editorial- Hazelmay
1:41 PM Thursday, September 17, 2009I have all the sympathy in the world for people who have hardships. Lord knows I have had enough of my own. But the one thing I would never do is screw over my customers and then whine about how it's all about me and I'm a good person. If I had any outstanding business issues when tragedy struck, I would be hightailing it down to the nearest Kinko's to use a computer within a couple of hours. This is without a doubt one of the most bass-ackwards threads I have ever read:
There was a huge thread about about everyone was concerned about her, and she said she couldn't be bothered to read the whole other thread. Sorry, but this is crappy. You DON'T TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS THIS WAY.
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This was a reader email I received. Thoughts??
Her shop profile is another prime example of TMI. Nobody needs to know anything about your ex-husband when they are shopping for bibs. They're buying a PRODUCT, not your psychic pain.
And how the hell does money go "missing" from a bank account? Is this a euphemism for "I got drunk and spent it all?" because I've been there,drank that, lol.
Bedazzled Condom September 17, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Unprofessional. Prevent havoc and go on vacation mode. Soothe your customers and resolve existing orders.
Etsy is a business venue. Not a social networking site.
Sarah September 17, 2009 at 2:16 PM
I have some sympathy, I mean, get a place to live before you worry about your online shop. But... it seemed like the length of time that everything happened was long enough that she could have put her shop in vacation mode at some point. Also, the shop announcement is pretty tacky....
Marilyn September 17, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Boo hoo, now send your customers their stuff or give their money back.
And like bedazzled said, TMI on the shop announcement.
Lindsey September 17, 2009 at 3:29 PM
There are too many sellers who have done things like this, letting people go on buying from them when they should have immediately shut down their shop until they could get their life back in order. I'm pretty sure her shop won't be able to recover from all the bad feedback and yes, the shop announcement is just too much information. Sorry for your troubles, but that stuff belongs on your blog, not on a business site.
Elizabeth September 17, 2009 at 3:52 PM
Buyers never have these problems, just sellers. Buyers can afford to lose money, sellers can't. I agree, why not close instead of letting people continue to buy from you?
PussDaddy
PussDaddy September 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Had a similar experience when I ran into a seller yesterday whose shop announcement is a 1/3 off sale due to the fact that her husband is dying and she needs the money. (?!) When I convoed her for a sharper picture of an item (she had one view only, extremely blurry), she convoed back that she couldn't send anymore pics as her husband was in hospice dying and she didn't have time.
It's very sad, and my heart goes out to her if that's the case. But it won't make me buy a product sight unseen...
Anonymous September 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM
My husband passed away less than a year ago. From experience, I can say that it seems you are thinking straight but sometimes you aren't. I've never been divorced, and it's been a hella long time since my young adult break-ups, but I am guessing divorce is traumatic.
Some people are fortunate enough to have friends and family around when you hit a really rough spot. But sometimes everyone flees the scene, like your personal disaster is contagious.
If these sellers are dealing with their problems with little or no help, they are overwhelmed. Not professional behavior, sure. But does it really rate a blog call out, like being a reseller or a design plagiarist? IMO, Etsy should have closed that thread and deleted it -- and if deemed appropriate, contacted the seller about completing her transactions. And maybe put the shop in vacation mode for her, and informed her they had done so and why.
life-during-wartime September 17, 2009 at 4:54 PM
"But does it really rate a blog call out, like being a reseller or a design plagiarist?"
Taking money and not providing the product is theft.
It doesn't matter if your third ex-husband emptied your bank account and left you morose and bleeding in a seedy motel room. You don't have permission to steal people's money just because you have a crappy life.
I think most here would agree that theft rates a call out. Especially when it is followed by excuses and ingratitude.
Bedazzled Condom September 17, 2009 at 6:44 PM
"But does it really rate a blog call out, like being a reseller or a design plagiarist?"
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"I think most here would agree that theft rates a call out. Especially when it is followed by excuses and ingratitude."
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What Bedazzled said. Hell yeah. Nobody should either know of, or have to suffer from, the consequences of your crappy life. And SHE is the one who made it public. And theft is illegal.
hellyeah September 17, 2009 at 7:51 PM
I get so sick of all the excuses these poor little single moms and SAHM's and whoever else offer up as an excuse for being crappy sellers or ripping people off. In her big sympathy thread that was still not locked last I checked there was not one mention of sympathy toward this seller's buyers. Who is to say some of her buyers are not that well off either, and can't afford to lose their money. Instead someone advises her to remove this line from her big sob story shop announcemnt
Currently I can not offer any refunds because there is no money to refund."
Sure, we don't want to prevent anymore sales to this seller that may help replenish the "missing" money in her bank account now would we? If I hear one more single mom/SAHM sob story I am going to puke.
PussDaddy
PussDaddy September 17, 2009 at 9:27 PM
When you are in business, you need to leave out the personal. She should have dealt with her biz first, no matter what, and closed her shop temporarily.
I was in Europe on vacation, and managed to answer every single convo sent to me. There is internet service EVERYWHERE. It's about business. I am very uncomfortable with people's sob stories: we all have hard times but keep them to ourselves and our family & friends, not our customers.
sobsister September 17, 2009 at 9:29 PM
I feel bad for her...I really do, however, I think her shop announcement is a bit over the top. Not only will she likely not gain any new business because of it, she probably hasn't garnered much sympathy from those who not only have no product but no money. She will be lucky if folks don't start filing police reports for theft.
Anonymous September 18, 2009 at 2:34 PM
I tend to be a bit of a cynic. Maybe if she explained what she meant that she was "missing" money I'd feel bad for her. Does "missing" mean: "awful ex took it" or "gambled away" or "went on a month-long bender" or "was on my way to my dealer when I got mugged"?
Heh. Making those up is fun.
Anyway, that kind of sob story doesn't belong in her announcement or profile or on the forums. That's what blogs are for - to rant and rave about stuff that matters to you but probably not to anyone else. Etsy should have been a place for her to be professional.
Chantelle September 18, 2009 at 5:47 PM
She also has an online, separate from etsy store where she sells stuff that's still currently available. And she says in her profile that she found manufacturers to set up her boutique.
Curious.
Chantelle September 18, 2009 at 6:01 PM
She lost my interest when I had to read all the gory details of her drooling daughter's raw oozing face.
PussDaddy
PussDaddy September 18, 2009 at 11:27 PM
I was trying to be gracious but who keeps selling while your life is going down the drain????
She Who Runs Amok September 19, 2009 at 7:11 PM
HAZEL MAY
this is old, and dead, but i am still going to respond. i lost my ex husband to ptsd. i had a terrible divorce. a lot of bad things happened. everyone either received their products, or received their refunds.
getting back into business was very hard.
i understand many people were very upset. i am sorry if i hurt or offended anyone.
Anonymous June 17, 2011 at 10:41 PM