Friday, May 9, 2008

a RANT--metaphors included

Have you ever noticed how sweet and nice someone is when you are going to sign on with their service? No matter how many questions you have to ask, they answer. No matter how much trouble you have setting up a shoppe or trying to understand how to post in their forum they insist you 'have' to be apart of or you'll surely miss out on updates, sales and be left behind? They are soooo willing to aid and assist!!
And O, so tickled to sign you up for an automatic monthly deduction from your Paypal account to make your life and business run smoothly.....ahhh...the ease and comfort you'll have with your shoppe in their hands, while they spend endless hours and tons of money on advertising and opening other sites and try to do their best for YOU! Or...is it just a tad bit, for themselves? I certainly HOPE so, it's their business. Right? You are just a flower in their pyramid bouquet. Cash is rolling in like mad and they open more sites, why? to make more money? for me?...no no no, I'm confused, it's for THEM! Right, cuz it's THEIR business. Okay, now, I'm on track. Got that right in my head now.
BUT, month after month...as those fees are deducted from my Paypal account, my little shoppe is rotting away. I'm watering it every 1st and 15th, just as the directions tell me to do. Even tossing in some 'free shipping' fertilizer! BUT, month after month, NO SALES.........................
So....THEY have THEIR business...and it's flourishing. I'm tickled.
I have MY business and it's dry and dying out. I'm not-so tickled.
Funds are diminishing in the Paypal account due to the lack of sunshine & sales at the flower shoppe along with other online places that have CUT my flowers down (ie, Ebay)
So, now, unfortunately, I'm going to have to cancel my shoppe that's bringing me in NO profit, month after month.
I email, nicely, even sadly, as I'm having to close shoppe. Always a sad event. Is there support and sweetness and words of comfort?? Was a met with "we are so sorry to see you leave, please come back as soon as you can and grow your business in our garden of prims. We know times are hard, but rest assured, they will get better. Keep creating, girl and hold your head up high!
We are certainly going to miss you. *hug* Let me assist you with the exit steps that it will take in order for us to stop the reoccurring payment so it won't continue to come out of your Paypal account..."???
NO!! I WAS NOT met with any such service. What I did receive was short, choppy, pissy little emails.
I explain I need to cancel my flower shoppe, unfortunately. And the first note wasn't too bad. "sorry to see you go, I have you scheduled to close on this date".
I was missing the hug, but I'm a big girl and didn't HAVE to have the hug. I thought it was all
well-n-good and as soon as my business funds allow, I'm ready to sign back on board the wheel barrel and plant more flowers!!
BUT....on 'the close date' in question. Fund are pulled from my Paypal account anyway. I email
again...I say "could you please refund the fees taken out?"
Email reply " I told you you'd have to cancel the subscription or the fees will continue to come out. I'll refund your fees today, if I can find the time".
WHAT? I'm looking around--digging thru past correspondences to see where O where that message was.................or WASN'T....
Later that day, they did find time to refund my fees. Thank you.
My Email reply..."I have two flower shoppes that I'm canceling all together. Fees are deducted on different days, please tell me how to cancel my subscription in my Paypal so we don't have to go thru all this again".
.......
My request was ignored. I asked again.
In the meantime--back at the Paypal batcave--, I was frantic to figure out how to cancel my sub payment. I finally got that one canceled from the payment page, but nowhere could I find where my reoccurring payments were, so I could cancel the 2nd shoppe.
Well...then, I got another friendly reply from THEM. "you canceled the other shoppe. I got a notice. Do it the same way".
.....
WHAT A BITCH!!! (a necessary word!!! Nothing else will fit.)

Finally, I found it out, ON my OWN. And got it canceled. Absolutely NO help from THEM.

Now, I know, without a doubt, I will NEVER sign back on board with that sour flower shop!!! And I'll gladly pass along to other unsuspecting Prim crafters the info---BEWARE!! If you have had these same problems or other similar hateful stories, give me a holler back.
IF you've had them, then you'll know WHO I'm referring to in a matter of minutes!!!

You'd think, someone taking your money and with you telling them, you 'want' to come back asap, that they'd be a bit sweeter to you. Obviously not. Customer Service exit support is in SHORT supply with this gal. It's night and day and all about that almighty dollar.

I'm done venting and going to erase this from my mind, in order to be able to create and have
a stress-free day. Plus the fact, that SHE/THEY are NOT worth my time.
I just hope all the other flower shoppe owners aren't treated as cold as I one was.
Sad, very sad.

My the karma gods of the Universe work fairly and swiftly.

OH, and IF YOU TOO, need to know how to cancel a reoccurring subscription payment in your Paypal account, just let me know. I'd GLADLY walk you thru the steps. :)

Love and Light to my Blog readers!!
-Donna

18 comments:

Moonchild said...

Connie,
Good Morning and Happy Mother's day to you. (I'm having to post my response here, cuz I can't send an email to your email address. Go figure!)
First off, I think it's great you are learning to sew and prim! Awesome!!
You'll be
addicted in no time flat. You're more than welcome for the freebie
epatterns. :)
I have a free one on www.primsisterstalkradio.com (a Witch Doll) and a
freebie
at www.patternmart.com (a Witch Cat n Witch Crow)--so grab those if you
haven't already!
If you need a web-host for a new website...Hattie's Workshop is the place to be!!
I've used others and this gal, Brenda, is the BEST!! She's fast, she lists you with
search engines, she is always available for customer support. She's simply awesome! http://www.hattiesworkshop.com/websets/websets.htm
Just email her and tell her what you're looking for. And her prices are very reasonable too.
Now, let me say---in regards to the venting blog post---yes, you've hit the
nail on the
head with who it was. I was so very disappointed to be treated so coldly
when it
was simply a business decision that had to be made. I was planning on coming
back. WAS, being the key word.
There are too many nice prim-sites I can list on to have to be treated that way.
Yanno?
Use your own judgement tho. And I'm 100% with you. You DO reap what you sew!
:)
Blessings for a WONDERFUL day and an even more wonderful new business
venture with your prims.
Thanks for emailing me and if ya need anything more, just holler :)
-Donna
www.moonchildsprimitives.com

Denise * KKL Primitives said...

Donna
I'm so sorry you were treated so 'badly'. Very unprofessional.
I'm glad to see you are still in business, I am a fan of yours *Ü*

Neenee

Rabbit Hollow Prims said...

Donna, I sooo know who you are talking about as it has happened to me before. I would love to know for future reference how to cancel the subscription payments and also to rant LOL email me at spritetwig@msn.com


Sue

Anonymous said...

Donna, I too may have to cancel my flower shop..... hmmmmmmm

I am very sorry that you were treated so poorly.... I really am.... Shame on them, I am very disappointed in them. I am sure I will be treated just as badly but, when you sell one thing in 4 months (as I have) why keep giving money away? It does not make sense and I would think being a business woman that she would see that. Oh well huh? Hugs and Loves.... Mo

Kristine said...

bless your heart Donna!!!!
I don't know if you remember me, I'm Kristine of Kitsch N Sink!
Big hugz to ya!!! I'm sooo sorry,
I didn't realize you were gone till now. Sooo many there ya know!...wink,wink... I've been so disenchanted, and may need an exit strategy myself.
You are soo nice,talented and well known, your success is already assured, no matter what happens next!
take care and God Bless!
Kristine
Kitsch N Sink Studio

Moonchild said...

Thanks for the words of support girls! This is most unfortunate, but obviously, this is how that gal runs her business cuz several people have emailed me saying they too, were treated like WEEDS!
I'm going to post 'How to cancel a Paypal Subscription' for ALL to see. So send anybody you know over to view it that needs to know how.
I appreciate yall's responses. I'm sure as time goes by, more and more people will be having this same problem.
Mo, you are very right. Why not direct your money into something that'll turn a profit for you? It's a great idea, but if it's not working for you, get out.
Be a smart business woman!!
*HUGS* to all,
Donna

Moonchild said...

Kristine,
gosh---I'm thrilled to have the sweet compliments!! I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy! *doing my Wayne's World imitation*
I was tickled pink when Neenee said she was a fan!
Now my 'pink' is a full blush. :)

There are SOOOOO many talented ladies out there, primmin' their hearts out and trying to work from home and make some money so they don't have to leave their kids with sitters, or so they can keep an eye on their teenagers or babysit their grandchildren or cuz they are disabled and can't work outside the home. MANY reasons. Whether you just love it and don't need the money OR if you depend on that paycheck, we should all be supportive of each other. Not treating each other badly.

Thanks for posting and may the Universe smile ever upon thee.
(I love your catchy business name too!!)
-Donna

Moonchild said...

How to stop your reoccurring payments.

1. Open your Paypal account
2. Click on 'History' at the top left-hand side of the page.
3. Search for the last automatic transaction that was made to the reoccurring account you'd like to cancel.
4. Click on 'Details' --this button is underlined and in blue.
5. You should have a page that says 'Transaction Details'.
6. Find where it says "In Reference to:"...followed by a number in blue and underlined. Click on that number.
7.Go to the bottom of that page and click on the button that says "Cancel Subscription".
8. On the next page, once again, click on the 'Cancel Subscription' button to finalize the cancellation.

bluejeanprimitives said...

Here's a hug!

(((((( DONNA )))))))


Jean :)

Moonchild said...

Jean,
I emailed you at your hotmail account and it bounced back to me.
Just so ya know---I tried to respond to you!
Full mailbox, perhaps?

THANKS for the HUGS!!
After talking to many others, I think we need a GROUP HUG!!
Donna

Moonchild said...

Mo,
Same thing with you. Your email bounced back to me.

Maybe hotmail doesn't wanna be my friend???
lol

anyway--I'll try to resend it shortly.
Donna

bluejeanprimitives said...

Well pish posh... I wonder if it's that hotmail thing acting up again. Maybe try emailing through my website 'contact me'...

And you're right on the group hugs thing... seems many need it lately.

Anonymous said...

It did? What the heck? I will be waiting to here from you! puggleluvr@hotmail.com ..... Hugs and loves and keep up the beautiful work!
PS... I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY... can we not all just support and be happy for each other or sad, whichever the occasion calls for? That is the primitive world I have come to know and love and I do not want to know the "other" one! Hugs, Mo

Anonymous said...

hahahaha,,,,,, I meant "hear" from you.... but, I am "here" for you....hahahaha Mo

HowlingMoonDesigns said...

Hi Donna.
So sorry this happened to you.You are a wonderful Artist and you'll rise above all this :)
Sincerely & With Hugs :)
Candace
Howling Moon Designs

Unknown said...

I am so sorry this happened to you. I have been in this flower garden for many years and have loved the service i have recieved. I love your patterns and will continue to buy them from you. I will miss you in our garden. I know times are rough all around and understand cutting back where it needs to be to keep the family a float.
sandi

Moonchild said...

Candace, Thanks so much for your kind words. I just finished browsing your website. I love your work! :)

Sandi,
Thank you too for your compliments and kindness.
The service of the flower shop is wonderful while you're there, but should you need to leave, the service is a complete 180 degree turn. Hopefully, that will change and others won't have to be subjected to the behavior as that given out in the past.

I commend you for all the hard work, time and efforts you have put in. It doesn't go unnoticed!

I hope her gardens flourish with bountiful bouquets of prosperity! -May it harm none-.
That's my wish on this day.
-Donna

Buttons By Robin said...

I've had a similar experience but not sure if it was the same place or not. I didn't push to get my money back so they got a couple of extra months before I figured out how to cancel my paypal subscription. It isn't easy finding your way around paypal sometimes. Sorry to hear about your experience. It seems its quite common sadly.