Customer service drama .. ugh

[morleyroarly]

I could use some advice.

I coordinated the ordering of tshirts/hoodies for Stargaze. It was a long and complicated process, including voting on the slogan, designing the graphics, collecting orders, finding a place to print them in glow-in-the-dark, etc. LOTS of work. In the end we had 24 shirts total, meeting the minimum for Berda CompuGraphix and I placed the order. Part of the reason I ordered from them is that they indicated they could print glow-in-the-dark. Also, they're located in western PA, and I figured it would be cool to support a local business.

The shirts were shipped to me, here in Pittsburgh. I brought them as luggage out to SF and delivered them to everyone at Stargaze.

A few days after returning to PA, Aleta emailed the SG list saying "Don't wash your tshirt, it will peel!" Apparently there is a problem with the ink they used (they didn't set it properly or printed using too thick a layer of ink or whatever). If you wash the shirt directly, the ink peels off in patches.

I thought the solution was to iron the shirts - Aleta has a friend who knows about screenprinting, and she suggested ironing the shirt inside-out with wax paper over the ink to keep it from bleeding onto the other fabric. I did this with one tshirt and one sweatshirt of mine. After the wash the ink appeared to be holding fine. However, after the dryer, the ink on the sweatshirt is starting to bubble and peel in little patches. The tshirt still seems okay - the ink isn't peeling, it's just cracked along the fabric stitching. But none is actually *coming off*.

So, I called Berda on Wednesday to bitch. They're a pretty small company, and Linda (who had helped with my order) said "Oh, we've never had that problem before.. but if you mail the shirts back, we will refund your money." Well, mailing shirts back is no easy task, as they're now distributed between San Francisco, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. I hardly think it's fair to ask everyone to pay a few bucks to ship their shirts back just to get a damned refund. That's rediculous.

So what do I do? I suppose in part I should call Berda and bitch *more*, ask them for a refund without returning the shirts. I can take a photo of my hoodie with the slightly peely ink. I am hoping that someone with the majorly peeled ink can photograph that and send it to me, so I can show the photo to Berda in the hopes that they will refund without getting the shirts back.

The order is worth over $400 total. I can see why Berda woudln't want to just flat-out refund us without having the shirts back, but at the same time it's rediculous to expect US to pay shipping for damaged goods. But I hardly think they'll offer to pay shipping on 24 separate shirts shipped from 24 separate addresses. But i can't very well collect the shirts from everyone and ship them en masse - I don't even live in the same time zone.

Even if they DO offer to refund without having the shirts returned, then what? Order the shirts again? Or just refund folks money and tell them "order it on cafepress"?

I just feel so overwhelmed - I tried really hard to come up with cool shirts that people would like, and in the end I feel like I fucked up by going with this company. And now I don't see how to fix it. I feel like I've let people down, and I am really angry with Berda for not being more understanding and apologetic.

Comments

[jovino.livejournal.com]

Explain to the company that all of the shirts have been distributed and that getting all of them back will be a difficult, if not impossible, task. You will work on getting as many as you can, but that they will have to bear with you on that one.

Get as many as you can to show and to prove to them that they made a mistake. HAve them reprint the shirts, wash and dry them before sending them out, and then redistribute them.

You might have to eat some money for this. It happens.

[fractiousboy.livejournal.com]

As you know mine also peeled. But I wore it out last night to the first party at the Armory... and besides being a big hit, many people liked the "textured" ink look. JP suggested it looked like bruised knuckles. I'd rather have my shirt than return it... despite the ink issues. But perhaps if you send pictures.. from many different people who had this issue.. you might be able to get 50% refunded without having to collect and ship and receive and re-distributing to everyone. I for one would be happier about it all for a little less money. I'd also be happy to have it fixed but I'm for one not going fret it much.

And I realize this sucks and I know how much work you did on the front end. So I appreciate whatever you can do and already have done!

Loves and hugs!

[zoe-vaughn.livejournal.com]

Hey chica, don't be so hard on yourself! Really, there was nothing you could do. I would call Berda and explain that the shirts are now all over tarnation. How about each person take a picture of their shirt next to a local paper or something? Then print out the pics (yes really, actual things you can hold are pretty important here) and bring them to her - that should do to avoid shipping. It's up to you if you want her to make new shirts or a refund, but I think people would like a shirt, it means a lot.

[glaucon.livejournal.com]

everyone else has the customer service aspect pretty well sorted, but I gotta tell you, you've got nothing to feel bad about here, and anyone who would hold it against you that you (acting in good faith) got fucked by a poor crafts(wo)man is a douchebag.

and you don't hang out with a lot of douchebags, do you?

therefore no one is going to hold it against you.

worst case, everyone is out a few bucks. more likely, you'll figure out a way to get the money back and everyone will laugh about it for years to come.

[isis-page.livejournal.com]

Dood. That's really not cool, but so not your fault. I would be frustrated too.

As a random aside- Michael and I would love to get hooked up with stargazers, I don't know why we haven't given that we are in LA and all. Boy are we slow!

[fu-urns.livejournal.com]

partial refunds are the key to compromise

[morleyroarly.livejournal.com]

Oh my!
I should put you in touch with some of them. You'd get along with them smashingly, methinks.

Introductions are in order.