B!TC# IT OUT!

[Mermaid Momo]

@Adalira:

I suggest the same thing Pearlie says, just refund her, BUT I also suggest commenting on the post she made on her page. Something along the lines of " Hello, I'm sorry you feel that way. I've sent you messages at both your etsy, email, and here on facebook and have yet to recieve a reply. Please message me on any of those platforms and we can get something sorted out. Thank you." Make sure you don't let your emotions get in the way when you comment/reply to her. (think retail worker who has a smile on their face all the time. That has to be you now.) I also think that if she replies to you, gently mention that you do not sell harry potter wands and that your wands are not intended for small children and shouldn't be given/bought for them as gifts.
And Like Pearlie says, just a thicker skin is basically the only thing you can do to make this hurt less. I haven't gotten a bad review yet, but I know that won't last forever haha.
Also, I think you should keep the review section of your page up It's a good tool to use where all of your happy customers can leave their praise. One bad review won't kill your image, mostly if it's the only review, it'll make happy customers visiting the page see they can leave a review and notice that you've got a bad one and write even more praise in their review for you.

[Adalira]

LOL Pearliemae!

@Draggersprez: Thank you for all you support and advice! I definitly need to work on getting a thicker skin and to not take things so personal. That is a news years resolution i will be working on this year for sure!
Also i will refund the woman like i already told her in my first message to her. But only if she returns the wand and only after i have received the wand.
I will even let her ship it to my mother in law if that will avoid a lot of drama.
But i will not refund her AND let her keep the magic wand for several reasons:
1: like PearlieMae said....she does not deserve one of my magic wands
2: i will not be bullied into refunding and letting customers keep it...you dont like the item? Send it back and get a refund. They can not have it both ways
3: If i do refund her AND let her keep the magic wand...who is to say she won't start doing the same thing to other Etsy shops or maybe already has done that?
What if she tells a friend or more friends about it that harassing shops with messages and bad reviews will not only give you a refund but also lets you keep the item.
That is something i am not willing to risk.
I have seen my share of nut jobs out there.
I have been in show business all my life and when i was about 14 or 15 i was not on stage yet but doing back stage work and selling tickets at the shows. This one night a man comes to the cash register and tells us his friend could not make it so he wanted a refund for the ticket. We told him it was sold out and he could not refund it 30 minutes before the show. He got upset and started to make a fuzz and a scene with people looking. So i told him to hand me the ticket over...i was tempted to simply refund him to make him go away....i looked at the ticket and guess what....it was a free ticket that he won at a radio show!!! He was trying to get money for a ticket he did not even pay for! A promotion ticket!
I looked at him and simply said;" This is a free ticket you won at a radio show. You want us to refund you a free ticket? We can not do that." People started looking at him now and he walked into the venue all embarrassed.
This was many years ago and i have seen many many people pull all kinds of tricks...even people i know personally who were going to a store and making a big fuzz about how something broke and they did not have a receipt or anything and they made such a fuzz that they got a complete new item (in one of the cases a laptop!). That really pisses me off so i want to make sure never to simply cave when people make a scene.
As far as the review section...there is a review section on my Etsy page and that is more than enough for me lol.
My husband removed the one on Facebook and i am very happy he did. I did not like that thing to begin with even though i got mostly only 5 and 4 stars ( i think only 1 three star).
I looked around on facebook and saw that other big pages that have very popular stored on Etsy also don't have the review option on there facebook page so i am fine with not having one

[Mermaid Lunette]

LOL Pearliemae!

@Draggersprez: Thank you for all you support and advice! I definitly need to work on getting a thicker skin and to not take things so personal. That is a news years resolution i will be working on this year for sure!
Also i will refund the woman like i already told her in my first message to her. But only if she returns the wand and only after i have received the wand.
I will even let her ship it to my mother in law if that will avoid a lot of drama.
But i will not refund her AND let her keep the magic wand for several reasons:
1: like PearlieMae said....she does not deserve one of my magic wands
2: i will not be bullied into refunding and letting customers keep it...you dont like the item? Send it back and get a refund. They can not have it both ways
3: If i do refund her AND let her keep the magic wand...who is to say she won't start doing the same thing to other Etsy shops or maybe already has done that?
What if she tells a friend or more friends about it that harassing shops with messages and bad reviews will not only give you a refund but also lets you keep the item.
That is something i am not willing to risk.
I have seen my share of nut jobs out there.
I have been in show business all my life and when i was about 14 or 15 i was not on stage yet but doing back stage work and selling tickets at the shows. This one night a man comes to the cash register and tells us his friend could not make it so he wanted a refund for the ticket. We told him it was sold out and he could not refund it 30 minutes before the show. He got upset and started to make a fuzz and a scene with people looking. So i told him to hand me the ticket over...i was tempted to simply refund him to make him go away....i looked at the ticket and guess what....it was a free ticket that he won at a radio show!!! He was trying to get money for a ticket he did not even pay for! A promotion ticket!
I looked at him and simply said;" This is a free ticket you won at a radio show. You want us to refund you a free ticket? We can not do that." People started looking at him now and he walked into the venue all embarrassed.
This was many years ago and i have seen many many people pull all kinds of tricks...even people i know personally who were going to a store and making a big fuzz about how something broke and they did not have a receipt or anything and they made such a fuzz that they got a complete new item (in one of the cases a laptop!). That really pisses me off so i want to make sure never to simply cave when people make a scene.
As far as the review section...there is a review section on my Etsy page and that is more than enough for me lol.
My husband removed the one on Facebook and i am very happy he did. I did not like that thing to begin with even though i got mostly only 5 and 4 stars ( i think only 1 three star).
I looked around on facebook and saw that other big pages that have very popular stored on Etsy also don't have the review option on there facebook page so i am fine with not having one

So glad to hear it ^_^ I was worried this temper tantrum having jerk might get a refund and keep the item, so glad that is not the case. Hope the rest on the interactions are less of a headache now ^^

[Adalira]

I received an email from Etsy today and they said that if the woman will open a case against me that they will be on my side.
I explained how i handled the situation and she said that if i handled it the way i said i did, i have handled it professionally.
From the replies you gave me i think quite a few of you have Etsy shops yourselfs, am i correct?
For all of you that do and have a facebook page for you shop as well....i found a new app with which you can connect your Etsy shop to your facebook page and people can purchase items from your etsy shop through facebook and it is free.
I installed it today to my page.
If anyone is interested you can go to my facebook page and check it out and download it yourselfs as well.
It may increase sales for you.
You can find it under the tab "shop" on my page and also on the left side on my page under "apps"
https://www.facebook.com/FairyMeShop
Hope it can help some of you

[Mermaid Kelda]

I'm glad etsy have backed you up!
That app is neato - if I ever make a FB page for my store I'll definitely find use in it thanks for the tip!

[Fun123joker]

ok hun. i bet she i lying about "not able to see the glitter and rhinestones."
i bet she is one of those moms who first dont pay attention and make assumptions and after they bought it then they get mad.
why is she mad and maybe lying? because she probably knows that she is wrong but she dosnt want to admit it and has to be right

[Adalira]

@Mermaid Melaina
You are very welcome :-)

@ Fun123joker
I agree with you. The strange thing is that new years eve she was writing messages and leaving a review like no tomorrow like she was in a rage.
Now i have heard nothing from her.
Here comes the tricky part: In my return policy on Etsy i have it written that customers can ship an item back within 2 days after receiving the item....i have heard nothing and have no idea if she has shipped it back already or not.
What to do next? What if she does not answer until a week from now and wants to return it then? I want to be strict on it and say" Sorry, you missed your change" but on the other hand...what if that gives her another rage? Who knows what she will do next?

[Mermaid Lunette]

@Mermaid Melaina
You are very welcome :-)

@ Fun123joker
I agree with you. The strange thing is that new years eve she was writing messages and leaving a review like no tomorrow like she was in a rage.
Now i have heard nothing from her.
Here comes the tricky part: In my return policy on Etsy i have it written that customers can ship an item back within 2 days after receiving the item....i have heard nothing and have no idea if she has shipped it back already or not.
What to do next? What if she does not answer until a week from now and wants to return it then? I want to be strict on it and say" Sorry, you missed your change" but on the other hand...what if that gives her another rage? Who knows what she will do next?

Etsy already said they were on your side yes? And if it is in your policy then she should have paid attention. You can be proffesional about it and say "I am sorry ma'am, but you have missed the dead line in my policy ,outlined when you need to return the item in order to get a refund." And leave it at that. I mean, if she bullies you know and you bend your policies now then you might meet another bad customer and it will just be a. Visious circle of having to bend your own rules for adults throwing temper tantrums.

And it will encourage them to behave the same way to other etsy owners.

[Adalira]

Etsy already said they were on your side yes? And if it is in your policy then she should have paid attention. You can be proffesional about it and say "I am sorry ma'am, but you have missed the dead line in my policy ,outlined when you need to return the item in order to get a refund." And leave it at that. I mean, if she bullies you know and you bend your policies now then you might meet another bad customer and it will just be a. Visious circle of having to bend your own rules for adults throwing temper tantrums.

And it will encourage them to behave the same way to other etsy owners.

You hit the hammer on the nail with everything you said and especially your last line.
She will do it to other shops as well and i would not want to be the start of that.
Etsy told me that they are "behind me" as we cold it, so supporting my shop policies and that if the woman opens up a case against me and i can show them that i provided good customer service to her, then Etsy will do whatever they can to help me.
She said that it could be that this woman is new on Etsy and that she was not paying attention to any of the information that was given to her when she made a purchase.
She also said she took a look at my shop and that she can see i don't have a lot of reviews yet fomr customers and that in the future i should ask customers to write one when they are happy with a purchase.
I never thought to ask customers about a review but i will in the future. I am not sure how to go about it though. Maybe i should write it in the message i sent them when i have shipped out an item....somethig to think about...

[Mermaid Meko]

Adalira - keep being you.

There will always be grumps out there and people who don't read or pay attention and blame other for their lack of awarenes....

But you? There will only ever be one amazing woman who creates beautiful 'toys' with love and dedication for children and adults alike.
You spread love and magic.
Dont ever forget that!

[Adalira]

Adalira - keep being you.

There will always be grumps out there and people who don't read or pay attention and blame other for their lack of awarenes....

But you? There will only ever be one amazing woman who creates beautiful 'toys' with love and dedication for children and adults alike.
You spread love and magic.
Dont ever forget that!

Mermaid Meko.......I'm speechless....thank you so much! You are too kind.....

[Mermaid Momo]

Do you have business cards Adalira? If you do, you can write on the back of them something about leaving a review on. Usually when I buy something (either from etsy, or from other small business owners) they include a business card in the package and a small little hand written quick thank you for ordering note that asks for reviews. I do this too, since I haven't made new business cards, I invest in cute stationary and write small thank you notes to include in orders and a reminder to leave a review.

[Adalira]

Do you have business cards Adalira? If you do, you can write on the back of them something about leaving a review on. Usually when I buy something (either from etsy, or from other small business owners) they include a business card in the package and a small little hand written quick thank you for ordering note that asks for reviews. I do this too, since I haven't made new business cards, I invest in cute stationary and write small thank you notes to include in orders and a reminder to leave a review.

Thank you, i really like the idea.
I do have business cards but they have old information on them. I do write a hand written letter for each customer with a thank you and a small fun story about the magic wands or earwings or what else they have purchased. I like the idea very much of including the review request in that letter.
How would i remind them of a review though. something like:" if you are happy with your purchase, please feel free to share it on Etsy in our review section." ? Something like that?
It's 2.15 am over here so it's bedtime for me :-)
Draggersprez....did you see the shop app for facebook i posted today? Maybe it's something for you if you have a facebook page for your shop?

[Fun123joker]

i just need to vent

im gonna try to make this short because the details are longer then the anger i can express.

my family went to dinner except for my oldest sister and i. apperntly my parents got in a fight with my other sister. my mom told us not to get involved but is trying to get us involved! she wanted my oldest sister to stalk my other sister's facebook to see if she posted anything. my oldest sister refused to get involved and my mom is still demanding that she do it my siblings told me that my dad is gonna sit me down tomorrow and ask me about my future career planes (im a 15 y/o girl). so i get really nervous and preparing what im gonna say and then i asked my siblings how my dad told them because my dad didnt tell me, just my siblings.

apparently im going to be used to prove my dad's point that we keep secrets from them and only tell eachother stuff. which is not true! i always told my parents i want to go into physical therapy but they just wont listen! this makes me so mad i wanna cry about how they are gonna use me. too bad thier experiment was tainted but now im really hurt. i dont want to get involved with anything of thier argument but im gonna be forced to! that and they are probably gonna expect me to prove thier hypothesis right. ugh i just hope this will be quick because this akwardness is gonna last atleast all weekend

[Naufra]

Fun123joker, when your dad asks about your career plans say these exact words: "I want to be a physical therapist, just like I've been telling you." It's important that you stick with what you've been saying and remind them that you've already told them about it before. Be very careful not to come across like you have an attitude, because that would make the situation worse, but be honest. You can disprove his paranoia without getting yourself or anybody else in trouble if you're careful. Good luck!

[Echidna]

Could any of you please go to my Etsy shop and let me know what you think of my Magic Wands?

Just chiming in here:
Your stuff is really pretty.
I've seen my share of wands, and I think yours have a certain magical vibe

Also, anyone with eyes can see what they are like (and that the shop is in the Netherlands).
You absolutely shouldn't let such a stupidity get to you.

You were far too polite and patient with that...customer.
But that only means you're a professional.

[Adalira]

@Echidna: Thank you so much :-) That brought a big smile on my face!

@123Joker: I agree with Naufra, stay calm and tell them exactly what you want.
I have had a "talk" with my family when i was in my early twenties. I was forced into it and it was beyond rediculous. Also in my case i had been telling them what i wanted to do and yet nobody was listening.
In my case it were my parents, brother and his girlfriend against me and they were anything but friendly. I got the whole:" Where do you think your life is going" crap.
I was actually designing and sketching in my room when they called me to come in for a talk. I was baffled.
But i stuck to what i wanted to do and them treating me that way and wanting to try and change my mind on my future....only made me more detirmend and made me stronger in the end.
Try and look at this experience as a learning experience. This is your chance to speak, your moment to show and tell them what you want your future to look like. Stay calm and strong.
Know that you are unique in this world and you are free to choose the path that makes you happy.
We are all here for you, if it helps you can picture us in the room with you backing you up
Big hug to you

[Carolina Mermaid]

I'm so pissed off right now and I really need to vent.

1st: I get a letter from the college that I had just finished transferring from, and they tell me that I am now on academic probation (screw you Lander professors and my advisor)
2nd: after learning about the probation I talk to my mother and she tells me that it will probably affect my student loans and I may not be able to take but one class...
3rd: Trident doesn't open until the 5th and I am having issues with my school email and have no way to contact anyone to find out if I'm even going to be able to go Trident and take classes.
4: And to top everything off today we just learned that my great grandmother just had a stroke, and the hospital she is in took 3 DAYS to even take a look at her.

Had to get that off of my chest, maybe now I can try to sleep. Even though I have not slept in 36 hours.

[Adalira]

I'm so pissed off right now and I really need to vent.

1st: I get a letter from the college that I had just finished transferring from, and they tell me that I am now on academic probation (screw you Lander professors and my advisor)
2nd: after learning about the probation I talk to my mother and she tells me that it will probably affect my student loans and I may not be able to take but one class...
3rd: Trident doesn't open until the 5th and I am having issues with my school email and have no way to contact anyone to find out if I'm even going to be able to go Trident and take classes.
4: And to top everything off today we just learned that my great grandmother just had a stroke, and the hospital she is in took 3 DAYS to even take a look at her.

Had to get that off of my chest, maybe now I can try to sleep. Even though I have not slept in 36 hours.

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear you are going through such a stressfull time!
Just remember that life throws challenges at you to make you stronger and for you to learn from.
Life never gives you lessons you can not handle.
In the end it will make you stronger.
As far as the student loans go...will you be able to get money in some other way to pay for classes you need?
Like loan money from your family or get a side job if possible?
Unfortunatly i don't know what Trident is but if it is not open until the 5th event hough you need it, there is most likely nothing you can do about that now.
I am soooo sorry to hear about your great grandmother! I hope she will be allright.
Do you know anything about her condition?
For now i would make a list of all the things you need to do to get through this.
For instance write:" Contact Trident first thing in the morning on the 5th."
What i am trying to learn is to take a step back from things and look at it as a third party, that way you are not as emotionally involved in it.
Trust me...it is hard to do but it may help.
I learned that lesson from my mers on here the past week and i am working on it myself.
Try to look at everything as a total stranger would to make it through.
Untill then if you live close to your great grandmother go visit her as much as you can cause she will need it.
Same thing happened with my grandmother....she had a stroke and we knew something was up, the doctor came and did nothing. We asked him to come again (she could not get out of bed nor ate or drank in a few days) again he did nothing!
My dad had to threaten him on the phone before he would get us an ambulance. Luckily they were in time and gave her fluids instantly and she made it through in the end and completly recovered from it.
Anyway....i really hope your great grandmother will be ok.
If you are very upset it is best to try and blow of some steam before going to bed else you will be up all night anyway.
Something as simple as getting a pillow and starting to beat the sh*t out of it may help (done it myself and it works really well).
Keep beating the pillow untill you are exhausted and simply can't beat it no more.
Hope it helps!
Big mer hug coming your way

[SeaGlass Siren]

So over the weekend i kept getting asked for babies. i typed up the whole thing on my blog:

http://seaglasssiren.blogspot.ca/201...i-warning.html

TL;DR, PEOPLE NEED TO STOP ASKING ME FOR BABIES. I AM NOT A BABY PUMPING MACHINE.