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There is no board on this forum for dealers to share encounters with "customers", so this one will have to do....

Carl ordered and paid for a large velour command tunic from James Cawley. He received it. James' obligation to Carl was met at this point.

Carl realized he ordered the wrong size, and wanted an X-Large instead. After much public complaining on his part, I volunteered to make it to end the issue. He also paid for an X-Large science tunic from me at that time, and mailed me the insignias and braid he wanted used. They were finished and should have ended my obligation to Carl at that point.

However, Carl decided that the XLs were too large, and wanted custom alterations made. He pinned a tunic and sent it to me, asking that both the command and science tunics side panels have a dart sewn into them to match the pins.DESPITE THE FACT THAT THESE ALTERATIONS WERE "ABOVE AND BEYOND" AND I WAS NOT PAID TO DO SO I did this, and hemmed and finished both tunics. I mailed the science tunic, and, by mistake, another customer's command tunic to him. Carl had asked for so much to be taken in, I explained to him that he needed a "custom fit" tunic (an XL shoulder/chest and a large or med waist) and that, as the darts were so large, he needed to take them to a tailor/seamstress near him to get them cut, and the sleeve taken in too. These tunics were, however, wearable the way they were delivered. THE WORK DONE ON THE TUNICS AT THIS POINT WAS NOT ONLY MY ONLY OBLIGATION, BUT ALTERATIONS FOR FREE ABOVE AND BEYOND.

In response, Carl mailed both of them back and demanded that I alter them again, taking out the alterations I had already done, and re-hem and re-finish the tunics yet again. He later offered and paid me $30 "for your trouble".  This barely covered the cost of shipping, and didn't touch paying me for my time for all the alterations done already, never mind the new ones demanded.

He also somehow put a small hole in the back of the science tunic when trying it on and demanded I "replace the back panel". Anyone who has even held one of these can tell that you cannot simply replace a panel. The zipper and collar has to be removed for such a replacement...meaning it is easier to make a new tunic than "replace a panel." I explained this to him, and told him that I didn't have current access to the fabric to do anything of the sort, and he'd have to wait until I could drive to the studio to get fabric.

I expected to be able to honor his demands at Halloween. A hurricane prevented that.

Despite being told that I can almost never access pms of any kind, that was almost the sole way he contacted me - and, unreasonably, got very upset that I didn't respond (to pms I told him I wasn't getting.) His last email to me was 9/9. I did manage to answer a couple of his pms at the time of the hurricane.

On 1/7 I got an email demanding either his uniform tunics or a full refund by 1/18. I immediately answered that I would send the tunics back to him immediately, with the alterations still in them that he had requested.

Carl's response was very irate, amending his original demands and now telling me to do the new alterations (no time frame specified) or send him both the tunics with his insignia and braid on them AND a full refund.

I replied, again, that I was sending his completed tunics back to him immediately. I got another irate and ranting response saying I was not "keeping my word" and he wanted me to take the time to do the new alterations AND send them back immediately AND give him a full refund.

On the advice of my lawyer, I am doing as I said...sending back the tunics - which are finished (my only obligation) then altered to his specifications (above and beyond, and not paid for) immediately. (this course is also agreed on by the co-exec of Phase II)

The fact is that ALL costumers disappoint a customer occassionally, because the real world interferes with plans. (Illness, hurricanes, sickness...) but the fact is ALSO that not all "customer complaints" are fact based and, at times, it is the CUSTOMER who is at fault and NOT the costumer. That is the case here. I am convinced (as is my lawyer) that doing additional work will only make Carl believe he is entitled to keep making demands AND there is no way (by evidence of earlier contact) that Carl will ever be happy with ANY finished product in this case. Should I do the new alterations (take out the ones he demanded and re-finish the tunics) he would, no doubt, find some other reason he's not happy with the tunics.

As I advised him the first time I sent the altered tunics, with the darts sewn in the proper place, he should be able to take them to a tailor and get the sleeves/sleeve gussets altered as well so the tunics fit the way he wants.

(The moral of this story is that no good deed goes unpunished...and if you go out of your way for someone more than once, you are punished two or threefold)