I am a disabled veteran and local artist whose brand, 7LY Blessed, is sold inside Lazy Daisy in Virginia Beach through a vendor space owned by my fiancé, Thad Rhodes III. On Monday 3/9, a large dark purple amethyst crystal valued at over $3,000 -- and personally priceless to me -- was improperly sold from our display for only $333 after the tag was ripped from the stand. The sale was made by a store employee without authorization.
As soon as we discovered what happened, we immediately contacted the store and filed a police report. Officers responded, documented the incident, and began reviewing security footage related to the sale.
What has been most concerning is the lack of urgency, communication, and professionalism from local store management, despite the seriousness of the situation and the fact that it was reported immediately. It has now been almost a week and no one from management has contacted us directly or explained how this situation will be resolved.
Instead, I have experienced insults and have been removed from the store's online vendor groups by the same manager who previously asked me to help promote the store through live shows and social media.
This situation is especially painful because Lazy Daisy was founded from a place of grief and community support, and the store's owner has expressed concern about what happened. However, the local management handling the situation has continued to respond in ways that feel unprofessional and dismissive, even though I am the victim in this situation.
As a disabled veteran, a grieving mother who lost my daughter to suicide, and a local artist whose work supports our small business, I expected this matter to be handled with compassion, accountability, and urgency.
Small artists trust vendor spaces to protect their work and treat vendors fairly when something goes wrong. I am sharing my experience in hopes of bringing awareness to the need for better accountability, communication, and protection for local artists and vendors in our community. read more