If I could give zero or negative stars, I would. This store and its ownership lack any semblance of…read morebusiness integrity or savvy. Shop there at your own risk, but I recommend you don't. Loads of other small business bead shops in the Chicagoland area won't scam and condescend to you.
Visit #1 -
Joe helped me select some beads and supplies, totaling $322. Toward the end, it got hectic, and all employees were preoccupied. I needed to get somewhere, and I had some questions to ask before finalizing my purchase. I eventually gave up, realizing they were too busy, and decided to purchase the items I had and return if I needed more.
I told Joe I needed to leave to get somewhere on time and I'd like to check out. Instead of beginning the checkout process, he upsold me on other items. The checkout process took 15 minutes as they do not have an electronic register and process transactions manually. At no point did Joe mention that the checkout process would take longer than is typical when I said I needed to leave. I felt like I wasn't listened to and was being sold to without regard for my time or business.
Throughout our interaction, I mentioned that I was new to beading and was purchasing supplies for a jewelry-making party. I mentioned that I wasn't sure I needed all these supplies and may need to return some. At no point did anybody mention the return policy is store credit or exchange only.
Visit 2 -
A week later, I had returns to make, about $99 worth. I called to ask about the return policy and was informed it was only an exchange or store credit. I politely asked if an exception could be made, considering this was not communicated before completing my purchase. The person I spoke with said she would ask the owner and call me back. They never called me back.
I went in person with my boyfriend and we spoke with Joe. I told him I had items I needed to return and asked if it would be possible for an exception to be made to the policy, since I wasn't told the policy before they completed my transaction. He said no, that they only offer exchange and store credit. When I asked why an exception couldn't be made, he said, "Because that's how we've always done it." My boyfriend asked again if he would consider making an exception and Joe said he would ask Ayla. He went to the back to ask and returned, saying that Ayla said they would make an exception. I was appreciative, and we went to the counter to process the return.
He used the card reader to attempt a return but kept getting an error message, and he said he did not know how to process a return. Regardless of whether a business offers returns/refunds, it is essential to understand the key functions of your systems.
Eventually, we gave up trying to process the return, and he once again offered store credit and explained that the return policy was on their receipts. I told him that having the return policy only listed on the receipt and nowhere else when the return policy is no returns is not helpful because, at that point, the transaction is complete, and nothing can be done. This does not allow people to decide whether they want to make a non-returnable purchase. He responded, saying, "Well, we're a small business; we don't just want people to pay and to just say to them 'thank you for your money.'" (implying there is no way to get that money back now.) And yet there we were, in that exact situation.
We asked if we could get our refund in cash. Mind you, there was a sign on the counter that said, "We're a small business, we prefer cash." implying they accept cash and likely have it in the register. He said he would ask Ayla. He went to the back once more, which is separated from the store by a curtain. Shortly after he went back, we heard Ayla (the owner) SCREAMING "NO. NO!! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED DOLLARS! I'M NOT GIVING THEM ANY MONEY! I'M WITH A CLIENT!" and on and on and on. Everybody in the store could hear her. Joe returned and told us that wouldn't be possible, to which I said, "Oh, don't worry, I heard her."
At this point, we had been there too long. I should have asked to speak directly to Ayla to resolve the issue and address her abhorrent behavior, but at this point, all I wanted was to leave and never return. Unfortunately, I caved and accepted store credit, which Joe insisted I did not need to use that day and could return and use any time. Did he think I would ever want to make a trip here again?
As I tried to gather items for exchange, Joe felt it necessary to say, "You know this is one of the strands you returned." Yes, I know, but that was when I thought I could get a refund. This entire time, I remained polite and tried to offer feedback for a better experience, but was only condescended to. After leaving, I discovered they broke my debit card with their machine! It kept declining, and my bank said it was showing as "expired" despite the exp. date being months away. Don't waste your time or money here.
