Emails that make my hobby so not worth while...

[Beki710]

[background] I make and sell my own jewellery. I sell online, previously had my own website but now I sell through Etsy. My jewellery making is a hobby something I do for a bit of extra cash and not something I rely on [end background]

These are some of the emails I've received in the past (most recent one was a couple of days ago, I thought I would give you some of the other SCs I've had)

Postal Charges

Dear Beki710,
I think your postal charges are ridiculously high. You are obviously making more money off the cost of posting. You charged me £5 for postage and the package I received only had £3 worth paid for! I demand you repay me that £2!!!!1!1!

Well lets think about this yes the actual postal costs were £3 but if you add on the charges for the packaging the jewellery arrived in, the fact that it was wrapped in bubble wrap, the charges that Etsy and Paypal take off the final total as well as the fact that I have to drive to the post office so there is a petrol cost. Also if you want to be really picky about it what about the paper and ink cost for the invoice that was included? What about the electricity and internet costs for me being online.
I hate people that look at how much the stamp cost and demand a refund there's other costs I need to cover and they are in that charge. I've explained that more times than necessary.


You stole my design!

I was looking in your shop and I noticed that you are also selling [insert accessory item here] I want you to know that you have stolen the design from my shop and that it is my intellectual property. I have copyright on that item and I demand that you take that item down immediately or I will be contacting my lawyers and will be serving you with a cease and desist. I will not tolerate others taking what I have created and passing it off on their own! Don't think because you've changed the colours on it, it's okay for you to use my design! It's unfair and it's people like you that are responsible for making sure that us hard working Americans do not earn what we deserve! You have not heard the end of this!

Okay lets break this one down:
1. The item in question, if I do a quick search on Etsy I can find about 20 similar items. I'm assuming you haven't contacted all of them?
2. I'm sure that there is some copyright somewhere on that item. But i seriously doubt that it is yours. The item in question was based on a video game character so I'm pretty sure that is not your original design. Also I looked at your design and there are significant differences between them.
3. I doubt you have a lawyer.
4. I don't steal people's designs, I never have never will, it pisses me off as much as the next person when people do steal other people's in fact being accused of it actually really upset me at the time.
5. I'm not American, I'm English. Which is pretty clear on my profile on Etsy if you had bothered to look.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Dear Beki710,
I wanted to order an item for Christmas but your deadlines are very soon and I'm not sure if I will have enough money in my account. If I order it later will I get it in time for Christmas?

My deadlines for Christmas close one working day before the Royal Mail as my items are pre-made so it gives me a day to pack them up and print off invoices etc. If the Royal Mail says it needs to be in before that date than there is no way I'm going to guarantee it to arrive before Christmas. In fact it even says in my shop that I don't even guarantee items to arrive on time even if you do get it in before the deadline. Unless you live up the road from me and I can hand deliver it, just leave the item. I'd rather not have the money for it and not have the SC-ness later

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 2

I wanted a custom item for Christmas and it says your not accepting them any more WHY??????????????????

Custom items obviously take a lot more time. My deadline for custom items for Xmas was in November to give me enough time to craft them. As well as making jewellery, I work and I run a theatre company. If you want to still put the order in fine, but if you add on the fact I need to order materials, wait for them to arrive, make the item and then post it, I think you'll be lucky if it arrives in 2011.


That's it for now I've got a fair few more but I have crafting for a show next week to get on with!

[Android Kaeli]

And people wonder why I do NOT sell any of my hand-made jewelry to people that I do not work with. Or online for that matter, I wouldn't want to because of this. o.o

[auntiem]

*wandered over to craftster* *wandered over to etsy* *wandered back here to say*
Those leaf earrings make me want to re-pierce my ears just so I could wear them!

I've toyed with going on etsy, but don't since I think emails like what you get would make it all not worth it.
What part of shipping and handling do people not get?

[Teskeria]

Maybe bold the words AND HANDLING in the futile hope that it will lessen those idiotic emails by 2 or 3 a year?

[Merriweather]

and handling [/I]do people not get?

I've been thinking about it too, to sell some crafty stuff, and odd/repurposed things I find at garage sales (I love garage sales). Same problem. That's why I've been downsizing/decluttering on Craigs List rather than ebay, less of a customer base, but most come look at what I have, and either take it or leave it.

I do occasionally mail stuff, though, and even though it's rare to mail, I still get those emails - got one yesterday. I tell everyone who asks me to mail something I have on Craigs List that I'm not a business, so I can't afford to take any risks - I don't do paypal, so the ONLY way I will do mail is to have them send me a Postal Money Order, and when I get it and cash it I'll send them the item. I always state postal money orders cause I'm near a post office and can cash it & mail the item in one stop, plus I know there's no fee to cash it, and where to cash it - with some of the more obscure money orders, I've no idea about fees, for where to go, etc. So I tell the person the usual statement, in which I specifically say "the only way I can do email is for you to send a Postal money order" etc. In an exchange of 2 or 3 emails, any reference is always "postal money order", not just "money order". My last emal to her was "so, just pop to your post office, get the postal money order and mail it to me at (address), and I'll send you the item immediately".

So, what do I get in the mail two days later? A 7-11 money order! Nearest 7-11 is across town, I've no idea if I'll have to pay a fee to cash it, and I'm pissed off that she never said a word. When I (politely) told her she'd get her stamps not immediately, but the next time I have to drive to that part of town, as I'm not paying gas to go cash it when I told her I needed a postal money order, and live near a post office. Her response was gee, she thought it was just a suggestion, in case she didn't know where to buy money orders, I should have made it more clear that I wanted ONLY postal money orders

How in blazes can you be more clear than saying "this is what I take"? Does she walk into a store that has a sign on the window saying we take Mastercard and Visa, whip out her Diner's Club card, then complain that they were'nt clear enough, that saying they take Visa & Mastercard is only a suggestion and they must take others as well? And of course, guess the words "I can only do it by...." are awfully unclear

I feel like asking her if I should have said "I only do this if you send me a postal money order - NOT a check, NOT another type of money order, NOT green stamps, NOT Euros, NOT pounds sterling, NOT cash by carrier pigeon, only postal money orders and nothing in the known or unknown universe other than postal money orders.


Sorry, didn't mean to threadjack, but I've been fuming about that since yesterday. Really, how the blazes do you say it more clearly than "the only way I can do this is " and state the way?

[MoonCat]

it's people like you that are responsible for making sure that us hard working Americans do not earn what we deserve! You have not heard the end of this!

I think what this ditz is saying is that she's American and "people like you" are impacting her earnings. As an American myself, I hate when people say stupid things like that. Sorry you had to see that nonsense.

[ArcticChicken]

I've toyed with going on etsy, but don't since I think emails like what you get would make it all not worth it.

I've toyed with going on etsy in order to get something on regretsy, but I can't actually think of anything that's as bad as the stuff on regresty.

[georgie]

as a buyer on auction sites and ebay for about 13/14 years and a seller on ebay for over 10 years there is a way to get people to stop commenting on postage costs.

charge the buyer for postage and package only. anything extra you feel you need to charge add it onto the item price.

so, just say postage for your item is $2.50 and the bag it goes in is 75c you charge them $3.50
(most wont quibble about the extra 25c)

if you normally sell your item for $3.00 start putting that price up gradually to an extra dollar or so (or whatever makes you happy)


its completely odd but i've had buyers email me saying that tho my price was a bit more than others they were happy to pay it because i was so honest with my postage
:-)


i think we all have quirks of nature and for some people they'd rather pay more for an item than feel like someone is conning them over postage.



then again, there are those people who would not be happy even if they bought your item for 1c with free postage

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Dear Beki710,
I think your postal charges are ridiculously high. You are obviously making more money off the cost of posting. You charged me £5 for postage and the package I received only had £3 worth paid for! I demand you repay me that £2!!!!1!1![/I]

To which you should reply...

Dear Ms. Complainy pants,

You read the description of the item. You saw a picture of the item. You at checkout saw what the shipping charges were going to be.

No one held a gun to your head and forced you to purchase this item. Or if they had, it was certainly not done by me or at my behest. You chose to purchase the item at the costs involved. If you are feeling stupid for spending 5 pounds in shipping on a 3 pound item...tough shit.

Get bent you cheap prick.

[Moosenogger]

[background] I make and sell my own jewellery. I sell online, previously had my own website but now I sell through Etsy. My jewellery making is a hobby something I do for a bit of extra cash and not something I rely on [end background]

These are some of the emails I've received in the past (most recent one was a couple of days ago, I thought I would give you some of the other SCs I've had)

Maybe you should be a smartass next time and actually make a list totaling up the extra costs. Then tell them that they technically owe you more money.

[sms001]

I've dealt with people fussing about postal charges/ 'shipping and handling' fees myself. They can't seem to get it into their noggins that that money has to come from SOMEWHERE. Most merchants break it down that way so that people buying item-in-hand don't have to pay more. (Like at one of your shows.)
If an item's cost plus your profit is £10 and packaging, incidentals, and postage is £4, you charge them £14 if you mail it, or £10 if they buy it at a show.
OR, you can mark the item £14 for everyone and give "free" shipping.
Which would still make SC #1 unhappy, 'cause then they'd have nothing to whinge about.

Keep us updated on Intellectual Property person - THAT'S sure to be amusing

[Bunny the Veggie Slayer]

My ex-girlfriend would sympathise with you. She makes and sells body jewellery. The number of emails she received like those ones. It's one of the reasons she now concentrates on pieces for people with more... Specialised... Tastes.

If a customer wants a custom made chain to connect to his Prince Albert, they tend to be rather more flexible than a Norm.

[ArcticChicken]

i think we all have quirks of nature and for some people they'd rather pay more for an item than feel like someone is conning them over postage.

Personally, I expect the cost of the item to include all the costs of materials, running the business, etc. and the cost of the postage to include the cost of shipping the item, but I also don't think I've ever looked at the shipping fees of something I've bought online. If I didn't think the price + shipping was worth the item, I wouldn't have bought it.

[Enjis]

The woman who accuses the original poster of stealing her design( which is based off a video game character)talks about getting her lawyer....?? What lawyer would take the case?
''So, this copyrighted character, which you do not own, you claim others are doing designs based on it, and are taking business away from you?"
"Yeah! They have no right!"
"Honey, neither do you! That'll be $100.00 please..."

[dragon_wings]

Personally, I expect the cost of the item to include all the costs of materials, running the business, etc. and the cost of the postage to include the cost of shipping the item, but I also don't think I've ever looked at the shipping fees of something I've bought online. If I didn't think the price + shipping was worth the item, I wouldn't have bought it.

QFT. I gladly paid a dollar in shipping for my 3$ ankh pendent. And no, I didn't check the package after I got it to check the shipping costs. If I want the item enough I'll pay the shipping cost. I <3 Amazon. And I'm gonna have to check out esty more thoroughly.