Spireside Reviews (%countItem)
Spireside Rating
Address: 211-A Sherway Road, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37922
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Address: 211-A Sherway Road, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37922
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Add contact information for Spireside
Customer service not responding/acknowledging complaint. Refusal to grant refund/exchange for entire/partial order.
This complaint is filed against an online Candle Company. Website is: spireside.com. On May 21, 2020 I placed an order in the amount of $86.40 paid via Paypal. Order #75544. Was not happy at all with the products. Sent initial email, no response. Sent another email which was answered, but basically stated that "they were sorry I was not happy with my scents." They also stated that the particular ones I ordered were "their best/sellers/most popular" and based on this they could not offer refunds/exchanges." They also said they did not have the staff to respond to further complaints. They will not offer any compensation whatsoever. Most of the products that were shipped have not been used. They will not exchange or refund.
I also posted a review on their website to alert other customers about their customer services (or lack thereof) which they immediately deleted.
I am seeking full/partial refund for these products. I can't return the products that were used, but the bulk of the order has not been used and remains unused.
As I told this person - who made it very clear in her initial, rude email that she was no longer interested in being a customer nor being one in the future - we guarantee the quality of our products, not a particular person's preference. They are subjective and not every scent is for everyone but the ones she was dissatisfied with are in fact our best sellers. Given the handmade nature of our products and the difficulty with shipping our perishable products in the mounting heat, we cannot accept returns (they never arrive in a resellable condition). This is nothing to say of the current safety concerns following the arrival of COVID19, which would also make it impossible for us to accept a return of a handmade product - we can no longer guarantee the quality or sanitation of our products once they leave our studio and are no longer in our control. Our return policy is very clearly posted and there has been no consumer fraud or misleading of customers, etc., in which case the Revdex.com would be an appropriate place to complain. Finally, after a second, also rude, email from this person, I informed her that following COVID, we were forced to reduce our staff and our customer service team is focused on helping people who wish to remain customers and in that respect, our customer service reputation is stellar. We are not able to devote limited resources to people who simply wish to berate and complain about our clearly posted policies - policies which are very reasonable and common in the handmade market.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First, the 2 emails I sent to this company were not rude. (I can forward you the actual email correspondence to verify that and you may judge for yourself.) The rudeness was on their part, when after my second email they pretty much stated that they did not have time answer "further complaints."
I expressed my disappointment in their products after I had been looking forward to ordering from them. They refused to issue me any compensation whatsoever because the scents I ordered "are on their best seller list and are popular with others." I did not say I was no longer interested in being a customer (of course I'm not) I stated in the email that they could have kept me as a customer had they the made even the smallest gesture to compensate for my dissatisfaction on a first $85 order. It is the fact that there was no customer service rendered to me that prompted me to contact Revdex.com. They are supposed to stand behind their products and treat customers like they value them. This company only seems to value their own profits and has no regard for customers who spend money and are most unhappy with their products.
I have never experienced such indifference and lack of customer value with any other vendor, be it the smallest company.
OK I purchased the spire side candle library I had to extinguish it within five minutes it smells like burning flesh do you know the smell when you're in the dentist chair and they begin drilling into a tooth smell in your mouth the burning enamel that's exactly what this candle smells like I am so sorry that I invested money on a candle that I knew nothing about I ready sent is supposed to be roses and suede you went overboard with the smell of skin suede there is not a hint of rose and this is somebody that grew up in a library within their home it smells nothing like the library I remember
I ordered three (3) candles, $103.00, from Spireside.com website on December 5, 2019. After receipt of the candles, I was immediately disturbed by the scent and lit one (1) of the three (3) candles, which confirmed my initial assessment.On December 11, 2019, after not being able to find any information on returns/exchanges in order to obtain some guidance, I wrote,
"I am returning Order XXXXX . . . these are not what I thought they would be. I have reboxed them in their original shipping materials and shipped back to *** Road, Knoxville, TN XXXXX. Refund by original method of payment will be fine."
Response received from Spireside, was:
"I am so sorry the scents were not for you but we do not accept returns or refunds due to the handmade nature nature o our products and for quality control reasons. Our policies are clearly written and posted so I'd hate for you to spend money sending them back when we can not refund them. Thank you, ***
I then wrote:
"I'd appreciate you telling me what I did or the mistake I made in not understanding what I was purchasing and that I should have started with testers. Like most people, I don't have $100 to lose. I have only burned . . . candle for less that 5 minutes and the other two are rewrapped in the original materials. What makes them unfit for resale. I respect what you create. No doubt about that. Thanks. ***"
I have heard nothing else from Spireside nor have I been able to find the "clearly written and posted" policies.
Product_Or_Service: Three (3) candles
Order_Number: XXXXX
Modification/discontinuance of I'd like to see a more open and honest communication from Spireside on their site to the unsuspecting public. I'm sure businesses can do what they like - it's a buyer beware world. However, in the spirit of dealing honestly with consumers, their policies should be posted in an open and obvious way to prevent this self-serving, deception to continue. Only perfect reviews are published. The unhappy customer is left with no possible recourse.
Scents are personal and subjective and not every scent is for everyone. We stand behind our products and their quality but we cannot guarantee personal preferences and particular tastes. This customer stated our policies are not clearly posted and that we did not tell her to order testers first. Both of these claims are false as you can see in our previously and currently published FAQs sections on our website (***>
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
My request was, and is, simply to make this policy more open and obvious and not buried under FAQ. I am taken aback that a site with an "excellent customer service reputation from customers who are truly interested in getting help and continuing being customers" would characterize responding "to her original email within 3 minutes and when it became clear that further engagement with her would be unfruitful, we ceased responding to her multiple emails" as being "excellent customer service."
My "multiple emails" consisted of:
"I'd appreciate you telling me what I did or the mistake I made in not understanding what I was purchasing and that I should have started with testers. Like most people, I don't have $100 to lose. I have only burned . . . candle for less than 5 minutes and the other two are rewrapped in the original materials. What makes them unfit for resale. I respect what you create. No doubt about that. Thanks. ***"
From this communication, Spireside determined that "further engagement with her would be unfruitful, we ceased responding to her multiple emails." I transact a tremendous amount of business online and have never filed a complaint nor even had an unpleasant communication concerning an order, until confronted with this shallow and self-serving response. In my law firm that response to a client would be deemed wholly inappropriate.
I was a customer, apparently not a valuable commodity to Spireside. I'm confused why a business would respond to a customer's concerns in this way. In fact, I think Spireside's response reveals a struck nerve and probable past interactions revolving around the same subject and perhaps the catalyst for numerous business name changes.
The idea of the policy being Clearly Written and Posted is patently absurd:
This is what you must wade through:
Log on to their site. and scroll down their initial page and if you should by chance click on FAQ & Contact Us, you scroll past:
CANDLES & TARTS
Are your candles and tarts eco-friendly?
What is a Tart?
How big are your tarts?
How do I use the tarts?
How big are your candles?
Are your fragrances non-toxic?
What are your tips on burning the candles?
Do you still have candles that aren't listed anymore?
SCENTS
Do you have a list of your scents?
WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE THE SCENT?
Please keep in mind that these candles and tarts are artistically created based on our personal interpretation of a particular inspiration. This may or may not agree with your interpretation of the original inspiration for the scents. Scents are personal and subjective and we ask that you keep that in mind when purchasing and leaving reviews.
(Wouldn't this be an opportunity to explain the no return / no exchange policy?)
ORDERS
Do you have a physical store?
What is your turnaround time?
What if I have a special request?
Can I split an order?
Can I include a Gift Message?
Do you Gift Wrap?
REWARDS AND DISCOUNTS
Do you offer rewards/discounts for frequent buyers?
How do I use my rewards?
Can I use multiple discounts?
Do you offer Free Shipping with the Rewards or Discounts?
Do Rewards Points expire?
SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS
How do I modify/cancel a subscription?
Where can I find out more about subscriptions?
RETURNS AND EXCHANGES
Do you accept returns and exchanges?
Spireside products are all handcrafted and we strive to provide the best fragrance products possible. Our Create Your Own Sample Packs are a great way to find out which Spireside fragrances you love the most! To maintain quality control and provide you with the best products and service possible, we are not accepting returns or exchanges. If you are unsure about what to purchase, or have any questions or concerns about your order, please reach out to us at ***@spireside.com and we will be happy to assist you!
SHIPPING
A casual Google search reveals Spireside's communications with customers. That is not the subject of my complaint, but it does go to a pattern of Spireside's less than stellar record with "excellent customer service."
Candle arrived before estimated delivery date. But, it DOES NOT smell ANYTHING like the Polynesian hotel in Disney. When we reached out to the company they basically said tough luck!
By A.K*** on May 30, 2017.
My request is simply to make this policy more open and obvious and not buried under FAQ. Spireside's thin-skinned, arrogant response to a customer is revealing and concerning. What issues would a business have with a request for placing such a drop-dead, Draconian policy in an open and obvious way. Perhaps on the page before a customer hits Order, a notice can be added, "Don't forget we do not accept returns or refunds due to the handmade nature of our products and for quality control reasons." Having the policy buried within the minutiae contained in FAQ does NOT constitute "clearly written and posted."
Returns and exchanges are the cornerstone of online commerce. Why would Spireside recoil at the suggestion of making such an important policy in a spot impossible to miss. As it stands now, this self-serving policy appears to be a financial profit-earning decision cloaked behind a veil of "quality control."