It was most likely a holiday hiccup. My mother and I order from them frequently, and haven't ever had a problem with them. Their customer service is really great, too.
Jenn > I don't mean to complain by any means, but is having something shipped from
I have been advised as a retailer-that the credit card companies expect you to ship within 24 hours of the order. But I do think I also heard that if there is information like a disclaimer that the purchase will ship within a given time period due to stock issues that that is acceptible. If I find that I don't have the requested order in stock (ie not enough yards), I communicate back to the person advising of such and then process the order according to their wishes (since sometimes stock is due in at a certain time to meet the request). Sometimes a person will tell me to go ahead and process the charge. As a newbie to the business there is lots of lessons to learn regarding good customer service. I just try to ship asap since as a customer wanting fabric, I always get so anxious to get it and see it and touch it and sew it into something beautiful.
Suzzy
Well, I think the "average" now is the advertising "disclaimer" that states that orders ship within x days of purchase. At FQS (NAYY, as usual), they say that orders are shipped same day if made before, I think, 2 pm??
So it's REALLY possible that I just ass*umed that since the other sites I use ship within 24 hours, that others do, too. Which, obviously is unfair to eQ ...
I have gone to sites that say "May take 3-4 days for processing prior to shipping" or some such wording. But they didn't have that.
-- Connie :)
Most of the sites I go to will authorize your card (to make sure it's valid) but won't actually charge it ... most CC companies nowadays will accept a purchase, even if it goes over the spending limit - unless a stop payment or a dispute's been filed. You, the poor customer, just end up paying fees out the wazoo for the "extra credit" that's been extended to you.
Banks do that, too. About two or three years ago, we had several fraudulent purchases come through for *gulp* $10,000 and only had $5K in our account. Of course, the bank paid it, and we got the fines (12 purchases, at the tune of $35 each in fees) ... until, of course, we called and filed a complaint saying that the purchases weren't ours. (The money was recredited back to our bank - don't know if the perpetrator was ever caught).
Anyway, authorizing your card isn't the same as actually posting it to your account. When they authorize, the $$ is put on "hold" - so you can't touch them (or spend them somewhere else), but neither can the vendor until they send in the reciept (or charge slip or whatever). And IIRC, they are coded as temporary holds. I'll bet that if you check your account (debit/credit cards with your bank are the easiest to check, IMHO) you'll find that the next time that you buy gas, $1 is put on hold in your account. The gas pump, prior to pumping the gas, just makes sure the card is a valid card. Since, of course, as a rule, you don't know exactly how much gas you're going to buy.
-- Connie :)
Same here, Jeanne. I used to have a credit merchant account (until PayPal made it easier AND cheaper) and it's a REAL pain in the whazzit to give refunds after you've charged a credit card. Also, it's a pain if you don't get it refunded FAST enough! :)
I've only had to give a refund once - and it was a PITA enough that I made durn sure NEVER to have to do it again!! I'd ask, to the point of annoying, I'm sure, "Are you SURE you want me to charge this?!" Only after I got resounding "YES, for Pete's sake, charge my &%$# card already!!!" would I start the run.
Now, I just use PayPal and let THEM worry about that crud. Much easier on the stress bone. ;)
But really, I'm not looking for retribution or to penalize'em ... even if they ARE in the wrong (which, I really don't think they are). I was just wondering if the service was better 6 years ago!
-- Connie :)
Howdy!
some general Internet abbreviations: AFAIK = As Far As I Know BEG = Big Evil Grin >:-} BTDT = Been There, Done That BTW = By The Way FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions FWIW = For What It's Worth FYI = For Your Information = grin :) :-) GMTA = Great Minds Think Alike HTH = Hope This Helps IIRC = If I Recall Correctly IMHO = In My Humble/Honest Opinion IMO = In My Opinion IOW = In Other Words ISP = Internet Service Provider LOL = Laughing Out Loud :-D NAYY = Not Affiliated, Yadda Yadda... NG = NewsGroup OTOH = On The Other Hand PIP/PIMP = Peeing In (My) Pants ROFL = Rolling On Floor, Laughing ROFLMAO = Rolling on Floor, Laughing My Asterisks Off TIA = Thanks In Advance TTFN = Ta Ta For Now TTYL = Talk To You Later VBG = Very Big Grin :-) VBEG = Very Big Evil Grin >:-} YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
~~~~~~~ R/S
Honestly, I don't want to bother him ... in fact, I don't want to be a detriment of any kind to ANYONE. So I think that it's for the best that I perform a small miracle and keep my yap shut from here on out. I don't want to give anyone the impression that eQ is anything less than a wonderful company with great products - I used to order from them practically exclusively for 4 years!! They're awesome - wonderful fabric, great service ... I was just a bit disappointed *this* time. And I wanted to know if it would be wise to order from them when I needed fabric *FAST*. Since I've not ordered from'em in nearly 6 years, I thought I'd test the waters ... for all I knew (and this has happened to me), they could have sold the company to someone else ...
Anywho ... So, for me, to keep from being a PI their A, I'm going to cease and desist from this thread. I think I may have been enough of a jerk as it is! :(
-- Connie :)
Thanks for the list! My favorite is PIGS!!
Karen > Howdy!
Just a thought. It may be worth chasing it - perhaps it is sitting in their despatch room waiting to be posted and has been missed/dropped on the floor or perhaps 'Edna' never quite got round to putting the order together. Worth checking. Perhaps someone there has had a senior moment!
It may also have been posted and then lost on its way.
I would let them know sooner than later, just in case.
Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)
SewVeryCreative wrote:
nHowever.... there is one on there that I somewhat disagree with. A fat eighth is half of a quarter yard. Usually, at a shop or whatever, it is a quarter yard (9 inches) cut width of the fabric, then cut in half, just as a fat quarter is a half yard cut in half. So do be sure and check which way your fat eighth is cut if you are counting on a specific measurement. Same amount of fabric, but different measurements, and different selvage too......
Pati, > Howdy!
LOL, you're not being a pain to *me!* If that's what you were implying!!
I'm like you ... I usually pore over the shipping rates, times, estimates, etc. Mainly because most times, I want to know if it's easier and faster in the long run to just drive to my LQS. When it's not a huge difference, I'll usually just go ahead and run out and buy it ... I hear tell it's actually
*good* to get out of the house once in a while! ;)Also, I've tried to back off of buying things online - it doesn't really feel like "real money" when you're just popping numbers into an online form (at least, it doesn't "hurt" as bad as when I actually have to physically sign for it!!) - plus, I've gotten hit by identity theft a few times, too. So I tend to be a tad on the obsessive side when it comes to finances and buying online! :(
-- Connie :)
Wow, how do you manage to have a decent credit rating with several times having your identity stolen? I thought it took years to straighten out that kind of thing. Did you have to declare bankruptcy several times also? That must have been a living hell not being able to pay bills, can't get a mortgage, can't get new credit cards, just a mess!
Well, in our case, it was more a case of having our card numbers stolen. Once we proved to our bank that we didn't live at the "shipping" address (among other criteria), we were reimbursed completely (including overdraft fees and penalties) within 24 hours of reporting. I probably shouldn't say this, but in two cases, our credit card companies were hacked ... and they recognized that the fault lie completely on their shoulders.
It didn't send us into insolvency - simply because we do have a good relationship with our bank (been with'em for over 20 years and 6 buy-outs/mergers) and because we had other accounts (that we keep in case of emergency) to draw from while the mess got sorted. Plus, I keep *tight* tabs on our accounts and check them no less than once a week so I was able to alert our banks and cancel the cards (before any more charges were accrued) each time. I'm our own credit monitoring program!!!
Since then, I've learned the ins and outs of how things work for the most part!
-- Connie :)
Oh, I thought you meant identity theft. Like when someone gets ahold of your driver's license, SSN, etc then can go open new accounts in your name that you don't know about. One lady out my way had her house sold out from under her. I think 60 Minutes did a piece on identity theft a couple of years ago.
Unauthorized use of a credit card -- my credit card companies notify me if they suspect such a thing. One time they called. Seems like somebody used my phone and a credit card that I stupidly let sit on my computer. They tried to order a $2000 computer. The credit card company considered it unusual activity because that card had only been used for Internet purchases. (And they weren't supposed to tell me that the call came from my phone!) Obviously someone with a key! Gee I live alone in an apartment -- wonder who could have a key! I told them the person made two mistakes -- 1) using MY phone and 2) trying to order a MacIntosh! (Oh no, I hear people telling me already that they love their Macs!! I swore off them after being forced to use them in schools where I taught.) But I certainly never considered that something as far-reaching, intrusive, and devastating as identity theft.
Good point, Pati. I'll add that if one is in a F8 swap, it is a good idea for everyone to decide on the measurement preferred, or if 'anything goes.'
PAT in VA/USA
That's a very valid point Sally
We operate a small internet based business from home. Just after Christmas I received an email from a customer asking about his order. I do remember him ordering, had the order written up in my order book, but absolutely no recollection of sending it and no paper trail indicating that it had been sent. That was a first for me, as I've worked really hard at getting orders out in the next mail after the order comes in. After apologizing profusely, I sent his order express at our cost. He was very understanding.
But it does go to show that errors occur, even with a business that is trying to get it right. I would much rather my customers let me know when something doesn't arrive, so I can track it down. Please give them the benefit of the doubt and send them a message so they can look into it.
Marilyn in beautiful, unseasonably warm, Alberta, Canada
Howdy!
The quilter's slang "fat quarter" & "fat eighth" came from the appearance of the fabric when it's cut up,
*fat* quarter as opposed to the skinny 1/4 yard used in sewing for many years, & the *fat* eighth (1/2 of that Fat Quarter). A skinny eighth is cut from a skinny 1/4 yard of fabric. Then the long-time sewists came to the quilt shops and called that cut what they pleased. But putting the 2 different cuts side by side shows which is actually *fat*, to give more width or length to the pieces. ;-P Indeed, when swapping (or cutting per directions) it's best to ask first, what size is that?Btw, more RCTQ FAQs can be found:
But....but.... Sandy....... (grinning here....) A skinny eighth is a cut full width and 4 1/2" (or so) wide.... at least that is what I cut an awful lot of when working at the fabric store.
Thank you so much everyone for your kind support for eQuilter, and sorry I haven't posted in a while. The response to our year-end clearance sale was huge, and some packages were delayed longer than normal; our apologies. Please do feel free to email to myself or to customer service at snipped-for-privacy@equilter.com if you have any questions; we're here to help any time!
Sincerely, Paul Rubin
snipped-for-privacy@equilter.com
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