I know I should be paying the bills right now and I’ll get to it. But I’m annoyed right now and still about an incident well over 10 years ago ~ I bought my mother in law ruby red slippers. If you know her name you would know how clever that is. (Evidently I’m not smart. I’m clever. According to one ex.) “CUSTOM” handmade, felted to her exact size. I don’t think she would mind me telling you she has big feet. Which is neither here nor there. I ordered them 3 months before Christmas. The slippers arrived looking very snazzy I’m told but for one small detail. The custom handmade slippers came, miniature.
I had been communicating with the seller for months explaining the import of this gift. I told her ALL about my mother in law. That she was a writer and an academic. That she had retired. I wanted something extraordinary and comfortable and effortless for her to slip on. Something she would never buy herself, something luxurious for an 85 year old woman. What arrived were instructions on how to customize micro slippers and growing directions on how to make them form fitting. The recipient was to put the Barbi sized slippers on (so tiny they wouldn’t even fit on my big toe) and stick feet thus into a bowl of water and let soak for 15 minutes.
Then to walk around with sopping wet slippers which may have to be repeated in future months? PROBLEM. First of all I can barely reach my feet. My belly has grown in scope since you last saw me. I can’t imagine my mother in law while naturally diminutive, at her age she shouldn’t have to reach. I told the seller I need to return these to you after they get returned to me. Dorothy doesn’t want them. She’s already posted them back to me. I asked the seller who was very unruffled why didn’t she mention this soaking detail in her listing?
She was unwilling to refund my custom order. I contacted ETSY and appealed to them to intercede on my behalf. I had to submit a folder of documentation to headquarters in NY. I tried to be succinct and offered what I thought was the most germane information. A copy of the listing that never mentioned that the slippers would not come to custom size ordered. A copy of tedious 2 page sizing instructions that would have to be repeated. Aren’t they an important detail? I even went to the shoe store and found size 6 shoes with a huge size 6 tag and photographed them next to the size 10 tiny finger puppet ruby slippers. Further evidence, pictures of the the ruby red slippers inside a “Brannock” measuring device and still lost.
CICCI 