Scam Store: Chloe Micallef (Caramel Syndrome Storenvy)

Hello everyone! Recently i've had an extremely unpleasant experience with a Storenvy store that some of you may have heard of called Caramel Syndrome. I'd like to share with you what happened so you don't have to experience the same thing when shopping online.

I have been shopping online for about three years now and had never experienced anything like this, so i had come to take for granted the honesty + integrity of most independent sellers. For this reason, don't be put off from buying from small sellers on sites such as eBay, Etsy and Storenvy but do be very careful when parting with your hard-earned cash.

The owner of this store, Chloe Micallef, stole a total of $44.40 from me in total. This may not seem like a lot to some people. However, being a student on very small loan and little financial support from my parents, I have to work 20 hours a week alongside my studies just to afford food, rent and buy the things that i review on this blog.

Chloe Micallef

I purchased two velvet bow garters for $44.40 (including $4.50 shipping which seemed very reasonable). Caramel Syndrome had a lot of sales so i assumed that it was a legitimate store. Also when i realised i ordered the wrong size, i e-mailed her my problem and she e-mailed me back very quickly which made me even less doubtful. The FAQ stated that orders outside of the USA would take up to around 8 weeks. I figured this would be fine because a lot of stock on Storenvy is just re-sold from Taobao which is based in China. As you can see the status is still 'Awaiting Shipment'... 

I waited 8 weeks and still my items didn't arrive. At this point i was worried so i sent Chloe Micallef two e-mails, neither of which she replied to. 

I found out the store had actually closed. Chloe Micallef said she closed it herself, but when i turned to Storenvy for help they stated that they had in fact shut her down because she failed to reply to numerous attempts to contact her.

I did a little bit of investigation and managed to find Chloe Micallef's Tumblr. I sent her numerous messages asking her to give my money back. Most of the messages were ignored and the couple she did reply to she promised my refund. She lied. I still haven't got my money back.

In the last message i sent her, i asked her why she couldn't just refund everyone and issue an apology to her customers. I also said i thought it was disgusting behaviour to steal money. The fact she didn't reply to this message even just to defend herself adds insult to injury and also shows lack of respect to her customers and herself.

Another example of Chloe Micallef's attitude:

I will NEVER be purchasing anything from Chloe Micallef in the future and i urge that no-one else risk their money doing so. I have seen other people have had the same problem as well.

Check out this post for staying safe on Storenvy by bombisbomb.

If you have not received your items from Caramel Syndrome, you can try contacting Chloe Micallef here, but she has probably already spent it on clothes she shows off on YouTube:

http://pepperminthime.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chloeee.marie

Let me know your experiences with this store - was it any good?

Thank you for reading,

ami ♡

Creepyyeha store ♡

Hello lovelies! Today I'd like to share what i think about the accessories i bought from Creepyyeha. She sells a range of handmade creepy+cute accessories including chokers, garters, belts + arm bands that she designs herself! You can visit her store here.

I first paid for my order on the 10th September. I originally ordered the black mini heart garter + the o ring heart pin in pink. The shipping cost $23.95 for USPS shipping with tracking to the UK (although you can ask for a cheaper non-tracked shipping). A few days later i changed my mind + asked if i could have the pair of double head garters instead of the black mini heart garter on her tumblr. She was really lovely about it + quick to reply. About two weeks later i asked if i could also add the bellbaby choker in black to my order. Again, she was lovely, replied quickly + sent me an invoice through PayPal for the additional item. I ended up receiving the order in a big bubble envelope on the 1st October, which i was very pleased with!

Everything was wrapped neatly in a lovely black mesh bag inside the envelope - it's great to keep the accessories tidy and protected. They are really good quality and well-made too - you can hardly tell they are handmade!

Bellbaby Choker ~ $22 ♡

"Made with velvet, layered satin ruffling, silver, flowers, silver bell, small knobs and velvet ribbon for closure."

Pair of Double Head Garter ~ $40 ♡

"Silver suspender head with leather, garter clip, satin bow and round studs."

O ring Heart Pin ~ $15 ♡

"Wooden heart 1.5x1.5inches with O ring screw back and satin bow"

See you later, lovelies!

ami ♡

Storenvy: Brave store polka dot socks + cherry clip ♡

Hello everyone! Firstly I'd like to apologize for not posting in awhile as I've had a lot of work to do over the Summer holidays! :{ Luckily I now have almost two weeks free to relax and make lots of little posts to make up for it :D

Today will be a small Storenvy post about Brave Store! They are based in China and Australia and sell cute accessories and clothes. I bought the transparent socks in black polka dot and the cherry bow clip in pink stripe which cost me $8.00 each.

I made my order on the 4th July 2013 and they were shipped out the very next day! I received a dispatch e-mail stating that the estimated delivery time will be 15-25 days and that the items may be shipped separately. Shipping cost to the UK was just $5.00. I received the socks on the 15th July which I was very pleased with. However, after 25 days from the dispatch date I still hadn't received the clip so I e-mailed the store. They replied, saying that many packages were being delivered late due to stricter customs. I received the clip on the 6th August. I'd sayoverall the shipping and communication were quite good considering the cost and distance, but I wouldn't recommend relying on it if you want you purchases by a specific date.

Transparent socks ~ $8.00 ♡

I'm really loving the socks and shoes combo at the moment, and look out for anything frilly or transparent with cute patterns. I bought these socks in black polka dots and they look much like the picture. They are really cute but there are also some down sides. The polka dots are a little uneven and there is some dye transfer on the transparent parts. They are also very small - I would only recommend these for girls with shoe size UK 3/4 or smaller.

Cherry bow clip ~ $8.00 ♡

I've seen a lot of girls online sporting these style of cherry clips and I wanted to give them a try! The design of these are just adorable and look great worn. However, like the socks, they did have small problems with them. For example, some of the hot glue that is used is visible. Also, the clip I received the cherries were glued off-centre which is a bit annoying. Overall, though, they are really cute.

Overall, I would recommend this store for accessories. Of course you always have to be wary of the quality of items you will receive when buying stuff from China, but the cute designs can make up for it. 

Some other cute stuff I may purchase!

Thank you for reading!

ami ♡

Storenvy: Syndrome sweetie heels ♡

Hello! I think I have a crazy shoe shopping addiction recently and I'll be showing you another pair in this post today! >w< I bought these Sweetie Heels from the SYNDROME Storenvy!

I ordered these on the 4th July, they were dispatched on the 13th July from China and I received them on the 17th July so shipping is pretty good! The shoes cost $35 and they are $15 to ship on their own to the UK. They came wrapped in fabric inside a taped box and plastic wrap. The box was a little squished but the shoes were fine. :D

They look pretty much like the photos, just with a few more imperfections but no scratches or anything serious. I think they're so cute in real life! I'm a shoe size UK 4 so I ordered a 37 and it fits like a glove with no slipping at the back which I normally have problems with. Even though they're high heels I find them really easy to walk in and comfortable. They're well-made and are easy to put on and take off with the metal closure. I like how they look with thin lace-trim socks.

 

Bye-byeee! :B 

ami ♡