Tales from the pageant world

[pageantmama]

As I mentioned in my introduction post I make pageant dresses and other pageant outfits for people. You know, the super sparkly fluffy cupcake dresses as seen on the horrid show Toddlers and Tiaras. Horrid because they only pick some of the best crazies and make everyone in the pageant world look bad, lol. If only there were not so many to choose from. I love sewing for people and creating new designs but I HATE the nuttiness that comes along with it. At least now I can refuse service to people that drive me absolutely batty. You can now bask in the crazy with me!

Me-um...me
SC-snotty mom that I want to strangle


SC-Hi, can you make a cupcake dress in a 4T in blue and purple with (certain design) and around 3000 stones?

Me-I can do that for you. It will be around 275 for that design and stoning. I will have to go to the fabric store tomorrow to get the material and I will order the stones tonight. They take a few days to get here so I will work on the dress while I am waiting then stone it, let it dry and it will be to you in around 7-10 days.

SC-why is it so much, it can't be that hard to sew it together and glue some stones on?

Me-Well this is how much it cost for materials (made a breakdown of materials for her showing I am making less then a hundred dollars for my time.)

SC-well... that is ok I guess. Just send pics of every little step you take, every cut, every stitch, every separate stone you apply (not really but that is what they imply)

me-ok, I will be getting the stuff to start on it tomorrow and send you a progress picture tomorrow night

Seems fine, a little annoying but whatever. They do not seem to realize I have a 2 year old, 3 year old, and 8 year old and other orders as well and that I will not be on the computer constantly because I will be watching my children or well, sewing maybe.

2 hours later...
message from SC-Hey just wondering if you got started yet.

20 minutes later...
hey, just send some pics when you get started

45 minutes later...
hey are you online

I finally got on for a second and replied
me-Hi, I will not get to get the stuff to start until tomorrow and I will be happy to send you pictures then.

5 minutes later...ok, just wondering what was going on.

The next morning...
hey do you have the stuff now?

20 minutes later...
Hey just wondering if you had started yet?

20 minutes later...
HEY CAN YOU SEND ME A MESSAGE???????

20 minutes later...
WHERE ARE YOU??????I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!!!! I WANT SOME PICTURES OF MY DRESS!!!!!!!

5 minutes later....
OMG, I GUESS I GOT SCAMMED OR SOMETHING!!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF TAKING PEOPLES MONEY AND NOT MAKING THE THINGS THEY PAID FOR!!!!! THIS IS CRAZY I AM REPORTING YOU TO PAYPAL!!!!!!!!!

about an hour later when I got home from the store with their fabric and checked my messages
Me-I just got home, I have 3 kids and other people to sew for. I am not constantly on the computer checking my messages. I also told you I would not be able to start until today and would send you some pictures tonight. I am sending you a full refund and I am blocking you from my page. Thank you.

SC-OMG, NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT I NEED THE DRESS AND YOU HAVE THE BEST PRICE AND I NEED IT NOW!!!!!!!!!

Paypal refund sent, CS blocked. A few hours later I got an order from someone for the same size and colors. I looked on their friends list and guess who was one of their friends I sent them a message and said tell CS nice try and blocked them as well.

[bainsidhe]

I'm sorry you have to deal with such crazy customers, but hey, more fodder for us!

And....

[South Texan]

about an hour later when I got home from the store with their fabric and checked my messages

So you got stuck with the fabric? I hope you at least can use it for another creation.

[Thatgirl71]

I always wondered what it must be like for the people that make pageant dresses, I guess it's right up there in dealing with psycho sucky customers!

Welcome to customers suck!

[pageantmama]

So you got stuck with the fabric? I hope you at least can use it for another creation.

Luckily she wanted colors that are pretty popular, if not the fabric store I go to has a great return policy so I would not have been stuck with them. I ended up using them for a dress for a friend of mine and got my money back

[blas]

If you haven't seen those shows with pageant mothers, you ought to. Those women are not even human. They are like, dragons parading in human form.

[FenigDurak]

So happy to welcome another seamstress! A girlfriend of mine tried to get me into sewing gowns for the pageant world, but for Tweens an Teens. Having been in that world briefly, I politely declined. You have my greatest respect for being able to do that!

[XCashier]

SC-why is it so much, it can't be that hard to sew it together and glue some stones on?

I haven't done any professional sewing (I've only sewed costume clothing for myself and my family), but I have worked in two different fabric stores, and I have met more than a few people who think like this. It's amazing how they think clothing is made; they assume you just "whip it together" and it takes no time or effort at all. Until, of course, they try it themselves and see just how difficult it really is...

Me-I just got home, I have 3 kids and other people to sew for. I am not constantly on the computer checking my messages. I also told you I would not be able to start until today and would send you some pictures tonight. I am sending you a full refund and I am blocking you from my page. Thank you.

SC-OMG, NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT I NEED THE DRESS AND YOU HAVE THE BEST PRICE AND I NEED IT NOW!!!!!!!!!

Paypal refund sent, CS blocked. A few hours later I got an order from someone for the same size and colors. I looked on their friends list and guess who was one of their friends I sent them a message and said tell CS nice try and blocked them as well.

Right on! Good for you, not putting up with her entitlement-minded abuse! Maybe teach her a lesson on listening and not abusing other people. Or maybe not; folks like that tend to forget that there are other human beings in the world besides them.

[pageantmama]

Ha, well I have a saying for my kids
"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit
If you throw a fit then nothing you will get"

Same goes for my customers since I don't have a boss to deal with

Another customer that got a refund made me mad. My uncle went in for heart surgery. He has lupis and his organs have been failing. He has been hooked up to an artificial heart since Christmas and they did not even think he would make it through Christmas day. They literally called us from the hospital to come say our goodbyes. Stubborn mule that he is he waiting on the transplant, lol. They called us to tell us that they found a heart then while we were waiting on him to come out of surgery instead of coming out to tell us they were finished they came out to say the new heart had infection in it so they could not use it. But thankfully they found another heart for him about a week later and he is now doing great So anyway, while this was going on I let my customers know what was going on and that there would be a delay on orders for a few days because of it but that everyone would get there items by the promised time. I had one person email me and say that I should be able to get it done and should have sent her a message sooner. That she knows hospitals have wifi so there was no excuse for me not sending her a message and letting her know why I did not contact her for those few days and that it was not like it was my father in the hospital, it was just my Uncle

I promptly sent her a refund and blocked her and listed her dress on a consignment board. She saw it listed and had a fit and sent me a personal email calling me a few choice names for selling her dress. I told her I had sent her a refund and it was not like it was her dress or anything since I did not have her money anymore. And that I did not appreciate the comment about my uncle because my dad was not around and he filled in that gap so yes, he was like my father and even if he was not he was still family.

[pageantmama]

If you haven't seen those shows with pageant mothers, you ought to. Those women are not even human. They are like, dragons parading in human form.

Oh, I have seen them and I hate them. It does represent some of the mothers perfectly but it also makes it hard on me when I tell people that my daughter does pageants and they give me the LOOK. She gets antsy when there is a month long break between pageants and asks every morning if it is pageant day. No way am I doing it for me, I would rather spend my money on myself, lol.

[hinakiba777]

Welcome to the board. I look forward to hearing more about crazy pageant moms!

[Pairou]

I admit, I'm excited to read more posts from you. XD Much respect points for blocking her and her friend!

Honestly, my first thought when I read that the dress would be 275 was "dear lord, that sounds way too cheap!"

[FiddleFaddle]

If you haven't seen those shows with pageant mothers, you ought to. Those women are not even human. They are like, dragons parading in human form.

Now now! Let's not insult dragons D=

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

If you haven't seen those shows with pageant mothers, you ought to. Those women are not even human. They are like, dragons parading in human form.

Dragons who give their kids botox injections. ><

OP is going to have some good stories. I can tell.

[Seshat]

Honestly, my first thought when I read that the dress would be 275 was "dear lord, that sounds way too cheap!"

With 3000 (even if its exaggerated) individually attached stones? WAY too cheap!