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Curious! Do you consider the character of the vendor you’re purchasing from?

hathalove

hathalove

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
1,827
I over time have learned of some poor character traits certain vendors of ours have. I’m speaking to the distasteful type. Some going as far as spewing hate on race, gender and religion etc. (I don’t care to name names, nor start a ps fight.)

That really has me second guessing working with and supporting a business run by a person with a hateful heart. In fact, I know I can’t do it.

I’m curious if other PSers would or would not go ahead with the purchase? Just something I am looking at.
 
I only work with people I like; it makes life easier. (Notice I didn't say only people I agree with.)
 
Sometimes yes.
Sometimes no.

It depends on what they have IMO done wrong.
 
Nope, I don't care as long as they have the diamond I want at the right price.
 
It's a business transaction for me, nothing more.

But some have been hilarious. David at DBL is a hoot.

Edit - My purchases depend on customer service and quality of product. I realize that my personal beliefs don't have to align with others in order to buy their items. That said, I have not seen hateful things posted on PS by vendors so I must have missed those.
 
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It is hard to say in that:

1) I would have to be sure I have first hand information where I myself have verified that this person has traits that are in great conflict with my belief system.

2) his/her ideas are extreme to the point that I really believe he/she has a hateful heart, and it isn't just an emotional response to disappointment that this person has flaws.

3) there are other vendors with the same quality of workmanship and ideas (minimal point)

Then I probably would choose to not do business with this person... but to me, this situation is imaginary so it is hard to state concretely how I would feel or handle it...

Like do you now wish you didn't own pieces from this person, or is that ok? Do you plan to sell off these pieces so that you are no longer associated with this person? (On second read maybe you don't own pieces but was planning to work with this person...)
 
If a 'professional' has a habit of making insulting or offensive remarks during business dealings, then I can't see myself wanting to use that vendor.

We don't need to share the same opinions on anything unrelated to the business transaction.
I don't need to know their views on race, religion or gender.
However, if they feel it necessary to share their views in a manner which I find offensive or degrading to me or others, then I can't imagine wanting to do business with them.
I can probably get something I'd love from a different vendor and actually enjoy the experience.

I assume you're talking about the owner of the business. If it was a member of staff, I'd be mentioning this to the owner.
 
december-fire said:
If a 'professional' has a habit of making insulting or offensive remarks during business dealings, then I can't see myself wanting to use that vendor.
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Oof I would hope that no one would do this when making transactions. I think I must have assumed Hathalove was talking about posting on PS. If they did this during purchases I definitely would have a problem.
 
I absolutely avoid doing business with people (and entities) whose behavior and values I find offensive. I don't eat at Chick Fil A, I don't buy craft supplies at Hobby Lobby, I don't support any football team that employs (or has employed) Michael Vick, I don't wear Ivanka Chump clothes or shoes, and I'm sure the hell not buying an expensive gem or piece of jewelry from someone who I wouldn't otherwise invite into my home to sit at my table and share a meal.
 
redwood66 said:
Oof I would hope that no one would do this when making transactions. I think I must have assumed Hathalove was talking about posting on PS. If they did this during purchases I definitely would have a problem.
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Wow! It never occurred to me that it might be written comments on PS! :shock:

@hathalove , don't know if you'd feel comfortable expanding.
 
december-fire said:
Wow! It never occurred to me that it might be written comments on PS! :shock:

@hathalove , don't know if you'd feel comfortable expanding.
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Hmmm. I just assumed that is what she meant simply because how else would anyone know that a vendor would have such opinions? Saying hateful things during transactions never occurred to me because what kind of nincompoop would do such a thing? :eek-2:
 
Dee*Jay said:
I absolutely avoid doing business with people (and entities) whose behavior and values I find offensive. I don't eat at Chick Fil A, I don't buy craft supplies at Hobby Lobby, I don't support any football team that employs (or has employed) Michael Vick, I don't wear Ivanka Chump clothes or shoes, and I'm sure the hell not buying an expensive gem or piece of jewelry from someone who I wouldn't otherwise invite into my home to sit at my table and share a meal.
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Here is an example for me... I agree with most of that (hobby lobby for sure) but chick-fil-a has a menu that can't be beat, so I do eat there (but not often). Also where I live we don't have abundance of choices, so CFA is a real treat to have here: they have many employees, donate money locally, and pay taxes to the city, so I give them some leeway because of what they provide for the community aside from food.
 
Sorry I can't quote guys! Currently bouncing my lo and trying to type at once. lol

I have not worked with this vendor before. I simply mentioned that I was considering to a few PS friends and have had some warnings. (This post is less about who and more about hearing what others would do).

Nothing said on PS. But there are many public social arenas out there where people freely voice their views and in this case hateful views.
 
Dee*Jay said:
I absolutely avoid doing business with people (and entities) whose behavior and values I find offensive. I don't eat at Chick Fil A, I don't buy craft supplies at Hobby Lobby, I don't support any football team that employs (or has employed) Michael Vick, I don't wear Ivanka Chump clothes or shoes, and I'm sure the hell not buying an expensive gem or piece of jewelry from someone who I wouldn't otherwise invite into my home to sit at my table and share a meal.
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I had to look up Michael Vick...I don't watch football.

Yeah but this was the general tone of how I felt and what I meant about the spending of my top dollars.

As far as dinner goes, not sure this person would want to sit at our table as my family is made up of these various groups...perhaps that is why I take it personally. I can see that many on PS are able to set their personal feelings aside and purchase. I suppose there is always room to evolve...
 
hathalove said:
I had to look up Michael Vick...I don't watch football.

Yeah but this was the general tone of how I felt and what I meant about the spending of my top dollars.

As far as dinner goes, not sure this person would want to sit at our table as my family is made up of these various groups...perhaps that is why I take it personally. I can see that many on PS are able to set their personal feelings aside and purchase. I suppose there is always room to evolve...
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I don't think evolving has anything to do with it. We all make choices daily. Choose to not do business with someone is neither good nor bad.
 
hathalove said:
I had to look up Michael Vick...I don't watch football.

Yeah but this was the general tone of how I felt and what I meant about the spending of my top dollars.

As far as dinner goes, not sure this person would want to sit at our table as my family is made up of these various groups...perhaps that is why I take it personally. I can see that many on PS are able to set their personal feelings aside and purchase. I suppose there is always room to evolve...
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Why does evolving mean tolerating a vendor who would insult or demean you? This is for jewelry -- a luxury, not a necessity. I would rather do without than support someone who is hateful.
 
whitewave said:
I don't think evolving has anything to do with it. We all make choices daily. Choose to not do business with someone is neither good nor bad.
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I think this as well. You have to be comfortable and that means comfortable for you, not what is comfortable for someone else.
 
Money speaks. When I know someone is misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, etc. - I choose not to support them. My personal boycott. I’m sure everyone can think of someone they wouldn’t give their money too.
 
I think it depends if you can overlook a couple of guys being human piles of garbage in the way they either treat people or their own personal beliefs systems in favour of the stunning works of beauty they create.
 
I never give my money to someone I can see is bad.

I wrote a lot of email to Nike over Michael Vick. I despise the NFL for employing him, as well as child beaters/abusers, rapists, etc.
 
hathalove said:
Sorry I can't quote guys! Currently bouncing my lo and trying to type at once. lol

I have not worked with this vendor before. I simply mentioned that I was considering to a few PS friends and have had some warnings. (This post is less about who and more about hearing what others would do).

Nothing said on PS. But there are many public social arenas out there where people freely voice their views and in this case hateful views.
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Ok. I understand more now. Sorry I am so slow tonight. I don't really follow any vendors outside of PS other than Grace so I would have no idea what kinds of things they post. I guess if they are posting hateful/hurtful things this might give me pause. Kind of dumb to do as a vendor but everyone's ideas of what is "hateful" might be different as well.
 
azstonie said:
I never give my money to someone I can see is bad.

I wrote a lot of email to Nike over Michael Vick. I despise the NFL for employing him, as well as child beaters/abusers, rapists, etc.
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I no longer watch football, period. The NFL has known for decades how dangerous head injuries are and the horrible damage they cause yet chose to cover it up. Not to mention all the criminals they employ, all for the sake of money. It’s a barbaric, disgusting sport, and I hope someday people start to really see it for what it is.
 
Really interesting thread. It brings to mind a quandary made more important by recent events....There are many great artists that are intolerable a-holes.
I totally stopped liking Cat Stevens when he espoused sone over the top radical views in an interview.
If we found out that Michaelangelo was (insert your chosen bad behavior here) does that have to impact the beauty of his work?
Not that I know the answer.....but I agree that vendors are very smart not to ever get into political debates that might have any possibility of being seen as polarizing ( which pretty much eliminates any sort of political statement nowadays)

(thank you red:)
 
I don't gave a rat...If any A** HOLE vendor wanna sell me a top ideal cut 2.5 ct G VS2 stone for $25K please give a call!, and he/she can insult me afterwards.
 
Yes I do. Especially (as many already mentioned) for a luxury like jewellery.

And, yes it applies to other artist A-holes as well.
Especially misogynistic behaviour (very prevalent ) totally ruins it for me. Art has a big emotional side and if I know that the "Muse" for this 250 m $ picture was treated badly, beaten, left on the street w/her child /whatever, I don't care for the work of art anymore.
Obviously, most cases are extremely complex. Let's take a personal example :
I am familiar with the different levels of passion and comex relationships of Picasso, know about Gertrude Stein... . But somehow, I personally got the impression that he was a horrible person when I first visited the musée picasso as a tween. I can see his impact on the history of art, but I don't want any of his works. And no, not even as gifts. I got gifted a print once (there are millions of mid-range authentic picassos out there... so no, we're not talking tens of thousands). Nice idea, but I really didn't want it. Gave it to an auction for charity. Jmho
 
.
I am spoiled to be buying most things from small neighbourhood shops ... where small talk is a free extra I particularly enjoy ... I haven't yet met an objectionable shopkeeper.
 
I want my diamond purchases to be as mind-clean as the stones I buy.
It’s an expensive, very personal transaction and i have a low tolerance for “bad vibes”.
 
Without you sharing any specifics Hathalove I can only give you a general answer and say it depends on the situation. What the behavior is and if I find it egregious or troubling.

I'm with Jimmianne I would rather my purchases be mind clean and that means I prefer doing business with those I respect and admire or at least those I don't despise. I don't want to deal with people who are lacking ethics/morals or just decent behavior. But again without specifics all I can answer is I have to decide on a case by case basis.

I am not the morality police in any sense of the word and and don't pretend to be the authority on good behavior. Far from it. And none of us are perfect. But if I find something to be in poor taste behavior wise no I won't do business with that person generally. But I also don't delve into the personal life of those I do business with so I am sure I am blissfully ignorant about many things.
 
It has certainly affected me. The effect is to avoid that vendor.


hathalove said:
I over time have learned of some poor character traits certain vendors of ours have. I’m speaking to the distasteful type. Some going as far as spewing hate on race, gender and religion etc. (I don’t care to name names, nor start a ps fight.)

That really has me second guessing working with and supporting a business run by a person with a hateful heart. In fact, I know I can’t do it.

I’m curious if other PSers would or would not go ahead with the purchase? Just something I am looking at.
Click to expand...
 
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