Sumbuns FAIL
Over a year ago (in fact, closer to 18-24 months ago) I made an agreement to do web content for Summer of Sumbuns in exchange for store credit. Along w/ developing product descriptions and written policies for shipping/returns/etc., I also did many of the listings on her Hyena Cart. When all was said and done, the amount agreed upon was $205 in store credit. I provided her with a request list for products. This was over a year ago, before I was pregnant with my most recent baby (born March 27), so we initially agreed it wasn't a rush.
Once I got pregnant, we agreed that she would start working on my list. At first, sure, not a huge rush, but as I progressed in pregnancy, I starting asking when I would expect to see said diapers. First, the response was, "I'm going to start working on them on [xyz date]." Then the response was, "Oh, I've already finished [x product] and just have to do [y product]." I asked a few more times when the diapers would be done, and was always told "soon."
Any time I'd contact Summer to ask about my items, she usually responded w/ some sort of dramatic story as to why her progress had been slowed up. Ok, fine, I still had months to go, and it sounded like she was at least making some progress. Plus, at this point, I was used to dramatic stories from Summer about the latest work-delaying tragedy in her life, and expected eventually she'd get my diapers to me, as always.
About two months ago, I contacted her again and said I really needed the diapers sent right away, as I needed to budget for alternatives if she wasn't going to be able to send them. At that point, I asked her flat out if she had made the products, and was she honestly going to have them to me in time. I gave her every opportunity to say she couldn't get the job done, but she assured me they were done, packaged up, and she would ship them the following Monday.
A week passed and the items did not arrive. I emailed Summer to ask about a delivery confirmation number, and received no response. Another week passed, and I sent her an email saying I was disappointed that she a) couldn't follow through with her obligation to me and b) couldn't even be honest with me about it after several years of friendship. Of course, still no response. I have since sent an invoice through Paypal and emails to both her personal and Sumbuns email addresses. No response.
To say I'm disappointed puts it mildly. I've helped Summer with numerous business problems (relating to her tendency to procrastinate about sewing/shipping) in the past. If you've ever received a letter from "Sumbuns customer service" that actually had decent grammar, spelling, and usage, odds are that I wrote that for her, as part of my contract was to provide customer service templates for repeat business problems. When I emailed the sumbums@gmail.com account last, I received an auto-response in return -- an email I had composed for her when she closed Sumbuns to take her new job.
As it was, the agreement I made with her was well below my normal hourly freelancing rate, because I agreed on a flat fee and the amount of work was much bigger than originally implied. I gave her this reduced rate because she was a friend. I agreed to accept store credit instead of cash because she was a friend. I have always been a vocal fan of her diapers, even in the face of her poor customer service. To just totally get shit on like this, after putting in a significant amount of my time and talent into helping her market her products, pisses me off royally.
I really have no recourse for this, as she is in another state and any legal fees I'd wrack up trying to pursue this legally (we did have a contract) make it not worth it. I'm just horribly disappointed. I ended up $205 short of items I really needed for my baby, and had to do some last-minute scrambling to get some things. At this point, if she shipped them tomorrow, they'd be too small when they arrived, but at least I could sell them and buy a larger size.
Few things are more disappointing than being dicked over by a friend. I hope she feels at least somewhat ashamed of herself. She talked about reopening the business at some point with a new diaper design that she was attempting to have patented. At this point, I doubt she'd ever be able to get Sumbuns up and rolling again, because she has alienated anyone who has ever been willing to work for/with her, but if she does -- BUYER BEWARE.
Once I got pregnant, we agreed that she would start working on my list. At first, sure, not a huge rush, but as I progressed in pregnancy, I starting asking when I would expect to see said diapers. First, the response was, "I'm going to start working on them on [xyz date]." Then the response was, "Oh, I've already finished [x product] and just have to do [y product]." I asked a few more times when the diapers would be done, and was always told "soon."
Any time I'd contact Summer to ask about my items, she usually responded w/ some sort of dramatic story as to why her progress had been slowed up. Ok, fine, I still had months to go, and it sounded like she was at least making some progress. Plus, at this point, I was used to dramatic stories from Summer about the latest work-delaying tragedy in her life, and expected eventually she'd get my diapers to me, as always.
About two months ago, I contacted her again and said I really needed the diapers sent right away, as I needed to budget for alternatives if she wasn't going to be able to send them. At that point, I asked her flat out if she had made the products, and was she honestly going to have them to me in time. I gave her every opportunity to say she couldn't get the job done, but she assured me they were done, packaged up, and she would ship them the following Monday.
A week passed and the items did not arrive. I emailed Summer to ask about a delivery confirmation number, and received no response. Another week passed, and I sent her an email saying I was disappointed that she a) couldn't follow through with her obligation to me and b) couldn't even be honest with me about it after several years of friendship. Of course, still no response. I have since sent an invoice through Paypal and emails to both her personal and Sumbuns email addresses. No response.
To say I'm disappointed puts it mildly. I've helped Summer with numerous business problems (relating to her tendency to procrastinate about sewing/shipping) in the past. If you've ever received a letter from "Sumbuns customer service" that actually had decent grammar, spelling, and usage, odds are that I wrote that for her, as part of my contract was to provide customer service templates for repeat business problems. When I emailed the sumbums@gmail.com account last, I received an auto-response in return -- an email I had composed for her when she closed Sumbuns to take her new job.
As it was, the agreement I made with her was well below my normal hourly freelancing rate, because I agreed on a flat fee and the amount of work was much bigger than originally implied. I gave her this reduced rate because she was a friend. I agreed to accept store credit instead of cash because she was a friend. I have always been a vocal fan of her diapers, even in the face of her poor customer service. To just totally get shit on like this, after putting in a significant amount of my time and talent into helping her market her products, pisses me off royally.
I really have no recourse for this, as she is in another state and any legal fees I'd wrack up trying to pursue this legally (we did have a contract) make it not worth it. I'm just horribly disappointed. I ended up $205 short of items I really needed for my baby, and had to do some last-minute scrambling to get some things. At this point, if she shipped them tomorrow, they'd be too small when they arrived, but at least I could sell them and buy a larger size.
Few things are more disappointing than being dicked over by a friend. I hope she feels at least somewhat ashamed of herself. She talked about reopening the business at some point with a new diaper design that she was attempting to have patented. At this point, I doubt she'd ever be able to get Sumbuns up and rolling again, because she has alienated anyone who has ever been willing to work for/with her, but if she does -- BUYER BEWARE.