MauiShirts Blog

Prolog:

To fully understand this blog you must read it from the bottom of the page to the top of the page. The bottom starts with a negative feedback published by a customer into the Yahoo Public Form. It goes on from there. The top email ended the email chain.

The customer’s comments are shown below without any editing. Her name has been deleted to protect her privacy.

MauiShirts.com will respond to inappropriate comments placed into the pubic forum especially if they are an attempt to undermine our good name and if the comments are simply not true. The Yahoo Customer feedback is something MauiShirts.com enables. It is meant for positive, constructive feedback. It is not there for people to post inappropriate remarks out of some unknown frustrations.

MauiShirts.com is a serious business that achieved success in a very competitive marketplace with exemplary customer service. There are dozens of vendors a click away on any search engine. Aloha Wear that is Made in and Shipped from Hawaii is rare.

Here is MauiShirts.com feedback on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/at-a-glance.html?ie=UTF8&seller=A14J1YA165RT6W

Here is out feedback on EBay: http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=mauiman&&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller&sspagename=VIP:feedback:4:us

No business is perfect, but MauiShirts.com works very hard to be the very best it can be.

The end … (read, start from the bottom of the page)

Complaint to the Better Business Bureau from Judy Deverell filed 03/12/09. Case Closed 03/17/09.

 

On Feb.10th 2009 I ordered a pair of pants from Mauishirts.com. ORDER # 26023. I was not happy with them because they were too big and I used the website’s exchange request email and never got a reply and then I tried to call the company and got hung up on 3 diff. times. I then got a link from yahoo requesting a feedback on my experience and I left a negative one because of my experience. I was just going to keep the pants and have them altered because I am getting married. Then on Feb 22 I got a nasty email from Mickey Steinborn stating that I was vindictive, offensive and insulting. I never left a personal comment about his company I only answered the questions asked by yahoo and he was stating that I was offensive and insulting? He then said that he was blocking me from ever ordering again and would not do an exchange only a return w/a 15% restocking fee. I then got several more insulting emails that are now posted on his website by him under his blogs and titled "How to make a Mountain out of a Mole Hill or the Case of the Big Pants
Author: Mickey Steinborn – mauiman" dated 2-26-09. You can read both our emails back and forth from each other and I can say that if you look at his past blogs he is very offensive to women especially. He even has pictures of naked women under his Maui Blackie link. He was very rude to me in those emails and he would not stop when asked. He is should not ask for feedback through yahoo if he does not like to hear them and he should not harass his customers if they have a bad experience. 

 

 

Response to Customer’s complaint (below):

 

It should be noted at this time, once again, that up until this time, there was no mention of Judy Deverell’s name within the blog or the email chain. All blog diary communications were anonymous. Judy Deverell chose to escalate her complaint by making a public disclosure of this event.  The entire incident, without any edits, is herewith placed into the blog.

 

Response to complaint to follow…

 

Aloha,

 

Thank you for the ability to comment.

 

Unfortunately there is something radically amiss, and misguided with this person. Her allegations are untrue, exaggerated to the point of extreme folly.  MauiShirts.com takes umbrage, displeasure to her rudeness. The over the top reaction from this person led to the blog entry. A blog by definition is an on going diary, a chronological listing of events.

 

No where on the MauiShirts.com blog is her identity or is any person’s identity revealed. She was never threatened in any way shape or form. In fact the opposite is true in two of here emails. She threatened me with the police, her lawyer and now the BBB.

 

The MauiShrts.com blog is a tongue and cheek response, amongst other reports and blog contributions, to the Yahoo shopping network customer feedback. MauiShirts.com enables this Yahoo customer feedback as a pre-checked box on all customers’ order forms as they check out with their shopping cart. A customer would need to uncheck this box that asks to have Yahoo to send them an email.  It is the prerogative of MauiShirts.com to enable this feature.  The Yahoo customer feedback public form is not there to denigrate, sully or defame a web site. It is there to listen to honest comment so that, in our case, we can change or improve the web site so future customers will have a better or positive experience.

 

This customer spoke with no one.  Her comments in this public form were simply untrue and taken as a purposeful attempt at undermining our business and good name out of some unknown frustration. She included her order number with her comments. She could have done so anonymously. She did not. MauiShirts.com simply responded and asked her why she made such comment. All she had to do was send the pants back for an exchange for a different size. She elected to have them tailored instead. The process of this transaction went south almost immediately upon her misunderstanding that there was no fee for an exchange. Her subsequent comments are tantamount to slander and are libelous in her continued harassment emails. She continued her rant to an unrelated posting on a competitor’s blog.

 

MauiShirts.com ships over 1,000 pairs of these identical pants that she purchased each year and has done so for many years. The size chart on the pants page is 100% accurate. I can count on one hand how many have come back for refund or exchange. The price is discounted from $ 60.00 to $ 49.00.

 

No one here at MauiShirts.com would ever hang up on any caller for any reason what-so-ever, yet alone three times. Her claims are simply untrue. First her claim was we hung up on her four times. Now it is three times. The phone is a life-line to the Mainland. I would not be spending many thousands of dollars a year on the toll free phone line if I was going to hang up on a caller!

 

The whole affair is ridiculous and preposterous. We have a caveat on the bottom area of all 3,500 pages of the web site about this sort of person. We have a drop-down notice on the front page for visitors to read before they place their order. It is almost impossible to miss. The toll free number is on the bottom area of all 3,500+ pages of the web site, as well as on many size charts, for people to call with concerns or questions.

 

Mauishirts.com does not charge a fee for exchanges. This is clearly stated in no less than two areas on the web site, the check out page, and in the email she requested for an exchange. We allow an unprecedented six months to make an exchange!

 

For the most part, we offer hand made, limited quantity, made in Hawaii aloha wear. The apparel someone buys one day may take away the ability for someone else to purchase the same item another day. That is why we have a 15% handling, re-listing and re-stocking fee for returns that are not for exchanges.  The fee is more for handling than re-stocking. MauiShirts stocks over 17,000 shirts and dresses in our Mau showroom. Most items come back in awful condition. They need to be steamed and/or pressed. Many items need to be re-listed on one or more web sites. www.hawaiianclothes.net, Amazon.com and EBay have mirrored pages of our inventories. There is an accurate size chart on all pages for every item. No other web site goes to such extremes to make sure our customers select the correct size.

 

Mauishirts.com is the NUMBER ONE Post Office shipper from Maui. We ship over 1,000 shipments per month with USPS and Federal Express. We ship world wide. There is a preponderance of happy, positive customer feedback from our clientele posted for many years on the blog web site, the Yahoo Feedback area, Amazon.com and EBay. Our customer service is exemplary. These positive feedbacks are posted in the Yahoo Feedback on the top left of all pages of the web site. The customer comments within the blog are posted directly below.

 

MauiShirts.com receives between 6,000 and 9,000 page views per day, 365 days a year.

The blog receives thousands of readers per day.

 

She refers to a naked image on the Blackie Category of the blog. Blackie Gadarian is 89 years old. He is somewhat of a legend here on the Westside of Maui. His humor is published as a tribute to his longevity and his service to the community. He is a friend of mine and a most generous contributor to many, many local charities including Lahainaluna High School on this island.  One would have to dig deep into the blog postings to locate and read this page of Blackies humor she is referring to.

 

The MauiShirts.com blog is clearly stated with a warning that there is acerbic tongue and cheek humor and to read at your own risk.

 

Here is a link / page to the blog http://blog.mauishirts.com/

You will find the blog entry she is referring to two or three pages into the blog. Go to the bottom of the first page of the blog and click “older entries”.

 

I do not thing I should be offering this person an apology. I would think she owes me an apology. She went well beyond any common sense when she posted this offensive comment on a competitor’s blog.  Any person with common sense would realize that this person is off key at best. There have been responses to her comments on the blog and on the competitor’s blog. She has stirred up her own can of worms that, I am sure, will only escalate in her shame and detriment.  Here is the page / link to the blog entry she placed into the competitor’s web site:   http://hawaiianalohashirts.blogspot.com/2007/05/delete-links-to-maui-shirts.html

 

You will find her remarks there…I quote here ( I see, today, March 16^th, that there have been a few additions to this person’s rant and the competitors remarks:

 

“I have recently been doing a little research on Mr.Steinborn himself and will probably be reporting him to the BBB. I left a bad comment through a yahoo survey that I got in my email the other day. I did this because of the bad experience I had w/customer service and issue w/exchanges and sizing. I then got a nasty email from Mr. Steinborn letting me know that I was vindictive, offensive and insulting and that he would now be blocking me from buying. I never even put a comment in the box. I just gave my opinion to the questions that were asked. I emailed him back as to why I had a problem but instead of him appologizing he sent another email personally attacking me and telling my why he is such a success and that I was a liar and wanted something for nothing and I never even conveyed that I wanted anything from him. He is a shovinist pig and does not belong in business w/people and women especially!! He told me that I could not read and used offensive language in the email. I told him that if he replys again that I will be going to my local police for harassment. Do not do business w/this company he is a fraud and hates womem w/any opinion!!”

 

This entire episode has been posted on my blog in unexpurgated edition. No where was this person’s name or identity used. She has used my name in deliberate slander.

Sincerely,

Mickey Steinborn

Here is Judy Deverells response the the Better Business Bureau report:

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First of all, I would like to add that none of this would have happened if the Mr. Steinborn would have never attacked me with his first email. He thinks that just because a customer has a bad experience and leaves a negative feedback through yahoo that that gives him the right to respond to them and infer that they are attacking him personally. He states that he was going to allow me to exchange the item but if you read in his first email it states:"We will not, of course, accept an exchange order or any other order from you. Your IP address has been blocked from ordering. Your email address has been removed from our monthly specials." he also states:" I find them vindictive, offensive and insulting." meaning my yahoo feedback.

I never made a comment in my yahoo feedback. I only said bad or good to the answers they asked. I tried to email them for the exchange per the instructions on their website and never got a response. I tried to call them 3 different times and I spoke to a person each time and got hung up on. I was tired of dealing w/it because I have been planning a wedding and I work and am very busy. I do not have the time to spend hours on the phone trying to send back an item so I decided to just get the pants altered myself. I did not want to return the item because there is a restocking fee and I would have had to pay for return shipping. I do not think the item was correctly sized and my tailor agreed with me. They should state that they are bigger than normal sizes.
I also responded to his first email and advised him that I was displeased and asked him to not email me again but he did not do as I requested and kept responding back to me more harshly than before and that is why I told him that I would contact the police if he did not stop. I said I would contact a lawyer if he had published my name on his blog because he told me that he was going to put our emails on his blog.
He calls his comments a tongue and cheek response but I as a customer do not appreciate his humor. In his blog, he even tries to correct my spelling -thinking that it is funny and as a customer, his responses are construed as rude and hurtful. I never asked him for anything accept an apology and he cannot even do that. He also just recently added this below because it was not there before this incident happened: "The MauiShirts.com blog is clearly stated with a warning that there is acerbic tongue and cheek humor and to read at your own risk. "
He thinks that he can get away with such behavior and that is even more sad. I am very upset over this whole thing when it is supposed to be the happiest time in my life. Maui was a very special place for us and now it just feels tainted.
I have worked in customer service for many years and I have never ever had such a horrible experience. I order online all the time and always have great experiences and I am also on Ebay and have never had a negative feedback. If you ask anyone in my family, I am the nice one, even tempered and patient one. I have never reacted this way and never been treated this way before by a vendor.
I feel that he can only see what he wants to see. He calls me a liar but why would I lie about being hung up on 3 times? Why would I try and defend myself if I wasn’t goaded into this by Mr. Steinborn? I cannot believe that he cannot see what he has done in all of this.
I should not have responded back to his emails but I was just so angry because there has been too many times in my personal life that men think they can just get away with being verbally abusive. It is not just me, there are other blogs on his website that he is rude to other women and some of them are bigger in size and there were just insensitive remarks by him and it is totally inappropriate. He may call it tongue and cheek but he is a business owner and should know better. It does not reflect positively to his character or his business.

 

Final Disposition from the Better Business regarding Judy Deverell follows:

Dear Mr. Michael B. Steinborn

Complaint Case #: 52009331
Consumer: Judy Deverell

Thank you for your cooperation in responding to the above consumer’s complaint. Following our usual procedure, we notified the consumer of your response and requested notification of whether or not it was satisfactorily resolved. The consumer has notified our office they are not satisfied. Your company has made a good faith effort in an attempt to resolve this issue; therefore we are closing the case at this time.

The Better Business Bureau develops and maintains Reliability Reports on companies in our service area. This information is available to the public and is frequently used by potential customers. Your level of cooperation in resolving to this complaint becomes a part of your file with the Better Business Bureau.

Sincerely,

Pearl Malalis
Service Representative
BBB Complaint Department

 

Aloha,

Thank you again for the blog feed.

I sincerely do appreciate your continuous input.

Wow, in all my years in business I’ve never come up against such a stubborn person.

All over misinformation and a pair of pants that did not meet your criteria and a $7.49 handing, re-listing, re-stocking fee that never took place.
You obviously liked the pants. You took them to a tailor to alter them.

The waist measurement and length of the pants were, I’m sure, perfectly fine as advertised in the published size chart.

I mean, after selling and shipping thousands of pairs of these identical pants to happy customers world wide, I can only assume, at best, your interpretation of the sizing within the size chart was an anomaly.

I would think anyone of sound mind would have known that if their calls were not getting through, especially on a toll free number, that it was not a personal thing. It might have occurred to you that there could be an issue with the phone service on your end or our end.

In case you did not know, Maui is a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Lahaina has power outages often. We had three last week. Power goes out. Phones shut down. Internet drops off.

I know, personally, I would have thought that something was amiss.

It had nothing to do with customer service. My God, you spoke with no one.

Why in the world you would leave such silly, untrue feedback except to punish and undermine the seller because of your frustration.

You may call the police.

You may contact the Better Business Bureau.

You may do as you wish.

This is still a free county with freedom of speech.

It is you that has harassed me with your uncalled for and improper remarks in the public forum.

And, now, you continue to threaten me. Now you threaten me with a lawyer, the police and the BBB.

Your attitude continues to be off-key and out of line.

MauiShirts.com’s blog never uses customer’s names. That would simply be wrong. The story is anonymous, but true, word for word.

The email correspondence will be published in entirety.

It makes for good reading.

You have given me laughter out loud.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Mickey Steinborn

---

From: JD
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 2:09 PM
To: Mauiman
Subject: RE: Customer feedback on MauiShirts.com Order

I don’t care if you put my emails on your blog but you better leave my name and contact information off that website or I will be contacting the BBB, yahoo and a lawyer!!

It will be nice for everyone to see what kind of person you really are…

I forgot to reply to something you said in your last email…You said, "
Also, I always find it curious that every one of the few people, as you, who leave a complaint based on some unknown frustration or inability to read and use a size chart, or who want something for nothing, always, 100% of the time, add a threat to their last email."

My unknown frustration is with your customer service and now you and to imply that I do not know how to read is insulting and I never asked you for anything. I kept the pants that were not sized properly(who, by the way, was backed by my taylor (note by MauiShirts – she means TAILOR) and none of it was unfounded. I never sent you nasty emails. You are the one that came at me w/your venom. I told you that I would contact the police for harassment because that is just what this is and you need professional help!! Please seek it out because you are heading down a sad path.
JD

— On Tue, 2/24/09, Mauiman <mauiman@mauishirts.com> wrote:
From: Mauiman mauiman@mauishirts.com

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 1:37 PM

Thank you so very much. I was hoping you would respond one more time with some venom (LOL).
I love your comments. They will appear in their entirety on the MauiShirts.com Blog.
You can add further comments there if you like.

Mickey Steinborn

From: JD 
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 6:12 PM
To: Mauiman

Well La Di Da to you. Should everyone bow down to you because you have been in business for over 50 years? There have been a lot of businesses who has had longevity in conning customers and had great customer service. I have also seen your feedback and not all of it is as great as you are trying to make it out to be. Just because you do not like someone’s feedback on your website does not give you the right to send a nasty emails to them and then harrass (Note by MauiShirts: She means harass) them!!
Your website said to send an email to do an exchange and I did and never got a response and then I called and got hung up on 3 TIMES and that is not a lie sir, that is a Fact!!
You say there is not restocking fee in one sentence but then you admit to having a restocking fee for returns and that is what I was referring to in my first email if you can read!!
You say, "MauiShirts.com, Inc., Mickey Steinborn reserves the right to do, or not to do, business with you. If you attempt fraud, are abusive or rude in your communications, your IP address will be blocked",
this in your email but the only one who is abusive and rude is YOU sir and if you were in customer service for over 50 yrs then you could see that but all you can see $$$ and your ego. You think you are all high and mighty because you think you are a success living in Maui hiding behind you little store but you are just a little man that can only be verbally abusive to woman.
I just wonder how your "lovely showroom girls" in your store really feel about you… 
I again was not trying to undermine your business, I was only giving my opinion and that is mine to give as I feel fit. You asked and I gave and if you cannot handle it, then I guess you should not ask to begin with or be in business!!
If you email me again I will take this to the local police as harrassment. (Note by MauiShirts: She means Harassment) Have a nice day and keep having that aloha spirit you say you have so much of.
JD

— On Mon, 2/23/09, Mauiman <mauiman@mauishirts.com> wrote:
From: Mauiman mauiman@mauishirts.com

To: JD

Date: Monday, February 23, 2009, 11:17 AM

Unfortunately I take all unfounded lies about my business personal. Those who cast the first stone and add BS to the public forum that I enable are not customers.  Yahoo does not ask for feedback unless I enable this feature. Most web sites do not enable this feature that resides on the Yahoo servers. I do.  MauiShirts.com enables this feature to listen to honest, constructive criticisms. It is not there for you to add  lies and BS because of your frustrations in the attempt to undermine my business.

No employee has ever hung up on anyone at any time – EVER! My two lovely showroom girls would never, under any circumstance, hang up on a caller. Check your telephone service.  That, as your feedback, is pure bunk.

I’ve been in business for over 50 years. I’ve never threatened anyone. I do not take kindly to people who attempt to undermine my success with lies and BS. I’ve been offering apparel on the Internet for over ten years. My positive customer feedback is exemplary and in the top 3% of all of Yahoo, 100% on EBay and 98% on Amazon.com. I know a problematic buyer when I come across one. You are just that.

THERE IS NO RE-STOCKING FEE for exchanges. You need to learn how to read (haha). There is, indeed, a handling, re-listing and re-stocking fee for people who do not make exchanges. No other web site offers SIX MONTHS to make an exchange, And, you can exchange for anything. Most people who communicate with honest situations are never charged fees. There is great reward for honesty.

Also, I always find it curious that every one of the few people, as you, who leave a complaint based on some unknown frustration or inability to interpret what they read correctly and/or  use a size chart incorrectly, or who want something for nothing, always, 100% of the time, add a threat to their last email.

The size charts are accurate. If they were not accurate I would have been out of business long, long ago. I sell and ship over 1,000 pairs of pants every year for many years. I can count on one hand the returns that have come back on these pants. The size charts have stood the test of time for over ten years. If you had an item that did not match the measurements within a size chart, we would gladly refund your money and refund shipping charges both ways. I am always grateful when a customer helps me improve my web site. This, believe it or not, has happened two or three times. The size charts were revised in these situations and the customers appreciated the service, was refunded their shipping charges and replacement was sent at our expense.

MauiShirts.com reserves the right to do business with you or not to do business with you. This is my prerogative, not yours. I did not solicit you. You made your purchase, twice, on your own accord. This caveat, in portion,  is at the bottom of all 3,500 pages of the main web site.

MauiShirts.com, Inc., Mickey Steinborn reserves the right to do, or not to do, business with you.
If you attempt fraud, are abusive or rude in your communications, your IP address will be blocked.

MauiShirts.com ships over a million dollars worth of apparel every year to happy, sensible people worldwide for over ten years.

I guess I’m a success in spite of telling the truth and picking and choosing who I will do business with.
There is no manager. There is only, me, the owner.
Mickey

From: JD 
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 7:18 PM
To: Mauiman

Excuse me… but this is the very reason why I would never do business w/your company again and I am pleased that you have blocked me because I will be letting everyone know how vindictive you and your company is by replying back to me in such a way.
I was only filling out a survey that yahoo sent to me and was not attacking you personally and frankly I do not appreciate your tone at all in this email.
You have a thing or two to learn about customer service. I have worked in the industry for over 20 years and If I treated my customers the way that you have then I guess I would be broke too.
Every time I tried to reach your customer service I was hung up on several times and was refused to spk (Note by MauiShirts: Speak is what she meant to type) to a manager. The size chart is not accurate and has to be altered because of it. I would never return the item because of your 15% restocking fee. I am coming to Maui to be married and if I was treated like that in your store then I guess you would not have any business.
Thank you sir and have yourself an aloha day!!
JD

— On Sun, 2/22/09, Mauiman <mauiman@mauishirts.com> wrote:
From: Mauiman mauiman@mauishirts.com

Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 7:59 PM

Aloha,
Your feedback in the public Yahoo forum has been noted.
Your negative remarks are untrue and unfounded.
And, frankly, I find them vindictive, offensive and insulting.
You have had no communication with MauiShirts.com other than a request for exchange or refund for a pair of pants there were “too large”.
The size charts are accurate. If you ordered something incorrectly the fault is yours.
Your request communication for return was answered quickly.
The pants sell nationally for $55.00 or more. You paid $ 49.96.
The web site navigates with ease. The pants are on the front page. Ordering them took a click.
We make little money on shipping and handling. We pack in tissue paper and enclose the items in a plastic bag to prevent rain damage.
We ship in a box and we ship super fast from an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean .
There was no other communication with us regarding any dispute or dissatisfaction.  If you had some issue, we were only a phone call away to assist or discuss any issue.
Both your orders, one for a 3X rayon shirt and one for the pants were handled with expedience, packed and shipped in a professional fashion.
We deal with customers with a spirit of Aloha.
This is something, I suspect, you do not have nor comprehend.
We will not, of course, accept an exchange order or any other order from you.
Your IP address has been blocked from ordering.
Your email address has been removed from our monthly specials.
When the pants are returned in the condition they were shipped to you, your credit card will receive a full refund.

Please do not forget to include this email in any reply.

Mahalo, (Thank you),
Mickey Steinborn, President
MauiShirts.com, Inc.
222 Papalaua St., Suite 219
P.O. Box 12230
Lahaina, HI 96761
Please call the toll free number during local business hours for further assistance.
Here is the Link/page to Local Maui Time:

http://www.mauishirts.com/contact-mauishirts.html

TOLL FREE: (866) 628-4626
1-(866) MAUIMAN
(808) 661-1536
www.MauiShirts.com

—–Original Message—–
From: JD 
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 5:46 AM
To: mauiman@mauishirts.com

To view this order follow this link: (Link deleted to protect customer’s privacy)

Rating: OK
Comments:
Price Rating: Bad
Shipping Options Rating: Bad
Delivery Rating: OK
Ease of Purchase Rating: Bad
Customer Service Rating: Awful

mauiman Responses To Yahoo Customer Feedback