Feather Emporium; Honest?? Anybody Using Them?

[miketheknife 0]

I will continue to purchase from FE. If there are any problems in the future, I trust that Dave will make it right. Communication is the key for both sides. I can't afford to buy the most expensive items, but I do try to get the best bang for my few bucks.

Mike

[David Roberts 0]

Thanks to everyone for their input and opinions in this matter. I was hoping that by responding to Barry that I could get this resolved. But some people you just can't make happy no matter what you do. Can't win them all.

 

Selling something as unique as feathers over the internet has proven tricky. As any tier knows all too well, no two capes are the same and each of us want to pick up and bend the feathers before committing to buy.

 

For more than 10 years now I've sold at the shows to learn what tiers are looking for and the people I met there urged me to put a site together. So many of the tiers I've met over the years call and ask me to select just the right cape or saddle they are looking for. Being a one man shop has helped. I'm the only one who answers the phone, picks the orders, and is responsible for what gets shipped.

 

In all the years I've sold at the shows I've collected hundreds and hundreds of checks. In all that time, only one has been bad. Fly tiers are an honest bunch. Many times people didn't have the money so they took the feathers home and sent me a check later. Never did they fail to keep their word.

 

But the internet is not so kind. When people like Ray claim they did not receive their order and I clearly recall packing it and shipping it, my first response these days is to be skeptical. I know this sounds bad but you would not believe the tricks people come up with to scam you out of a few dollars.

 

What makes it possible is the combination of PayPal and the USPS. The post office looses on average 3 packages each week. And even though I put tracking on each package, you'd be surprised how often the machines fail to scan the packages. I have to refund / reship thousands of dollars each year.

 

Here's an example;

 

On January 5th, Robert MacLeod placed an order that came to $45.50. I shipped it on the 6th. Here is the tracking number; LC690525297US. If you check the tracking you'll see that the post office lost it by the 7th. Or at least that is the last day the tracking is recorded.

 

Mr MacLeod notified me of this and I took the matter to the post office and waited for them to track it down. After 3 trips to the post office and no answers I finally gave up and reshipped on February 13th. Here is the new tracking number; LC690525765US.

 

In the mean time Mr MacLeod filed a claim with PayPal and they gave him his money back. Here's the email from PayPal;

 

After careful consideration of the evidence provided in the case detailed
below, we have completed our investigation and decided in favor of the
buyer. Under terms of our User Agreement, we have debited the following
amount from your PayPal account as a refund to the buyer: $45.50 USD

Buyer's name: Robert MacLeod
Buyer's email: [email protected]

 

Now if you check the tracking, you will see that he received his feathers. But PayPal refunded his money while the order was still in transit. So I'm out two sets of feathers and no money to show for it. You can imagine how dealing with people like this and the money and time it cost you can make one a bit skeptical.

 

So to other merchants, be careful with this guy. And if by chance any of you know him, please let him know you heard about his dishonesty. Do me a favor and send him an email.

[John F 0]

 

 

John F,

 

I looked into your order this morning. You ordered 3 Whiting hen capes. A silver badger, brown, and black at $25 each. The PayPal payment was for $75 and no shipping was charged.

 

Free shipping is for US orders, and as is clearly stated on my home page, there is a link for paying the shipping on international orders. I sent you two separate invoices for $9.55, one on Dec 23rd and the other March 3rd. Neither have been paid as of today.

 

You state that you are out $90. I can't find the other $15. Is this a payment you made for shipping or something else? If so, did you use a different PayPal email address?

 

Please let me know what happened here so that I can resolve this today.

I have never received a separate invoice for shipping. If I had I would have gladly paid it. I noticed on the original PayPal receipt there were no shipping charges and was expecting some kind of a notification about it. Funny how in the email I posted previously you were shipping "later today". The $90 bucks you can look at as my mistake, exchange on the dollar, etc brought up the $75 to a hair under $90 CND. This whole deal is not sitting well with me, could you please refund my money? Thanks.

 

Done.

 

Thanks for the prompt refund

[Randyflycaster 0]

I purchased from FE many times and have always been pleased with my orders.

 

Randy

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

Just a question. Wouldn't you think that if FE was false advertising Whiting products, that Whiting would have sued his ass long before now? Since they haven't sued to cease and desist, I'll assume that everything is on the up and up with FE and Whiting.

 

Mr. Roberts, I get that you got the porn comparison and were just making a joke.

[Fishingeek 0]

Another very happy customer with FE. I have made multiple purchases from David and have had no problems. My only problem with his site is that I always spend more than I intended because he has lots of cool stuff I don't find in the local shops. I will definitely continue to be a customer.

And his site is great feather porn....

 

Geek

[Jokey 0]

David

 

Other than your website I am not familiar with your business and have not bought anything from you. I have no problems with you defending your business reputation at all either.

 

What I would have a problem with if I was a customer of yours is you posting the example of Robert MacLeod along with his email address on a public forum as well as telling people to be "careful with this guy" and mentioning his "dishonesty".

 

That is some seriously poor business practice. Why would I think my information would be confidential if I were to buy your products?

 

Bad form sir IMO.

 

Cheers

 

J

[SilverCreek 0]

David

 

Other than your website I am not familiar with your business and have not bought anything from you. I have no problems with you defending your business reputation at all either.

 

What I would have a problem with if I was a customer of yours is you posting the example of Robert MacLeod along with his email address on a public forum as well as telling people to be "careful with this guy" and mentioning his "dishonesty".

 

That is some seriously poor business practice. Why would I think my information would be confidential if I were to buy your products?

 

Bad form sir IMO.

 

Cheers

 

J

 

 

I have a differing opinion.

 

How does this differ from brick and mortar businesses who display bad checks on the checkout windows?

 

And why is it OK for a customer to "out" a internet business on this forum, but NOT OK for the internet business to "out" an internet customer on this forum?

 

It seems to me that in this case, Feather Emporium did not start this thread and is responding "in kind" to allegations. Would you not want the same privilege if you were a business?

 

BTW, I have no financial interest in the Feather Emporium but I do value a level playing field. If it is "bad form" for Feather Emporium to mention a customer by name, why is it not bad form for a customer to mention Feather Emporium by name? In my view, this is a prime example of the logical fallacy of special pleading.

[barrytheguide 0]

I personally would like this thread to come to an end. I don't think it's dong any good and is probably unfairly bad.

Barrytheguide

[Jokey 0]

Hey Silver

 

I hear you about shops posting bad checks....I always thought that was a poor move. I wouldn't condone that either.

 

If FE wanted to talk about a bad example of someone abusing his good will I just think it should have been done without real information about someone. Is the person he named in his example the subject of this whole topic? If not then why does he get dragged into the whole mess?

 

In my opinion posting someone's personal info, matter what they may have done, is a no no. And for a business owner it's a dangerous thing to be perceived as someone not careful with info.

 

Like I said in the first post I haven't had any dealings with FE and after reading this whole thread I still really didn't an opinion either way about his business or any issues associated with it.

 

But I will say that I was pretty surprised to see him post info like that. That is the kind of thing that can sway people away from using a business. In fact at this point I would be more concerned that kind of carelessness than any customer service issue mentioned here.

 

And I agree with you when you said "why is it OK for a customer to "out" a business. I think that should be the last, absolutely last, resort if you have a consumer complaint. There are many other ways to get things done before you take it to the net.

 

Cheers

 

J

[flytire 0]

a lot of the problems expressed in this thread could have and probably should have been resolved off board and done with personal phone calls/emails between the customer and business owner. take care of your dirty laundry in private and not on a public forum

[ihang10 0]

 

Karma sucks. Pay your debts and don't take advantage of people.

[Harold Ray 0]

But the internet is not so kind. When people like Ray claim they did not receive their order and I clearly recall packing it and shipping it, my first response these days is to be skeptical. I know this sounds bad but you would not believe the tricks people come up with to scam you out of a few dollars.

 

 

David,

 

If I had gotten the feathers, I wouldn't have posted. You would have heard nothing from me other than accolades, which I give often for good service. I don't cheat people, and I don't appreciate intimations suggesting that. There are two possibilities, either you DID NOT SHIP THE FEATHERS, or they got lost. They never arrived at my door.

 

I have been in business for decades, and as they say, my word and handshake are my bond. There was no communication from you to me at anytime after the purchase other than when I called you asking when the feathers were to be shipped and an e-mail requesting the same information and reminding you of the order.

 

Had you shipped, a tracking number would have been generated which you would have had yourself; you could have tracked the package through the post office, simple as that. Had I ever received a tracking number, I could have done the same. I ship quite a lot myself, mainly with the postal service. We use tracking numbers and insurance; in several thousand packages both bought and sold, all shipped through the postal service, I have lost no packages at all on either local, national. or international shipments. I may tomorrow, but if so, I will have a tracking number for tracing, and on larger shipments, insurance to pay for it. Their service has been great for me thus far, far better than I anticipated or thought possible.

 

I was pleased when I received the massage that you had shipped my order; that was the first such message I had received from you. It was nice to know the feathers I had paid nearly $400.00 for over 2 months ago were finally on the way. I had not expected another response in which you intimate that I lied and had cheated you. Far from it, all I want are the feathers for which I had paid; that is all.

 

Ray

[mikechell 0]

I'm with FE and SilverCreek. Anybody who believes their interactions are "private" when they purchase something, is living in the past. Even your grocery purchases are public knowledge to anyone who wants to know.

 

If a business truly scams a customer, then that business deserves any bad publicity that comes. But if the business is willing to make it right ... they should be given the chance, without any further harassment such as this thread.

 

If a customer is a scammer ... or a bad check writer ... or some other inconsiderate type. I fully stand behind a business' right to post any and all information about that customer. If you do something wrong, you deserve the humiliation.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

I personally would like this thread to come to an end. I don't think it's dong any good and is probably unfairly bad.

Barrytheguide

 

You are back. Again. Once again to this thread you're done with. Smh XD