02/12/2023
As a small independent maker every sale is a win. Especially in these difficult times. I’m posting this as a warning to all you small businesses, especially those who sell on Etsy to not allow yourself to be a victim to chancers and people who, despite being in a difficult industry and small time, have no conscience about ripping you off. This guy contacted me asking me to make 6 bespoke bowls, I did so, obviously as a ceramicist you always make more to ensure you can deliver. I shipped via fedex but the parcel was lost for a week. During this time I did everything I could to find the parcel and offered to remake the order but James was very tardy with his responses. Suddenly I got a random message from a lady whose partner had found the package in his warehouse. She’d tracked me down on facebook (some nice people do exist) I sent her a new label and she forwarded on the perfectly packaged beautiful bowls to James. He then said he didn’t want them. Raised a case either Etsy and got a full refund BUT did not return the bowls. That left me in a deficit with Etsy, out of pocket with materials, kiln firing costs and two express shipping’s fees. I argued this with Etsy but got nowhere so I had no choice but to close my Etsy account. Tonight my son, who is Michelin young chef of the year showed me images from a photo shoot using my ceramics and asked Bluntly, why aren’t you still making and I told him this. He is understandably furious and quite frankly now so am I. The moral of this story is not don’t f**k over small businesses (that should be a given) BUT as a small business even though it might be the umpteenth time it’s happened STAND UP AND MAKE THEM PAY I’m waiting for you to contact me to pay up for your order and also compensate me for losing 4 months if trading
