Archetype Cosmetics

[Annalese24]

Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

Hello everyone. I feel the need to vent my story about this company ripping me off so that no one else has to experience what I have been going through. Like many of you I saw these pigments and I was like OMG I have to have these. I did my research and granted I knew about the long waiting period but I placed my order. My order was placed on 10/04/2009 and as of today I have NOT received my order.

Over the past 2 weeks I have sent 6 emails and I even went to great lengths to get Holly's cell phone number and I called and left a message and I have not received a phone call back or a email. I will start disputing the charges with my bank. I feel like I have been taken advantaged of and duped by this company. They are DEFRAUDING people and it is not fair that they get to take peoples hard earned money and you get nothing in return. Please if you are thinking about ordering from this company... don't.

Sorry for the rant but I had to get this off of my chest. I do not believe in bad mouthing companies unless you do something terrible to me.... like take my money and not give me anything in return. Granted I will file a dispute to my credit card, but that will not take away the frusteration and dissapointment this company has caused.

Hugs and Kisses,

Annalese

 

[cazgh]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

This is not the same company but our student make up kits have been ordered from Art Deco in Liverpool UK, and they have taken it upon themselves to reduce the items in the kit - despite the college having no knowledge of this. When you do get through to them they just say, oh yeah it will be out next week.

How low to rob from students???

Crooks.

Hope you get your money back anyway... Just thought I'd let you know your not alone

 

[ciaobonefish]

So... I ordered from them in July and got my order in late October... The processing time was supposedly 3-4 weeks at the time. AND they gave me a sample of something instead of a small size like I ordered. I didn't contact them about it because I was sick of dealing with not getting responses (I had sent them about 5 emails about my order previously and never got a reply).

BUT... I love their products... It is a shame that I had a trying experience with them. Not bad exactly because they weren't rude and DID give me some lip gloss samples extra with my order, but it wasn't good either. I WILL give them another go because I love their eyeshadows so much. Ahhh! It is a good thing their products are so fabulous otherwise I would have been TOTALLY annoyed... I guess I'll have to order and just forget about my order and be pleasantly surprised when it finally comes in lol.

 

[Annalese24]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

When I called it went to voice mail and I was even nice enough to say if you don't want to call me back atleast reply to my emails. This really pisses me off... I hope that someone from their company reads this... I have also posted this on makeupalley.com and one of the girls that responded said there are alot of people who also ordered and didn't receive anything. I just wish I knew where to forward my complaint to, so that if they are really frauding alot of people they can get shut down.

 

[Kragey]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

I placed a $10 order on November 6. I appreciate that she isn't doing this for profit and it's a very tiny cottage industry, and yes, I read that her processing time is 3-6 weeks. But if it's not here within 2 months, she's going to be a world of hurt, because I don't spend money on products I never even catch a whiff of. If they are here within that time frame (which is about 8 weeks, 2 weeks more than what her site says), then mea culpa, and I'll consider buying again if I like the products.

A lot of people HAVE received their items from her, it just took a good bit of time. So I have a hard time saying the entire business is a fraud. I say give her another week or so, then have at it.

 

[kittyartig]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

Her processing and shipping time is definitely insane. I ordered twice last year and both orders took 2 months to get to me, this last order I'm still waiting on. Nov 24th will mark 3 months since I've ordered, and I'm definitely not ordering again. My last two orders she had a girl named Kellie answering her e-mails for her and I didn't have a worry because at least there was contact. This time around I have sent multiple e-mails without a single reponse. Good luck to everyone waiting on an order, I hope she gets around to filling it in a decent amount of time for you!

 

[kittyartig]

I'm glad to read you recieved your order placed in July... I ordered in August and now that I'm getting close to a three month wait I'm getting agitated. Hearing that July orders have made it out makes me feel a bit better.

I'm used to a 2 month wait with Archetype from past orders, 3 months is pushing it for me. I loved their eyeshadow, but this will have to be my last order.

 

[MaskedBeauty]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

I've never heard of this cosmetics company before. Does it have a website or does anyone have more information about them so I can read about the company??

 

[Kragey]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaskedBeauty I've never heard of this cosmetics company before. Does it have a website or does anyone have more information about them so I can read about the company??

Here's the website: ArchetypeCosmetics.com Mineral Makeup

There is also an Archetype Cosmetics thread here at Specktra: http://www.specktra.net/forum/f265/a...smetics-90125/

 

[Parched]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

There wasn't an update on her website the last time I checked, but I ordered on November 6.

I was prepared to wait, but after 3.5 weeks I decided to make a second order, to cheer me up in a few weeks after the first. With this order, in the "special instructions" field, I put something like,"Please email with an estimated turn around time. Thanks!"

Nothing for a week. So I emailed them directly from their site asking about TAT. I was friendly in both messages.

I received BOTH my orders this morning, one day shy of a month since my first order placed. I don't know if it is just the normal turn around time, or because of my messages, but it appears they are still alive.

I love my samples, btw. They are amazing, just as everyone is saying. One of my samples was wrong, but I ordered 43 of them, and it isn't a big deal either way.

 

[Parched]

I ordered November 6, and again a few weeks later. I got both orders this morning, December 5.

That's a long wait, but not nearly as long as I was afraid it would be.

 

[shatteredshards]

You got your orders in under a month? I wonder if all of the July-August-September-October orders went out them - my guess is not.

 

[Meisje]

I think this is what she should do:

1. Raise prices so that a profit is being made.
Everyone agrees the shades are unique and are blown away by the quality and beauty of the makeup. They're hand-crafted, not repackaged. There is no good reason why they shouldn't turn a profit. I'm sure she would feel less swamped and more relaxed if all this work was actually giving her something besides creative satisfaction. She's selling something worthy, so it's silly to short-change herself, and if her stuff is so great that people are willing to make a second order after such crappy service --- just charge a sensible amount for it. It's a business.

2. Create a solid process for accepting, filling and shipping orders that makes sense both time-wise and customer service wise. Every purchase gets the same treatment in the same order, in the same timeframe. She could also look at streamlining by doing things like shipping only two days a week (or investing in postal equipment so she can print her own labels --- not sure how that work in the US but in Canada you can get a scale and software and just drop the packages in any mailbox without even going to the PO).

3. Pre-enlist staff to help during busy times so that there's no scrambling and interruption of order fulfillment. Instead of waiting until it gets overwhelming.

4. Pay more attention to customer service. This not responding to emails is sooo bad. It seems to me like most of you would have been content just to get a reply even if your order was late. There should also be set timeframes for responding to emails. ie, we will respond within 48 hours. And these policies should be on the site, and there should be instructions for what to oo if things aren't handled (instructions that actually get results for the customer... it's fine to promise your phone number but if you're never going to email with it then it's all just pointless).


_________________________

You guys seem so enchanted with the products, I just don't understand why she'd make herself miserable running a business for no profit.

Would you all rather she just raise prices if it meant orders would come in a timely manner? I'm curious.

 

[shatteredshards]

I have to say that it is rather easy to get postal equipment and manage it from home in the US - I purchased a used postal scale off of eBay years ago (a stamps.com one too, so it's solid) for pretty cheap, I think with shipping it was around $20? Anywho, I get plenty of use out of it, and I don't even sell on eBay anymore. Whenever I have a package to go out I just weigh it, plug it in to the usps.com postage calculator, and slap some stamps on it.

However, my local post office also sells a couple different models of electronic postal scales (and it is a pretty small post office), and PayPal has that built in print postage feature for when you make a physical product sale, and that's fairly easy to use.

I also have to say that usps.com has a request a pickup feature, and they will take First Class packages in the pickup as long as you have at least one Priority Mail or Express Mail package in the group. You just have to tell them how many packages and the approximate total weight, and they'll grab them from your front step or whatever the next day.

I believe at one time she had a hired staff of some kind, an assistant, and from what it sounds like, things went a lot smoother when she was there...orders went out faster, emails got answered.

I, for one, totally back her raising the prices if she can get the order process worked out, and would definately purchase from her should she do so. Right now, I don't feel safe in giving her any orders, because the service is such a mess.

 

[kittyartig]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

I've been perfectly nice in email messages to her for over 3 months now and still no response and my order hasn't arrived. Even her regular TAT put me over the dispute time for paypal so there's nothing I can do now but keep emailing and emailing.

 

[Zoe E]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

ah dammit!! i was just drooling over their site, but now i am afraid to order from them! i CANNOT STAND long waits for an order!! i want instant gratification (well, almost instant

) and not hearing a word for 3 months?! oh hellz noe!! i think ill go w/ she space instead. thanks for the heads up!!

 

[Nicala]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

Hmm.. you can always try to file a dispute with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and see if that fixes anything and if its even a legit business. :/

Receiving an order in 2 months is absurd but more than that and no response? Seriously? What type of business are they trying to run??

 

[Flowitu]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

Actually, Archetype cosmetics is a FRAUD. Anyone saying they're not are just fooled by that SOME customers got their stuff after countless months. It's soemthing called False security.

My experience: I rad somewhere that her email was answered by Archetype in May or June, so I did email them three times and they all answered within reasoanble timeframe. I was pleased then, ashamedly. and my order arrived under two months. My second one, however, went DOWNHILL. They answered nothing to my 8+ emails I asked them after 2 months of my payment.

if anyone's reading this, it's not okay for them to ignore customers' emails. We are not the first they ignored and we are not the last. Check out Makuptalk - mineral makeup forum and see how many angry customers were let down by Archetype's nonexistent customer service. At least hire somebody to answer emails. If they can't handle it, I suggest they close down their business. Simple as that.

 

[InspiredBlue]

Re: Archetype cosmetics are a rip off

I don't see how this discussion is any different from the quite huge thread on Archetype that exists in this forum.

 

[Kragey]

One of the ups of Archetype is the incredible but prices. But even if she has to double that, I'd be all for it for faster processing time and actual customer service.