Vieuxtemps

Placed an order for an expensive embroidered frame a week BEFORE Thanksgiving for a Christmas gift. I was assured that was plenty of time. The week before Christmas when I hadn’t heard from the store, I stopped in to see when it might be ready. They told me they would get in contact with the girl who makes them (the owner’s daughter by the way) and call me back. I stopped in again after another three days when I hadn’t gotten any phone call. They told me again they would call me when they got in touch with her. When the store called me later that afternoon, she said something had gotten on the frame and she had to re-​do it and that’s why it had taken so long. They assured me I could pick it up Friday morning. The Friday before Christmas. I called Friday at noon to say I was on my way and the frame was not there yet. They said to wait an hour and then go pick it up. When I finally picked up the frame it was already wrapped. I unwrapped the package on Saturday just to make sure it was OK. The frame was black and NOT the bronze color I had asked for. I called when they opened on Monday and asked if I could switch out the frame.
«No», they said, «nothing they could do. These things take days (or weeks in my case) to make. They aren’t made in China, but local. We are all adults. Just give her the frame, tell her it is wrong and you can switch it out after Christmas. These things happen in life. I found out my friend has cancer so you can understand that small things like this don’t really matter in the long run.»
REALLY lady, you’re going to lecture me! Ridiculous. I will NEVER shop there again. As a business owner myself, I understand that things do happen, however I also understand the importance of excellent customer service in which Vieuxtemps is severely lacking.

I placed my china order with Vieuxtemps in February 2012 and have yet to receive it (March 2013). I have ordered the same exact china through Williams-​Sonoma (Pickard Signature Monogram) and it takes about 4 – 6 weeks. My wedding was in November 2011 and I received several gift certificates to Vieuxtemps where I had registered for our Pickard SIgnature Monogram china. I was living in Charleston at the time of our wedding, but have since moved out of town. When I placed the order in February 2012, I told them I would be back in Charleston that May for a friend’s wedding and they said it would definitely be in by that time and I could pick it up when I was in town. I called in May and they said it had not arrived yet and they would call me when it came in. I got busy with a new job, summer travels, and other things. I emailed and left messages at the store periodically, but never heard back. In September 2012 I contacted Pickard directly and they told me that Vieuxtemps had never placed my order with them. Pickard contacted Vieuxtemps and they finally contacted me back and said they would place my order the next week. I told them that I really wanted to have my china in time for the holidays and they said no problem, it would definitely arrive by then. The holidays came and went and I began trying to contact them again in January of this year. I contacted Pickard as well and they said Vieuxtemps still had not placed my order. They rarely return e-​mails or phone calls. I was trying to support a local business, but I would not recommend registering with Vieuxtemps or purchasing products that are not available to buy immediately in the store.