PhaedrusZen

Gotta love Psycho-Hose-Beasts...

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Rude/crazy customers is no isolated event, but this one is exceptional! Lucky for me, the lady I work for is the one troubleshooting this one, and she's A LOT nicer than I would have been able to manage! 

 

Submitted for your reading pleasure...

 

Angry Customer:

Hello,
I purchased a monogrammed mailbox decal from your company in October. Before the holiday I attempted to place the decal on my mailbox without success. When I tried to peel the backing off the letters ripped and so I then tried to take each off separately which they just rolled up and most were impossible to place. The monogrammed A didn't have a chance with either technique. It balled up as soon as it was removed from the paper and went right in the trash. 
You had to be aware that this was a faulty product, hence why it was on this website, but it was terrible! 
Please refund me my entire amount including shipping immediately. I also advise you never sell this product to other misled customers. 
Thank you,   "Psycho Hose Beast" 

 

The Owner,

"Psycho Hose Beast"
Hello! Thank you for reaching out! It sounds like you had some difficulty in applying the product. We have sent the same product to hundreds of thousands of customers who have had great success and definitely lived[sic] this product. Did you receive application instructions with the product? When you began peeling the backing off did you notice that the letters were not adhering well to the application tape on the other side before they ripped. In this case if you noticed the lettering was not coming off the backing as you started to very slowly pull the backing away, you would actually want to stop and take a credit card edge rubbing over the top of the vinyl and transfer tape before peeling the back off. Does that help any? I am definitely willing to walk you through it over the phone if you would like. 

Since you purchased through a third party we are unable to provide you with a refund on our end but you could try contacting [the website] directly. Normally we would not allow for replacements but I can send you a replacement if you would like to give it a try. If a replacement is sent we ask that you do not reach out to [the website] for a refund. Let me know what you decide.  "The Owner"

 

Angry Customer:

Hello "Owner",
-No there were not instructions that came in the package. 
-There is no way you can "walk me through it" as your product completely malfunctioned and coiled into balls of tape. 
-The letters tore as I "slowly peeled the backing away" so there was no chance to stop the process
-I will be writing a terrible review in your website as your customer service is horrible. I am in medical device sales and manage 4 states. I serve clinicians, surgeons and end-users. I go above and beyond to ensure my customers are happy with my product. It's a shame you don't provide the same customer service I accept when I spend money with a company.
-I will reach out to [the website] to get my money back or will file a complaint with the BBB. 
-your product was faulty, did not include the instructions. I do not want a replacement as I would never support a company that send emails such as the one [above] to a customer. 
Thank you for your time. 
"PHB"

 

Owner:

"PHB",


I am so so sorry. I have absolutely no intentions of providing bad customer service. I respond to all of my customers within 24 hours and most of the time right away. I am doing my best to help, I promise. I would give you the refund, but because you paid through the website they are the only ones that have the authorization or tools to give you the refund. I am happy to e-mail them for you if you need but you might get a quicker response if you contact them directly. Please let me know how I can help. 

When I started my business I actually did lots of research on different vinyls to see which would be the best product. We use Oracal (631) vinyl which is the top product. I am not sure how you received the faulty product and I am certainly surprised you did not receive instructions. I will pass this on to my team as this should have been included with your order. I was truthfully surprised to get your original message because we have received so much positive feedback from these same decals from other customers. So I do apologize for your poor experience. If you are determined that all of our products are faulty, then it sounds like a refund is best for you at this time. Please please let me know if there is any way I can help. I would like to do the best we can to help you.

Many Thanks,
"The Owner"

 

 

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For Background, the decals we cut for this website are all cut-to-order, and this one was personalized, so there's no way it was just a really old decal we pulled from a pile or anything. It's a personalized item, which generally excludes customers from refunds, but we have a general policy to re-cut and re-send decals for pretty much any reason, regardless how shady the claims. I sent this particular decal, and may or may not have missed including the instructions (I tend to lean toward the likelihood that she simply ignored the instructions).  I wish so badly I could troll this customer, but I have to take a deep breath, and just let it go. This is why I'll never encourage a physical store-front for our business. Online sales is plenty good for me. I have to deal with enough crazy at my primary job, anyway. 

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Now my question to you,  Why are you using indoor Oracal 631 for outdoor mailbox decals?  I would be pizzed also. Use the right vinyl for the job..

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I don't question, I just cut 'em, but very good point.  :unsure:

 

I will say I've got decals for my car, motorcycle and firefighter helmet  from 631 that's been holding up just fine, as well as a decal on the front door. Like the owner said, we've sold hundreds and hundreds of the mailbox decals, and I haven't had anyone that's contacted us with durability issues, and rarely do we hear about application issues (we're often able to determine that it's an issue with technique, and can give additional pointers to ensure success). I'm pretty sure all of our products are listed as being 631, and are "decor" decals, despite some of them obviously being purposed for outdoor applications. I'm guessing the owner likes the less permanent adhesive, so she doesn't have to field complaints of paint coming off of things, even if it is just mailboxes. Anyone have adverse experiences with 631 when used outdoors? I know the 651 uses a permanent adhesive, which is likely why the owner has steered clear... 

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I agree with the others. 631 is for very temporary outdoor use and for indoor applications. I don't know how much you have used but the adhesive action compared to a quality vinyl is remarkably less, That given the time of year when humidity may play a factor there is a real possibility that the end used got Hosed (pun intended). 

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more than likely it is used because it is the cheapest thing they can use to put something out - and no consideration to quality or longevity at all.   betting a decal mill that sells real cheap and free shipping

the comments on the third party make me remember when i was a dish network dealer - same system I installed for $300 a local telemarketer was selling for $2000-2500 but all sales went thru a "finance company" so no recourse to the seller once the paperwork signed.  they made a fortune suckering in older people and people without internet search skills for about 2 years.  if someone complained they didn't care because they had their money.  
integrity - either you believe in it and live it or . . .  . 

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***Edited, a lot...so if immediate replies look out of place, it's my fault***

 

 

 

I appreciate some of the feedback... funny how I went into this thinking I was going to get a bit of a different reaction.  :wacko:

 

I took a look at the 651 and from what I saw it costs the same, give or take, as the 631, so I don't think cost was much of a factor in choosing the 631. I guess about 85-95 percent of what we do is indoor only decals, with the other 5-15 percent being mailbox and front door decals, many of which are seasonal in nature (i.e. "Happy Fall", "Spring is Here", etc, you know, temporary stuff, outdoor or otherwise). 

 

I'll definitely be talking with the owner, however, and give her the feedback I got here. I don't see why we couldn't start stocking 651 for the mailboxes and more permanent decals that we do offer. She's been very receptive in the past to advice I've either read or received directly from this forum, so I don't see why this would be any different. 

 

I'm still frustrated at how the customer decided to interact with us, though. 

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@ Dakota, and now I have to feel like a jerk for raging because you're posting up newborns and stuff... ;)

 

Congrats on the new kiddo. 

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I openly apologize for being very blunt.  the 3rd party stuff triggered a very blunt response for 2 reasons - as stated very sleep deprived so the filter went out of service on my part and the past experience where that kind of action was used to intentionally fleece customers in the satellite business as stated above ( I do applaude your boss for trying to make it right).    that along with the  feeling that selling 631 to thousands of people was not appropriate for permanent outdoor use if not fully disclosed .  for temporary seasonal use it is of course appropriate .   I have a plastic mailbox and applying 631 would be darn near impossible - heck my daughter has a plastic rubbermaid mailbox that 651 falls off of in a day even when cleaned with alcohol etc. had to use convex on hers!  with that said I need to quit posting until I get more sleep and the filter is reinstalled on my comments
that and the title of the thread was another sleep deprived trigger - that still is no excuse on my part I should not let triggers set off any rant as I know better

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I understand you being pretty upset at getting ranted at from a very argumentative customer. Some people can't be happy and this one sounds like that type of person so you are probably wasting your time trying to appease them. With thousands of potential combinations it is probably too complicated to make different specialty options available but were it me I would offer the decals in various vinyl choices. Short, Medium and Long term. Long term being 751. That would add a whole second or third tier to a pricing structure and probably complicate a web based offering too much but you could easily have the out for angry people who choose not to go with the premium vinyl of their own accord. Both 631 and 651 are a bit stiff and I have found them lacking on many uneven surfaces where 751 will conform better. (951 even better but would be overkill for a decal)

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From linked Orafol 631 product page above. I had never read this before.

 

"Allowing graphics extended time after application before removing application tape allows adhesive further time to create a full bond (up to 24 hours)."

 

Regardless of the outcome of this situation, I learned something today to keep in my bag of tricks.

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We use Oracal (631) vinyl which is the top product.

 

That's my only issue with what you said.  Other than the fact that 631 is intended for short term Indoor use, it is absolutely NOT the top product.  Calendared vinyls are not top-shelf, and especially not one with an aqueous adhesive.

For decals that will be in one place and exposed to the elements, basically forever, you should use no less than Oracal 751, or Oracal 951 cast vinyls with proper, outdoor adhesives.

 

Not only are they the "right" vinyls to use for outdoor work, but they work better with most application tapes and are much easier for customers to install compared to 631.

 

Having said that, I feel for you - I've dealt with customers like that - there are some people that you just can NOT ever please.  You can give them free ice cream and puppies and they'll say they wanted a kitten and are lactose-intolerant...

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