need advice...

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

alright, i'm really tempted to make a beware because of obvious avoidance but i first want some.. opinions on if i should keep waiting on this girl or not.

i commissioned an inexpensive custom soap from a girl on a new site i've joined, she just so happens to be the co-owner and all. she finished it, said she sent it. after about a week or two after, i mentioned i hadn't gotten it, so i was reluctant to ask for a refund because it was near the holidays, so i was willing to wait some more because of slow deliveries and i told her this. she mentioned if i wanted a refund all i would have to do is ask!

well, i've been asking. noting a few times, even commenting on her page and asking about it, but the notes have been read and i'm sure she's seen the comments, but she's busy with a new version of the site and all, so i'm just torn between getting up and reporting her here or waiting even more (it would be like 1-2 months now (EDIT: it is now 3 months from the soap picture that she uploaded) that i've been waiting pretty much) since she isn't responding at all. EDIT: i should mention she is actively talking to other people on the site. after leaving a comment days ago (the 12th) she had /just/ responded to someone else but has yet to respond to me at all. that is what i'm disturbed about because as much as she was offering refunds, she no longer seems interested in contacting me at all. that is why i feel this is beware-worthy because she has my money and is making no attempts to get back to me about it.

the thing is though, i didn't get a tracking number or anything (it's soap.) i didn't get any notes from the post office to pick it up, nothing and for clarification, had my dad check if there were any packages for me at the post office and nothing (although i can't see why soap would need to be picked up OR why it would take 3 months now). i really don't know how i can prove i haven't gotten it or if she's even sent it out.

i don't mind if it's gotten lost or returned because well, not her fault the mailing system is faulty. but the fact she has yet to reply to me while being on the site and talking to other people rubs me the wrong way, it is a clear sign of avoidance. that is the part i'm most concerned about, because a reply asking me my paypal or saying it got returned wouldn't take very long and yet she isn't bothering at all.

so.. yeah.. what would you do in my position? keep pestering, post here, should i let her know i'll post her here if she doesn't respond? argh.

Comments

[everainsley]

The post office has been really screwy lately. I ordered some pre-made keychains from an artist several months back (Septemer, iirc), they were shipped... and never arrived. So we played the waiting game, and just last week, the keychains arrived back at the artist's home, so they have been re-sent, and I'm waiting again.

I'd poke her again, and try to find a different method of contact (email, Twitter, dA, here on LJ, whatever) and contact her there as well, just in case any messages were lost.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

ah, well i hope if it doesn't get here, that it'll at least be sent back.

the site she's most active at (that i can find anyway) is on the site i've been sending notes and comments to.. the notes may likely be getting ignored because of a faulty system, but i know she could see the comments.

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

I would wait as well. Same problems have been happening to myself as of late. Post taking months to get things to where they need to go.

Also because you didn't ask for a tracking number I really don't see it as their fault for it getting lost, especially if it says so in their TOS.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

they have no tos.. so.. it was just like.. hey i like your soaps, custom make and send me one for some money? derp

they didn't even ask if i wanted tracking or anything, after a week of asking it was made and they told me they sent it. i didn't really think tracking would be that necessary.. so i didn't really think to ask :V

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

even though you never got a note saying "yo, come pick this up!" ask at the post office if you HAVE a package waiting for you. Those notices get lost pretty often or tossed as junk mail. It may well be sitting at the post.

I ship around a thousand packages a year and customer asking direct at their local post office turns up the package around half the time.

You may find out at this point that it has been returned, if you have no asked directly at the post office previously.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

had my dad check for me as i can't get there by myself and nothing. i'm assuming it got returned (hopefully)

[hezzywags.livejournal.com]

if it's a small item like soap I don't think that the post office would just leave you a notice and have you come pick it up...we do that for HUUUUUGE items that weigh more than 50 lbs or are too awkward and bulky to put in the mail truck :O

it could be that the mail is just moving slow (which it...really isn't now, at least in my neck of the woods.)

another option is that she maybe didn't actually send it, as scammy as that sounds. but I assume that since she runs whatever site this is that she's a professional and, hopefully, an honest one.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

yeah that's why i'm like.. why would they have me pick it up...? it's probably a really tiny package if it's a tiny lil bar of soap.

i had my dad go and check though and there were no packages and haven't been

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

Ask her to scan a copy of the receipt. That is the only way to prove that she posted it.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

if she even replies, i definitely will.

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

=C Yeah that's always a problem. Even with being busy with other things it would take a couple of minutes to write you a reply. I really don't understand why people seem to go about replying (well not.)

Hope it's just the postage service being slow

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

i know the note system on the new site is glitchy as hell.. it shows my notes unread and THEN read and then so on and so forth. but i still left her comments so she should see them rrg

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

:\ well that certainly doesn't help at all....

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

yeah it's annoying B( and like there's no other contact info on her page. i know she has a sheezyart but last i knew she said she wasn't using it anymore.

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

have you tried to search her username just in google to see if it brings up like a twitter account or tumblr?

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

her username is really generic and it's hard to tell what could be her and what isn't ;x; lol ugh real life names as usernames.

[ocelotish]

What I would say is that it's not beware-worthy at all.

Sometimes stuff honestly does just get lost in the mail, or arrives late in the mail, or whatever. The vendor seems very willing to work with you or refund you. What would you be warning anyone else against?

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

well the fact she's active on the site but not really responding seems like enough reason for me to want to report it and doesn't make me think she's very willing right now.

[ocelotish]

Is there an alternative way to reach her? If not, maybe post it as a lost contact rather than a beware?

I think it would also be legit to threaten to post it in your next response.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

not that i can find, aside from her now inactive sheezyart. her profiles have like.. no email contacts or anything i can reach her by otherwise.

i'll wait another week or so before posting a lost contact, then~ and yeah, i will. thanks :3