Not Everything is Free!

So, tonight I got a message on Etsy from someone who claimed to make felted soaps, and wanted some samples of my soap.

I was excited, hoping to be able to make just a couple bucks from a small custom order and maybe get a repeat customer (I'm trying to save up money for a plane ticket to visit my parents this summer, hopefully over my mom's 53rd birthday). I responded that I'd gladly make samples for her if I could be compensated for the small cost that I'd otherwise be eating from shipping and materials.

So, shortly after, I got a response from the original message-sender, saying that she's looking at other soap sellers as well, and "can't afford to buy samples from everyone" and noted that she only wants my soaps if she can get it for free.

Yeah... I'm going to spend *my* night and *my* money making and shipping stuff to someone who didn't even introduce themselves to me properly and doesn't even want to pay for a measly $1-2 shipping cost.

Ugh... the tactlessness of people.

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12 replies since 3rd May 2011 • Last reply 3rd May 2011

Reply #1:

What a weirdo!
$2 is almost nothing. And than almost demand that you make and send it for free.

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Reply #2:

Yeah! I was really ticked off that I even spent time replying to this dillweed. I mean, this person is probably just going to scam someone into sending them half their shop's inventory at cost, then resell it for way more without giving the original crafter due credit.

I don't care how much or little money she has for buying other people's soaps... she can stick to her dollar store bargain soaps because I have a feeling I'm not the only one she's tried to message that feels this way.

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Reply #3:

Wow how weird is that! Lol I bet she was just trying to get stuff for free most people I have seen that make felted soaps also make the soaps themselfs. I wonder why she was trying to "buy" soap to felt. Hummmm that does sound a bit off!

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Reply #4:

I know! I'd expect a soap felter to make their own felt, especially since she gave me the reason that "some soaps don't sud up right" when they're felted. You know, I could almost understand that, except the only soaps that don't make suds are soaps that are being used in unsoftened water, or soaps that have been left in a dried-out shower for too long. I have a feeling that she's either a really bad scammer, or just doesn't know how to felt a bar of soap properly.

The tackiest part of it is that she sent the message attached to a soap that has absolutely no fragrance. Every soap felter I've seen has always used scented soaps to go along with their bright felting patterns.

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Reply #5:

That's lame!
On the up side I'd never heard of felted soap and I think it's pretty neat! lol Does the felt become a sort of wash cloth?

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Reply #6:

Yep, felted soap is pretty much exactly that. Some people call it "Soap in a jacket" which I think is a pretty nifty term. I think there are a couple postings of it here on CO+K.

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Reply #7:

felted soaps are cool, but I have a feeling this person is taking the samples and reselling

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Reply #8:

I looked at all of the sales from the shop she messaged me from, and they only thing she and her "mom" sell and have sold are really junky, mass-produced pendants... so I'm thinking she's either trying to be a reseller, or just wants to have nice soap for free.

Either way, all I have to say is "opportunities are like soap bubbles, and I hope all of hers get washed down the drain."

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Reply #9:

Years ago I was selling earrings to girls at my school, and my earrings were priced rather well including labor, expenses, and profit. Anyways, people kept telling me to sell them for a dollar! This reminded me of that experience. People seem to think more about them selves and not other people's time, effort, and money.(hopefully that made sense). But that's really weird, scammers...ugh!

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Reply #10:

People are crazy. I have a ton of nieces 5 years old and under any I always make them stuff for their birthdays and whenever I do my other sisters chime in that they want me to make the same thing for their kids. And they keep sending me links of stuff or requesting I make stuff for their kids- its a little out of control.

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Reply #11:

Indeed. I really don't understand what makes people think they can just waltz in and have what they want from someone for nothing or next to nothing.

Reminds me of this chick that started sitting by me in Geography about a month ago... I sat in the same place for the entire semester. One day, I came in just a couple minutes before class started, and sat down where I always do. She had the nerve to look at her dippy friends and say, "I *knew* she was going to sit there, oh my god." I almost belted out, 'What the *swear* place are you from where you think I give even a fraction of a *swear* to let you and your wasteful self take up two freakin sits in a 40-person class?!' Ugh. I hate self-centered people.

That being said, there's a time and a place for being selfish... but it's not in a 200-level geography course or on a site like Etsy, or during someone else's birthday.

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Reply #12:

wow someone is imature, girls like that. geeze. I did the same in Uni. Who really cares

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