COreef8
08/02/2007, 01:40 PM
Earlier this year (I believe it was around January) I was looking on ebay hoping to get in contact with someone who could do some decent custom work for a moderate price. I had a very specific design in mind for a sump that I needed for my reef setup. Little did I know, this would turn into a bigger deal than I thought could ever be possible.
I contacted a guy named Steve Frosti, who called his business, or himself, Acrylicman, and sent him a sketch of what I needed. He responded quickly and sounded like he could do exactly what I wanted. He even gave me a phome number so I could call and discuss it with him. After getting all setup, he asked for a deposit through google checkout. He gave me a pretty decent deal on it and told me it would be shipped in 2 weeks. I waited the whole 2 weeks without one word. At the end of the 2 weeks I emailed him back just checking on the status. I know custom things take time and for the price I paid I wasn't even expecting it to be finished. Sure enough it wasn't, but the problem was, I had to wait 2 more weeks after contacting him for him to even email me back saying. Sorry, we haven't started yet. Now I am a pretty patient person, and was completely understanding since he promised me that it would then be done that following week. But after calling him several times at the end of a week and a half and getting no reply I emailed him saying what's going on? He very casually emailed me back saying they hadn't started still. It was obviously no big deal to him. I emailed back telling him how long ago I ordered it and that he said it would have been done a couple times already and he replied saying he would make sure it was dome that week.
Let me make clear how frustrated I am with the whole situation that writing this about 6 months after still makes me furiuos to the point where I may just call again after I finish writing.
I got very busy for a while and had little time for my tank and decided I'd let it be and hopefully theyd finish. About 3 weeks later I decided to email asking why I hadn't recieved yet. He responded again without even a hint of remorse saying, it hasn't been started yet, tough luck. At this point I was getting fairly angry and I imagine he could see that in my emails. After EXACTLY TWENTY TWO MORE EMAILS over the period of 2 months. He said he would make sure it was done that day. So I followed up with him, big suprise, it wasn't done that day, but a weekand a half later he sent me a tracking number. I finally recieved a package from the company, and when I opened it, it was merely a basic acrylic frame to one of his "standard sumps" 2 baffles and thats it! However the external dimensions were exactly what I asked for so I know it wasn't just a shipping mistake. I was furious. I emailed (I would have called but I know he wouldn't answer) and told him what I recieved. He emailed back saying "well gosh what did you want then." I PAID QUITE A BIT EXTRA FOR A NUMBER OF BAFFLES IN SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AND HOLES DRILLED IN SPECIFIC LOCATIONS. None of which was done. At this point I was happy though that I at least got something. Now I kow there really is a business on the other end of this.
This is where the real fun begins. At this point I am incredibly may but nowhere near the end. Beyond this another 17 emails were sent over the perious of several weeks but all I ever got was "yyyeeeaaahhh... I'll figure this out today! I promise" I still have not recieved any product. I emailed him a couple times and said your business is a joke, you are running a scam.. you're pathetic... blah blah blah. Everything I could think of to get this guy to at least maybe thing, wow, Im a jerk. But no, all I ever got was "well... let me figure this out..."
Like I said this was about 6 months ago and this guy is still stalling. There was even more but let me just say in my ENTIRE LIFE, this was absolutely by far the 100% worst case of communication and customer service I have EVER experienced. I am not writing this to get replies saying that Acrylicman is a good guy and he made a good product for you. I am merely sharing my experience so you can aviod all of this.
I appologize for my ranting but I hope maybe I can save you several hundred headaches (and dollars).
I contacted a guy named Steve Frosti, who called his business, or himself, Acrylicman, and sent him a sketch of what I needed. He responded quickly and sounded like he could do exactly what I wanted. He even gave me a phome number so I could call and discuss it with him. After getting all setup, he asked for a deposit through google checkout. He gave me a pretty decent deal on it and told me it would be shipped in 2 weeks. I waited the whole 2 weeks without one word. At the end of the 2 weeks I emailed him back just checking on the status. I know custom things take time and for the price I paid I wasn't even expecting it to be finished. Sure enough it wasn't, but the problem was, I had to wait 2 more weeks after contacting him for him to even email me back saying. Sorry, we haven't started yet. Now I am a pretty patient person, and was completely understanding since he promised me that it would then be done that following week. But after calling him several times at the end of a week and a half and getting no reply I emailed him saying what's going on? He very casually emailed me back saying they hadn't started still. It was obviously no big deal to him. I emailed back telling him how long ago I ordered it and that he said it would have been done a couple times already and he replied saying he would make sure it was dome that week.
Let me make clear how frustrated I am with the whole situation that writing this about 6 months after still makes me furiuos to the point where I may just call again after I finish writing.
I got very busy for a while and had little time for my tank and decided I'd let it be and hopefully theyd finish. About 3 weeks later I decided to email asking why I hadn't recieved yet. He responded again without even a hint of remorse saying, it hasn't been started yet, tough luck. At this point I was getting fairly angry and I imagine he could see that in my emails. After EXACTLY TWENTY TWO MORE EMAILS over the period of 2 months. He said he would make sure it was done that day. So I followed up with him, big suprise, it wasn't done that day, but a weekand a half later he sent me a tracking number. I finally recieved a package from the company, and when I opened it, it was merely a basic acrylic frame to one of his "standard sumps" 2 baffles and thats it! However the external dimensions were exactly what I asked for so I know it wasn't just a shipping mistake. I was furious. I emailed (I would have called but I know he wouldn't answer) and told him what I recieved. He emailed back saying "well gosh what did you want then." I PAID QUITE A BIT EXTRA FOR A NUMBER OF BAFFLES IN SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AND HOLES DRILLED IN SPECIFIC LOCATIONS. None of which was done. At this point I was happy though that I at least got something. Now I kow there really is a business on the other end of this.
This is where the real fun begins. At this point I am incredibly may but nowhere near the end. Beyond this another 17 emails were sent over the perious of several weeks but all I ever got was "yyyeeeaaahhh... I'll figure this out today! I promise" I still have not recieved any product. I emailed him a couple times and said your business is a joke, you are running a scam.. you're pathetic... blah blah blah. Everything I could think of to get this guy to at least maybe thing, wow, Im a jerk. But no, all I ever got was "well... let me figure this out..."
Like I said this was about 6 months ago and this guy is still stalling. There was even more but let me just say in my ENTIRE LIFE, this was absolutely by far the 100% worst case of communication and customer service I have EVER experienced. I am not writing this to get replies saying that Acrylicman is a good guy and he made a good product for you. I am merely sharing my experience so you can aviod all of this.
I appologize for my ranting but I hope maybe I can save you several hundred headaches (and dollars).