Merbellas Thread

[MerEmma]

I'm so confused about that note, though! :P

• Tail is custom made to your provided measurements.
• 100% DragonSkin platimun cure silicone.
• Made with a Competitor Monofin. (no foil, Wave, Rapid, Oceanika, etc. options?)
• Raised rounded scales and fluke texture.
• I am also able to customize the shape of the fluke with this design.
• It is neoprene lined and slightly buoyant in the water. (Doesn't it say 100% silicone, or is that just referring to the silicone's Dragonskin quality?)
• Includes your custom color design. *I do not charge extra for colors.
• Basic design does not include any "extra fins".

[Mermaid Cecelia]

It just makes me sad that the price went up...

[MerEmma]

The new one I think will be much better designed though from what I've heard, and the performance tail went down so I do think it's a fair trade off.

[Mermaid Cecelia]

still... I had half the money saved, now I only have a third saved

[AniaR]

Yup I have the same email for her that I have always used but no matter how many times I email her I am getting no response..

Which still may be the old email if it's the info@merbellas one. Nobody has been getting email responses for the past little while, for all the reasons we've been documenting here. And Raven usually features her products when she has time on a model or herself so she can have a photo of her art or something before she sends it out (she's done photoshoots in my tail) unless the customer specifically requests that they don't. So double check your email, and remember she JUST got back on the saddle after being sick for a week. You said you asked Raven to make it for you, but did you pay her to make it for you? (I'm not in the emails at this time so I can't check). If you didn't pay, she's probably not responding to emails right now for things that arne't paid for because she's trying to get all the current orders out. I know people will often email asking to make something custom like a head dress or top but they don't get to the paying stage for whatever reason, and she has to take care of paid orders first and doesn't have time to do those emails.


As for the basic tail price,

The basic tail price HAD to go up. The 1000$ price was for the first prototypes of the tails which looked like this:




But people wanted more detail, more options etc and she uses more materials, and the basic tails take MORE TIME TO CREATE than the performance tails. It's the first time she's upped her prices and she's been making these tails now for almost 2 years. (compare that to others who have changed prices upwards of 4 times in a year with much bigger increases) I'm sorry people are disappointed, but many of us have been encouraging her to up the basic price for a year now because they take so much work and she's wearing herself so thin. The tails take way more materials now, have way more details, and take way more time than any other product she makes. They're also the highest one in demand. And she's STILL working on improving them.

Plus, she put the performance tail down in price.

As for the note, the whole thing needs to be updated but it wont be until their done redesigning the tails the way they want them to be and they begin to take orders again.

I'm not trying to come off all crazy and I am NOT speaking for Raven, I am just one of the many people who have been encouraging her for a long time now to put the price up for the basic tails because I see how much extra time and money she pours into every one.

[Mermaid_Aurora]

No it's her merbellastudios@gmail.com email.

And no, thats why I'm trying to get ahold of her. She told me she wouldn't know how much it would cost until it was finished, so I was suppose to pay after it was done. She told me early on that when it was finished she'd tell me and put it in her etsy so I could buy it. I was also told I'd get more pictures of the finished headdress but I haven't gotten any of that either.

[AniaR]

And no, thats why I'm trying to get ahold of her. She told me she wouldn't know how much it would cost until it was finished, so I was suppose to pay after it was done. She told me early on that when it was finished she'd tell me and put it in her etsy so I could buy it. I was also told I'd get more pictures of the finished headdress but I haven't gotten any of that either.

If you haven't paid, you're going to have to wait. She hasnt restocked her etsy for a reason, or done anything for anyone who hasn't paid stuff yet because the customers who have paid 1000s of dollar get first priority and as you've seen in the thread there are people who have been waiting patiently for tails for a while. She was sick, monofins got delayed, and she's had to do it all by herself when usually she at least has her husband to help her. I've been passing on everything here. Once all the tail orders are out, she'll restock the etsy and go back to top and head dresses and accessory orders etc and people can pay for stuff and buy it. Right now the priority is to get the tails out and if you still want the head dress when she's done all that, then it'll be there! I'm sorry you'v ehad to wait but you can't really complain about something you haven't actually bought. i'll mention it to Raven.

[Mermaid_Aurora]

I know just seeing one of the models wearing it kinda scared me I thought maybe I was too late cause I ordered it 8 months ago if I counted correctly

[AniaR]

you talked about ordering it, it's not ordered til it's paid for. Anyway, I mentioned to Raven. She didn't see any emails She thought you just weren't interested in it anymore or forgot about it. so I suggested she check spam and there's a bunch of blank ones from you? Anyway she's going to email you when she finds some time.

[Mermaid_Aurora]

I kinda figured since I commissioned it and she MADE it that it was kinda considered ordered :/ I dont understand why someone would make someones order and only consider it "talked about".

Don't know why there's blank emails. All my emails had a reply in them so that's odd.

[Mermaid Cecelia]

AniaR, I understand that the price had to go up and she deserves for it to go up, but that doesn't change that I'm sad cuz it'll take way longer for me to save the rest. Raven does an amazing job, and I'll be super proud to get a tail once I can save it up, but I'm just saying that my plans will be very delayed.

[AniaR]

Oh yeah I didn't take it in a bad way, just using the chance to explain it and draw comparison

[Mermaid Cecelia]

Oh yeah I didn't take it in a bad way, just using the chance to explain it and draw comparison

I completely understand I would've asked for the clarification anyway, so it's cool

[Blondie]

I know just seeing one of the models wearing it kinda scared me I thought maybe I was too late cause I ordered it 8 months ago if I counted correctly

I see your point. It is your headdress. She said she would give you the price when she was done. It's not fair that you haven't gotten it yet. Even if she had forgotten it's yours, that's not really professional. That is something she needs to address for sure.

[Mermaid Isabel(:]

I understand the price was lowered for performance tails. I recently ordered a performance tail but she changed the price shortly after I ordered and made my payment so I am being charged the old price. I don't want to bother her with an email, I know she is very busy. I'm simply curious why she lowered the price while still taking orders because it is kind of confusing. The tail is well worth the money and I feel lucky to be getting a tail made by her but I was just wondering if anyone else was in the same boat I'm in?

[Merman Arion]

I kinda figured since I commissioned it and she MADE it that it was kinda considered ordered :/ I dont understand why someone would make someones order and only consider it "talked about".

Don't know why there's blank emails. All my emails had a reply in them so that's odd.

I see your point. It is your headdress. She said she would give you the price when she was done. It's not fair that you haven't gotten it yet. Even if she had forgotten it's yours, that's not really professional. That is something she needs to address for sure.

I'm sorry but those are just speculations, right?
I understand Mermaid Aurora's concerns but i disagree with this attitude. Until Raven says something officially, i don't think people should make up theories. That girl is working her ass off to do the orders despite being sick a lot, she has done NOTHING wrong and so far, EVERYBODY got what they wanted.

I don't mean to be rude or anything like that but for fuck's sake, i think being patient and trusting her is fair. Good things in their own good time. Even Raina said that Raven will respond when she will find the time.

Just saying.

[Mermaid Syrena]

Steering away from the potential drama....... let us all be awed by the full awesomeness of the Ursula top.

[AniaR]

it's not anyone's til it's paid for. It's no a question of being professional or not. I brought it up to Raven, she hadn't heard anything after she made the head dress and after checking her spam found 50 BLANK emails (which to me would simply look like someone had a virus). If she made something and is under the impression the client forgot about it, and the thing is not paid for, she can do whatever she wants with it. But since I brought it to her attention she's contacting Aurora if she hasn't already. (I find people complain about not hearing from her and then never tell the result when they get it) What would be unprofessional, is dropping everything for a headdress that hasn't actually been bought, while people have actually paid several thousand dollars, some rush ordered, and been patient despite her being sick and monofins being backordered. Payment= priority. I really don't think it's fair for someone to complain about something they actually havent bought, especially when it's been made clear that emails were obviously not being seen. I mean, I was helping with them for weeks and I didn't see any messages. And if it's been 8 months you most certainly could have brought it up sooner, I made it clear in the threads a while ago that I was helping with communication for a bit and relayed several messages. So yeah, Raven's been made aware, so yeah, it's being "addressed". I get so annoyed that people make up what Raven must think or her motives. It's like, since she's quiet it gives everyone license to assume whatever they want, when in reality she's quiet cuz she doesn't have time for constant back and forth- she's working her ass off on orders

and Isabel, she's not currently taking orders. She took one in like, several months. Literally all her attention is on the current customers (which would be you) and though the price has changed I am under the impression they may not take anymore orders again for a bit anyway. So you could pay the old price like everyone else and get in under the wire for the tail, or wait with the new price for an undetermined time. I totally appreciate you being annoyed, anyone would. but I think you got in the right way anyway


And Tyler got to edit more footage from their filming a few weeks ago...

[shimmygoddess]

love that new top

[Mermaid Octavia]

Want the new octopus top SO BAD.