Help Advice needed - not sure what to do (x-posted)

[sagira]

About 3 weeks ago after much discussion with a costume maker in Egypt I decided on a 2 piece costume and a bedlah. I was quoted a price for both plus the shipping to Australia. I paid immediately via Western Union (they didn't have paypal). Received a response money received and costumes were in the system. So no problems.

Today I recieved an email informing me the costumes were finished and had been posted, and given a tracking ID. BUT it seems they misquoted the cost of postage (USD$74) and it cost them USD$98. They have asked me to send the balance to them.

I feel like I should, but also feel that they gave me a full quote which I paid in full immediately and this was accepted their end, so should they accept the loss or should I just <sigh> and pay the balance of postage. Maybe even suggest we split the balance, so they make a small loss and I pay a little more than budgeted for.
Sending via Western Union costs about AUD$10, so that adds to the costs overall as well.

Help! I am in a quandary, what would you do????

[lallakahina]

If it were an American vendor, I would say tough luck to them. But since they're Egyptian, and I kinda feel bad about the wages they make anyway, if I were in that situation I'd probably just pay the difference

I do agree that it's proper business etiquette that they eat the cost since you agreed to the original quote, but I'd say if you are satisfied with their service, it might be a good gesture to pay it just to keep peaceful relations if you plan to order from them again. I agree that Western Union is rather pricey, so maybe they could attach the $20 on to your next purchase?

[ruta21030]

well, truthfully, working for a company that ships to other states, various items from clothing to swag, most shipping estimates are just that, estimates......we make that clear and advise that it can vary up or down.....and as a consumer myself, i HAVE eaten shipping costs voiced as estimates, cuz the vendor didn't have an exact weight on the item shipped when the estimate was given...and this being egyptian, all they could really give WAS an estimate as they wouldn't know the weight until the items were done....

that being said, you may wish to bring that up as a future concern (regarding $20 credit), or at least when u do business again, they give you a FIRM quote that they adhere to.....FIRM quotes need to be honored, but any quote with 'estimated', or 'approximate' should be given some leeway and compromise...

that's just my 2 cents, to i'm guessing it may be slightly unpopular :p

[mish_mish]

I would just pay the difference. They may have underestimated the weight of the costume. Just think, they probably didn't skimp on beads.

When selling costumes, sometimes I have shorted myself when estimating the shipping/insurance/delivery confirmation costs.

[kim sakkara]

I too have shorted myself on shipping costs when shipping to customers. If I had shorted myself $20, I would attempt to have my customer pay the difference. If it were just a few dollars, I wouldn't say anything and try to learn from my mistake.

That being said, I would pay the difference this time as a gesture of good faith. Perhaps if you order from them a second time you can arrange to overpay shipping (just in case) and have the difference kept as credit towards your next purchase.

It is sometimes really tricky to gauge the weight of a costume that is not finished! : ) Hope this helps your quandary.

[sagira]

Well the costumes have arrived. The bedlah is a good fit, but not in the colours I wanted. I asked for silver, black and gold, as I felt this would go with anything. I received, green, pale lilac tone with a tiny bit of silver edging the belt and bra, with black and gold bead fringe. So am disappointed it is not the colours we had agreed upon, but at least it fits! The 2 piece costume is a total disaster. I could cry. The bra top is the colour and style I wanted but is absolutely no where near my measurements, the skirt is not the syle I chose for the set, but has the correct beadwork. but it is way too small. I am soooo disappointed. So many emails passed between us ( I have every single one). I had dressmaker diagrams with every imaginable measurement on them in the right places. I had a drawing of a bra and put the width and depth of the actual cups on it along with a measurement for the circumference without overlap and asked that overlap of 3 to 4 cm be added. The bra top is a total disaster, and when you see the bedlah bra and costume bra together the size difference is instantly noticeable. the small one sits inside the other one with room to spare!

Continued next post ......

[sagira]

Continued from above:

I have written to the costumier and laid out all the measurements and added mine next to them, and also asked why I did not get a black/gold/silver bedlah that I had asked for and they agreed to make. I can at least wear that. The costume is lovely but is not what I asked for as in skirt style and definitely not my size!

I have written to them, no replies yet. Probably won't get one either. To send them back would cost quite a few dollars but would I get my money back??? I doubt it.

I suggested to them that they had made the costume for someone else and that someone else has mine ( as a way out for them to send me the correct style and size) - but the bedlah just baffles me, everything is correct but the colours.

It seems that I may end up having to hope I can see the costume. What a waste of money. Well they won't be getting the extra money they asked for that is for sure!

The person ( owner) I corresponded with speaks excellent English and I did say at one point if there is anything she didn't understand please tell me and i would clarify. She said she understood everthing, as she spoke English very well, and travelled quite bit to USA. When I placed the order she even wrote back and clearly stated that the order was for .... exactly what i had asked for ,sigh> I am sad and upset. These are my first prof costumes. I can't afford lots at this stage, so thought that these 2 would serve me very well for quite sometime.

I haven't heard back from the company, not a word, and I haven't paid the extra shipping.

Also the quote was a final quote ... all paid up front with nothing else to pay, so that is why I was surprised at the extra shipping being asked for.

I wonder if one pays over the shipping cost they actually pay would the the extra be refunded? I know a Turkish company that swears they only charge the actual shipping when sending international. I called them on that, as the parcel had the postage on it, USD$28 and they charged me USD$56, I had their emails and sent them back to them and asked for a refund. I never ever heard back from them, and never purchased from them again.

Basically if the costumes from this Egyptian costumier had been correct ( colours and size ) I wouldn't hesitate to pay the difference, because i would have been thrilled. Now I am very, very reluctant to do so, as they haven't bothered to answer my email about the incorrect size of one costume and incorrect colours of the other.

Oh well you live and learn I suppose. Still it is very disappointing. ... Thanks for your replies.