Here's my take on what Karl described as "blackmail" threads:
A client should never be put in a position to NEED a "blackmail" thread.
A client only resorts to a negative thread if that is the ONLY avenue left to them.
PS-ers have posted negative threads because vendors won't respond at all, whether by phone, email, text, website contact, etc.
PS-ers posted negative threads because the vendor won't respond specifically to the problem at hand (prongs not done per design, wrong size item, etc etc).
PS-ers posted negative threads because they have no leverage: Payment in full has been completed and no response now from vendor.
PS-ers have posted negative threads because the vendor is holding a large amount of money in the form of deposits/partial payments/full payments/AND OUR STONES, and can get no response.
PS-ers have posted negative threads because they've been disrespected and treated with rudeness and bullying.
Most of us with any time here on PS at all know who the "late" vendors are. We know who the needs-more-money vendors are. We know who the noncommunicative vendors are. We know who the rude vendors are.
Whitewave, I feel you. You are contemplating future projects and who in their right mind would want to take what should be a lovely and anticipatory experience and turn it into the 7th Circle of Hell
My advice is to pay attention to your instincts. Vendors who are in a rush to be your BFF? Run. Vendors who are too 'familiar' with you right off the bat? Same. Vendors who get nonspecific when talking about completion time frames, materials used, anything of significance to you? Run fast. Vendors who seem oddly controlling with you from the get-go? Not for you.
My favorite jeweler experiences have been when I am told: We are not happy until you are; we need no money from you until the jewel is complete and you are happy. (If I've turned over a valuable stone to the jeweler, they have plenty of leverage and value right there, btw.)
This brings me to a lesson I've learned around my jewel and stone purchases: You want to avoid any business that is, in effect, a Ponzi arrangement. Meaning they NEED your payment to finish projects already on their bench. A properly funded secure business DOES NOT NEED your money until your jewel is completed and being presented to you.
If any trade person here wants to tell me this kind of business does not exist, I'm going to tell you right now a well-known-on-PS-jeweler operates exactly this way and told me specifically this was the reason they NEEDED as much money as I could pay immediately (my jewel not even begun yet). This same jeweler additionally asked me for money to pay off an angry client who was grieving a bad result here on PS and went so far as to tell me that the several-thousand-dollars amount would not even be missed by me (WTH?).
I know there are trade here who will argue this with me, that a "deposit" is in fact "earnest money" and protects them from customers who change their mind or halt the project. To this I would say, "Is that a frequent problem for you?"
A client should never be put in a position to NEED a "blackmail" thread.
A client only resorts to a negative thread if that is the ONLY avenue left to them.
PS-ers have posted negative threads because vendors won't respond at all, whether by phone, email, text, website contact, etc.
PS-ers posted negative threads because the vendor won't respond specifically to the problem at hand (prongs not done per design, wrong size item, etc etc).
PS-ers posted negative threads because they have no leverage: Payment in full has been completed and no response now from vendor.
PS-ers have posted negative threads because the vendor is holding a large amount of money in the form of deposits/partial payments/full payments/AND OUR STONES, and can get no response.
PS-ers have posted negative threads because they've been disrespected and treated with rudeness and bullying.
Most of us with any time here on PS at all know who the "late" vendors are. We know who the needs-more-money vendors are. We know who the noncommunicative vendors are. We know who the rude vendors are.
Whitewave, I feel you. You are contemplating future projects and who in their right mind would want to take what should be a lovely and anticipatory experience and turn it into the 7th Circle of Hell
My advice is to pay attention to your instincts. Vendors who are in a rush to be your BFF? Run. Vendors who are too 'familiar' with you right off the bat? Same. Vendors who get nonspecific when talking about completion time frames, materials used, anything of significance to you? Run fast. Vendors who seem oddly controlling with you from the get-go? Not for you. My favorite jeweler experiences have been when I am told: We are not happy until you are; we need no money from you until the jewel is complete and you are happy. (If I've turned over a valuable stone to the jeweler, they have plenty of leverage and value right there, btw.)
This brings me to a lesson I've learned around my jewel and stone purchases: You want to avoid any business that is, in effect, a Ponzi arrangement. Meaning they NEED your payment to finish projects already on their bench. A properly funded secure business DOES NOT NEED your money until your jewel is completed and being presented to you.
If any trade person here wants to tell me this kind of business does not exist, I'm going to tell you right now a well-known-on-PS-jeweler operates exactly this way and told me specifically this was the reason they NEEDED as much money as I could pay immediately (my jewel not even begun yet). This same jeweler additionally asked me for money to pay off an angry client who was grieving a bad result here on PS and went so far as to tell me that the several-thousand-dollars amount would not even be missed by me (WTH?).
I know there are trade here who will argue this with me, that a "deposit" is in fact "earnest money" and protects them from customers who change their mind or halt the project. To this I would say, "Is that a frequent problem for you?"
300x240.png)