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Feather Heart CreationsOk so someone bought a bear off my Etsy store and now almost a month later they say the bear is not what they expected & they want a refund. Has anyone had this happen before? My store plolicys say no refund or exchange but I want my customers to be happy. Uhg what should I do?
Yuck -- that is a tough situation. It sounds like a textbook case of buyer's remorse, but if it were me, I'd issue the refund (after I got the item back in the same condition I sent it). It would just seem like the best way to make the situation go away.
PennsylvaniaHow much was the Bear's adoption? If it's not too expensive, go ahead and take the Bear back but specify that the Bear must be in original condition.
Tell the person that they will get their refund when the Bear comes home and you have had a chance to look at him. (or her.)
If you want, you might be able to deduct a certain amount (say 10%) for restocking fee. After all, it was a final sale with no refunds. You are doing the person a favor.
The number one reason I would take the Bear back is because I would not want to have an unloved Bear all by his lonesome with nobody to care for him.
These suggestions come from one who buys a lot of Bears. As a customer, this is what I would expect.
In the end, I can only suggest. This is something you need to decide on.
Feather Heart CreationsWell the bear was only $50 but the moneys long gone. I wish they would have contacted me when they got the bear and then I would still have had the money. They didn't even tell me why they where not happy, & i've never had an unhappy customer before
PennsylvaniaPeople can be idiots...
I worked in retail stores for nearly 10 years. I worked in hotels for 4 years. I worked in theaters for nearly 15 years. Every time I think to myself, "I've seen everything!" somebody comes along with another doozie!
I was in the box office of a 30-plex movie theater when a guy walks up to the window and says, "One, please!"
"Which one?", the cashier asks.
"Star Wars!", comes the impatient reply.
"Star Wars plays on three different screens at three different times. Which one do you want?"
The guy cusses, "F- you!" and walks away in disgust.
The girl was perfectly polite and smiled the whole time. Some people just make up their minds that they will not be satisfied, no matter what you do. It is best not to try to tangle with them. Just appease them any way you reasonably can.
You're not bending over. You're not kissing butt. You're just trying to get it over as soon as possible so you can get them out of your hair and be done with them. If you try to tangle with an unreasonable customer you're just begging for trouble.
Go ahead. Take the Bear back. (Let them pay the postage. 
)
Do you have a picture of the Bear? I'd like to see him. (Or is it a her?)
Feather Heart CreationsYeah I worked in retail for years and waited tables. My oddest thing was a guy at olive garden ordering ravioli without the paste and got up and stormed out of the restaurant when I told him that could not be done :crackup:
I've e-mailed the customer so we'll see what happens. It was this little guy http://enchantmentsart.deviantart.com/a … -158846782
Instead of a refund you could always offer a credit for a future purchase.
Honey Valley BearsI would try to make the customer happy and probably do the refund if the bear is in the same condition. But state the fact that post is not refundable which means you keep the money for shipping and handling if there was any and they pay the shipping back with some kind of tracking system so they can't claim that they sent it when they didn't. It opens a whole other can of worms then.
Good luck with this. Nobody wants an upset customer, the bad vibe gets around fast and can be damaging. But don't let them pull a fast one either. If they give you a hard time about it then don't do the refund and write the issue off as a learning experience for future. It's tough. I haven't had it happen to me. I've had an arm fall off a bear and it returned for repair the next day. Of course it was a case of a child spinning the bear around by it's arm that caused the problem. but the client didn't have to tell me that part. Some people are honest others aren't. Don't let them pull a fast one on you. Think it through and make sure you are covered.
Hope it works out.
Fulrfun BearsWhat a shame and the photo is so clear I can't understand their reasoning. Good luck with whatever you decide and remember I think the bear is gorgeous.
Yep, buyers remorse...decided they need the money more than the bear! I agree with US bears...don't want a poor little bear living with someone who doesn't love him!
near CologneI think it is very inappropriate from your customer to tell you after a month that they don't like the bear - I mean, they had him living with them for a month, they could have noticed this a long while ago!
Nevertheless, I agree with the others, better taking the ted home; as for the shipping, they should pay it on their own as it is not a fault of yours
Hugs, Ariane
PennsylvaniaIt could have been a gift. The person might not want to admit that they got the wrong thing or something like that.
Here in the UK we have a law we call the '7 day rule' ... if an item is purchased by mail order/internet, the buyer has seven days to return it for a full refund - beyond that there is no obligation to refund unless the item is faulty.
Feather Heart CreationsThanks everyone. Uhg I wish the customer would e-mail me back. I really want to know what they didn't like. And on the Etsy listing there where 5 pictures from every possible side, so I don't know what I did wrong. I wish the customer would have contacted me when they got the bear & I would have been way more willing to work with them. $50 may not be a huge amount but it's already been spent on bills and this is going to mess me up big time on my money 
Sense it's been so long sense she got the bear I thought about giving her 20% off her next order and she could keep that bear. What does everyone think? I really can't afford to give a full refund with out breaking the bank and given that she doesn't like the bear wouldn't a credit or a future discount be pointless, if she doesn't like my bears? Uhg sorry this is killing me because I want my customers to be happy but at the same time I don't have the money
Feather Heart CreationsThis is what I got back from the customer
There was no misrepresentation, and it is my fault for not reading your policies more carefully which I need to do going forward. What I didn't like is the face - I love the yarn and the color, but the "knitted" part detracts from the overall appearance of the face, and faces to me are the first thing I look for in my collector bears. If you can't give me a credit for returning him, I understand since it was my fault for not looking closer.
I'm so confused now. Yarn? I guess they thought this bear was knitted or something, I have no clue. The bear is mohair and I clearly say in the listing sparse mohair fabric nothing about yarn. Lol anyway I've offered a discount on a future bear but I dont know what else to do, I just wish they would have contatced me when they got the bear.
I'm so confused now. Yarn? I guess they thought this bear was knitted or something
Could they be referring to an embroidered nose/mouth?
Anyway, I think you've responded to the situation well.
Becky
Honey Valley BearsI agree with the discount. They admit that they were at fault. So offering them something at least shows that you are willing to work with them. Which should help if there are any negative feelings. But it is a learning experience for you and your client. She knows to read things more fully from now on, so hopefully she wont make the same mistake again. Maybe you should consider trying to make your terms stand out a little more in some way where it is clear what you are willing to do and not do. I can't remember what your site said I'll take a look and let you know if I can think of anything to make it stand out more to help avoid future problems.
Glad it all worked out in the end.
Hugs
Amber
Dances With Teddy BearsJust a guess here. I looked more carefully at your bear, with "the knitted part" in mind.
All I can think of, besides the nose, which I can't see her meaning, is the area on face where you trimmed/plucked the mohair right down to the backing..the backing that shows may look like it's been knitted on, to your customer...Not me! But if she's really a bear collector she'd understand what's what on a bear's face. This knitted thing tells me she knows nothing about collector bears.
I think you've handled the situation well. I'm glad to hear you're not agreeing to a return. The bear is adorable, by the way!!! 
Posts: 2,203It took them a month????
Holt, MII can see why you wouldn't want that little guy to stay in an unhappy home, he's such a cutie!
This is definitely buyers remorse... they admitted to making a careless purchase. If faces were really *SO* important, they would have studied it more carefully before they bought... I mean, it's on etsy, so it wasn't like there was an "ending auction" coming up to pressure them.
No, you're doing the right thing, and hopefully they're learning an important lesson.
Honey Valley BearsI agree after looking at the bear again the knitted part is probably the fabric backing. They clearly have no idea with artist bears.
Feather Heart CreationsIt took them a month????
almost a month 3 and a half weeks.
Posts: 35i know id be happy with anything especially if the bear has wrinkly soles id be real happy with that leather vynil soles are perfect for bear feet
