Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Some rants, woo!
Tonight I feel like venting to some like-minded ladies! There's two things I've been thinking a lot about today, and I'm going to address them both.
The first is about a company- which I won't name- contacting me to do a review. I picked out a few colors, and they said they'd ship them out Monday (it was Friday). After about a week and a half had passed, I emailed the owner, who seemed really nice, and asked if my package was ever sent out; I thought possibly she had changed her mind about the review. She said she was busy, and gave me the list of reasons why my package wasn't sent, and promised to send it in the next couple days. Well, now it's been two weeks since then, and nothing. Quite frankly, I don't feel like reviewing the makeup if I ever DO get it. I don't appreciate being lied to, and given a ton of excuses. Why would someone contact me about a review if they weren't going to bother sending me my stuff, almost a full month after they asked? You know? My brother doesn't get it, because who cares, it's free stuff. But the point is that I was the one contacted and asked to do this, and I've just been strung along since then. I would much rather give my money to companies who are truthful and timely than get free product from those which are not.
Now for the part that I think might surprise a lot of people... I have just over the last couple days been thinking a lot about Aromaleigh closing, and I'm actually feeling sad about it. Before I was like "Oh, it's really too bad Kristen's closing", but now I'm actually UPSET. Some of you probably thought of me as Anti-Kristen, but let me reassure you that was never the case. I had problems with some of her actions, which in my mind, she has rectified. Everyone talks about her "playing the victim", but in my mind, she has definitely been targeted since R4TU started. I'll let my opinion be known, I DO NOT LIKE R4TU. I think it may have had good intentions when it was started, but now it's just malicious, with everyone sitting and waiting for her to do the tiniest thing- or if she doesn't, make up some accusations. Her personal life has NOTHING to do with her business, and trying to drag anything like that into it just makes you a jerk. Not even those of us who are opposed to Doe Deere seem to show this kind of hatred towards her, the way some people do to Miss K. Kristen is an extremely talented person with great business savvy, and I'm sad to see Aromaleigh shut down. I'm going to try my hardest to score some more shadows before it's all gone for good. I truly, truly hope that she starts again with a new company and a fresh, positive outlook, so no one can get her down. It's really sad how everything played out, because Aromaleigh meant something to so many people.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll have time after work to do my bi-monthly movie post, I don't want angry blah blah to be the first thing people see when they get to my blog. I'd love to hear your comments, and hopefully this time I won't have to disable them because of people who ruin things for everyone else.
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What most annoys me about the whole AL thing is that nobody seems to be writing anything about the international customers, who were cut off without warning. While I understand why it had to be done, everyone's still RT-ing and blogging without even mentioning the fact that it's only available to the U.S customers now. Way to be inclusive, guys.
ReplyDeleteI had just done a swap for FOURTEEN samples when international shipping was stopped, too. I seriously almost passed them onto someone else, thinking, "Is there any point in me using these, since I can never get full sizes if I like them?"
I agree Jade - i had just ordered a huge 50 samples off her during a sale and by the time I had figured the ones I liked bang no international shipping. While I understand I was a little shocked.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about the issues for AL and had only just found them and made the order when it all hit the fan and got cut off.
As for the company with the review. If you ever receive them I would do a review but mention the customer service and how you wouldn't buy from them again due to that. That way you are not only reviewing them and maybe giving the owner the kick in the butt to sort out her priorities as a business but also warning other people who might go, ooohhhh pretty, order and sit around twiddling their makeup brushes while the person farts around.
Wow, that R4TU website is RUDE.
ReplyDeleteThe phrase "those in glass houses" is apt.
It is too bad about international customers :( Hopefully AL will start fresh with a new company and you guys will be able to get all the sparklies you want :)
ReplyDeleteThere is a phrase from the bible I recently heard which applies very well to R4TU in my opinion... it is somewhere along the lines of "Why do you worry about the speck in someone else's eye when you have a log in your own?" I'm an atheist and I hate when people try to use religion as an excuse for something, or bad behavior, like someone on R4TU... I can quote the bible right back at you.
I've made purchases for some international customers, and sent them along. They had to pay the extra shipping, true; but they got their colors.
ReplyDeleteThe breadth of Aromaleigh's collection was astounding. That resource will now be gone. That's what cheeses me off: that we now have no indie-MMU tentpole with as large and varied a stock inventory as Aromaleigh had. People have -=lots=- of indie makeup choices, yes; but some of them just keep rotating their inventory, others have a small stock inventory. Even the companies that have a larger stock inventory lack the sheer variety that Aromaleigh had.
All that variety, all that quality, lost. It's like a species going extinct.
"Her personal life has NOTHING to do with her business, and trying to drag anything like that into it just makes you a jerk."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. I only had the chance to order from AL a few times, but I was very impressed with the quality of their products, and I'm also really sorry to see them go.
How weird...Why bother offering to send products for review when you don't have the intentions of actually sending anything?
ReplyDeleteAs for the AL thing, So many of us are upset about it. I have a ton of AL stuff from working with Kristen...but part of me will feel bad for using it to do looks because so many people won't be able to get the shadows now. It's like advertising something you can't go buy. So using AL products will be bitter sweet.
Looking forward to your movie post. :-)
Word, word, and WORD. :(
ReplyDeleteMomongas are adorable, thank you for introducing them into my life. :D
I agree with the other poster who suggested doing a review if/when you do get the stuff. It's always nice to have a heads up of what to expect before ordering.
ReplyDeleteI always read your blog, though I don't always comment. (specially 'cause I follow you through my non-blogging account and I always feel lazy...)
ReplyDeleteBut I guess I'm gonna comment this time, 'cause you should know that:
every time there was a discussion about AL and I had to point out people who disagreed with Kristen in a respectful way, you are the one I'd think of.
I agree with someone who said about AL variety. I recently got samples for my sister, so she could plan her buys. She couldn't do that, and I'm having a hard time figuring out which store could offer her something similar.. x.x'
I agree R4TU did start with good intentions, but they did lots of unnecessary things. I hope everyone can forgive and be forgiven, though...
It's sad that AL closed. Specially being an int costumer and short on money... ugh... x.x'
About the other company: I think you should still review the products if you get them. I mean... it's important if people can see both the products and the costumer service and decide if it's a good company to order from or not.... I'm not sure I'm making myself clear here!
Ah! And one last thing: I kinda stole one meme you did on your blog! http://fancygeek.blogspot.com/2010/08/sobe-night-minerals-sobe-swatches-and.html#more - :) it was fun, so I wanted to do it!
By the way, I'm Cacau. I'm not sure you know me, but I've been following your blog for a while :) - But using my "professional" account! XD
Hey, not sure if it helps or not, but I did put on my 'Creative Companies List' as soon as she announced it that she wasn't accepting any more international customers. I know she didn't want to do that, and it's really awful :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments everyone. If I do ever get the products, I promise I'll still review them for you guys.
ReplyDelete@Cacau: Aww thanks! I actually saw you said something to that effect on Grey's blog once, and I felt really proud for being seen as someone levelheaded :)
On the Al bit, I can understand why international ordering was shut down.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, though, anyone who's familiar with PayPal knows that their time limit on filing a dispute is 45 days. When I saw Kristen ranting about people filing on the 40th, 41st, etc because they hadn't received their order yet, I wanted to remind her that, unfortunately, her policy of "contact me if you haven't received your order after 45 days and I'll resend it" was little to no reassurance to those customers. :/
Ugh that company = fail. I agree with others, I say review it and mention that their customer service is shite >:D
ReplyDeleteI never got into AL enough to be upset that they're closing (the stuff I have from them I just got recently as RAOK from Dominique and Mindy), but I do feel bad for other people who loved the products and for Kristen because she's now lost her livelihood.
One thing that bothered me though was when she was like PEOPLE ARE FILING PAYPAL DISPUTES BECAUSE THEY THINK IM GOING TO DISAPPEAR but there was no communication about what was going to happen after the original closing date she stipulated =S so while I'm sure some people were being unreasonable, she didn't exactly provide any info.
Yep, I think both sides went off the deep end. What bugs me is that I did a lot of research into other companies that seemed to be violating FDA regs, posted about it on rftu, and no one seems to care (except for a couple people on rftu). I mean, Talc, big enemy, but listing an ingredient not FDA approved for eye use in an eyeshadow ingredients section, no big deal. Well, I'll list the companies I found here since maybe people are just overlooking the sections on rftu that address safety issues with these companies. Most of the following companies have their own section on rftu, otherwise they are under "Cosmetic Safety". They are : Hi-Fi (owner promptly resolved the issue by listing on her blog the 2 shadows containing non-fda approved for eye use ingredients after I emailed her), Sugarpill (most of us know that Sugarpill's explanation is the same as Al's), Makeup For Ever (under cosmetic safety), Kryolan, Stargazer (under c.s.) and Stars Makeup Haven (improper labeling of a third party product).
ReplyDelete