Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/31/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I sent a tallit (a Jewish prayer shawl) to Jan at Kippah Design. She designed a portion of a garment for me in the past that I was happy with so I trusted her to alter the width of this tallit. The first time she didn't follow my instructions on how much to narrow it, but she said if I sent it back, she'd take it in some more. This time she was able to take it into the width I needed - however, when she contacted me to tell me it was finished, she also mentioned she had to replace the corner squares on the garment because the ones she removed during alteration were too ragged. She sent me a photo and I was very unhappy with the color choice. It was originally a maroon red and she felt that was "too masculine" so she used an orange shade. She sent the tallit back to me and that's when I saw that she had replaced ALL of the red color with the orange. This tallit was a gift from someone who is deceased. I never imagined that she'd make sure a drastic change without consulting me. It's ruined and now I have nothing to wear for his upcoming memorial service, as well I have to live with the knowledge that this beautiful garment is ruined beyond repair. Not only that, but this tallit was part of a set of religious garments and now all of them are unusable because of the change in color.If the ribbon needed to be replaced, I could've found a favorable color, but I was not consulted at all.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/07/2023

  Complaint is inaccurate.  The original manufacturer of the tallit sewed the trims, corners and neckband on with a thick, dense satin stitch in metallic thread which was nearly impossible to remove. However, I worked on it for several hours and was able to get the pieces off. I altered it, provided embroidery for the neckband and completly remodeled it with a new lining. At no time did she specify what width she wanted it altered to (and she admitted that this was "on her.") After sending it back, She contacted me and said the work was impeccable but it was too wide, and asked if I could make it even narrower.  I said I would try, but having been taken apart once, the trims and corners were in poor condition and could not be salvaged. I used brand new wool from my own inventory and made her a completely new tallit. However, the dark brick red trims in the original could not be re-used.  They were frayed and had holes in the center from where the ritual strings had been tied.  I searched 5 different stores for a match but no one had it. Many people I have sewed for in the past have trusted my eye to choose a color fabric or thread that matches, and that is what I did. I picked out a *********************** ribbon (a color that was in another part of the trim) and replaced it.  Had ******************** ever told me the importance of the original color, I would not have selected something else. But she NEVER did, nor did she ever give me the date when she needed it back, but told me on several occasions that she was not in a hurry.  After I sent the new garment back to her, she said the red color was the most important part and she was unhappy and couldn't wear it to some event. I have gone above and beyond to please her and, at this point, if she wants a refund of the 2nd payment she made tp me in the amount of $150, I will give that back and take the financial loss.  I have no other obligation or responsibility to her.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:

  I've attached an email to Kippah Design from me on May 14, right before I mailed the tallit. As you can see where Ive highlighted, I do specify a width. I had accepted her word that I was to blame, but after her response here, I went through our entire email chain and see that I did specify before I ever sent the tallit.  The mistake was not mine. I did tell her the width I wanted, so her statement that I did not is a lie.

  Initially there was no rush (when I sent this in May), as I understood it would be 2-4 weeks. I had a memorial service in August and I committed to it after her assurances that the work was almost done. 
  

  I dont care what her other clients have done. I asked for modifications to the width and the width only. That she changed the color to a hideous orange because red was too masculine is unacceptable. Its ruined now and the person who gave it to me is deceased and there is nothing I can do to get it back.
  

  Since I have proven that I specified a width before the initial work was started, I shouldnt have had to send it back, thus the garment wouldnt have been ruined.
  I think Im entitled to a full refund.