I am trying to find resolution to this matter in good faith, yet it feels as if nothing I do or say will assist in making Ms *** satisfiedIn the past an offer to remake their work was declined, I gave her a two week notice into a ten day window in which I would be 1,miles away from my studio and in her area and heard nothing b**kAs her email of Nov16, states to me, "I don't appreciate that you are making it appear as if you have been going out of your way to fix the piece and be **commodating." It feels that she will never be happy with my effortsI address this complaint point by point "I still do not find it appropriate or **ceptable to be sloppy in her work and expect me to **cept that this is just her interpretation or that we had some misunderstanding"I have strived from the first moment to find a way to rectify her dissatisf**tion with my work "*** had several displays of pieces that were a high-gloss finish and we wanted to make sure she understood what we did and did not want"The request for a matt finish is plainly stated on her receiptI work in stoneware and glazeHow a kiln fires is controllable, with some fluctuationsThis piece was not as matt as they desiredNeither was it a shiny glaze, though that is their perceptionI have stated that I could address this "most obvious is both of our lip-lines are severely crooked"While I have stated that the lines on Bill's mouth were uneven AND that I would repair this, I really do not see the obvious problem on ***'s mouth, and, ultimately, she had decided that her mouth was truly not of concernThat said, I have repeatedly explained that I would fix this artwork for them "a hideous pe**h color"This is in regards to a standard color rub which she and her husband expressly stated they wanted as is written on her receiptIt is a "pe**h rub", that goes into the lines and crevices of the featuresWhen there are more lines and crevices, there is more pe**h color "Ms*** is the one who insisted we come to her friend’s home at a later date since she did not have the materials with her at that time nor had the time to do the casting at the Art Fair due to her having to work her booth"Firstly, this is non-essential to the issue at handSecondly, I have absolutely no idea what she is talking aboutI do 98% of my castings in public at the shows I represent myself atTherefore, I would have all of the supplies I would need available at the art showIf she and her husband came to the show at closing and wanted a casting and order that would take about a hour to an hour and a half, I would have suggested that we meet at a more opportune time after the show was overHowever, again, what bearing does this have to this matter? "Ms*** also writes in her response that the problems seem to be a “dissatisf**tion that appeared to be more about what we had requested on our order”" Yes, as the rest states, "“Dear ***I can see the issue you have with Bill's mouthThe lining along the bottom is off and the top unevenAs far as any of the other 'problems' these are all things I believe I can fix, but I will need clear insight."" "Ms*** then wrote on Dec 22nd that “Again, I can do nothing further until late Dec./early Jan.” But she did not cont**t me again further to say what she would do in Dec or Januntil on 12/30/13"I am unclear on the issue here "*** finds it **ceptable to leave me hanging for a week without correspondence over a flu, but somehow it’s a cardinal sin that I did not respond to her 5/email due to my daughter’s wedding"I believe she is referencing our DeccorrespondenceIn a message dated 12-19, I had let her know I was doing an art show that was running from a.m- p.mdaily thru Xmas eve and would not be b**k in my studio until Dec29thThe flu coincidedAs stated above, I told her I would be b**k in my studio in late Dec, and I cont**ted her in late Decwhen I was able to review their orderAs far as the 'cardinal sin' goes, as she refrained from cont**ting me until after I had left *** ***, she did not get the piece repaired in a timely fashionHer July email states, "I totally missed your email and your visit! I'm sorry, but June and July have totally gotten away from me! We have a daughter getting married in August, so its been wedding this and wedding that! Not to mention we were gone for the Holiday." Daughter's wedding in August, some ambiguous "holiday" as another possible reason for not responding to my request to meet, and never states that spam was involved with her delay in cont**ting me b**kThe "spam" issue only becomes a f**tor in her complaint to the Revdex.comI am not computer savvy, but I don't know of many "spam" folders that hold a "spam" for days "Then on 5/31/14, we received the following email from ***: “*** and I won't be doing the State Stshow in *** *** this year. We will, however, be there taking care of other business from the 14th-21st of June. If we can make arrangements to meet early in the visit*** neglected to mention that she cancelled our appointment" Unless I am mistaken, this plainly states that I will not be in *** *** for the State Street Fair, hence, canceling the 'appointment'The time I now alloted her was days of availability in comparison to the possible that would've existed were we to have been able to meet after the State Street ShowThis also states that this email was 'received' on this date, something she has also said was either; a) lost in spam or b) ignored due to a holiday and her daughter's weddingI truly wonder which of these statements is f**t, as this now seems to be a major issue in the complaint "She could have tried to cont**t me before leaving **" I wrote on May as soon as I became aware that I would be in *** ***I left *** on June 10thAfter cont**ting her, I had ten days left in which to prepare for five months of shows on the roadLike her, I was busy "But yet, she did not make any other effort to re**h me"I did not go to *** *** for v**ation, I was working from morning to nightI was there and willing to make the time to meet *** and make the necessary reparationsOur previous communication revolved mainly around emails, hence the emailed offer as soon as I knew my arrival date, giving plenty of lead time and asking for specifics so that I could bring the proper toolsShe claims to have called my home during the months I was awayThere was no other email correspondence between us until Nov "In f**t, I had tried to re**h *** several times after 5/31/2014, but she never returned any of my calls." I have no record of the calls that Ms *** made "Fall has come and nearly gone", Nov is half way through the fallThat is the day we arrived b**k home from our scheduled showsI called her the next day "On November 5th, I sent *** yet another email"While it sounds as if she has hounded me for a response, there have been two emails from her after her Janemail; July and Nov "I **tually thought she had finally responded to me due to my complaint that was filed" No, I responded the next day to the nice email and the phone call that came in on Nov5thWe arrived home late and had much to do the night of NovThe letter of complaint she made to the Revdex.com was mailed to me from the Revdex.com in Austin on Nov "In regards to ***’s preposterous claims of harassment", Where she comes up with harassment is beyond meI believe I used the terms "spurious review", "untoward and aggressive", "shocked and more than a little dismayed", all of which express my feelings concerning the Revdex.com review of me she made on Nov Ms*** seems to have no problem being slanderous or claiming falsehoods on my part, when in reality, all I've tried to do is operate in good faith to find a solution for her I would be happy to supply all correspondence unadulterated so that my intentions can be plainly seenI have never once shirked away from Ms ***, nor attempted to deceive her I have offered to remake this piece, I have offered to repair the piece if it was shipped to me, and I offered my time when I was in her area to repair the piece locallyNothing that I offered was to Ms ***'s satisf**tionMy concerns about completing this repair regard the f**t that nothing may gratify Ms*** at this pointShe has taken drastic measures here that amplify everything out of proportion and into something far worse than was ever originally presentedAs she states in her last email to me on Nov16, "Unfortunately this piece will not have the story we hoped it would" As an artist, I strive to create an art work that will cherished for generations to come, this is what gratifies meI feel at this time I have exhausted all avenues of rapprochement, and do not want to devolve further into a she said - you said b**k and forth of **cusation and counter-defenseIf Ms *** prefers to continue this discussion it will now be one-sided *** *** *** Masquerade Life Casting*** ** ***
*** ** *** *** ***
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
I have read Ms***’ response and am providing additional information about this claim. While I appreciate Ms***’ dedication to her craft, I still do not find it appropriate or **ceptable to be sloppy in her work and expect me to **cept that this is just her interpretation or that we had some misunderstandingWhen we met with *** and her husband ***, we were shown models of her artwork along with a book of pictures with similar art she had done. My husband and I were very adamant of what we liked and what we did not like or want. The reason being is that *** had several displays of pieces that were a high-gloss finish and we wanted to make sure she understood what we did and did not wantAtt**hed are the pictures in a PowerPoint presentation that I had sent *** when we first saw our piece. The pictures show some of the examples of her artwork that she posts on her website and are very similar to those my husband and I saw at her booth in *** *** **. You will also see pictures of the piece we were sent and will notice the extreme differences in the examples.
I pointed out in the file all the sloppy artwork that comprises our piece. The most obvious is both of our lip-lines are severely crooked. Also, as you can see in her examples, the skin tone of her other work is matted and more realistic looking, where our piece is ungodly shiny, lumpy and a hideous pe**h color. When we went over the details of our piece with ***, she specifically said we did not want a shiny finish or a doll-like appearanceFirst of all, Ms*** makes a point to say that she “did a private casting for us at our request (I do most of my castings at the events themselves)” this is a lie. Ms*** is the one who insisted we come to her friend’s home at a later date since she did not have the materials with her at that time nor had the time to do the casting at the Art Fair due to her having to work her booth
Ms*** also writes in her response that the problems seem to be a “dissatisf**tion that appeared to be more about what we had requested on our order” when she herself agreed in writing which concurred the artwork is “uneven”In f**t on Dec19, *** writes: “Dear ***I can see the issue you have with Bill's mouthThe lining along the bottom is off and the top unevenAs far as any of the other 'problems' these are all things I believe I can fix, but I will need clear insight”
Ms *** then wrote on Dec 22nd that “Again, I can do nothing further until late Dec./early Jan.” But she did not cont**t me again further to say what she would do in Dec or Januntil on 12/30/13 I received her email that said, “We are b**k home at last and almost recovered from whatever virus got ahold of usAustin was bad this year, Central *** being the epicenter of the largest flu epidemic in awhileI've gone over the paperwork and I'm pretty sure I was able to address everything in that last email to youPlease let me know how you wish to proceed regarding these thoughts” I’d like to point out that *** finds it **ceptable to leave me hanging for a week without correspondence over a flu, but somehow it’s a cardinal sin that I did not respond to her 5/email due to my daughter’s wedding.
Anyway, I replied to her email right away (on 12/30/2013) listing out the issues we wanted fixedThis is pretty much what is captured in the att**hed PowerPoint file. Ms***’ response was the following on 1/2/2014:
It seems to me that the piece you have as a whole is undesirable to youThe coloring is not what you expected, and even if I do the corrections, there is the possibility that this piece will never be satisf**tory to youThe molds are still in excellent shape. My suggestion; I remake the piece with the eyes shut and lips uncoloredJust as you were when you were castSmiling as in a sweet sleepNo pe**h rub, just a very matt finishThe leaves and flowers in soft pastelsThis will take away the 'cartoon' effect that you see with the painting of the featuresThis was not what you wanted, and I think you just didn't know itNo further risk of colors you don't want and any 'doll-like' effectJust the two of you, holding e**h other's f**es
I responded to *** on 1/7/that we did not want the eyes shut (giving a dead image, not a sweet sleep) and expressed this to ***. She replied on 1/17/that said, “Let's shoot for fixing the current piece while we're there in July, if that works for you” So at this point we had expected to see *** in July to fix the piece. But then on 5/31/14, we received the following email from ***:
“*** and I won't be doing the State Stshow in *** *** this year. We will, however, be there taking care of other business from the 14th-21st of June. If we can make arrangements to meet early in the visit”
*** neglected to mention that she canceled our appointment to repair the item in July in her response to the complaint. In f**t she wrote, “On May 31, I cont**ted the ***gs to let them know I would be in *** *** from June 14th through the 21st and asked to make arrangements to meet “ in which she totally “left out” the f**t that we were already expecting her in July. In her email dated 5/31/14, she **tually wrote, “*** and I won't be doing the State Stshow in *** *** this yearWe will, however, be there taking care of other business from the 14th-21st of June. If we can make arrangements to meet early in the visit, I believe we can rectify some of the issues With the castingI think we had settled on fixing Bill's lips and putting a matt spray on the piece to tone down the shinePlease let me know if there's anything else I may need to address so that I can bring the proper tools.”
*** did not cont**t me, but sent me an email that I unfortunately did not see until 7/11/2014, to which I replied on 7/11/14. I explained to *** that we have been incredibly busy pl***ing for our daughter’s wedding and missed her email (it was in my spam folder). However, if *** were TRULY concerned with fixing the piece and providing customer service when she was here in June then why wouldn’t she have simply called when in *** to see if we could meet? She could have tried to cont**t me before leaving ** to see what tools she should bring.. but she didn’t. She sent the email in May, but then made no other attempts to re**h me knowing full well that when she was here in June, this would be the ONLY window of opportunity to meet me and fix the piece since she had no intention of coming b**k in July. But yet, she did not make any other effort to re**h me. In f**t, I had tried to re**h *** several times after 5/31/2014, but she never returned any of my calls. I wrote *** b**k on 7/and called her several times since then. But in her complaint response she elaborated “As I was in the middle of my sales season and I travel to many cities while I am doing art shows during this time, there was little to nothing I could do regarding reparationsAs she seemed to be busy enough to ignore my request to fix her artwork while I was in *** ***, I deemed it **ceptable to wait until I returned to my studio in the fall before pursuing her issues.”
If this were a true Professional that cared about her work or her client’s happiness with her work, then a simple and quick email to let me know she was traveling and would get b**k to me in the Fall would suffice. However, Fall has come and nearly gone and I have not received any attempts to cont**t me from *** “in the Fall”, so that leads me to believe this is yet another lie
Ms*** raised the issue that she did not have any previous complaints until now; my opinion is either this is due to the f**t that she took the necessary time to complete her other orders with care and attention to detail; or that she does not sell a lot of these pieces and therefore there can be no complaintsBased on our piece, it is apparent that *** rushed through it due to her being too busy to do it right the first timeOn November 5th, I sent *** yet another email. When she did not respond by the end of day; I decided it was best to look at other alternatives to get this issue resolved. I did receive an email from *** on Nov 6, letting me know what she would be b**k in *** in the Spring of 2015. I replied that this would be fine. I **tually thought she had finally responded to me due to my complaint that was filed. However, based on her unprofessional attitude, I am assuming she received the complaint after November 6th In regards to ***’s preposterous claims of harassment, there would need to be some exchange of dialog or inter**tion to be considered harassment; Ms*** has ignored me for extended periods of time and even cancelling our meeting. There is no evidence of harassment, only l**k of professionalism on her partI would still like this piece repaired. Ms*** has offered to fix this piece in the Spring and I would expect her to honor that. If she chooses not to, then a full refund would be expected and I will gladly return the piece
Thank youSincerely,
*** ***
Regards,*** ***
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I am rejecting Ms. [redacted]’ response due to thefollowing; and I will use Ms. [redacted]’ point by point methodology to addresswhy.**: I am trying to find resolution to this matterin good faith, yet it feels as if nothing I do or say will assist in making Ms[redacted] satisfied…..[redacted] First of all, since the firstcomplaint response and in the last complaint response, all I have asked for wasone of two things. For Ms. [redacted] tocommit to fixing the item in the Spring 2015 as she has offered in her emaildated 11/6/2014 or take the piece b**k and refund me my money (less shipping).In the November 6th emailwe exchanged, [redacted] wrote: “We do plan onbeing in the [redacted] area again in late spring. I feel that with the issuesyou have regarding the casting, being able to resolve them while nearby wouldbe best for all parties, hence my desire to meet up with you during the 10 dayswe were in town. I'm sorry this didn't work out for you while we were there. Ifyou wish to send the piece, I am here in my studio until late spring fillingorders and can comply with the necessary changes. If you will send it to me, Iwill pay to send it b**k when it is done.My preference is for neither of us to have toincur the astronomic UPS fees, or possible breakage in shipping the castingto and fro. Hence my cont**ting you as soon as I knew I was coming to [redacted]this past June. Fixing it right there, I can be assured of your **ceptance ofthe work” It is unfortunate that my filing a complaint and [redacted]’s email crossedpaths; [redacted] was not aware of the complaint, nor was I aware of her plans to cometo [redacted] in the Spring of 2015.I will be fully satisfied with the repair taking pl**e Spring of 23015 asour pending resolution just as long as Ms. [redacted] commits to still fixing thepiece. Unfortunately in e**h of these emails, she drudges up a lot of unnecessarybickering and finger-pointing. I have noproblem closing the case and putting this to rest.My concern is that Ms. [redacted] continues to assume there is “nothing she can do orsay will assist in making Ms [redacted] satisfied…..” this is HER assumption and what will make mehappy is her commitment to fixing the piece. Then we can close our business and be done with this matter.As for the rest of her comments, I am a bite tired of all this, but wouldlike to clarify a few of her in**cur**ies. **: The request for a matt finish is plainlystated on her receipt. I work in stoneware and glaze. How a kiln fires iscontrollable, with some fluctuations. This piece was not as matt as theydesired. Neither was it a shiny glaze, though that is their perception. I havestated that I could address this. [redacted] The Finish issue and thecrooked lips are my biggest concern. Ihave told [redacted] in the past that I am willing to **cept my crooked lips and otherflaws; I just want these bigger issues fixed so we can display our piece.**: This is in regards to a standard color rubwhich she and her husband expressly stated they wanted as is written on herreceipt. It is a "pe**h rub", that goes into the lines and crevicesof the features. When there are more lines and crevices, there is more pe**hcolor.[redacted] The pe**h is not the pe**h we were expecting nor discussed; the coloris not just in the crevices, but all-over. I showed [redacted] the examples while in person and after our piece wasdelivered as to what we thought we were going to get. [redacted] explained that she can **complish thiswhen she came to [redacted] in July 2014, and that was fine with us. The f**t that we did not connect in her priorvisit does not put us at fault.As to where the casting was done, [redacted] comments were: “However, again, whatbearing does this have to this matter?[redacted] I am not the one thatoriginally brought this up. Where wecasted was never a concern to me; I was only responding to HER comments. It’s a non-issue to me and I wish she wouldjust let it go.**: The "spam" issue only becomes af**tor in her complaint to the Revdex.com. I am not computer savvy, but I don't knowof many "spam" folders that hold a "spam" for 40 days.[redacted] Email in my Spam folder staysthere indefinitely until I delete it. Ihave an Associates in Computer Science;a B**helors in Business Management and a Masters in Computer Operations. I work as an Analyst in the Technologysector. It is not a freak of nature oruncommon for spam to stay in ones folder 40 days or even beyond. Being that [redacted]is not “computer savvy” makes this issue ridiculous. **:" Unless I am mistaken, this plainly states that I will not be in [redacted]Arbor for the State Street Fair, hence, canceling the 'appointment'. The time Inow alloted her was 10 days of availability…”[redacted] But if I did not GET OR READ her email until it was too late, what did[redacted] expect of me at this point?? I hadno idea she canceled the appointment until July. I had no idea she was coming to MI sooner thanat the time that I did.. I am not aphysic, not sure why she keeps making this an issue. **: This also states that this email was'received' on this date, something she has also said was either; a) lost inspam or b) ignored due to a holiday and her daughter's wedding. I truly wonderwhich of these statements is f**t, as this now seems to be a major issue in thecomplaint”[redacted] All 3 aretrue. I was busy pl[redacted]ing a wedding.. I found her email in my spamfolder and we take the same trip every 4th of July. Why is this so hard to comprehend? **: I have no record of the calls that Ms [redacted]made”. [redacted] Of course not. Because if shedid, then she would be the bad business owner here instead of trying to makethis look like I avoided her (which I had no reason to do so since I am the onewho had the flawed product and want it repaired). **: Nov 5 is half way through the fall. That isthe day we arrived b**k home from our scheduled shows. I called her the nextday” [redacted] stated (for the first time that I ever heard) that she had pl[redacted]edto call me come Fall time. Coincidencethat she had “pl[redacted]ed to call me” the next day after I filed a complaint. Fall Time started in September. September toNovember is quite a span of time. Shecould have called or written ANYTIME after we failed to meet last year to letme know she’d get b**k to me sometime in the Fall. **:The letter of complaint she made to the Revdex.com was mailed to me from the Revdex.com inAustin on Nov. 7”[redacted] I have no control over when shereceives her emails anymore than she has control over mine. **: Where she comes up with harassment is beyondme”[redacted] Ms [redacted]’ written words in herinitial response were: “As I feel that I have re**hed out in everyway possible to find resolve for the [redacted]gs, I am surprised that she decidedto take this route to harass me” **:“Ms.[redacted] seems to have no problem being slanderous or claiming falsehoods on mypart, when in reality, all I've tried to do is operate in good faith to find asolution for her”[redacted] I am not slandering anyone, but giving my opinion from the experienceI had thus far.If Ms. [redacted] plans to “operate in good faith and find a solution”, then doit! It’s that simple. Don’t say your coming then change yourplans.. don’t intentionally take your time cont**ting (hoping I wouldforget). If [redacted] is TRULY concerned withoperation in good faith, then I would expect her next response to be acommitment to fixing the piece in Spring of 2015, which is what I have askedfor since the start of this complaint. **:“I have offered to remake this piece, I have offered to repair the piece if itwas shipped to me, and I offered my time when I was in her area to repair thepiece locally. Nothing that I offered was to Ms [redacted]'s satisf**tion”[redacted] Again, her fixing the piece is all I have asked for and if she c[redacted]otor won’t, then take the piece b**k and provide a refund. Just come to [redacted] and fix the piece.. or ifyou want me to mail it and incur shipping charges we can go that route – butper YOUR email that was not your preference. I was being reasonable by waiting until Spring 2015. **:“ all avenues of rapprochement, and do not want to devolve further into a shesaid - you said b**k and forth of **cusation and counter-defense. If Ms [redacted]prefers to continue this discussion it will now be one-sided.[redacted] Then don’t keep going b**k and forth. Just commit to fixing the pieceand I will be happy. If Ms. [redacted] chooses to ignore attempts to resolve thisissue then I would like to leave this complaint open and noted on the Revdex.comwebsite that the business owner refused to work with the Customer. I want it public knowledge that this was HERchoice.I will then escalate this issue to the Attorney General of [redacted](under unfair trade pr**tices).
Regards,
[redacted]
I am a life casting artist who's business is all related to custom orders. I create an ex**t copy of a persons likeness by doing a plaster gauze mold of the features required. Using samples as well as my client's concepts, I then create a near perfect portrait. I have offered my services for over...
35 years. Very few artists offer custom work for all the obvious reasons. One of the problems that is unique to my art, is that similar to hearing your voice on a recording, very few people have ever seen themselves as others see them. This is what I contend with on a daily basis. It should be a testament to my abilities that no complaint has been logged with the Revdex.com regarding my work in the 35 years that I've been making my living this way.
I want my work to be cherished. This is a part of the creation process, - all artists want validation. I was cont**ted by [redacted] and her husband in July of 2013, during the State Street Art Fair in [redacted]. They requested a private sitting and I made the time after the event was concluded to **commodate them. At that time we discussed what they wanted and I took clear notes on their order form (available for review). I include a "Things you need to know" sheet with every order, (available for review). On this I state very clearly that you should look at the style of work that I create, from coloration to sculpting style. I am also limited by the materials I use to create my art, i.e.; I am using clay and glazes to make and color my art. Every firing has slight variations. I use a "low fire" process to help contain these shifts in color as much as possible.
On Dec. 21, 2013 I offered to remake the [redacted]'s piece, including suggestions that I thought would make them happier with my work **cording to the complaints they had lodged. In leu of this I also made suggestions as to what I could do with their current piece. I told them I would be in [redacted] for the State Street Fair in 2014. This decision was changed due to unexpected issues regarding art show schedules. As soon as I knew that I would not be at the State Street Fair, I cont**ted [redacted], (on May 31, 2014) and let her know that I would still be available to her in [redacted] from the 14th through the 21st of June, an 8 day window in which I was assisting a friend move, this was very time consuming. As I have continued to show good faith for Ms. [redacted]’s dissatisf**tion with my art and she chose not to cont**t me, I saw no reason to pursue her. I heard nothing from [redacted] until July 11th, when she expressly states that she did not cont**t me due to the f**t that she was gone for the holidays (?) and that they had a daughter's wedding in August (?).
I left home on June 10th and did not return until Nov. 5th. As I travel to many cities while I am doing art shows during this time, there was little to nothing I could do regarding reparations while I was away. As she seemed to be busy enough to ignore my request to fix her mask while I was in [redacted], I deemed it **ceptable to wait until I returned home before pursuing her issues. On Nov. 6, 2014, I again made cont**t with Ms. [redacted] offering to complete the "repair". If she could send the mask to me, I would 'fix' it and send it b**k. Her preference was to have the reparations made in her presence so that we both knew we were satisfied with the results. I am of the belief that this issue can be rectified in spring of 2015, however I have no clear plans of when my return to [redacted] will be at this time.
As I feel that I have re**hed out in every way possible to find resolve for the [redacted]s, I am surprised that she decided to take this route to harass me. I would be pleased to work with the Austin Area Revdex.com to resolve this to everyone's satisf**tion. I have copies of all email correspondence (available for review).
Sincerely,
[redacted]
I am trying to find resolution to this matter in good faith, yet it feels as if nothing I do or say will assist in making Ms *** satisfiedIn the past an offer to remake their work was declined, I gave her a two week notice into a ten day window in which I would be 1,miles away from my studio and in her area and heard nothing b**kAs her email of Nov16, states to me, "I don't appreciate that you are making it appear as if you have been going out of your way to fix the piece and be **commodating." It feels that she will never be happy with my effortsI address this complaint point by point "I still do not find it appropriate or **ceptable to be sloppy in her work and expect me to **cept that this is just her interpretation or that we had some misunderstanding"I have strived from the first moment to find a way to rectify her dissatisf**tion with my work "*** had several displays of pieces that were a high-gloss finish and we wanted to make sure she understood what we did and did not want"The request for a matt finish is plainly stated on her receiptI work in stoneware and glazeHow a kiln fires is controllable, with some fluctuationsThis piece was not as matt as they desiredNeither was it a shiny glaze, though that is their perceptionI have stated that I could address this "most obvious is both of our lip-lines are severely crooked"While I have stated that the lines on Bill's mouth were uneven AND that I would repair this, I really do not see the obvious problem on ***'s mouth, and, ultimately, she had decided that her mouth was truly not of concernThat said, I have repeatedly explained that I would fix this artwork for them "a hideous pe**h color"This is in regards to a standard color rub which she and her husband expressly stated they wanted as is written on her receiptIt is a "pe**h rub", that goes into the lines and crevices of the featuresWhen there are more lines and crevices, there is more pe**h color "Ms*** is the one who insisted we come to her friend’s home at a later date since she did not have the materials with her at that time nor had the time to do the casting at the Art Fair due to her having to work her booth"Firstly, this is non-essential to the issue at handSecondly, I have absolutely no idea what she is talking aboutI do 98% of my castings in public at the shows I represent myself atTherefore, I would have all of the supplies I would need available at the art showIf she and her husband came to the show at closing and wanted a casting and order that would take about a hour to an hour and a half, I would have suggested that we meet at a more opportune time after the show was overHowever, again, what bearing does this have to this matter? "Ms*** also writes in her response that the problems seem to be a “dissatisf**tion that appeared to be more about what we had requested on our order”" Yes, as the rest states, "“Dear ***I can see the issue you have with Bill's mouthThe lining along the bottom is off and the top unevenAs far as any of the other 'problems' these are all things I believe I can fix, but I will need clear insight."" "Ms*** then wrote on Dec 22nd that “Again, I can do nothing further until late Dec./early Jan.” But she did not cont**t me again further to say what she would do in Dec or Januntil on 12/30/13"I am unclear on the issue here "*** finds it **ceptable to leave me hanging for a week without correspondence over a flu, but somehow it’s a cardinal sin that I did not respond to her 5/email due to my daughter’s wedding"I believe she is referencing our DeccorrespondenceIn a message dated 12-19, I had let her know I was doing an art show that was running from a.m- p.mdaily thru Xmas eve and would not be b**k in my studio until Dec29thThe flu coincidedAs stated above, I told her I would be b**k in my studio in late Dec, and I cont**ted her in late Decwhen I was able to review their orderAs far as the 'cardinal sin' goes, as she refrained from cont**ting me until after I had left *** ***, she did not get the piece repaired in a timely fashionHer July email states, "I totally missed your email and your visit! I'm sorry, but June and July have totally gotten away from me! We have a daughter getting married in August, so its been wedding this and wedding that! Not to mention we were gone for the Holiday." Daughter's wedding in August, some ambiguous "holiday" as another possible reason for not responding to my request to meet, and never states that spam was involved with her delay in cont**ting me b**kThe "spam" issue only becomes a f**tor in her complaint to the Revdex.comI am not computer savvy, but I don't know of many "spam" folders that hold a "spam" for days "Then on 5/31/14, we received the following email from ***: “*** and I won't be doing the State Stshow in *** *** this year. We will, however, be there taking care of other business from the 14th-21st of June. If we can make arrangements to meet early in the visit*** neglected to mention that she cancelled our appointment" Unless I am mistaken, this plainly states that I will not be in *** *** for the State Street Fair, hence, canceling the 'appointment'The time I now alloted her was days of availability in comparison to the possible that would've existed were we to have been able to meet after the State Street ShowThis also states that this email was 'received' on this date, something she has also said was either; a) lost in spam or b) ignored due to a holiday and her daughter's weddingI truly wonder which of these statements is f**t, as this now seems to be a major issue in the complaint "She could have tried to cont**t me before leaving **" I wrote on May as soon as I became aware that I would be in *** ***I left *** on June 10thAfter cont**ting her, I had ten days left in which to prepare for five months of shows on the roadLike her, I was busy "But yet, she did not make any other effort to re**h me"I did not go to *** *** for v**ation, I was working from morning to nightI was there and willing to make the time to meet *** and make the necessary reparationsOur previous communication revolved mainly around emails, hence the emailed offer as soon as I knew my arrival date, giving plenty of lead time and asking for specifics so that I could bring the proper toolsShe claims to have called my home during the months I was awayThere was no other email correspondence between us until Nov "In f**t, I had tried to re**h *** several times after 5/31/2014, but she never returned any of my calls." I have no record of the calls that Ms *** made "Fall has come and nearly gone", Nov is half way through the fallThat is the day we arrived b**k home from our scheduled showsI called her the next day "On November 5th, I sent *** yet another email"While it sounds as if she has hounded me for a response, there have been two emails from her after her Janemail; July and Nov "I **tually thought she had finally responded to me due to my complaint that was filed" No, I responded the next day to the nice email and the phone call that came in on Nov5thWe arrived home late and had much to do the night of NovThe letter of complaint she made to the Revdex.com was mailed to me from the Revdex.com in Austin on Nov "In regards to ***’s preposterous claims of harassment", Where she comes up with harassment is beyond meI believe I used the terms "spurious review", "untoward and aggressive", "shocked and more than a little dismayed", all of which express my feelings concerning the Revdex.com review of me she made on Nov Ms*** seems to have no problem being slanderous or claiming falsehoods on my part, when in reality, all I've tried to do is operate in good faith to find a solution for her I would be happy to supply all correspondence unadulterated so that my intentions can be plainly seenI have never once shirked away from Ms ***, nor attempted to deceive her I have offered to remake this piece, I have offered to repair the piece if it was shipped to me, and I offered my time when I was in her area to repair the piece locallyNothing that I offered was to Ms ***'s satisf**tionMy concerns about completing this repair regard the f**t that nothing may gratify Ms*** at this pointShe has taken drastic measures here that amplify everything out of proportion and into something far worse than was ever originally presentedAs she states in her last email to me on Nov16, "Unfortunately this piece will not have the story we hoped it would" As an artist, I strive to create an art work that will cherished for generations to come, this is what gratifies meI feel at this time I have exhausted all avenues of rapprochement, and do not want to devolve further into a she said - you said b**k and forth of **cusation and counter-defenseIf Ms *** prefers to continue this discussion it will now be one-sided *** *** *** Masquerade Life Casting*** ** ***
*** ** *** *** ***
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
I have read Ms***’ response and am providing additional information about this claim. While I appreciate Ms***’ dedication to her craft, I still do not find it appropriate or **ceptable to be sloppy in her work and expect me to **cept that this is just her interpretation or that we had some misunderstandingWhen we met with *** and her husband ***, we were shown models of her artwork along with a book of pictures with similar art she had done. My husband and I were very adamant of what we liked and what we did not like or want. The reason being is that *** had several displays of pieces that were a high-gloss finish and we wanted to make sure she understood what we did and did not wantAtt**hed are the pictures in a PowerPoint presentation that I had sent *** when we first saw our piece. The pictures show some of the examples of her artwork that she posts on her website and are very similar to those my husband and I saw at her booth in *** *** **. You will also see pictures of the piece we were sent and will notice the extreme differences in the examples.
I pointed out in the file all the sloppy artwork that comprises our piece. The most obvious is both of our lip-lines are severely crooked. Also, as you can see in her examples, the skin tone of her other work is matted and more realistic looking, where our piece is ungodly shiny, lumpy and a hideous pe**h color. When we went over the details of our piece with ***, she specifically said we did not want a shiny finish or a doll-like appearanceFirst of all, Ms*** makes a point to say that she “did a private casting for us at our request (I do most of my castings at the events themselves)” this is a lie. Ms*** is the one who insisted we come to her friend’s home at a later date since she did not have the materials with her at that time nor had the time to do the casting at the Art Fair due to her having to work her booth
Ms*** also writes in her response that the problems seem to be a “dissatisf**tion that appeared to be more about what we had requested on our order” when she herself agreed in writing which concurred the artwork is “uneven”In f**t on Dec19, *** writes: “Dear ***I can see the issue you have with Bill's mouthThe lining along the bottom is off and the top unevenAs far as any of the other 'problems' these are all things I believe I can fix, but I will need clear insight”
Ms *** then wrote on Dec 22nd that “Again, I can do nothing further until late Dec./early Jan.” But she did not cont**t me again further to say what she would do in Dec or Januntil on 12/30/13 I received her email that said, “We are b**k home at last and almost recovered from whatever virus got ahold of usAustin was bad this year, Central *** being the epicenter of the largest flu epidemic in awhileI've gone over the paperwork and I'm pretty sure I was able to address everything in that last email to youPlease let me know how you wish to proceed regarding these thoughts” I’d like to point out that *** finds it **ceptable to leave me hanging for a week without correspondence over a flu, but somehow it’s a cardinal sin that I did not respond to her 5/email due to my daughter’s wedding.
Anyway, I replied to her email right away (on 12/30/2013) listing out the issues we wanted fixedThis is pretty much what is captured in the att**hed PowerPoint file. Ms***’ response was the following on 1/2/2014:
It seems to me that the piece you have as a whole is undesirable to youThe coloring is not what you expected, and even if I do the corrections, there is the possibility that this piece will never be satisf**tory to youThe molds are still in excellent shape. My suggestion; I remake the piece with the eyes shut and lips uncoloredJust as you were when you were castSmiling as in a sweet sleepNo pe**h rub, just a very matt finishThe leaves and flowers in soft pastelsThis will take away the 'cartoon' effect that you see with the painting of the featuresThis was not what you wanted, and I think you just didn't know itNo further risk of colors you don't want and any 'doll-like' effectJust the two of you, holding e**h other's f**es
I responded to *** on 1/7/that we did not want the eyes shut (giving a dead image, not a sweet sleep) and expressed this to ***. She replied on 1/17/that said, “Let's shoot for fixing the current piece while we're there in July, if that works for you” So at this point we had expected to see *** in July to fix the piece. But then on 5/31/14, we received the following email from ***:
“*** and I won't be doing the State Stshow in *** *** this year. We will, however, be there taking care of other business from the 14th-21st of June. If we can make arrangements to meet early in the visit”
*** neglected to mention that she canceled our appointment to repair the item in July in her response to the complaint. In f**t she wrote, “On May 31, I cont**ted the ***gs to let them know I would be in *** *** from June 14th through the 21st and asked to make arrangements to meet “ in which she totally “left out” the f**t that we were already expecting her in July. In her email dated 5/31/14, she **tually wrote, “*** and I won't be doing the State Stshow in *** *** this yearWe will, however, be there taking care of other business from the 14th-21st of June. If we can make arrangements to meet early in the visit, I believe we can rectify some of the issues With the castingI think we had settled on fixing Bill's lips and putting a matt spray on the piece to tone down the shinePlease let me know if there's anything else I may need to address so that I can bring the proper tools.”
*** did not cont**t me, but sent me an email that I unfortunately did not see until 7/11/2014, to which I replied on 7/11/14. I explained to *** that we have been incredibly busy pl***ing for our daughter’s wedding and missed her email (it was in my spam folder). However, if *** were TRULY concerned with fixing the piece and providing customer service when she was here in June then why wouldn’t she have simply called when in *** to see if we could meet? She could have tried to cont**t me before leaving ** to see what tools she should bring.. but she didn’t. She sent the email in May, but then made no other attempts to re**h me knowing full well that when she was here in June, this would be the ONLY window of opportunity to meet me and fix the piece since she had no intention of coming b**k in July. But yet, she did not make any other effort to re**h me. In f**t, I had tried to re**h *** several times after 5/31/2014, but she never returned any of my calls. I wrote *** b**k on 7/and called her several times since then. But in her complaint response she elaborated “As I was in the middle of my sales season and I travel to many cities while I am doing art shows during this time, there was little to nothing I could do regarding reparationsAs she seemed to be busy enough to ignore my request to fix her artwork while I was in *** ***, I deemed it **ceptable to wait until I returned to my studio in the fall before pursuing her issues.”
If this were a true Professional that cared about her work or her client’s happiness with her work, then a simple and quick email to let me know she was traveling and would get b**k to me in the Fall would suffice. However, Fall has come and nearly gone and I have not received any attempts to cont**t me from *** “in the Fall”, so that leads me to believe this is yet another lie
Ms*** raised the issue that she did not have any previous complaints until now; my opinion is either this is due to the f**t that she took the necessary time to complete her other orders with care and attention to detail; or that she does not sell a lot of these pieces and therefore there can be no complaintsBased on our piece, it is apparent that *** rushed through it due to her being too busy to do it right the first timeOn November 5th, I sent *** yet another email. When she did not respond by the end of day; I decided it was best to look at other alternatives to get this issue resolved. I did receive an email from *** on Nov 6, letting me know what she would be b**k in *** in the Spring of 2015. I replied that this would be fine. I **tually thought she had finally responded to me due to my complaint that was filed. However, based on her unprofessional attitude, I am assuming she received the complaint after November 6th In regards to ***’s preposterous claims of harassment, there would need to be some exchange of dialog or inter**tion to be considered harassment; Ms*** has ignored me for extended periods of time and even cancelling our meeting. There is no evidence of harassment, only l**k of professionalism on her partI would still like this piece repaired. Ms*** has offered to fix this piece in the Spring and I would expect her to honor that. If she chooses not to, then a full refund would be expected and I will gladly return the piece
Thank youSincerely,
*** ***
Regards,*** ***
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I am rejecting Ms. [redacted]’ response due to thefollowing; and I will use Ms. [redacted]’ point by point methodology to addresswhy.**: I am trying to find resolution to this matterin good faith, yet it feels as if nothing I do or say will assist in making Ms[redacted] satisfied…..[redacted] First of all, since the firstcomplaint response and in the last complaint response, all I have asked for wasone of two things. For Ms. [redacted] tocommit to fixing the item in the Spring 2015 as she has offered in her emaildated 11/6/2014 or take the piece b**k and refund me my money (less shipping).In the November 6th emailwe exchanged, [redacted] wrote: “We do plan onbeing in the [redacted] area again in late spring. I feel that with the issuesyou have regarding the casting, being able to resolve them while nearby wouldbe best for all parties, hence my desire to meet up with you during the 10 dayswe were in town. I'm sorry this didn't work out for you while we were there. Ifyou wish to send the piece, I am here in my studio until late spring fillingorders and can comply with the necessary changes. If you will send it to me, Iwill pay to send it b**k when it is done.My preference is for neither of us to have toincur the astronomic UPS fees, or possible breakage in shipping the castingto and fro. Hence my cont**ting you as soon as I knew I was coming to [redacted]this past June. Fixing it right there, I can be assured of your **ceptance ofthe work” It is unfortunate that my filing a complaint and [redacted]’s email crossedpaths; [redacted] was not aware of the complaint, nor was I aware of her plans to cometo [redacted] in the Spring of 2015.I will be fully satisfied with the repair taking pl**e Spring of 23015 asour pending resolution just as long as Ms. [redacted] commits to still fixing thepiece. Unfortunately in e**h of these emails, she drudges up a lot of unnecessarybickering and finger-pointing. I have noproblem closing the case and putting this to rest.My concern is that Ms. [redacted] continues to assume there is “nothing she can do orsay will assist in making Ms [redacted] satisfied…..” this is HER assumption and what will make mehappy is her commitment to fixing the piece. Then we can close our business and be done with this matter.As for the rest of her comments, I am a bite tired of all this, but wouldlike to clarify a few of her in**cur**ies. **: The request for a matt finish is plainlystated on her receipt. I work in stoneware and glaze. How a kiln fires iscontrollable, with some fluctuations. This piece was not as matt as theydesired. Neither was it a shiny glaze, though that is their perception. I havestated that I could address this. [redacted] The Finish issue and thecrooked lips are my biggest concern. Ihave told [redacted] in the past that I am willing to **cept my crooked lips and otherflaws; I just want these bigger issues fixed so we can display our piece.**: This is in regards to a standard color rubwhich she and her husband expressly stated they wanted as is written on herreceipt. It is a "pe**h rub", that goes into the lines and crevicesof the features. When there are more lines and crevices, there is more pe**hcolor.[redacted] The pe**h is not the pe**h we were expecting nor discussed; the coloris not just in the crevices, but all-over. I showed [redacted] the examples while in person and after our piece wasdelivered as to what we thought we were going to get. [redacted] explained that she can **complish thiswhen she came to [redacted] in July 2014, and that was fine with us. The f**t that we did not connect in her priorvisit does not put us at fault.As to where the casting was done, [redacted] comments were: “However, again, whatbearing does this have to this matter?[redacted] I am not the one thatoriginally brought this up. Where wecasted was never a concern to me; I was only responding to HER comments. It’s a non-issue to me and I wish she wouldjust let it go.**: The "spam" issue only becomes af**tor in her complaint to the Revdex.com. I am not computer savvy, but I don't knowof many "spam" folders that hold a "spam" for 40 days.[redacted] Email in my Spam folder staysthere indefinitely until I delete it. Ihave an Associates in Computer Science;a B**helors in Business Management and a Masters in Computer Operations. I work as an Analyst in the Technologysector. It is not a freak of nature oruncommon for spam to stay in ones folder 40 days or even beyond. Being that [redacted]is not “computer savvy” makes this issue ridiculous. **:" Unless I am mistaken, this plainly states that I will not be in [redacted]Arbor for the State Street Fair, hence, canceling the 'appointment'. The time Inow alloted her was 10 days of availability…”[redacted] But if I did not GET OR READ her email until it was too late, what did[redacted] expect of me at this point?? I hadno idea she canceled the appointment until July. I had no idea she was coming to MI sooner thanat the time that I did.. I am not aphysic, not sure why she keeps making this an issue. **: This also states that this email was'received' on this date, something she has also said was either; a) lost inspam or b) ignored due to a holiday and her daughter's wedding. I truly wonderwhich of these statements is f**t, as this now seems to be a major issue in thecomplaint”[redacted] All 3 aretrue. I was busy pl[redacted]ing a wedding.. I found her email in my spamfolder and we take the same trip every 4th of July. Why is this so hard to comprehend? **: I have no record of the calls that Ms [redacted]made”. [redacted] Of course not. Because if shedid, then she would be the bad business owner here instead of trying to makethis look like I avoided her (which I had no reason to do so since I am the onewho had the flawed product and want it repaired). **: Nov 5 is half way through the fall. That isthe day we arrived b**k home from our scheduled shows. I called her the nextday” [redacted] stated (for the first time that I ever heard) that she had pl[redacted]edto call me come Fall time. Coincidencethat she had “pl[redacted]ed to call me” the next day after I filed a complaint. Fall Time started in September. September toNovember is quite a span of time. Shecould have called or written ANYTIME after we failed to meet last year to letme know she’d get b**k to me sometime in the Fall. **:The letter of complaint she made to the Revdex.com was mailed to me from the Revdex.com inAustin on Nov. 7”[redacted] I have no control over when shereceives her emails anymore than she has control over mine. **: Where she comes up with harassment is beyondme”[redacted] Ms [redacted]’ written words in herinitial response were: “As I feel that I have re**hed out in everyway possible to find resolve for the [redacted]gs, I am surprised that she decidedto take this route to harass me” **:“Ms.[redacted] seems to have no problem being slanderous or claiming falsehoods on mypart, when in reality, all I've tried to do is operate in good faith to find asolution for her”[redacted] I am not slandering anyone, but giving my opinion from the experienceI had thus far.If Ms. [redacted] plans to “operate in good faith and find a solution”, then doit! It’s that simple. Don’t say your coming then change yourplans.. don’t intentionally take your time cont**ting (hoping I wouldforget). If [redacted] is TRULY concerned withoperation in good faith, then I would expect her next response to be acommitment to fixing the piece in Spring of 2015, which is what I have askedfor since the start of this complaint. **:“I have offered to remake this piece, I have offered to repair the piece if itwas shipped to me, and I offered my time when I was in her area to repair thepiece locally. Nothing that I offered was to Ms [redacted]'s satisf**tion”[redacted] Again, her fixing the piece is all I have asked for and if she c[redacted]otor won’t, then take the piece b**k and provide a refund. Just come to [redacted] and fix the piece.. or ifyou want me to mail it and incur shipping charges we can go that route – butper YOUR email that was not your preference. I was being reasonable by waiting until Spring 2015. **:“ all avenues of rapprochement, and do not want to devolve further into a shesaid - you said b**k and forth of **cusation and counter-defense. If Ms [redacted]prefers to continue this discussion it will now be one-sided.[redacted] Then don’t keep going b**k and forth. Just commit to fixing the pieceand I will be happy. If Ms. [redacted] chooses to ignore attempts to resolve thisissue then I would like to leave this complaint open and noted on the Revdex.comwebsite that the business owner refused to work with the Customer. I want it public knowledge that this was HERchoice.I will then escalate this issue to the Attorney General of [redacted](under unfair trade pr**tices).
Regards,
[redacted]
I am a life casting artist who's business is all related to custom orders. I create an ex**t copy of a persons likeness by doing a plaster gauze mold of the features required. Using samples as well as my client's concepts, I then create a near perfect portrait. I have offered my services for over...
35 years. Very few artists offer custom work for all the obvious reasons. One of the problems that is unique to my art, is that similar to hearing your voice on a recording, very few people have ever seen themselves as others see them. This is what I contend with on a daily basis. It should be a testament to my abilities that no complaint has been logged with the Revdex.com regarding my work in the 35 years that I've been making my living this way.
I want my work to be cherished. This is a part of the creation process, - all artists want validation. I was cont**ted by [redacted] and her husband in July of 2013, during the State Street Art Fair in [redacted]. They requested a private sitting and I made the time after the event was concluded to **commodate them. At that time we discussed what they wanted and I took clear notes on their order form (available for review). I include a "Things you need to know" sheet with every order, (available for review). On this I state very clearly that you should look at the style of work that I create, from coloration to sculpting style. I am also limited by the materials I use to create my art, i.e.; I am using clay and glazes to make and color my art. Every firing has slight variations. I use a "low fire" process to help contain these shifts in color as much as possible.
On Dec. 21, 2013 I offered to remake the [redacted]'s piece, including suggestions that I thought would make them happier with my work **cording to the complaints they had lodged. In leu of this I also made suggestions as to what I could do with their current piece. I told them I would be in [redacted] for the State Street Fair in 2014. This decision was changed due to unexpected issues regarding art show schedules. As soon as I knew that I would not be at the State Street Fair, I cont**ted [redacted], (on May 31, 2014) and let her know that I would still be available to her in [redacted] from the 14th through the 21st of June, an 8 day window in which I was assisting a friend move, this was very time consuming. As I have continued to show good faith for Ms. [redacted]’s dissatisf**tion with my art and she chose not to cont**t me, I saw no reason to pursue her. I heard nothing from [redacted] until July 11th, when she expressly states that she did not cont**t me due to the f**t that she was gone for the holidays (?) and that they had a daughter's wedding in August (?).
I left home on June 10th and did not return until Nov. 5th. As I travel to many cities while I am doing art shows during this time, there was little to nothing I could do regarding reparations while I was away. As she seemed to be busy enough to ignore my request to fix her mask while I was in [redacted], I deemed it **ceptable to wait until I returned home before pursuing her issues. On Nov. 6, 2014, I again made cont**t with Ms. [redacted] offering to complete the "repair". If she could send the mask to me, I would 'fix' it and send it b**k. Her preference was to have the reparations made in her presence so that we both knew we were satisfied with the results. I am of the belief that this issue can be rectified in spring of 2015, however I have no clear plans of when my return to [redacted] will be at this time.
As I feel that I have re**hed out in every way possible to find resolve for the [redacted]s, I am surprised that she decided to take this route to harass me. I would be pleased to work with the Austin Area Revdex.com to resolve this to everyone's satisf**tion. I have copies of all email correspondence (available for review).
Sincerely,
[redacted]
[redacted]
Masquerade Life Casting