Total operational failure!!
Total operational failure is how I’d describe my business done with Tekton, and has resulted in an unnecessary financial deficit. This project was characterized by chronic delays, deceptive communication regarding manufacturing locations, and the delivery of barely salvageable, damaged goods.
Onboarding & Payment (March 2025)
• 03/01/25: Initial contact made with Christian via Instagram. Moved to WhatsApp per his request.
• Terms Agreed: $85 a unit for hoodies. A $400 deposit for the sample of my garment (reduced from $500) and was told to send the payment via Zelle to a third-party account ("Therese") at the representative's direction.
• Agreement Details: Deposit covered the sample process (including one free revision) with the balance left to be credited toward the bulk order. Timeline for sample: 2 weeks.
Initial Sample & Production Failures (April – May 2025)
• 04/05/25: Sample picked up in Burbank (two weeks behind schedule).
• Quality Issues: The hood was undersized, arm screen printing was incorrectly scaled, and the zipper failed within six hours of use. Additionally, the vendor used screen printing despite prior approval of a patch.
• 04/07/25: Vendor attempted to charge an additional $100 for a revision that was contractually included in the initial $400. Vendor claimed "there is no money in samples," contradicting the initial agreement.
• 05/10/25: A new representative, Dave, claimed the previous representative that wasn’t named was let go for mismanaging clients and funds. Dave assured a resolution moving forward.
Bulk Order Delays (August – September 2025)
• 08/04/25: After two terrible revisions, a bulk order was placed at $65/unit, from $85 if I paid cash and it would be faster & promised completion date: September 1, 2025.
• 09/01/25: Deadline missed. Vendor sent photos of "cut and sew" progress, indicating production had barely begun.
• 09/05/25: Vendor claimed the order would ship on Monday. When questioned about "shipping" (as the work was supposedly "in-house" in LA), the vendor ceased communication and ignored calls.
• 09/16/25 – 09/24/25: Conflicting information regarding tracking numbers and delivery dates.
Production Misrepresentation (September – October 2025)
• 09/27/25: Vendor admitted hoodies were still blank and required screen printing and rhinestones, contradicting earlier claims that they were finishing.
• 10/23/25: Photo received of one "complete" hoodie.
Final Delivery & Quality Defects (November 2025 – January 2026)
• 11/06/25: Order picked up. Discrepancy in quantity: Received 29 units instead of the 30 ordered. One purple sample was missing. Packaging was substandard (torn trash bag).
• 11/16/25: Inspection revealed significant rust on the metal grommets and eyelets of every single garment.
• 11/17/25: Vendor dismissed the defect as "inevitable" and suggested the client clean the new merchandise themselves.
• 01/06/26: Final purple sample picked up; it also contained rusted hardware and an obvious bleach or acid stain. A total of 81 stains between only 30 hoodies.
Our total capital loss on this project is staggering. Beyond the $2,300 in direct production and sample costs, we have lost an additional $3,400 in sunk costs for marketing and logistics. Furthermore, we are facing an estimated $1,350 cleaning quote (sourced on February 20th, 2026) just to attempt to salvage the goods. At $17 per stain removal under 1 inch, our COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) has tripled. Between the late inventory, the wasted campaign capital, and the astronomical restoration costs, Tekton has created a massive financial deficit for our company. We are currently evaluating all legal avenues for the recovery of these funds.