Customer Service Changed Once a Problem Arose
Through their website, I placed an international order for several resin pigments on July 17.
On August 2, I contacted the company because, despite paying $27 for shipping a very small package, I had still not received my order. I received an apologetic email from Diana Obniski, who I understand is the owner, which included the following statement:
“For international orders, I typically ship using USPS International because, although it can sometimes take longer ... it generally helps customers avoid customs and duty fees. My goal has always been to ... prevent any surprise charges upon delivery. I never want my customers to be burdened with unexpected import fees.”
However, on August 6, the package finally arrived and the postal worker asked me to pay €15.66 in import charges. Given that I had already paid $27 for shipping, I considered the additional charge excessive and refused the package so that it would be returned to the sender.
I immediately informed the company. This time, the tone of the response was noticeably different. I received an email from the same person stating:
“Per our Return Policy, we do not refund shipping costs ... Once the package arrives, I would be happy to return the 45.44 EUR for the order.”
What disappointed me most was not simply the import charge. It was the complete contrast between the earlier message — which specifically emphasised avoiding unexpected customs charges and not wanting customers to be burdened with additional fees — and the response once exactly that happened.
There was no acknowledgement of that contradiction, no apology that I had in fact been faced with the very “unexpected import fees” they had said they wanted to prevent, and no attempt to address the fact that, between the $27 shipping charge and the €15.66 import fee, the additional costs would have been almost as much as the €45.44 value of the products themselves.
For me, the way this situation was handled turned what could have been a straightforward shipping problem into a very disappointing customer-service experience.