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Venting About Unhappy Customer


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I had a customer (new) send me 5 quilts in October. I finished them in November, and contacted her. Because of "family emergency", losing job, etc... she asked to pay the bill, a little over 500.00 in payments. I said that was fine.

The last payment was on the 22nd of this month. I shipped the quilts. I got a nasty email today saying that she was unhappy with something on every one of the quilts. I have been quilting for customers for over 25 years, and have logged over 3000 quilts, and never dealt with person like this. She didn't like the weight of backing, she didn't like the amount of batting on the sides, she complained about the stitches, not much she didn't complain about. I offered to have her send them back to me, with backing she liked, or whatever she thought needed corrected, for the cost of the postage back, and I would redo it and ship back at my expense. She answered that she would be contacting a lawyer. Any one else have any pleasant experiences like this??

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Yikes! I'm not in business so really can't comment on how to handle her behavior. I don't believe that any lawyer is going to take her on so I wouldn't worry about that part. I just want to make sure that this woman and her threats don't spoil for you what should be a lovely time of year. I'm sure others here on the forum will weigh in soon with wise and comforting words to help you out. Sorry this happened, Nancy in Tucson

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Wow I'm happy to say I've not had a customer like that. I can't imagine what a lawyer would do for her. Unless you were negligent or something I can't see that she can do much other than make your life miserable. I would let her do what she is going to do and make sure I line up some customers that would be willing to testify on my behalf. Do you have any correspondence in writing as to what she wanted?

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I do have everything documented. And I did offer to requilt whatever she was not

happy with, but she is choosing not to send them back. I thought that was a very

generous offer considering the shipping is 43.00 and that would be if she shipped them all back, I would be eating the shipping back to her, as well as the labor involved.

How frustrating...

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Holey Moley WHOA!!! OMG! :mad::(:o:(:mad::o:mad::(:o:o:mad::(:(:mad::o:mad::mad::o:o

In my humble opinion, I would walk a mile barefoot on shards of glass before I ever spoke to that miserable person ever again. She's vindictive, calculating, horrible, nasty, vile....

DO NOT -- REPEAT -- DO NOT "fix" her quilts for her unless you want this saga to continue for the next two years...

Remember, you fufilled your obligation to her by quilting her quilts. Did you get your money? If so, that's fine. Just let it go. And never call her back. Never contact her ever again. If she calls and harasses you tell her to hire her miserable lawyer and you can fight it out on the Judge Judy show. :P (just kidding about that part) Some people or horrible. So sorry you got one of those meanies.

So... I am curious: She sent these to you through the mail? You've not met her? I wonder how many other longarm quilters she's alienated with her "stunts" in the past -- she might be a scam artist wanting to spew her misery to others, innocent people she's never met, like you. Stay away; far away.

Sheeesh!!!!!

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Some wise person told me to only take 2 quilts at a time from any customer. That way they can more easily pay so you are not stuck. Then I was told to be sure to give the first top back before starting on quilt #2 (especially for a new customer). that way, if he/she was unhappy they would only be unhappy with one - not several. Perhaps this customer was mad about having to cough up $500 and that was driving her hostility. I wouldn't worry about a lawyer.

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Thank you guys for your support, it is just hard having someone questioning your work. Especially when she is in Pennsylvania and I am in Nebraska, a little hard to recheck it, but I just closed my quilt shop of 25 years last April, and have had literally

thousands of happy customers, so maybe she is just an unhappy person. And thank you for the advice on completing 1 quilt before doing the second for a new customer. I had thought of suggesting that to her, but have decided I will not be contacting her again. I did get my money. I just hope I don't hear from her again.

Happy New Years to all of you.

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I wouldn't worry about her either. I think you rec'd some very solid advice from the other folks here, in that if she doesn't have the money to pay for the quilting, she sure can't hire an attorney. Plus, you did the job, offered to make corrections, and there's nothing else you can do. An attorney couldn't fight this! There's nothing legally wrong. And since you have documentation, well, the law is on your side anyway.

It sounds like she's just threatening, to me - mostly because it's probably worked for her in the past on getting some money back, if not all, and a free quilting job. I also would think she would have used a closer quilter, unless she has a bad reputation in her vicinity.

Please don't let her ruin the reminder of your holiday. I think she's a very ill, unhappy person. And you have nothing to worry about.

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I agree with all the rest - especially Shana. At this point do not even respond to her any more. The lawyer is an idle threat.

Sylvia - that is excellent advice - from a new client only finish 1 quilt and make sure they like it. We do have a few clients who give us several quilts at a time, but we space them out and finish only 1 or 2 at time and get feed back - that way they do not get large bills and we know what they expect!!

I agree, this person is very unhappy and believes in the adage "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". Yes, I have dealt with a person like this many moons ago - no matter what we tried it did not make her happy. Then threatened a lawyer. I told her that was fine. Never heard from her again - it was not about quilting, but similar.

Jane

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This "smart" customer has run out of quilters in her area and is trolling the internet for fresh victims. As others have so eloquently stated, it's a scam. She got a bargain at about $100 per quilt and she probably is peddling them on ebay or etsy right now for $500 each!! This has worked for her before and it may again--just not with you as a victim!

Ignore her because reasoning with her hasn't worked. You will never hear from a lawyer--they are smart cookies and even if they are working on a contingency basis, all they could squeeze out of you is the original $500, which wouldn't even cover the cost of the paperwork for a lawsuit....

I am so sorry you had to come up against this frustrating and anxiety-producing incident. Deep breath....let it out....forget about it!:P

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I agree with everyone. She should be thanking the good Lord for the work you did and being kind enough to take payments. $500 for 5 quilts, I hope they were small e2e, she got a bargain especially at Christmas time. She can't hire a lawyer if she can't come up with $500 for quilts, the lawyer will be a lot more expensive with payment up front.

I wish there was a place to list "bad customers". I agree with Sandra, look out for this lady who sends quilts from PA where's there's a lot of great LAer's. You might want to check out ebay and etsy for the quilts, LOL:cool:

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it is my experience that people who threaten to call a lawyer rarely do and it is nothing more than that, a threat. There are just mean people in this world or maybe they are picky. We all know we put our best effort into making our customers happy. Let her say what she likes and keep making all the rest of your customers happy. I am sorry this happened to you.

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soooo does she live alliance? I live in NE and I don;t want to be her next victim!!! People like this are the ones that make quilters give up even though they have talent....:( Sorry you got stuck with one of them!!! Even with a lawyer she shouldn't have a chance because you offered to correct the problem (that probably doesn't even exist) I wish you the best on this one, don't let it get you down....

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I just have to jump in and agree with all of the excellent advice! And especially since she is in PA :o (oh no close to me!) I wouldn't worry that you will hear from her again or worry about her spreading anything malicious about you at the local guild meetings. Just smile and know you did a good job, got your money for it and won't deal with her again.

I agree with Connie, I wish there was a list of "be careful with" we could check when we get someone we don't know...I had a gentleman in this area when I first started that tried all kinds of stuff like that with me, when I wouldn't play, he took his 4 quilts and moved on to another new quilter all the while bad mouthing all the other quilters in this area that wouldn't do what he wanted for bargain prices...I don't think he realized that quilters talk but we were all on to him, he even bad mouthed the LQS to the point where they invited him to not shop there anymore. Last I heard, he was sending his quilts off to someone in NC (lookout in NC), I guess until he burns that bridge too....so you see, unless there is absolutely no one in someone's area that LA's, I am thinking that is why you see some new customers sometimes from other areas...and we all know that there are plenty of LA'rs in the PA area. Now I am not saying that is all the business you get when you have a website, but that is certainly something to watch out for when a quilt comes from an area with LA'rs. Oh well, just part of doing business...a little bad sometimes but mostly good as most quilters are so very nice to deal with and far outweigh the bad ones.

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Again, thanks for all of your advice and reassurance. I closed my quilt shop in April, and just continued the machine quilting, so all kind of a new venture, even though I have quilted as a business for 26 years, and 5 years through the internet. Most of my internet dealings have been very pleasant, so sad to have to deal with this one. Well, on to 2011!:):P

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A lawyer? Seriously??!! For $500?? She could not hire one for less than that! I agree with everyone else, idle threats. Maybe she thought you'd cave and send her money back??

I had the opposite experience. A lady sent me 4 quilts from the Smoky Mountains. I requested payment before I sent them back and had no problems! She loved them. Two were for her sister and she said her sister cried when she saw how beautiful they were! Made me feels really good! She did get my name from a LQS.

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Several years ago there was a problem like this on the forum. Sorry went back but didn't find the thread. But if I remember correctlly the quilter was from PA and the longarmer was also east coast (I don't think she is even on the forum anymore) this case actually did get to court and the longarmer won not only the case but all other expenses as well. This quilter very well could be that same person. Even though the likely hood of her ever getting a lawyer it would still be wise of you to have all your paperwork together just incase it goes further. However till that point I agree with the others never take another quilt from her.

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