FishAsses Again >:(

[blenny]

Just cuz someone dies doesn't give u a license to steal money, if you can't deliver then have some integrity and give your customers back their money. LLC protection is only for a catastrophic financial issue. Not because you lost all your customers money at a casino. These forums are about tailmakers reviews, if a a tail maker cant deliver than an advisory should be put out. If not here than who else would put out an advisory. Mermaid Parties/ Fishbutts started their whole business in these forums, but if they cant handle orders and forums regulars, then a warning should go out. Running a forums is alot of work, especially when u wanna just go home and just relax, I can testify to that. But I would ban fishbutts until they prove themselves a responsible enterprise.

[Winged Mermaid]

I was just throwing it out there as something I learned because I didn't know what LLC entailed before. It wasn't meant to be related to the conversation about Fishbutts, just generally an FYI. I don't think Fishbutts is an LLC anyhow. You don't have to insult Stevi, implying she gambled all the money away either, to get your point across. The point is that there are people with no tails and no refunds. The "how" is irrelevant at this point.

I said I was considering an advisory. I need to know more information first. If people who have not received tail nor refund, and have waited a month over the allotted time given for tail or refund, want to PM or email me at mernetwork@gmail.com so I can get numbers it will help me get more complete information.

[AniaR]

I know Raven and Stevi have been talking because the fluke was modelled off of Raven's design. Raven's not upset, just disappointed. She always tells people she wont copy others when they ask to make a tail just like so and so or a fluke just like so and so. Though all that being said, the person receiving that tail while both a friend and helper to Stevi, has been waiting just as long as everyone else. So I don't think she was bumped ahead of the line, but it makes it look bad from all ends.

The whole situation makes me feel gross. I feel bad for the customers, I feel bad for Stevi, and I feel bad for Iona and I because we both have vouched for her in the past and pointed out the positives in her track record etc. I have no problems with Stevi as a person, and since I'm not a customer I have no problems as a customer. But as someone very vocal in the community, someone that many mers come to for help and advice on tails etc, I just feel really awful.

[Mermaid Dottie]

I'm with you on that, Raina. I care about Stevi as a person, but I can't defend her anymore. I'm really disappointed in her actions, and feel achey for all of her customers when I see stuff like this. I don't even talk to her anymore, because I'm upset with her. I also tell people that I meet, "My tail is from FishButts, but I wouldn't order from them right now, if I were you. She's been messing up a lot lately."

[ShyMer]

Where does she show the new fluke? I don't see it on her Facebook page.

[Winged Mermaid]

I know Raven and Stevi have been talking because the fluke was modelled off of Raven's design. Raven's not upset, just disappointed. She always tells people she wont copy others when they ask to make a tail just like so and so or a fluke just like so and so. Though all that being said, the person receiving that tail while both a friend and helper to Stevi, has been waiting just as long as everyone else. So I don't think she was bumped ahead of the line, but it makes it look bad from all ends.

I didn't realize just how much it looked like Raven's fluke until I saw the finished tail. I've seen 4 (all of them offical or unofficial tailmakers) people copy Raven's fluke designs in the past few months. Seesh.


(source)

Don't get me wrong, I'm super happy for Lanai getting her tail and I think Lanai is a lovely person. But here are people who have been waiting 6-11 months for their tails and still don't have them.

[MerEmma]

Wow, Lanai's tail does look really great!

I don't know about the copying...it is DEFINITELY similar, but I personally before even joining the network had drawn up flukes like that before. It's a very popular fluke design for sure, as far as how much we all like it goes. I don't have much else to add to the conversation besides that. I'm not trying to take sides, but that's just personally how I see it. I hope she gets back on top of things.

[Winged Mermaid]

I wouldn't say much abut the look of it being the same normally. There's that whole "privileged information" thing going on here- it goes back to Raina's post of "I know Raven and Stevi have been talking because the fluke was modelled off of Raven's design." that I'm not sure I'm able to clarify further without breaking confidence.
Honestly that info aside they look so different I wouldn't notice. So yeah, I agree with you on that. What I said about the other customers still waiting is what really bugs me about it

[Prince Calypso]

You know as one of her first costumers, I really want to continue rooting for Stevi. She is despite all this a very sweet person from what i've gather when we message each other on occasion but all this Bullshit popping up makes it impossible to defend her as a tail maker.
this is shady business work at its worst and i am very disappointed in her.
all the arguments made are valid and people should have every right to be angry.
If she couldn't offer all the refunds to people who have been waiting for tails like she promised then she shouldn't have even made the offer in the first place.
if she couldn't keep up with the amount of orders she was getting she should have only taken a certain amount and not taken any money unless she was sure she could come through with the tails.
I am sorry to say it may be a long while before i buy another tail from fish butts if ever again

[Blondie]

I don't think the flukes look super similar. I think Raven has a VERY generic "mermaid" fluke for her professional tails. There's nothing "special" about that fluke. It's a plain and simple fluke. It's almost like saying all ball gown style gowns are stolen because it was once one original dress. I don't know if that's a good analogy or not. It's not like she took her angler fin, you know? That fluke is VERY specific looking and unique.

But I agree with you 100% Calypso. I wasn't one of her "first" customers, but I was definitely and early one. I love my tail. And I even considered graduating to a silicone tail by her one day. But... Now I don't think I would... I just fear where my money goes. When you work SO hard to save up for a tail and then it just gets kicked to the curb... It breaks my heart to see what has happened to Fish Butts. I still root for Stevi in the way that she needs to get stuff together and start remembering to care about her customers. I truly miss the old Fish Butts, back in the first latex and Mermaid Parties days. She wiped out tails in incredible speeds and kept in AWESOME contact with her customers. I am however SUPER pleased to hear she's hired someone to help her. That will make a worlds difference I hope.

[AniaR]

I don't think the flukes look super similar. I think Raven has a VERY generic "mermaid" fluke for her professional tails. There's nothing "special" about that fluke. It's a plain and simple fluke. It's almost like saying all ball gown style gowns are stolen because it was once one original dress. I don't know if that's a good analogy or not. It's not like she took her angler fin, you know? That fluke is VERY specific looking and unique.

I'm not suggesting they look similar. I'm saying I know it was intentional because the two women addressed it already. Stevi went right to Raven after she posted it. We all know there are only so many designs you can come up with, but it was intentionally done and Raven was simply disappointed. There's lots of ways to take inspiration from someone else and still make it your own. And I think that was a poor decision on Stevi's part, not just cuz Raven's my friend, but because Stevi's already got so much going against her already.

I'm happy Lanai got her tail, I think I remember she got one but there were issues and she had to send it back and she's been waiting a really long time. But yeah, I don't think Stevi should post all these new designs until she's sent out all the belated tails. I've had a few people email me about how they've been waiting for nearly a year. I think it makes all of us who have tried to support her look bad, and like Blondie I'm rooting for her to pull herself up out of this mess and hopefully come out better.... but the chances of that seem to keep getting smaller and smaller

[Mermaid Varshana]

Thank god I found this community. I originally joined to make an informed decision on my first tail - since you can't possibly do so just off of going to the website or reading a couple reviews. You learn so much more when random people consistently talk a bunch of shit or sing the highest praises about a company. I would NEVER have known half of what I know now.

[Ariel-Starfish]

Thank god I found this community. I originally joined to make an informed decision on my first tail - since you can't possibly do so just off of going to the website or reading a couple reviews. You learn so much more when random people consistently talk a bunch of shit or sing the highest praises about a company. I would NEVER have known half of what I know now.

Exacly! If I haven't joined this comunnity, i would sit here with a crappy half silicone Mertailor tail with wrong mesurments, and alot of my money gone :/

[Mermaid Varshana]

Exacly! If I haven't joined this comunnity, i would sit here with a crappy half silicone Mertailor tail with wrong mesurments, and alot of my money gone :/

*GASP* Me too!

Oh, and don't forget the part about waiting 3 months past the promised delivery date...

[Phoenix Mermaid]

Thats the same reason I joined. I had originally planned to buy a Fish Butts. Because of fund raising it took almost a year and I had all that time to watch Fish Butts as a company on fb. Let me say I am glad I decided against it and to go with another tail maker.

[Ariel-Starfish]

*GASP* Me too!

Oh, and don't forget the part about waiting 3 months past the promised delivery date...

YUP

[Blondie]

I'm not suggesting they look similar. I'm saying I know it was intentional because the two women addressed it already. Stevi went right to Raven after she posted it. We all know there are only so many designs you can come up with, but it was intentionally done and Raven was simply disappointed. There's lots of ways to take inspiration from someone else and still make it your own. And I think that was a poor decision on Stevi's part, not just cuz Raven's my friend, but because Stevi's already got so much going against her already.

I'm happy Lanai got her tail, I think I remember she got one but there were issues and she had to send it back and she's been waiting a really long time. But yeah, I don't think Stevi should post all these new designs until she's sent out all the belated tails. I've had a few people email me about how they've been waiting for nearly a year. I think it makes all of us who have tried to support her look bad, and like Blondie I'm rooting for her to pull herself up out of this mess and hopefully come out better.... but the chances of that seem to keep getting smaller and smaller

Oooh she actually went right to Raven? I didn't know that. What happened there? Anyone want to explain? Like what words were exchanged?

[AniaR]

Stevi just told Raven she hoped she wasn't mad, because a customer requested it. And Raven told her she wasn't mad, just disappointed.

I mean, at the end of the day, I wouldn't look at this tail and think, hey that's a merbellas knock off. There's just been so much drama with people intentionally using someone else's design, that I think it's the last thing Fish Butts needed on their list of things not going so well.

[Mermaid Marissa]

I'm actually not sure how to feel about her tails anymore. When she was still with Mermaid Parties she got back to me after every email. Now that she started Fish Butts I don't get any responses from her or who ever Rose is. My heart goes out to her through all of the stuff she's been through but I was talking to one of the Mystic Mermaids who got one of the full silicone tails and she said both that they got started peeling and damaged a month into getting them and of course I bought my tail already! On the bright side I'm glad that these tails are a stepping stone tail for me and my business but I am disappointed.

She also mentioned that you could see the neoprene underneath.... do full silicone tails normally have neoprene in them?!?!

[AniaR]

I see a lot of tail makers get caught in the trap of communication. people try to out do each other so they promise you'll always get a swift reply, your product will be perfect, no, we wont be like those other tail makers etc, but then everyone seems to end up there even when they try really hard not to. I hope people can learn from the situation, as well as others. Everyone thinks they can do it better, or that it's so easy, and go around bragging that until life actually throws them some curb balls and it's not so easy after all. That's why prevention is key, and setting up things from the start. People get annoyed at the wait times for merbellas, but then they also get annoyed when she won't take on more orders. They don't seem to get that one directly affects the other. Just an example.

I think the full silicone tails are just silicone, while the partial are silicone over neoprin. I'm not sure it's neoprene.