Im' really starting to HATE FishButts

[MermaidAvalon]

*I'm really starting to HATE FishButts
Okay anyone else ask for a refund and hear absolutely nothing but "Okay I'll write you down saying you want a refund" Now I have been blocked from her facebook because I agreed with someone who wanted an explanation about a refund, and for telling her later that my mom sent her a email. I mean really!!? I didn't say anything rude (although I really wanted to, I'm finding it really hard not to curse in this actually) and was blocked. She's acting absolutely childish.
I honestly don't care anymore, about this rough patch she was/is in. You know what? I'm in a rough patch here because I ordered a mermaid tail back in November, thinking "Oh boy! My magical mermaid tail is bound to be here by my 18th birthday "
NOT
Come February we get asked if we want a refund, now it's April, I feel like such a fool.

[Blondie]

I really don't know what to say :\ People have their reason to be upset. I get it.

And I do think Stevi is a nice woman still. And I think if she could right away, she'd refund everyone. My "theory" and this is just my opinion, is that she doesn't have the money right now. She's going to have to sell more silicone tails to get the money to pay everyone back, or take some sort of loan out. When she said that she was going to refund everyone, I had a bad feeling it was going to end this way. Since this business seems to use most of the money towards supplies, it's not like she still has all the money in her hands.

I'm just kind of nervous because she made new scale sheet, got a new tattoo, and is making more silicone tails when people are expecting refunds or the orders that they had placed last fall. Again, I sort of suspect she's taking silicone tail orders to make money to pay for refunds. But since it doesn't seem like she's making a ton of money off her tails, it might be a while.

I really don't know. I still think Stevi is a nice woman and doesn't mean all this intentionally. I just feel like her mind is in another place. I hope she gets her stuff together asap..

[Ayla of Duluth]

I haven't bought from her or anything, but just from an observers standpoint, she's lost a good reputation with me and I find it very hard to take anything she says seriously anymore. She just seems like she's falling apart and I hear about excuse after excuse. She started offering refunds and I haven't heard of anyone getting one when they asked. I know she's not trying to take people's money and run, but that's what she's doing whether she means it or not. I know she's a nice woman in person, but as a business woman, I feel like its time to start reporting her to the BBB or something. People are asking for their money back after months and months of not getting a product and she can't even deliver on that.

I have nothing against her personally, I just think enough is enough. For her sake and everyone else's.

[Winged Mermaid]

Again, I sort of suspect she's taking silicone tail orders to make money to pay for refunds.

I also fear this myself, which I hope deeply this is not the case. Adam Martyn took new tail orders to get the money to make the older orders becuase (allegedly) his partner ran off with all the money, and he thought he could make it work.. look how that ended up. D: The whole "robbing Peter to pay Paul" thing does not work.

As a member of the community I'm hoping the best comes out of all of this because I believe Stevi is a good woman stuck in a bad situation.

As an admin, I suggest to everyone in a situation like this where you have no product and no refund to 1) Contact the seller and try and work this out with them- be firm if need be, but respectful. Disrespect will get you nowhere. 2) See if you can get your money back by filing a complaint with PayPal, your bank, or your credit card company. 3) Report them to the Better Business Bureau. 4) If worse comes to worse you can call the police to file a case or peruse small claims court (though sending your pre-court demand letter may settle things before it gets that far).

[Mermaid Momo]

I was really worried about her taking new orders too. I haven't bought anything from her but I keep seeing updates of new scale sheets and silicone tails and I can't help but think that Stevi needs to go on a little hiatus, either finish the tails people are waiting for, or work out something with the people who requested a refund and sit down, write out a plan about her business to get things back on track. Hopefully she will decide to stop taking orders for some time and start a new with new (higher I'm hoping) tail prices. Having no business training I probably can't say that but it what seems like a right way to go.

[Kanti]

Blocking people who are asking questions is not fair, ESPECIALLY if they're a customer.
If Stevi wants to stop all the "drama" oriented around her business then she needs to start delivering on her promises.

[MermaidAvalon]

Winged Mermaid- Yeah me and my mother tried to repot to paypal, but paypal said that it if there was a problem I should have said something 45 days after purchase, were going to call paypal tomorrow. Thank you for the advice

Kanti- Thank you! It's completely unprofessional, to block customers for answers on their orders/refund! I told my mother I was blocked, and she got very upset... She wants me to get all my friends to spam her page. But I don't know if I want to do that. They all think my mermaid dream is stupid, I'm embarrassed that I ordered a tail in November, told ALL my friends about it, and still no tail... They'll think I'm stupid for buying from her, and for having such silly dreams .
It seems like a lot of people on mernetwork know Stevi, and they're like Oh well shes a nice person, etc. Easy for you all to say when you all have a mermaid tail, while I'm sitting here just LOOKING at pretty mermaid tails online Sorry for being a bit dramatic, but it's how I feel...

[AniaR]

I totally appreciate your frustration Pretty much echo everything Blondie and Mermaid Iona said. Hopefully it gets figured out soon, I'm really shocked you were blocked from posting. :O

[ButterflyVision]

I told my mother I was blocked, and she got very upset... She wants me to get all my friends to spam her page. But I don't know if I want to do that. They all think my mermaid dream is stupid, I'm embarrassed that I ordered a tail in November, told ALL my friends about it, and still no tail... They'll think I'm stupid for buying from her, and for having such silly dreams .
It seems like a lot of people on mernetwork know Stevi, and they're like Oh well shes a nice person, etc. Easy for you all to say when you all have a mermaid tail, while I'm sitting here just LOOKING at pretty mermaid tails online Sorry for being a bit dramatic, but it's how I feel...

Personally, I don't have tail but that just gives me more time to read reviews and be extra sure of where i make my (distant) future purchase. I'm really sorry, she blocked you. That really doesn't sound professional. And I'm sure Stevi is a nice person but (from my personal observation) her list of impatient people is growing. I don't think spamming her page would help. Dont worry about your friends opinion on YOUR dreams. If they think its silly, well that's what they think. What matters is what YOU think of your dreams. Is there a certain amount time that she takes to make her products? Did she give you a time as to when it would be done?

[ShyMer]

I agree, I think spamming her page is a bad idea- it might even make things worse. Unfortunately I can't say what the right choice is either, sorry.

I'm sorry that you're feeling bad about not having a tail yet. Have you considered making a fabric tail in the meantime? They're nice to have anyway- it's good for practice, and in some ways they're better than the molded tails.
In any case, feel better! You'll find a way to make your dream happen <3

[Kanti]

Yeaaa spamming her page isn't a great idea xD I doubt it will do anything productive. What you can do instead is write a review and tell your story so potential customers will get an idea of what may happen to them. You're also not the only one, we've had people coming in with similar stories, so eventually the word will get around and people will be educated enough to decide whether or not they want to take the risks associated.

Maybe you should tell your mom to make a complaint to the BBB(better business beureu (spelling??)). They might be able to do something about it or at least accept your review of her on a more official level.

I agree with Shymer though, you should make yourself a tail in the meantime?

[MermaidAvalon]

ShyMer+Kanti- I had a fabric tail from mermaidmagictail.de, after a year the monofin split,my parents and I tried to remake a monofin twice, but It broke... I don't want another fabric tail again. I want something realistic ... this summer vacation my family and I are going to take over a go cart and water slide park, and a I want a tail to do birthday parties for little girls/boys. And I want my $ back so I can get a realistic looking tail in time, before school gets out...
Just got a email from her, she said she will be giving out refunds to some customers, and I should have my refund by the end of next week, if not sooner! I hope this is for reals!

[Kanti]

*shrug*
At this point its up in the air. I havent heard anyone whos gotten a refund yet so you could be the first but honestly I wouldnt depend on it too much. Not trying to be mean, just realistic. I'd keep emailing her about it to bother/remind her so she doesnt forget.

[MermaidAvalon]

Yes I understand your not being mean. Don't worry me and my mom intend to.

[XxTalixiaxX]

I have purchased a full silicone tail from Stevi and im waiting on it to be made, i dont have an issue waiting for it because i understand the time and skill it takes to construct this tails. People forget that this process is time consuming and a work fo ART!!!!! Know i have been a returning customer of fish butts since the start and im not saying that making costumers wait extended long periods of time for the items is right im just trying to lay everything out. PLease everyone read this part.........(Everyone forgets what its like to have heartbreak strike you down. Stevi has suffered a few deaths in her friends and family group with in months of eachother and for those of you that dont know what thats like.......BE FREAKING COMPASIONATE!!!!!!! and pray to what ever gods you pray to that you dont have to experince it. SO whilst this was happening Stevi took time off to recover from this horrible life shaking incedent. and was honded like a dog from impatient customers. This process inst like buying from ebay people you have to be paitent since it is custome made!!!!!! Then once she returned to try and continue with her tail orders she was bombarded by people saying she was incompetant and unreliable and i pose the question to you if your friends or family die would you continue with everything straight after........................NO you wouldnt you would break down and need time to heal! Now yes since this, stevi has been TRYING to get back into the swing of things but has been abused by common people on mernetwork that fight for the sake of fighting to make things work. she has used 60-70percent of the customers money to purchase the items and supplies to make the custome tails and the rest probably goes to her living expenses. Now again we get back to her being abused, whilst this is happening shes trying to make the tails to the best of her abilities whilst being under an enormus amount ot stress so she announced a refund!!!! NO OTHER MERMAID TAIL MAKER WOULD DO THIS!!!! the reason she did this was because she was understanding. She is not a manufacturing company!!!! She is a one women army who does everything OWN her own. So yes like she said if you ordered a tail you will get it BUT YOU MUST BE PATIENT!!!! and if you ordered a refund you will get it when she has the money! NOW I DONT speak for Fish Butts nor do a speak on behalf of stevi i am just reiterating the things she has said on FACEBOOK! NOW for you mermaid tail maker haters out there spamming her page doesnt do anything, and abusing her through messages (guess what she doesnt care because ROSE just deletes them and doesnt even FREAKING read them)

Anyone that has gone through this horric ordeal should be able to simpithes..... and if you cant you are inhumane. IF you dont believe that Stevi is trying purchase for Mertailor who has had 100+ bad reviews about his customer service and products. And If you cant afford a merbella or FlipTails tail then you have to wait and be patient on the tail creators who chrage 50% less and take more time! Its either one or the other!!!!!!! Now if you are serious about taking your complants further do so, im not saying dont but dont bitch and whige about it in the public eyes. Be respectful and deal with it in private. For those of you wishing to recieve a refund inbox and email your note firmly if you think it deserves to be, write that unless payment is made you will seek legal action BUT DONT POST IT EVERYWHERE!!!! those who message nasty rude comments on public view i would block too. If you act respectfuly you will recieve a much better response.

Now im sorry that this is happened to you mermaid Avalon but DONT give up on your mermaid dreams!!! I myself have few people that believe in my dreams and i have to push through and do them because thats whats in my heart!

Sorry for the drama but seriously lay off and be understanding!

[Blondie]

Then I guess there's a ton of people on the Network that are "inhumane".

I don't want to sound cruel but, most of the deaths Stevi had to go through were last summer. It's been almost a year now. And I know dealing with death is hard. I don't expect anyone to get over it in a few days. But when you have a business that people have invested their money into and are expecting a product in a set date zone, you need to deliver. I get that she's not a factory. I get it's art. But what I wish that Stevi would have done when she was dealing with all of this is hire people to help her make tails. And I don't want to sound like an ass but it's been almost a year. It's really time to just push forward...

It's like ordering at a restaurant. If the food comes over an hour late, you're disappointed. You expected it to be out in thirty minutes. And when your waiter stops coming around to get you drinks and tell you the food is almost done, you are frustrated. You're wasting time and money on something that was expected to be done in thirty minutes. Maybe that's not the best analogy but... With great businesses comes great expectations.

And another thing, this just isn't a few people this is happening to. It's happening to a lot of people. Stevi SHOULD give a refund to people because she never started their tails. Therefore, the money should be right there. However, it's not. She's either already bought the supplies or it's gone somewhere else. Anyway, people have put a lot of money into this. They either expect their tail or their money.

And I don't know why you're bringing up the Mertailor XxTalixiaxX. That seems completely irrelevant and a hasty generalization.

And why is that if you pay for a cheaper tail you have to wait longer? It's not about comparing wait times to Merbella or Mertailor. It's about the wait time the the tailmaker that you bought from. If your tailmaker stays it takes 8-10 weeks to make. Then it should be done in that time. Not 15 weeks. Those numbers are all examples by the way.

The Network is NOT posting "nasty, rude" comments. They are expressing the STRESS they are going through. Aren't you okay with expressing stress? You seem to be okay with it because you're okay with Stevi expressing her stress. People have the right here to inform others about their woes. You can post whatever you want anywhere. If you are dissatisfied with your experience then let it out. Why bottle it up and hide it from the world. The review system is made so that people understand what they're going to go through when they buy a tail.

I think Stevi is a nice girl but she's caught in a nasty storm. I just hope she gets out of it and moves towards steady waters. And I have said it so many times. I do NOT have anything against Stevi. I like her, I really do. But I do feel like she needs to get things going straight.

And XxTalixiaxX I think you need to get some facts straight before you go on a tangent and don't make biased statements. You did a lot of hasty generalization in your post.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Just a passing current here, don't mind me~

IMO they weren't saying anything rude at all. If you look in the previous posts you'll observe a very polite discussion about the issue that was addressed, and a few of the mers supporting stevi. No swearing, no bashing, no name calling. (except for maybe unprofessionalism but that's not really rude, it's constructive criticism. Rude you'd be like "f-- fishbutts she stinks and she's a beyotch"... THAT is rude.)

[Winged Mermaid]

I have to agree with Blondie.

[AniaR]

Yeah I don't think anyone in this thread was being rude, I think this is a real tricky issue, because some people have had real good experiences with fishbutts, and some people haven't. When someone pays for something and doesn't get it, they don't want someone else to end up in the same spot.

I think our community is super sensitive with these issues, because people in the past have royally screwed over. Many members on mernetwork weren't around when Adam Martyn was literally taking thousands of dollars from people, and then disappearing!! Plus, people make scam mermaid tail websites 24/7 using other people's photos to try and get people to send them money. When you have carp like that going on, it's hard to not be overly worried with any tail maker when they have issues, something takes to long etc. Remember the great monofin shortage of last summer? lol.

[Meridian Mer-Gyver]

I am not the admin of this page, it was started yesterday and I totally support and back it! If you have been burned, ripped off, or left out to dry then join this group and lets make voice a pod of voice to be heard! Ps. You can also report their page as a scam, if a company is continuing to take money from its clients and NOT delivering on any promises, then it is a SCAM and its ILLEGAL

https://www.facebook.com/phishphanny