I like to keep this a positive place, but I'm getting on my soapbox today. I won a gift card to Primitive Gatherings. I was so excited! I've never ordered from them before, but know that many do.
I had to email to figure out HOW to use the gift card.
I had to enter my credit card number. (they would bill any above gift card amount)
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| Anne Bryson wool applique on tobacco raw silk |
I ordered tobacco colored raw silk like in the background of this. (made by Anne Bryson Cotton's and Woolens blog) and 1 roll of thread.
I received my order 2 weeks later. (they aren't breaking any speed records here!)
My credit card was charged for the whole amount.
I wrote an email telling them how I loved the products I ordered but was disappointed at the whole ordering process and told them they didn't credit the gift card but instead charged my cc for the whole order. I didn't feel like I was rude, just stating the facts. (I took the time to scan all the receipts as well)
The email back was not professional and 4 days later I'm still waiting for my credit. You would think for as much online business they do, they would have it down to a science. My husband and I are business owners and we understand the nature of business. There was no apology for the mistake, only an apology that I was disappointed. Yea, whatever.
I won't be ordering from them again and I do write reviews on a regular basis, so I don't have a problem writing one here.
I had to get that off my chest. Now back to our regularly scheduled quilting.
Hi Lori...........I too have had a problem with Primitive Gatherings. After no resolution on my problem on line, I called the shop. They put the owner on the phone who was RUDE, nasty, and very unwilling to solve the problem. When I didn't back down, she said "Then you can never shop in this store again!"
ReplyDeleteI too have taken them off my list! There are too many other quilt shops who give wonderful service.
Thanks!
I have heard many of the same problems from a lot of people. I myself haven't had any, but they are the SLOWEST quilt co I have EVER ordered from. I love all their stuff and Lisa herself, but I think twice every time I order especially if I need it quickly.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI left a message today on another blog on this very topic. I am currently in this year's SBOW, it is expensive, took 2 weeks for the first installment to arrive, the promised "freebie" was not enclosed with half the blocks, the postage charged is well above what the post office charges for similar, and the fabrics are cut so frugally as to be almost impossible to use - I am trimming off a couple of threads. Never again ! I feel that their customer service is simply non-existent, since on the owner's blog she comments on complaints as if it were the customers who are in the wrong. We can only do one thing - purchase elsewhere.
Gosh, Lori - sorry to hear you had a problem with PG - I order from them all the time and have never had an issue. I know they are super busy, especially in the summer when they run their block of the week program - maybe that, and the holiday, affected your order. I'm sure they will take care of it for you. Love the pumpkin project that you got the raw silk for!
ReplyDeleteI am really sorry to hear about your experience. I have not had a problem, but I have not ordered from there for a long time. I am with you though, if I have that kind of an experience I don't go back. There are too many companies with good customer service.
ReplyDeleteI have never ordered from them but is someone said they want my credit card when I had a gift card, I would not bother. I stay away from places that do that. Most places take paypal now so I use that and never give my credit info to anyone.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Sweet P Quilting and Creations was venting about how expensive their BOM she is participating in is. I am having problems with a quilt shop I am participating in a BOM through. I have sent 2 emails with no response...You would think in this day and age they would bend over backwards for customers! Total frustration!!!
ReplyDeleteI have both positive and negative responses so far about PG!! Check out the comment section of my blog...http://sweetp-paulette.blogspot.ca/2014/07/summer-blooms.html
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post, Lori! Good to know!
P
I am participating in the Primitive Gatherings SBOM. Although it is a little expensive -- wool is expensive -- I have received everything promptly and found the fabric cuts generous. I am a great fan of Primitive Gatherings and the owner Lisa, but I will agree the online orders can sometimes be not as quick as other online merchants. I'm sorry you had a bad experience.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't in a hurry for the order, but was beginning to wonder where it was. My beef is more with the response I received from the shop. Lisa is a very talented designer, but I wonder how much she is involved with the actual business.
DeleteI am glad others have received generous cuts of fabric. My strips for piecing are wide enough to trim down but not long enough - they are supposed to be 11", but are all less than that, and some are torn rather than cut and need trimming. The pattern requires usable 10 1/2". I have substituted my own pieces but can't help being frustrated.
DeleteThank you for your honest review. As an online quilt store shopper having these reviews are very helpful as it is at times difficult to know just how reliable some sites can be. I too have been the victim of a gift card which I won on-line several years ago. I looked forward to adding to my reproduction fabric collection, gave my credit card details was well aware of the post and packaging and added the voucher code - which was never deducted. After two transatlantic ' phone calls I was told that the gift card was not applicable to people shopping from overseas. No where on the voucher or on their site was this stated! If they had been in the UK I would have taken the shop to the Trading Standards office, but I was to be out of luck and I wasn't about to send the fabric back at my own cost, so they won and I lost out - big time. I now never use a gift voher without first checkin if I can use it. The store needless to say no longer trades!
DeleteYou go girl. I liked what you ordered., or the similarities. Sorry about the disappointments, but so glad you told that what you thought and how you felt.
ReplyDeleteI love Lisa's quilts and PG's fabrics, but several months ago, I sent them an email with a question about extra-wide backing fabrics via their "contact us" link ... I got no response. :-( Guess I'll order my extra-wide backing fabrics from someone else.
ReplyDeleteLori, I love what PG has to offer and took a class from Lisa who is a wonderful teacher. That said, Some orders have taken a very long time to arrive and I don't like that you don't know the shipping charges until you get the order...I once ordered magazine type books on sale and the shipping was almost as much as the books. I'm worried because my HH gave me a generous PG GC for Christmas, I just hope I don't run into any problems when I try to use it. Good customer service is important to me.
ReplyDeleteLove to see the people of PG at Quilt Market, Lisa and her husband and staff are always lovely over there. However , they do seem to have a 'back office ' problem. When dealing with them online or via email the responses from seem to be rude in their shortness and also not clear in their meaning because of the shortness. Unlike anything else I have come across in the quilting world. Being busy is no excuse for not being well mannered and informative to your (many) customers. I am writing this to help them so they can identify the problem and deal with it (critisism is an opportunity for improvement!). Again, they are lovely people when you meet them and they have great products (and Lisa is a wonderful designer) and this is something really can be solved.
ReplyDeleteA chain is only as strong as the weakest link. It only takes ONE offhand employee to give a company a bad name! But who is monitoring that person's work?
ReplyDeleteI have no experience of this company, but it sounds like the executives need to take a hard look at who they have in key functions, and put someone in charge of Customer Service who understands the meaning of the word SERVICE!
Se como te sientes ¡¡¡decepciona!!!
ReplyDeleteMe ocurrió mas de una vez, y nunca recibà respuesta
eso me duele, y me pone mal humor,
no es consuelo que les ocurra a mas personas
no soporto a la gente incompetente y relajada en su trabajo
buen domingo
SInce your credit card was charged an incorrect amount, I would contact the credit card company. That will get the shop's attention swiftly.
ReplyDeleteI especially like Marly's comment above -- a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Echoing other comments, I also love their projects, and the folks at their booth were polite and informative when I've met them at a couple AQS shows. In this age of being able to easily compare online shops and products and customer service, PG really needs to get their act together before their name becomes tarnished.
ReplyDeleteStories like yours make the other shops shine, the ones who bend over backwards to provide quick service, a polite response to questions or complaints, and those little surprises that leave a positive feeling, like a "thank you" card, a handwritten note on the invoice, or even a bit of pretty packaging. THOSE are the companies I remember with a smile.
what a bummer!
ReplyDeleteI really hate to hear this. I think we all know that mistakes happen and accept that. BUT it is totally unacceptable to be treated rudely when we ask for the mistake to be remedied. An apology should be sincere. I hope you get your bill sorted at the ver least.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe they have gotten the opinion that everyone loves their stuff so much they will put up with BS because they like the stuff so much. I don't care how much I like stuff, there are hundreds of other shops to order from with better customer service. I always notice customer service and that makes my decision as to whether or not I will shop at a place again.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! This bites! I appreciate the honest review!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this. I have not ordered much from them since my LQS carries their stuff.
ReplyDeleteHi! I too have had some issues with this store and sorry to hear the same comments, now at least 3 times in one weekend, based on the above! How do we let this company know, based on this small sampling, there are problems at this company!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leslie
I agree 100% with Phyllis' comment. I don't even bother any more since the staff I've talked to has been very unclear and rude when I've called them - I called to verify a shipping date on a BOM and the person very, very quickly rattled off the answer so I repeated what she said to make sure I understood, and she got very exasperated with me and rattled it off again FAST. As soon as my current BOM ends, I don't plan on shopping with them anymore as there are usually other online shops that offer pretty much the same things without being discourteous.
ReplyDeleteBoy oh boy...... Thought it was only me, but I too have had poor service from PG. Seems they got too big too soon and forgot to add the personal customer service touch. It also appears from comments on Lisa's blog that they get a lot of complaints which they respond to very defensively and with hostility. The question is ... do I want to put up with the bad service for the great products they carry? It's a shame because they do have great products for the primitive lover.
ReplyDeleteTerri
That's too bad it was not handled correctly. Sounds like they are over worked (due to success) and should seriously hire more or better staff. I recently had a excellent experience ordering from Old South fabrics. It makes me wonder if the good experiences should be blogged about as well.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like they are victims of their own success but need better grip on the backside of their business! I rarely order online but would be peeved to win a gift card--which has already been paid for--and then get charged to use it. That's nuts!
ReplyDeleteIt's so good to know I'm not alone! The only language Lisa understands is $$$$$$. It does no good to speak with them about an issue where they have made a mistake because their stand is always that the customer is wrong. Money is the only language they understand, and the driving force is greed. I will never buy another thing from them. Again, I speak from experience.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad. I know with my etsy and ebay shops, I make my customers' satisfaction my priority. I recently cancelled a BOM purchase with Quilted Crow shop---even tho i'd committed to the entire year, when I was so disappointed by the fabric colors, the shop promptly and graciously allowed a return and gave me a prompt refund. They were not cordial but fast and professional. Shops like that will get my retrun business.
ReplyDeletelizzy
I feel so bad because I am the one that gave you the gift card. I wanted you to have the good, positive service I usually receive from them. But I am hearing more and more that they aren't being kind with their phone service. When I call the shop, I actually place my order directly with the person who answers (not on weekends) and I get super fast, friendly service. I don't like dealing with on-line as it takes longer. Maybe that is 'cheating' but it works for me as I am in closer proximity to the shop. There are many, many nice people who work there and are helpful and friendly. I am hoping they can work on this internally and fix their problems because they are a fabulous shop with some of the most beautiful primtive items I have ever seen. I have been to NUMEROUS shops throughout the midwest, and they actually are amazing. The success they have comes from hard work and beautiful design. I hope everyone can understand that they definitely need to fix their customer service, but they are a really nice group of ladies. JMHO. And thank you for sharing your story, Lori. It is important this stuff gets fixed!
ReplyDeleteI have done several summer BOW from PG and haven't had any issues personally. However, it does bother me when Lisa complains on her blog about rude customers. She has done this a few times stating they are busy and blaming customers for not reading directions. Well, as a customer, I feel that's their job to help us if we have a concern. We have a family business and bend backwards to provide good customer service.
ReplyDeleteI agree!!!!!!!
DeleteThanks for the honest review, Lori. As a consumer and online shopper, I will think twice about ordering from them. I'm wondering if someone shouldn't direct Lisa to read these comments because if she's not aware of what's happening, she should know in order to make changes.
ReplyDeleteYour review is appreciated as are all of your reader comments and as a result.
ReplyDeleteSeems there are several unhappy customers. I have ordered from them but it has been quite some time ago. I do remember it took a while to get whatever it was that I ordered. But no other problem. Looks like Lisa is addressing problems brought up on her blot post. Whether from comments on your blog or elsewhere, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI have ordered from PG one time recently, the pattern I ordered was a small letter alphabet from PG company, with two errors with the letters I used for a small project. Trying to get a response concerning an incorrect pattern was impossible. Finally after months I noticed they did a website correction of the errors. Poor service for my purchase also...and not such a great pattern.
ReplyDeleteThough not a quilting related purchase, I recently went through a 4 mo. fiasco with an online purchase. 'Disputing' the charge, according to the credit card's rules, finally got the charge removed and the return shipping labels sent. Without that dispute, I doubt the merchant would have known of their mistake.
ReplyDeleteDon't pay the charge, but go through the proper channels to get it removed. Sometimes, that's the only way a seller will notice.
Rugosa, I have turned it over to my credit card company and they are dealing with it on their end.
Delete