UNBOXING of Mertailor Silicone Tail

[Lady Aurelia]

Oh dear. I have to agree that the design does look like the concept and Eric did provide evidence...it's not looking so pretty so far I'm afraid.

[Mermaid Cascada]

Meh... This is some really crazy chum. At first I was like wait... What but now I'm starting to see (at least I think) what's going on here. Super confusing.

[Mermaid Melusinah]

You might be right. I apologize for the wrong choice of word.

Not a big deal at all! Just some times have to be careful. Just don't want to see any one come at you for an accurate word usage (though we are ALL guilty of it! Truth!) about silly drama that doesn't involve anyone but those involved in the first place.
I just hope that it can be handled in a professional manner on both parties by those involved. I thought that Eric was fair and respectful in his presentation of the evidence...

[PearlieMae]

Where is Judge Judy when you need her?

[Mermaid-Rose]

Look at what mertailor just posted

[Patches]

Oh dear. I have to agree that the design does look like the concept and Eric did provide evidence...it's not looking so pretty so far I'm afraid.

I do, now, have to agree.
The paint scheme looks exactly like the drawing.

[Mahi Mermaid]

He's got some good computer skills!! He totally fabricated that form and made it look legit, I'm impressed. Guess you'll do anything to defend your business. Good for him.

[Mermaid Syrena]

Hey Krystal. I know a lot of us are looking for some details to be ironed out before we form a proper conclusion... I guess the questions in my head right now are:
1) Was the part about the discount giving true?
2) The Mertailor claimed that the dorsal fin - the one you weren't happy- was the one you chose because of price range options. (which I completely understand, mermaiding is expensive business!) Is that true?
3) Did you, in fact, also request the free scale top and additional discounted baby tail from the Mertailor?

These might seem like tangential questions, but I just feel like a cohesive answer might help me form a better perspective right now...

[MerEmma]

I do, now, have to agree.
The paint scheme looks exactly like the drawing.

I've thought so all along however I don't pay much attention to detail all that much (just kind of who I am I guess) so I thought that it was just me. :b

[Ariel-Starfish]

==>

[Merman Arion]

Where is Judge Judy when you need her?

I don't think that she will be useful... Too scared of this upcoming drama.

[Kae]

Krystal, could you post the original template? The one you sent him so we can see the difference?

[Mermaid Cascada]

Krystal, maybe post your reciepts and forms?

[Mahi Mermaid]

"When someone is guilty, they become aggressive when defending themselves. An innocent person will question the reasons they’re being blamed rather than become defensive. A liar will try to keep communication to a minimum when it comes to the person they’re lying to. If they must talk to this person, they will be visibly uncomfortable on most cases. Liars don’t emphasize different parts of their speech while someone who is telling the truth will accentuate the important bits of information in a story.Liars tend to speak more than necessary or change the subject immediately after lying." http://yanswersblog.com/index.php/ar...-liar-or-more/ I'm not calling the Mertailor a "liar" I'm just quoting some information about how people react to situations such as this one. He continues to make a big deal of this, while I'm just trying to get my money back. Keep in mind that I've never spoken badly of him or "slandered" his name. Yet he has said many unpleasant things about me. And has had "hate" people contact me on his behalf. I'm not going to post any of the emails we wrote back and forth, nor am I going to post my bank information for when the money was taken out. This is rediculous. I can't even believe it's gone this far. Bottom line: I ordered a tail that I didn't approve of, I never spoke badly of the tailmaker, I'm only trying to get the money back that I put in.

[ShyMer]

If you're not calling him a liar, I'm not sure why you quoted that paragraph of text.

Maybe you don't have to post anything, but the mertailor's post is very specific and looks convincing. Besides saying that he changed the form, you haven't done much to defend yourself. I think people would feel much better about your side of the story if you provided details. Sure you don't have to, but this is your reputation, and if you care about that, then you'll set the record straight.

[Mermaid Citrine]

Word of Caution about Mermaid Krystal (aka Krystal Patrick, Krystal Bernowski)

I have kept my mouth shut for over a year about my dealings with her because I am not the type of person who likes drama of any kind and usually if I deal with an unscrupulous person, I typically just ignore them and move on. But recently I have seen Krystal apparently treating others similarly to how I was treated and its really erking me everytime I see her pull the same b.s. again and again so I'm sharing this to clear the air and clear the names of others she may have dealt with and is trashing.

I first met Krystal last year when her and I decided to split a room at MerPalooza 2012. We met on the MerNetwork so I had not met her previously. We exchanged some emails and phone calls and she seemed to be a nice normal person like me so I decided to room with her, but throughout the weekend, she repeatedly tried to not pay her share for things like the rental car (which we had also decided to split) tolls on the road and other money she asked to borrow from me for drinks at a bar. On our last day, literally on the way to the airport, I finally just took her to an ATM and demanded she get the money she owed me for the weekend.
I could go into more detail about her personality and other things she did that weekend but I think that's enough of the big facts to give you a picture.

Another thing she was doing all weekend (even when people called her out on it) was telling people that she made her tail. The tail she wore was made by the Mertailor and she repainted it and modified it with some extra fins but she told everyone who asked that she made it outright. As an artist myself, this really pissed me off. Its one thing to buy custom art and modify it, but that does not make you the original creator and I think artists should be given credit where credit is due. A few people would even comment "You made that really ? It looks just like a Mertailor tail ?" and she would continue to lie over and over and assure them "No I made it completely myself" I didn't say anything at the time because I was just trying to make it through the weekend with her and we were sharing a room so I didn't want to incite her into doing worse things like stealing my stuff or something.

Flash forward a few months and there is another controversy with her about pictures of her in a Mermaid Magazine in which again she states that she makes her tails while wearing either a FishButts or Mertailor Tail in the photos for the magazine. Again, disrespecting the original artists and lying. Then it comes to light (on the MerNetwork) that she had purchased a FishButts tail, then trashed the Tail maker, repainted the tail and resold it for a hefty profit. She recently tried this again with her latex tail from Mertailor by trying to sell it for hundreds more than she bought it for after trashing the Mertailor publicly the first time. I cannot confirm if she did sell that one or not but she did make a posting about it being for sale on the MerNetwork.

At Merpalooza she told me how horrible the Mertailor was and how she tried to get a free tail from him in the past by stating that she was a 'disabled veteran'. Then she ended up purchasing one anyway and repainting/modifying it. I was very surprised after trash talking him so much, that she approached The Mertailor at the Pool Party and asked if she could try on one of his new silicone tails and I was even more shocked when Eric actually let her ! I thought this was very kind of him, especially given her history of trashing him and his work but he must not have known all the terrible things she had been saying about him so he graciously let her try on and swim in his new tail. After she swam in the tail, I asked if I could try it on as well before Eric had to take it to the convention but she kept it on the whole time until he had to leave so I never got a chance to try it on myself. I thought this was very selfish of her but typical for how she had been behaving.

After the convention, despite her behavior towards me, I still sent her numerous photos and videos I had taken of her with my camera and she never even thanked me for them. She also never apologized to me for her behavior that weekend. As for the money, this sums up her attitude/scamming: When I brought up the money she owed me that she had borrowed she stated "Well you shouldn't have lent the money to me if you didn't want me to have it" or something very similar. I just laughed in disbelief and explained that "I LENDED you money as we agreed upon, I did not GIVE you the money" and then I took her to the ATM and waited for her to get what she owed me for the weekend.

Krsytal has also in the past, taken a photo of Hannah Fraser and photoshopped her face onto the photo and used it as her profile picture on facebook. That was until I and others called her out on it, then she created a new page and the picture disappeared.
Now, presently she is trashing the Mertailor again about a silicone tail that she paid 1/2 price for after begging him for a discount. I saw the design sketch and the final tail and I think Eric did an accurate and beautiful re-creation of the design concept. Like I have heard other artists say, "We are not photo copy machines, every artist has their own little style they bring to the table" The way that Krystal is trashing Mertailor again and trying to now sell the tail for hundreds more than she paid for it is just sounding too familiar and making me wonder if this was her plan all along. Perhaps she begs tail makers for a discounted tail, then re-sells them for profit and that is her plan all along. Either way, I find her behavior very unscrupulous and I have finally broken my silence because I'm tired of seeing her lie over and over and try to hurt others.

Based on all this, I would be very cautious in doing any business with this person.

[Mermaid Citrine]

I take my time before I make charater judgements of people. I'm the type that sits back and observes behavior over an extended period of time looking for patterns.
Well I've seen enough so that's why I posted this.

Now you've all been warned. Krystal, had you actually apologized for the way you treated me last year or gee even said "Thank you" one time for everything I did, perhaps I would believe your recent compliments to me, but its clear you only reached out to me again when you wanted something from me (like how I dyed my hair and how I made my latex tail) so sorry I'm not buying it anymore.

I sincerely hope you come to terms with all this and perhaps get some counseling. I have known master manipulators and pathological liars before and your lies will always catch up to you. If you don't want to be a loner your whole life, you should really get some help for this, so people can trust you.

Best of luck

[Mahi Mermaid]

Nice personal attack "Mermaid Citrine".

[Mahi Mermaid]

I wrote this email to the Mertailor, asking to keep it between just him and I but per his response I've decided to just put it out there:"I just wanted to address your post on FB,

-What "sob story" did I give? All I did was ask that you sell me a used tail, that was the start of our conversation this year, and eventually you didn't give me that option anymore and just suggested I get a new tail. It was you who gave me the offer, not me "begging" for it.

-The initial payment did decline, but you got your money, and it wasn't in "payments" it was all done the same day. I have no idea why it took separate transactions..but that's besides the point

-I was not happy with the initial tail. I told you right away that was the wrong dorsal and asked you to put on another, you said you wouldn't. You dind't just put the one that "I could afford" on it.

-I asked you to add in "pink" but that was the only color, right away you said no. I agreed. The entire time the only colors on the tail were yellow, black and white. You know that.

-The first picture you gave me was Aug 3 of the unpainted tail, you didn't paint it for weeks later.

-I never said you were "rude" or "ungrateful" never.

-I asked for a top because the first time you sent me a tail when it was late, you sent a top. I figured you would do the same. That is all.

- You never emailed me saying you thought you were "Set up" I don't even know what that means...I guess you're saying that I knew I would sell the tail the whole time? No I wanted this tail, very badly. But it wasn't what I ordered and I dont like it. I told you I didn't like it. I only let you send it out to me so that I could repaint it myself, something you did not help me with. Once I found out it couldn't be repainted, I had no use for it.

-What companies have I purchased from? I only purchased twice from YOU. I purchased from Fishbutts, it was sent unpainted and with dog hair on it. And there was no monofin. That was resold.


-The last part "This woman is a liar. She is ungrateful. She is a very miserable person who I feel very sorry for. I will never undersell myself for a customer, never again. None of you have to believe me, but I know what I did was right. I am not the one that has to go to bed every night knowing I told lies to make myself feel like a better person."

Really? I mean really? I have not said one bad thing about you, not once. With all the troubles I've had with you and the tail(s) being late and not correct, I still stuck by your side.

I don't want this email to be posted anywhere, this is for YOU and you only to see. I am all done with this drama, it is rediculous. And for a business professional, you should not allow people to speak so badly of your customers. People calling me "cunt, twat, cow, bitch, etc...." is completely unacceptable and you should know better." I had originally wanted this to stay between him and I but after the email that he just sent me I thought I should share it.

[AnnaAbyss]

If you ever want to sell it, I'm here! It was my birthday on Saturday and all I've been wanting for the last year and a half is a tail. Don't wanna sound like a beggar ._. I saw it on Facebook and personally I loved it. Lolol xD Sorry.... :3