I have been selling knitted items on Etsy for quite a number of years, and until recently have had no problems. But in the last few months I have had two packages go misssing, and strangely both were to customers in The Netherlands. For both customer I have remade the items, and then sent them tracked. (It is quite dispiriting, but it is the seller's responsibility to get the items there, and I am also very proud of my customer satisfaction rates and 100% good reviews.)
One item was one of my mini cars, and the other these phone cosies. I did enjoy remaking the phone cosies, and it has put in my head to make a completely new set, with different flowers.
I have just found this article in The Daily Mail about the Dutch postal service. I don't believe very much in The Daily Mail, but in this case my experience does back this up.
 |
| Guelder Rose and Bumble Bee |
 |
| Shepherd's Purse |
Very nice :)
ReplyDeleteThe cosies are really cute! I thought they were mini hot water bottles at first glance!
ReplyDeleteI have never had occasion to mail anything to the Netherlands, but I certainly have had loads of problems with the mail in the US, where I live. It's a big country, with lots of postal workers. You can't make sweeping statements about all of them. However, some of the workers are appalling, especially in Chicago where my son lives. I don't mail money or gift cards to him, nor anything in an envelope that looks like a greeting card, because they're easy targets for thieves. Packages don't get delivered because the workers in his local post office don't want to be bothered delivering them. They get sent back to me (at my expense) marked "no such address." Our local post office has had three employees arrested for stealing both mail and credit card numbers. Sad to say, many people don't take pride in their jobs, and obviously feel no shame in stealing mail, or shirking their jobs. I don't know what to say. Having a shameless president elect waiting in the wings as the role model for our country fills me with dread for the future of America, too. I guess the internet that we've come to love has also done in postal systems around the work. The resulting shrinking profit margin can only mean hiring more marginal employees with no work ethic.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, your flower embroidery is lovely.
I think the UK postal service is fairly good, and I guess in 5 years of selling, having only 2 packages go astray is not a bad average. It is difficult as to pay for tracked mail would put most customers off, although for some of my larger, unique knits I really recommend it. Most of my knitted items are really underpriced, and if I actually properly costed the hours of work that go into them, no one would buy them. But I think of it as a sort of sideline, the result of designing the patterns, and there are only so many knitted items I can have piling up in my craft room.
DeleteWhat a shame you have had such problems, I think we are generally lucky here how little goes astray when you think how much we post. For a while we all thought there would be no post left, what with emails etc but now with all the online shopping I guess parcels are sent more than ever. I guess when you make things to order, you have no option but to make them again to keep your customers happy.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, these cosies are so pretty. I love the simple but really effective embroidery. Thanks for sharing at #HandmadeMonday :-)
I admire anyone who can sell their knits -- clearly you knit faster than I! Not to mention more inventively. I'm surprised about the Dutch mail -- they seem to be on top of life in most ways. Oh well. I can't complain about U.S. mail. I wish the airlines handled luggage as well!
ReplyDeleteAh, I'm guessing the Portuguese postal service is even worse (and yes, it's been privatized too), but I did not expect that from the Dutch. I'm sorry you had to remake those cozies, but I'm glad you could share them at The Really Crafty Link Party. They are really cute. Pinned!
ReplyDeleteHow annoying for you, I love those little cosies they are so pretty. Have a wonderful Christmas. :) xx
ReplyDelete