that can affect your work. However, at this point I feel I have been more than patient.
On May 27th and June 7th I told you that I had to have the costume for >con<, which begins August 4th , but wanted it earlier so I could have adjustments made if needed. You didn’t indicate this would be a problem. On June 13th you said you would be mailing the costume shortly, but didn’t offer any shipping information or an estimated time of arrival. I contacted you at both >email address< and >email address< on July 1st and July 9th.
To date I have not received a response. At no point during our correspondence have you volunteered updates on the status of my commission or any explanation as to why it is taking so much longer than estimated.
If you can’t get me the costume I ordered by July 25th, I will request a refund. If you do not respond to this e-mail by the morning of Friday, July 15th, I will open a Paypal dispute at 1 p.m. EST in order to obtain a refund. I will sending them the full text of our correspondence.
So I sent that yesterday and today I get the response:
The costume has been returned. Please send the best address to ship to.
That was it. No apology, no explanation. I do not believe this for one minute. I have given him my valid street address no fewer than 3 times. I gave him my address AGAIN and told him I wanted to know as soon as it was shipped and tracking info. I plan to email him twice a day until Friday about it. If there is no response, I will open a Paypal dispute on Friday. If he replies with shipping info, I will wait until July 25th.
Questions:
Do you guys think he is just stringing me along so he can have time to flee the country or something?
I did not tell him I didn't believe his returned package BS. Should I tell him next time he e-mails me? Or should I send a 'by the way' e-mail today? I m still trying to be polite and professional so when (not if anymore, I expect never to get this costume but a part of me still hopes...) I open this dispute the Paypal people can look at the email chain and see that.
I am a little afraid he might close his Paypal account. Can a dispute be pursued if he does something like that?
Is it smarter just to tell him to forget it and go ahead and open a dispute? If this costume even exists, I really would like to have it.
After this is over, whatever the outcome, I plan to tell my personal friends never to do business with this guy. Would it be over the top to go to costuming forums and warn strangers as well?
A couple days ago, I sent him this e-mail, it pretty much tells the story:
I ordered and paid for a >superhero<costume from you on January 17th, 2011. At that time you indicated that the completion date for the costume would be 4-5 weeks. It has now been almost five months since I placed the order. I understand that sometimes people’s lives can be disrupted in unpredictable ways and that can affect your work. However, at this point I feel I have been more than patient.
On May 27th and June 7th I told you that I had to have the costume for >con<, which begins August 4th , but wanted it earlier so I could have adjustments made if needed. You didn’t indicate this would be a problem. On June 13th you said you would be mailing the costume shortly, but didn’t offer any shipping information or an estimated time of arrival. I contacted you at both >email address< and >email address< on July 1st and July 9th.
To date I have not received a response. At no point during our correspondence have you volunteered updates on the status of my commission or any explanation as to why it is taking so much longer than estimated.
If you can’t get me the costume I ordered by July 25th, I will request a refund. If you do not respond to this e-mail by the morning of Friday, July 15th, I will open a Paypal dispute at 1 p.m. EST in order to obtain a refund. I will sending them the full text of our correspondence.
So I sent that yesterday and today I get the response:
The costume has been returned. Please send the best address to ship to.
That was it. No apology, no explanation. I do not believe this for one minute. I have given him my valid street address no fewer than 3 times. I gave him my address AGAIN and told him I wanted to know as soon as it was shipped and tracking info. I plan to email him twice a day until Friday about it. If there is no response, I will open a Paypal dispute on Friday. If he replies with shipping info, I will wait until July 25th.
Questions:
Do you guys think he is just stringing me along so he can have time to flee the country or something?
I did not tell him I didn't believe his returned package BS. Should I tell him next time he e-mails me? Or should I send a 'by the way' e-mail today? I m still trying to be polite and professional so when (not if anymore, I expect never to get this costume but a part of me still hopes...) I open this dispute the Paypal people can look at the email chain and see that.
I am a little afraid he might close his Paypal account. Can a dispute be pursued if he does something like that?
Is it smarter just to tell him to forget it and go ahead and open a dispute? If this costume even exists, I really would like to have it.
After this is over, whatever the outcome, I plan to tell my personal friends never to do business with this guy. Would it be over the top to go to costuming forums and warn strangers as well?
It's fantastic, possibly the best costume I've ever commissioned, and I adore it. But I'm still never going to order again from this guy. I am fighting the feeling that maybe I was too bitchy, but then I think, I had good cause to be bitchy, this guy has zero customer service skill (and we here should know customer service, right?). Maybe if I hadn't been bitchy, I would still be waiting and wouldn't have had it for Gencon. I'm just not going to do business again with someone who only answers e-mails if I threaten him. :
)
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