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Tetramode: Looks nice but don't expect to get what you purchased...

Friday, May 29, 2020 17:47

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This wasn’t the post I had wanted to make after so many weeks. My final grades were just filed yesterday and I’m in the middle of a few recipes and yet this is a review that’s needed. Not just to warn folks about a company, but to highlight all the other small business owners struggling right now. Some are struggling to stay afloat and others are struggling to keep up with demand. Yet, so many of them are doing the right thing.

Tetramode is a company that may be struggling to stay afloat. They most certainly are facing some internal struggle to do the right thing. They may be trying, but as Old Master Yoda tells us…

Brief background. My husband is the social media guru. I can barely fenagle Facebook, let alone Twitter or the horrors of Instagram. He’s been a fan of the art of Samuel and Cate Farrand for a few years. Despite my experience with their company, they have some spectacular visionary art and according to their About Us page, they are community activists and “recently have taken a stand against Ocean Pollution.” Whatever that means….

Way back on April 3^rd, at the height of the pandemic in NY and NJ, when we were trying to make sure we had enough to eat, when I was trying to figure out wtf distance learning was, when I was sending food bank and suicide prevention information to my students, my husband saw Tetramode’s ad posted to social media. The company was offering their cloth face masks at cost. Until he saw their ad, the masked reality we’re all now living in never occurred to us (well, except for those Liberate folks but the rest of us rational people who now wear masks to protect each other).

We decided to order some for us and for my toddler nieces, the eldest of whom is immunocompromised. We ordered a total of 8 masks, 5 adult and 3 child-sized. This was our first order of something that wasn’t food or toilet paper in some time.

Massive pile of adult masks. All clearly marked 8 inches.

We knew at the start that Tetramode had gotten slammed by orders. There were messages online and a note in our order confirmation that because of the high volume, there would be delays in processing. We were so pleased with the idea of our order and were so appreciative of the company that when we got our stimulus check, we again made a purchase from them, this time of clothing. That order was in mid-April.

Consistent readers and those who know hubby and I know we aren’t made of money. If anything, we’re working poor– and that’s before the current depression we’re all standing on the brink of. I’m the sole income earner in my household and I’m an adjunct lecturer. When we do have extra cash to use, we try to lend support to local businesses, artists, and other folks like us– trying to get by, trying to do a little more than just survive. To plunk down the money we did for masks and then, when we saw we could use a few items of clothing, we went back to Tetramode to do our shopping. For what we spent, we should have gotten a little more courtesy and accommodation. So disconnect #1 with the Tetramode team, which according to their About Us consists of just the artists Samuel and Cate:

“The couple works night & day to offer their customers the very best quality in clothing, customer service and and to give their users an enjoyable web experience. Tetramode is ran & operated entirely by Sam & Cate.”

Writing teacher that I am, I have to say: is RUN and operated. Or just remove the clutter entirely and say Tetramode is operated by Sam & Cate. Don’t get me started on all the random capitalization and yet, when they say “entirely” I think– it’s them, with weaving and sewing machines and all that. I can understand a team of 2 taking weeks to fullfill orders.

Nucleus design. I thought it was so cool I ordered pants to match, still haven’t received them yet…

But according to the emails I received regarding my order, they have a manufacturer. This is of course possible. Hubby and I ourselves are small business owners with our micro-micro indie press Myth Ink Books. Since we don’t own a printing press, we rely on manufacturers for that. But then we don’t make claims to be the elves making the books. But, I’ll step back from that because after all, the Tetramode team thought “is ran” was just swell.

Finally, after weeks of waiting and watching the production status– which we were able to view on our account on the Tetramode site– the masks were received April 30^th. All 8 masks…. 8 adult masks. There were no child-sized masks in the order.

That began a saga of emails, from me politely pointing out the error and querying the company’s mistake, followed by emails from them– vaguely signed with their form signature:

“Much love, Samuel and Cate Farrand www.tetramode.com”

– emails that started well but devolved over the next several weeks into what I can only describe as gaslighting.

The first email was appreciative of our business, humble, and apologetic for the error, but I was told:

“As a temporary fix you can just tie a knot so the masks can fit comfortably, meanwhile we will get you out a replacement ASAP.”

That was on April 30^th. More than a week went by and no replacement masks were received. So disconnect #2 for Sam and Cate. I emailed on May 11^th for an update and in their reply, they questioned my ability to understand the difference between 5 inches and 8 inches, questioned my truthfulness in having received incorrect masks, and told me the only difference between the size of the adult and child-sized masks had to do with the elastic.

Right. That’s what I really appreciate, the condescending tone and questioning my ability to know shapes, sizes, and measurements. So Disconnect #3.5 for the Tetramode team.

After a few email back & forths, where I my polite tone became more straightforward and defended the fact that yeah, I know how to measure things and no I’m not confused about the different sizes. I had sent pictures of everything I received. I repeatedly asked who I was communicating with and asked for confirmation that I’d be sent replacements, with a request for a tracking number. They refused to address me as anything other than the first part of my email address, (so what are we on, Disconnect #9.75?). They refused to respond to any of those specific queries, but I did get an email, sort of in the same tone as that very first one– apologetic and appreciative. I was offered a refund for the 3 child-sized masks I didn’t receive, along with a promise that I’d get replacements anyway.

I didn’t expect to receive any replacements. But, they sent something. Hubby opened the package to find 2 masks, one adult and one child-sized, with a packing slip that clearly has the child-sized information, with a repetition of Quantity 1 three times. Maybe that slip was filled out by the “is ran” person.

Latest packing slip

I again emailed, but noted there really was no point in prolonging this. I enclosed images of what I received with the packing slip. But, their reply, addressed to “jessicaburke23”, pointed to the second order (the hoodies) which we might expect in the next week or so– almost 2 months after we ordered them. So their confusion and inability to review prior communication, make that Disconnect #42 just for a nice round number.

What we received were sort of decently made. I mean they look cool– but that’s the design– and they do wash ok, but only on cold, handwash, low heat or drip dry. I have noted that although the adult masks all say 8 inches, some are larger than others and they leave gaps, so I’m not sure how protected I am when I’m wearing them. So, the one time I wore one in public, I had a bandanna as backup. There’s an inconsistency in some part of their manufacturing process, along with inconsistencies in their ability to communicate with customers, plus their verb tense agreement issues. I do hope the hoodies are better.

I know in the scheme of all the chaos and loss this isn’t even small potatoes. I can’t call this company fraudulent, just overwhelmed and somewhere someone seriously dropped and then decimated the proverbial ball. Maybe they can learn and do better. Their art is still amazing, although I’d like to know what more they’re doing aside from just taking a stand against Oceanic polluting. They do have some fundraising with each purchase, and make the claim on their site that:

I’m fine with the first 2. But the others I’m not sure about since anyone can make a claim about anything. I mean, purchasing our latest book supports 2 small businesses– Myth Ink Books and Crytpocurium, but I could also say by purchasing our book you’re helping to defeat Flat Earthers and bring forth the Elder Gods. But whatevs.

We have yet to receive any refund, but maybe that will take a few days to process.

I have to take a moment to thank all the incredible, wonderful brilliant small business owners who have shouldered some serious burdens in all this chaos that we’ve been facing. We wouldn’t be the country we are without them and I do hope that all those who’ve folded can manage to resurrect themselves. As I said before, there have been many that we’ve relied on– from simple household goods to a few simple pleasures. There were some problems with orders– like a smashed bottle of honey from Florida and delays in herbal supplies. But, each time the company was helpful and accommodating. In all my years of buying local and from craftsmen and women, I really haven’t had an experience like this. The last issue I had with a company, Holy Clothing, which I wrote about a few years back, turned into a positive experience and they’re now my go-to place if I have need of a new flouncy bit for my wardrobe. I corresponded with that company, including their CEO, expressed my concerns, and they in turn became more transparent regarding their own efforts (which were already in place just not visible) to be sustainable and support their workers by providing healthcare and competitive wages in a world that often uses sweatshop labor.

Again, I wish Tetramode the best. Maybe they can learn from this. But, regardless, I won’t be a customer again and they’ve soured any pride I might’ve taken in wearing any of their designs– which I have yet to receive. Like I said, we made a larger purchase from them, but that was 6 weeks ago and still nothing. Crikey, I ordered a hand-tailored fleece jacket from a seamstress in England and that got here quicker than 2 hoodies that should be shipping from one state away.

Just on the off chance that they do an edit…

Source: http://www.green-and-growing.com/2020/05/tetramode-looks-nice-but-dont-expect-to.html

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