Late October, I emailed Amanda of MerBerry tails to ask a few questions about her tails.
She confirmed that they take 4 weeks to complete and she was accepting orders. She also told me she had begun using
slip cast latex instead of Alex as well as a higher quality neoprene which I was happy about.
I asked if she gives receipts. She said no but
she could email me when she got my payment. I said yes please do.

Oct. 25, 2012 I paypaled her in full and sent my design and measurements.
Several days later, no response so I emailed her to make sure she got my payment and specs.
She said "yes got payment"

About a week later, I emailed to double-check the completion date and asked if she would send a photo
where she planned to cut the monofin (if she hadn't done it already) so I could make sure it was like the design
I wanted and not too much cut off of it.
No reply

Another week went by with no reply confirming the completion date of the original 4 weeks as promised.
I emailed again asking for the completion date as I was planning to use my new tail for upcoming shoots in specific locations
I would be traveling to.
No reply

I emailed again saying that if she could not guarantee the completion date, I would like a refund so I can purchase elsewhere or make it myself because I needed it in time for events.
Then finally mid November, Chaz emailed me saying "sorry, everything is fine with your tail, we started on it and it will come in time, maybe just right after thanksgiving Nov. 26 due to the holiday shipping" Amanda also emailed me saying she would "send pics soon" and apologized that she was 'swamped with orders' and also worked a full time job aside from making tails so doesn't have much time for tail making.

Several days went by and no pics were sent so I emailed again, saying if they started my tail and monofin, could they please send me pics.
Several days later, Amanda emailed me this time saying "the truth is we are having problems with materials and the neoprene won't be in until next week"

Now its late november, I emailed back upset that I was obviously lied to "if you don't have the neoprene how could you have started on my tail, Chaz said everything was fine and you started on it weeks ago ? "

Then I decided to make a claim with Paypal for never recieving my product in time as promised.
After contacting paypal, Amanda refunded me and apologized again.

I don't want to be nasty. I know these things take time and perhaps some of the things were true but obviously not all of these claims were. I don't like being lied to. Had I known weeks ago that they didn't even have neoprene to start it and had NOT started my tail and it would NOT be completed in the 4 weeks I was promised, I would have canceled and demanded a refund earlier so I could make it myself or try to order from someone else.

This wasted my time lying to me telling me it was started and would only be 1 day late, etc.

Now its December and I don't have my tail. I should have had it for a trip I went on last week and didn't and I'm going on another trip Dec. 17th and am pretty sure now that I have to order supplies with such late notice, I won't finish it in time.

Overall I'm very dissapointed. I told Amanda and everyone should know that don't make promises you can't keep and definitely don't lie to customers if you don't have their product or it won't be ready by a date you promised. Its bad business.

From what I gather, it seems if you want a great tail you either need to be buddy-buddy with one of the tail makers or just make it yourself,

In a related note, if anyone has experience/tips to give on making a latex tail with slip cast latex not Alex, please share. I've scoured the tutorials but they all seem to be the old ones referring to working with Alex and I've heard the slip casting is different...if there a tutorial out there for using the slip cast latex ?

Thanks everyone,

Mermaid Citrine