I didn't expect that my original review on the dress I was sent to review from Style Me Celeb would cause so much attention! You know what happened next & I thought that would be the last I'd be saying on the 'Dress Drama'. It's not that often that a give a negative review - I can probably count on one hand the amount of negative posts I have given in 3 years of blogging - usually if I find something a bit blah then I don't write about it unless it's really good (or really bad).
Well...it's now 1am on Thursday and I have loads to do - preview for an interview, travel to London - which in it's self is a 8 hour round trip, write some articles, blog posts (if I have time?!), pack for my trip to Spain....as well as lots of other things on my long 'to do list'! And to top it off I'm not feeling that well so not in the best mood which is probably why I'm writing this as I feel the need to vent my frustration!
Just to update you further as I mentioned that when I was rang by Murray he asked me to send back the dress (to be sent out to someone else who knows?!) so I agreed and he would be sending me the postage costs. So this evening Murray (after 11pm I should add) made some more sarky comments at me publicly on Twitter so I sent my Paypal details so he can send the postage costs. He asked when I would be sending back the dress, I am away for the next week London/Spain so I said it definitely won't be this week, but will be the week after. He replied saying he needed a definite date as he would be contacting the police as I had effectively stolen a £130 dress (was £119 actually) !!!
To be completely honest I have no obligation to send the dress back as it was gifted to me to review, but since I have nothing to gain from keeping the dress and I am a decent sort of person I agreed to send it back. As you know I have a lot on this next week and returning the dress is not on top of my list of priorities! Maybe if Murray's attitude had been a little better in dealing with the matter and instead of calling my review a 'joke' and that 'I had written the review out of spite' then maybe I would have gone out of my way to return the dress next day. If I really was a spiteful person then I would of refused to return the dress and binned it surely?
Let me get this straight, I was sent a dress to review and because I have given an honest but negative review they want the dress back and because I can't send it back next day delivery they accuse me of stealing it and want to contact the police! Brilliant! I am shocked with how unprofessional they have been, their PR approach is appalling and I'm baffled as to why they would want to publicly humiliate themselves even more and cast their own company in such bad light! They have also sadly shown how badly they treat bloggers in this not to mention potential customers. It's clear that the company have no idea about how influential bloggers are and insulting blogger's and their reviews is not going to score any brownie points! If they hadn't already proven what a ridiculous and unprofessional company they run...they certainly have now!
Oh before Murray replies to this in the comments with the link to Chole from TOWIE wearing one of Style Me Celeb dresses in the Daily Mail I'll save him the trouble - Chole looked good in the dress I have to say but I wonder if she had to return her dress??
Really a 3rd post on 'dress drama'?
ReplyDeleteI must say I have been following you both on twitter and in the same respect that it's not professional for a company to openly tweet someone on a blogger/pr matter it's also not professional for a blogger to retailiate in a similar way. You could of quite easily ignored the tweets and DM'd the company or sent them an e-mail. But instead you decided to argue back and include others in it - not professional.
And before you reply stating that this isn't your full time job etc I do feel (as a blogger myself)that if you are going to PR events and making money from ads then you do have to be somewhat professional with PR's and companies.
I think someone needs to stop being a drama llama about it now, send the dress back as agreed and accept that it didn't work out and not carry this on via your blog just to gain the support of others and also maybe more pageviews!
Exactly this. You can not keep constantly tweeting links to these posts then say that people shouldn't be responding in the comments.
DeleteWhile this situation has shown how dreadful some companies can be, you are not without blame (seriously, how long to do a review?!) and both sides are only showing their unprofessionalism the more you both drag this out publicly.
I have to agree and I was someone that was on your side at the start. There really is no point in carrying this on.
DeleteAgree, agree, agree!! Off course people are going to read and comment if you keep tweeting links! Drrr.
DeleteThreatening to call the police over this was childish and very unprofessional on thir part (and they have no case against you, btw).
DeleteDear annoy (Murray)
DeleteI havent been unproffessional at all - I tried to keep it all over email but Murray decided to post publicy on twitter and his blog calling me a joke, spiteful and a theif! so of course I'm going to respond as I'm not having that by anyone and especially from someone representing a company! This is my blog so I will be not told what I can and can't write! Normally I dont respond to dramas and don't get involved but in this case I felt I had to tell you about my experience as it's so wrong - I'm not ungrateful or big headed for being sent things to review! I'm not dragging this out but felt the need to share the outbursts Murray came out with last night as they were so ridiculous! x
Oh dear 1st anon here just to say I 100% promise I am a beauty blogger as I state and defintely not Murray. I of course don't know who the other anon comments are from though.
DeleteI really do not think you are the baddie in this but really do think you need to stop about it now.
Whats your beauty blog? Why are you posting as annoy?
DeleteI don't believe it's fair to tell someone to just not defend themselves, especially if someone continues to be negative like murray has. This is her blog, any blogger out there would do the same, especially one that cares about her reputation. Saying that, at one point I guess it's better to just ignore an idiot like murray, trust me, his company has been branded in such a negative light after this, that I'm sure through this they've lost a fair amount of business. So close this chapter and move on. You have a lot of people who still support you!
DeleteBecause I actually don't want you tweeting about me and I know how honesty from another blogger probably would be frowned upon really.
DeleteOh for crying out loud woman, stop your bloody wittering and just post back the bloody dress! You go on about how unproffessional they are but have you heard yourself?! You are just as bad. I really don't like the small minority of bloggers like you who i feel have let the 'blogging power' go to your heads. Most bloggers if given something to review and don't like it either don't review it, or just give a quick review and it's over. Yes i know, i know what a crazy thought eh??!! I think that you have done yourself no favours here and as jusf as bad if not in fact worse. Just my humble opinion from a humble blog reader.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with everyone above and I think you've done what any normal person would have done in the same situation. You're letting people know the bad experience you're having with a company to warn other people in case it happens again. I think you've shown you're the 'bigger person' by sending the dress back, which like you said, you don't have to do as it was sent to you for review. I don't think this has put you in a bad light at all, like people are suggesting, as I don't think you've done anything wrong!! Stick to your guns girly xx
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with you! Well said...
DeleteI love all the anon bloggers giving their point! If you feel that strongly, log in on your google account! Anyways I totally c your point hon- they wouldn't have treated a mag like this (they get a ton of things they don't even feature!) sometimes ppl think we should be insanely grateful for the things we r gifted! Saying that, id get it sent back ASAP just to end drama!
ReplyDeleteWhy do we have to log in? Just because we choose not to leave our names ( i like the othe anon do not want a pack off witches, sorry i mean bloggers tweeting me if i logged into my account! Just because i choose not to declare who i am doesn't change my opinion. If all theses anon comments were praising p.p then would you all have gotten your pants in such a twist?? No.....though not. I am a blog reader. Not murray and not a blogger. I am allowed to have my opinion, even as anon. Let's face it, it's never pretty when you disagree with a blogger but believe it or not the sun DOES NOT shine outta most bloggers backside! From anonn. The humble opinion off a non blogger. Just a humble reader.
DeleteAll you anons sound like one person who's decided to harass someone through the mask of the internet, just sayin.
DeleteI think you should send it back ASAP. You don't want it and they might like to recycle it to someone else. If they do that they should, of course, state the fact and get it cleaned in the interim.
ReplyDeleteIt's wasteful to keep it. I think you have a moral obligation to get shot of it pronto. As you'd 'applied' to review a garment I would have expected you to have posted fairly promptly too. Honestly but within a week for sure.
I'd have described it as it was - warts and all - and returned it. And then steered clear of the company and all their social media output.
But that's me.
I agree - In fact I was told last night that he wanted the dress back to resell! Will it be cleaned? And stated that it's been used on the website? I doubt it x
DeleteBut is that any concern of yours if he has it cleaned or not before listing it for sale? No.
DeleteNot an anon blogger/not Muray just someone that agrees that you are comming across badly not and should stop.
Oh another annoy comment! Maybe if you login to your google account I'd take you seriously...
Deletereads to me like a lot of you had the painters in recently. hahaha
ReplyDeleteShabba
My god, it's your blog and you're allowed to state your own opinions! Those anon commenters are ridiculous! Sorry to hear about the terrible service you've received and thanks for warning the rest of us about it!
ReplyDeleteWhat's most amusing is people posting anonymously on how perfectly polished should stop making such a big deal out of this, yet the anonymous people are really the ones making it such a "drama". It's her blog, a place where she can write whatever she pleases and nobody here is forced to read any of this. If you have a problem with the post and don't agree with it, that's fine, but why contradict yourself and tell people to stop being dramatic, when you are just as bad if not worse?
ReplyDeleteWhat has happened here is appalling and I am glad you have chosen to share your experience with us all because imagine more people having to deal with such a company. I cannot even comprehend how the company can accuse you of stealing?! That is truly ridiculous! I'm sorry for your troubles with the company as it really is a pain and thank you for sharing your story, regardless of what others seem to think. x
I thought the poor review was fair enough (although if I'd received a 'new' item that stank of cigarette smoke, I certainly would have let the sender know immediately). But this ongoing public sniping is not doing you any favours, PP. Draw a line under it now.
ReplyDeleteWow....alot of drama going on. I can totally agree with you. I have myself given bad reviews on items I didnt think were up to standard. If I had gotten comments and tweets from a company like you did I would have but them on blast big style! Now its time to let it all go over your head,send the dress back as soon as you can and let the bad luck go with it. Forget about it and enjoy your time in spain
ReplyDeleteChristine
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with some of the comments above - I'm all for freedom of expression and posting negative reviews (it's your space) but this has become unnecessary and slanderous on both parts now. Be the bigger person; draw a line under it all before he gets what he wants and has an impact on your blog, as you've done on his business.
ReplyDeleteOh hai London Beauty Queen what a surprise a bit of drama kicks off and you have to stick your beak in and make a bitchy comment! FYI Murray is the one who is out of order here and PP is just defending herself as rightly should she's not slandering anyone! It's everyone else making a huge drama out of it, including Murray posting annoy comments - pathetic!
DeleteI totally agree with you PP! What this company did is aweful and when they harass and slander you, you shouldn't have to "grow up" or "take the high road" or "draw a line under it". This is your blog and it is your Twitter and you are allowed to vent and answer to idiocies and false accusations how long and how often you want! I admire the fact that you are not willing to settle for a bad treatment by the company and that you will not just give the dress back silently because you want to avoid drama. You fight back and let us know how the situation unfolds. That's the way I like it!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree its PP's Blog and she has the right to tell her readers her honest opinion and defend herself over a company attacking her so publicly like that on Twitter and her own blog!
DeleteTo Murray/Anon (because you are the same lets face it) You are totally unprofessional and I cannot for the life of me understand how you got this job. You are also extremely childish for leaving anonymous comments. Your PR skills are rubbish (be a good boy and hire a decent one) PP is completely right and completely entitled to post whatever she damn well wants on HER blog including slating you for being a complete arsehole.
ReplyDeleteTbh I wouldn't even pay £50 for that dress and I certainly won't ever be buying anything from your website.
Keep up the good posts PP :)
Dear Perfectly Polished.
ReplyDeleteYou’ve done your job as a blogger and gave your honest opinion. It’s your opinion and it can be good or bad. I also wrote blog posts were I gave a negative opinion, sometimes about the product sometimes about the service. That’s why blogs are so ‘powerful’ because people know it’s true opinion not an advertisement. Unfortunately for the company it wasn’t the best one. However it’s not you that just give the true opinion about the dress, customer service and the company, but the company itself by acting emotionally, unprofessionally on Twitter or even by posting comments or shell I say links to completely not related articles to your blog. Very unprofessional on their side. You can only show that you above that all and just stay calm and move on. If they need this dress so urgently (gonna be probably send to another blogger) than they can arrange currier to pick it up. Let’s hope as well that your SEO is better than theirs (what is more than possible taking to account they PR or lack of it).
I recommend you have a look at this post by LibertyLondonGirl and make sure you look at the comments too. It may make you feel better.
http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2011/08/04/llg-home-moving-into-my-new-home/
Personally I love to hear about poor customer service and complete disregard for professionalism, lets me know what companies to avoid. Also gives me great examples to use in my applications for PR/Marketing grad schemes! Never stop your honest reviews :)
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly I have never read your blog and was sent to it after seeing some of the drama unfold on twitter but after seeing it I think that every blogger should be aware of this situation. This isn't to name and shame Murray and his company but to highlight an issue that any of us could be faced with if we were to give a bad review about a product we were sent.
ReplyDeleteMany people say that the blogging community is one of honesty and community but this highlights that its really not. The Anon bloggers who are commenting should stand up and show who they are, after all they cant love every product they try. What would they say to a PR company if they werent satisfied with one of their reviews?
You were sent a product to review and you did. You are not at fault at all and you are under no obligation to send the dress back unless it was previously stated that they would need it back. A review is personal opinion just because they don't like it doesn't mean that it isn't true. Its a childish approach to their business to ask for it back
Also regarding the posts and tweets on the subject. I would remove them. I understand that you are just trying to highlight the issue to the community but in doing so you are giving the company attention.
I hope everything gets resolved!
kissandcurl.com
You might be interested in reading these! Stylemeceleb.co.uk is owned by HABIB MELLOUL who has been in prison for selling fake copies!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.a-cg.org/guest/pdf/100811UggLovePR.pdf
http://whois.domaintools.com/stylemeceleb.com
OMG!!
Delete