tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post8464171036606959038..comments2023-10-10T05:36:44.371-05:00Comments on Art Jewelry Collective: Fire Mountain Gems RespondsGiftbearerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11698066439644185753noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post-53265037804013760422008-10-22T10:31:00.000-05:002008-10-22T10:31:00.000-05:00Pippit, thanks for this unique series of posts. Th...Pippit, thanks for this unique series of posts. This is recommended reading. I'm glad to see consumers insisting on quality and honesty from their suppliers. Not just with gemstones but with all beads & findings.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the fine work!<BR/><BR/>--<B>Dave<BR/>at Rings & Things</B>Dave Robertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01614289674255522728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post-74602283303690679492008-10-17T23:30:00.000-05:002008-10-17T23:30:00.000-05:00I'm so happy to see someone bring up what I have b...I'm so happy to see someone bring up what I have been thinking for a long time and near and dear to my heart. My first experience purchasing beads from Fire Mountain a couple of years ago was also my last although until recently I did use them for sterling findings. Lovely pictures and descriptions followed by beads that don't live up to the pictures is a real pet peeve of mine and oddly, the reason I started selling online. I take the time to shoot the individual strands before posting. <BR/>I'm afraid Fire Mountain's response is typical of the attitude in business and really our country today. Quality, commitment and hard work are not valued the way they used to be. In our "throw away" world even jewelry isn't collected, valued, treasured and passed on. It's worn for a season and tossed in a land fill. Sad really and it only makes those of us that strive to acheive those values have to work all the harder to overcome the attitudes we are surrounded with. You will make it on shear determination. Good luck and keep writing. I look forward to more articles.<BR/>Lois<BR/>http://www.abeadedaffair.comA Beaded Affairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14879686668952539316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post-15381791727253256202008-10-17T19:13:00.000-05:002008-10-17T19:13:00.000-05:00Yes, me neither. After I stopped buying beads and ...Yes, me neither. After I stopped buying beads and findings from them I used to buy Art Clay Silver because they had the best price on it but that is no longer the case anymore, so now I buy nada! Even so, this fact seems to have escaped them that many have stopped buying (or else they're just "playing dumb)."<BR/><BR/>It could be that the real reason they're going after the hobbyist market is that they are losing customers like us in droves, so they're trying to make up the difference with low-cost/high-volume product.<BR/><BR/>It would be interesting to know how many customers have written them to tell them why they are no longer buying from them or to ask for specific items they are not stocking.<BR/><BR/>They can always attribute it to something else if people just quietly leave. I've seen alot of companies make statements like, "98% of our customers are very satisfied. We haven't gotten any complaints." They'll use the fact that many customers don't formally write them to twist the truth about customer satisfaction and to under-represent the number of dissatisfied customers who have stopped buying by chalking it up to the economy, etc.<BR/><BR/>I did check out the link to that woman's store who posted on the previous article, Beads and Pieces, and although they had some nice brass cubes, and a few other items that might be nice to buy sometime, they had nothing on my current priority list, and no really fine gemstone beads or stones for setting. Selection on many items was limited.Giftbearerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698066439644185753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post-9693395773504083602008-10-17T11:50:00.000-05:002008-10-17T11:50:00.000-05:00Yep, the wallet has a pretty strong voice.Yep, the wallet has a pretty strong voice.that's Headley! Jewelry Designshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10013352533230121077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post-22684119541250912682008-10-17T11:12:00.000-05:002008-10-17T11:12:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing their response. I haven't bough...Thanks for sharing their response. I haven't bought anything from them in a while either.maryebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10116049169463885844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35264254.post-66754150911970015552008-10-17T07:49:00.000-05:002008-10-17T07:49:00.000-05:00It seems that Fire Mountain Gems has been slipping...It seems that Fire Mountain Gems has been slipping in the eyes of many of their customers for quite awhile now. I read it often in pertinant messageboards and forums.<BR/><BR/>Personally, I haven't purchased from them in ages, and it doesn't appear that this will change anytime soon.Jill Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08990763978739702684noreply@blogger.com