Tiny! Shiny! It fits in my purse!
So, as I told saratoga, it probably will be afte Christmas before I get back to a normal posting schedule. But I HAD to share just how thrilled I am with my tiny Kidz Krop. At first when it arrived I was a bit put off by the size. For some reason (I AM a blonde, you know) I had in my mind that 16 inches would not include the handle and slapper at the end. But of course it does. But then I started playing around with it, and the more I did the more I liked it. I think it will do quite well for directing my subs while they are very close to me, say- between my thighs. Just a bit shorter than my arm, easy to use in bed without knocking something over on the bedside table, just the right size for my cut-out dolls and Mr. Manikin up there….and it DOES fit in a large purse. It makes me giddy like a brand new toy. Oh right. It IS a brand new toy.
I have been talking more regularly with the no-spark sub. We went on a date and it went well. And neither of our schedules have meshed enough this month – between my family drama and his work travels- to try another. But, I’ve told him that on our next outing I will be armed. I think it’s fair to say he squealed with excitement. At least it better have been excitement!
My Electrique Boutique online experience rant.
It’s very sad when a once great store chooses ego over customer service; and that’s what has happened with my once favorite cheap and kinky shoe store, Electrique Boutique, of Dallas and online. I won’t be linking the site because I don’t want to assist Electrique Boutique’s search engine ranking with outside links, or at all, unwittingly. While I truly love high quality, and high priced footwear; I have a not-so-secret love of cheap high heels. Which tends to work much better for my budget than the $800 on sale boots I tend to lean towards otherwise. But back to the task at hand. I promised Yossi, the owner of the store, that I’d be posting this review of the service I’ve received from him after his rude treatment; and thus here it is.
I waited initially for a few weeks, which was extended to over a month with Dad’s heart attacks, so that I was sure my anger wasn’t getting the best of me, before posting this. But after thinking about it, I feel quite justified in sharing my bad experience to keep others from the same fate. I’ve probably spent at least 3k in Electrique Boutique stores in ten years; maybe more. Nothing I did garnered the sort of treatment I got from the online staff of EB. And the products I purchased are shoddy and overpriced. This is long, and rambling; because I wrote it over a few days in the heat of the moment, and don’t want to leave out any details lest Mr. Yossi feels the need to follow through on his thinly veiled litigious threat…which you can read more about below. I have bought shoes from them for about a decade, but always in person, as I’m in Dallas quite often. This year, I’d had my eye on a particular pair of boots on several websites, and EB had then for about 10 dollars less than anyone else, so I decided to use their website for the first time. I neglected to realize that Electrique Boutique also claims itself to be the largest retailer of Halloween costumes online, and clearly values those customers more than the ones who purchase from them all year long.
Late on Wednesday Oct. 24 I ordered a new pair of boots and a skirt from the EB website. I ordered my boots and skirt via Fedex Ground Home Delivery, a 1-5 day service, noted that the items I ordered were in stock per the website, and that EB says it takes 24-48 hours to process an order, occasionally a few days more during the peak Halloween season. Dallas, and the EB warehouse, are only 200 miles from here; so I figured even with a Halloween delay, that I’d be receiving a tracking number within 2 or 3 days, and a shipment shortly thereafter- 7 days tops.
I received my automated order confirmation and receipt email right away, but it said nothing about expected shipping times or how I was to track my order, or when to expect to hear from them again.I also knew that I had paid with a business credit card with a different shipping address from my billing address, and that this might cause a delay or a need to communicate with EB further before shipping.
So, the next day (Thursday the 25th), I sent an email asking about shipping times, and providing additional contact information in case there was a problem. I didn’t expect an immediate answer, so I waited until the next Monday.
Four days later on Monday the 29th I sent another email, and then called. The toll free number provided doesn’t work in Texas; so I tried again using their local number, and got an answering machine. I left a detailed message. Then I called Fedex, to see if perhaps they had a tracking number for me. They did have a reference of some sort, but no shipment information, and couldn’t give me the number without it;so I called EB again. No answer.
I waited a day, and tried Fedex again on Wednesday the 31rst. Still- a number or reference, but no shipment. So, I emailed EB again, and then called again, leaving another message.
By this time it was a week after ordering, and I’d heard nada; so I started to get a little panicky about the 100 and change I’d plunked down without thinking about it and tried calling a store manager at a physical location. I explained to her that I understood it was the busy season and that she had nothing to do with the website, but that I’d placed this order, been charged over a hundred dollars on my credit card, and then heard nothing beyond receiving my receipt a week ago. She was very helpful and gracious, but wasn’t able to give me any concrete info; took my information and told me to wait until Nov.1 before getting worried. So I did.
Thursday, November 1rst, 7 days after placing my simple order, I called Fedex. They did have info saying that a shipment was scheduled to arrive at my home that Saturday, but again, could not give me a tracking number over the phone. I called Electrique Boutique to (a) get the tracking number, (b) see why I hadn’t been contacted as of yet by anyone about my three emails and three phone calls, and (c) see if anything could be done to speed up my shipment. I reached Brenda, who took my info and said she needed to research it and would call back later that day.
She did, and explained that the boots I’d ordered were on backorder (despite being listed as in stock on the website/my checkout at the time of my order) and were drop shipping from another warehouse, perhaps that day, perhaps the following day, and the skirt I’d ordered had just been shipped (as in, during the time she took to research my order). She explained how busy the EB warehouse had been during the Halloween season, and this is why the order was so late and no one had gotten in touch with me. I had to ask, and justify my reasons for asking, to speak to a manager three or four times at this point; explaining to her that I understood this was nothing personal and she’d been very helpful, but that I really felt I should have been contacted earlier on the matter rather than my having to hunt down someone to help me on my own, and I still needed tracking numbers.
Finally, she transferred me to ‘a manager. She also explained how busy they had been, several times, when I asked why I hadn’t been notified about the problems with my order. I explained to her that I fully understood this, and simply asked, did she really think that it was okay for a paying customer to have to wait for over a week to even speak to someone about their order, to be told items were on backorder, or to have questions answered? She agreed with me that it was excessive, and she’d also be upset in the same situation. I asked her if she could see about expediting my shipping at all, and she amicably agreed, saying she’d need to call the other warehouse and would call me back. Unfortunately, she didn’t.
Which led to my conversation today with Yosi, the owner of Electric Boutique the next day. I called the local phone number Friday the 2nd around 2:30. A man who introduced himself as Yosi answered, and asked me to hold immediately, which I did. When he was available, I told him I was calling to get tracking numbers on an order, and gave him the order number. As he was looking up the information, I began to explain to him my situation: that I had expected a call back from his manager the day before, and that the shipment was late and I’d had difficulty reaching anyone to help me. Immediately, Yosi was interrupting me to tell me that my skirt shipped yesterday and my boots were drop shipping from another warehouse, and he didn’t have time to help or understand what my problem was, why didn’t I read the website shipping notes. I explained that I knew this, and was calling because a manager was supposed to be calling me back about expediting the order and to give me tracking numbers. At this point, he was still interrupting and almost yelling, and I actually had to ask him to let me finish speaking; and asked for a manager. He replied that he was the owner. So I explained that I’d been shopping with EB since before they had a website, and this was my first website order with them, and I was so bothered by my customer service experience that unless it was made right, I’d be taking my business elsewhere and posting a review of my experience on my website for my friends to be aware. He said “Oh, please do”, and then without missing a beat launched into a tirade about how I didn’t know what size business he had, or how many orders he had to deal with, or how many stores he had, or websites he ran, and he hoped I “slandered” him. Actually, his website boasts a 10,000 square foot website, and lists three store locations, all of which I’ve been to; so I do have some idea of the size of his business, which I told him. His response was ‘See you won’t shut up and there you are telling me what you know….”. Not that knowing the size of his business has anything to do with the sort of service I receive; it’s really not my problem if Yossi and his staff can’t handle the work load, haven’t hired enough staff, or whatever the problem is. I’d only ordered from EB out of lack of time to go physically to a store here in town (it’s not like I live in a small town without kinky shoes), and brand loyalty. I- like any customer- just want to pay for my shoes and get them in a reasonable amount of time, along with decent customer service for my money. Nothing outrageous; just reply to my inquiries about the order I’ve already paid for. Within a few days. Or if that’s too much, send out a bulk email to all the clients with orders you haven’t gotten to, saying you’re swamped and you’ll get to me as soon as you can. I fail to see where that is an unreasonable expectation, or how a business owner can be justified in reacting this way, even on a bad day.
After that, it was clear Yossi had no intention of helping me or doing anything to keep my business. He was still yammering on about how much I didn’t know about his business, and how his Halloween Shipping Message said to expect delays in shipping and how dare I call him up to complain, nothing had been done to me out of ill will, and he hoped I slandered him (again). I have to say that I really did keep my cool, I never raised my voice, used bad language, said any of this was personal, made any personal statements about Yossi or his staff, or threaten anything other than taking my business elsewhere, and at this point I did try and explain to him that this was not my purpose or goal. I told him I simply didn’t understand why he thought he’d get away with treating his customers this way, and that all I was trying to do was to understand why no one from his company had contacted me to let me know there was a problem with my order, and resolve the situation. I explained that I too own a business, and I know that even when I’m busy, it’s not my customer’s job to worry about my difficulties managing my business, and that seven days is a bit excessive for a customer to be contacting any business and awaiting a reply. It was at this point that Yossi started to say that he was too busy to speak with me, and hang up. I did raise my voice at this point, saying several times to be heard, that I still needed tracking numbers before he hung up. He asked “What are you trying to prove?” I told him nothing; that I just wanted to be able to track my packages, the ones I’d already paid for…I had house guests that weekend and really want to avoid the “Oooh- what’d you get?” questions because I don’t want to have to explain to my family that I ordered 6 1/2 inch steel stilletto heel patent leather lace up boots. He stated again that the skirt shipped yesterday, and began rattling off the number purposefully fast. Fortunately I have been a secretary to fast talkers and had a pen ready. I asked for the tracking number for the boots and he said he didn’t have it in front of him, that he’d sent it within 24-48 business hours. This is on Friday, at 2:30 in the afternoon; meaning that 48 business hours later would be the next Tuesday. I said that the boots would be here by Tuesday, before that time was up, and I needed the number before then. He exclaimed that he never said it would be Tuesday and I went over the logic with him: “Are you open on Saturdays?” ,
“Our stores are.”
“Okay, does that mean you are including Saturday in your 24-48 business hours?”
“No”
“Okay, so it’s Friday afternoon. 48 business hours from now is Tuesday, and you’re saying the boots shipped today or yesterday, and take three days to deliver, so they’ll be here before you are willing to give me my tracking number?”
…
Yossi called me shortly thereafter with the tracking number. Twice, because I wasn’t in the first time and a voicemail message wasn’t enough.
He also sent a follow up email with a read receipt request. Which I denied.
The next Monday- Nov. 5th, the skirt and boots arrived. 13 days after ordering them. And had anyone from EB gotten in contact with me within say- 48 hours of MY contacting and paying them- to let me know about delays, backorders, and shipping issues…I’d have never had a problem (until the shoes arrived).
But then, the items arrived; and I’d have been unhappy with them no matter what- the bad service just added insult to injury. The boots – 6 and a half inch steel stilletto with corset lacing on the back, were listed as patent leather. Not patent pleather. For the price- a little over $100, I really didn’t expect them to be real leather; electrique boutique is a stripper shoe store, not a leather supplier, and I’m not so dumb as to think I can get patent leather knee high boots for $100 bucks. But I did expect them to not have glue coming out on the seams (which I carefully removed with mineral spirits and a paint brush). And for the shanks to be sturdy and straight enough to stand on- not be bent inward and poorly constructed, so that putting any weight on the heel results in the stiletto sliding forward under the ball of the foot and the shoes collapsing. And for the material, whatever it might be, to stand up to the simple task of putting them on, even once. Having invested such a chunk in them (I don’t spend this kind of money on myself often), I will find a way to firm up the shank enough that they are wearable.
They look awesome, sitting down, though.(what you don’t see in the pic is the sub to my left, frantically licking that pile of shoes clean so he will be allowed to touch the boots and place himself under the heel, which I figured out how to use fairly effectively without standing)
The skirt was also listed as patent leather. And to be truthful, I did expect it to be at the very least a high quality vinyl. When it arrived, as I pulled it from the express-mail envelope it came in, unfolding the wafer thin plastic wrapped square, it was clear before touching it that it wasn’t something I’d be happy with. Plastic removed, I stood slack jawed, looking at the permanently creased and wrinkled piece of what might as well be trash bag plastic I’d just been through all this for. The fabric so thin I could almost see through it, despite being black, shiny, and impermeable; the seams sewn with stitches you could drive a truck through- straight as boards right up to the waist. A rivetted snap at the waistband had partially punctured the material in manufacturing.
I just had to laugh. There wasn’t a thing I could do about it. Return them? Ha. Between shipping charges both ways and restocking fees, I might get back 50% of what I’d spent, and still be without boots. And I’d have the pleasure of dealing with Yossi’s lovely customer service again. Plus, I suspected that after trying on the boots just once, they would be no longer returnable per an almost unreasonable return policy at EB; as the cheap patent pleather had formed permanent wrinkles on it’s surface where the boots molded to my feet, or where the lacing was pulled tight. Again, this was just from trying on the boots once. That said, I do know that Electrique Boutique isn’t a manufacturer of shoes. I just had better faith in the quality they represented vs. the prices they charge.
So, there ya go. My experience with Electrique Boutique and why I’ll never buy from them again. I don’t wish EB or it’s staff any ill will – I just want other people to avoid that kind of hassle and treatment. You do what you want, buyer beware. I have found a local clothing and shoe store (I forget the name, but it’s next to Big Lots at William Cannon and 35 south) with great cheap heels- many of them the same as are on the EB website, but for much less. Last week when I got home, I went down there and got not only a lovely pair of 6 inch knee high boots suitable for street wear, for $20.00, but also friendly customer service. When compared to my $120 patent boots from EB, which I may be able to walk in after some serious southern engineering and repair, they are at least slightly better quality. But more than that, I paid a price which reflects that, and I didn’t have to jump through hoops or be treated like crap to get them. I’ll take pictures of those tomorrow. Like I said to Yossi, it’s not slander if it’s true.
Hope for small framed Dommes…children’s tack supply.
In my shopping for Domme supplies, I often find my petite stature to be a problem. A 36 inch crop is rather silly looking at the end of a 28 inch arm of someone only 61 inches tall. Wielding a six foot whip is taking my life into my own hands. Even petite gloves (which are hard to find) don’t account for fingers as short as mine; flappy bits dangling unceremoniously at the end of my pointing finger detract from my appearing overwhelmingly powerful, I feel. Knee high boots become un-closeable thigh highs, when you’re *almost* 5′1″ and a half. And I am not even going to talk about how impossible it is to find a corset for a 34 inch rib cage, with F cup breasts, and a 9 inch or shorter busk; or what the alternatives look like. (uniboob, anyone?)
My clothing woes, well, I suspect that will always be a problem…it always has been. When you have to hem robes, and cut a foot or more off of your pants, you get used to it; and this is part of the inspiration to get into custom corsetry. But simply put, I can only make so many of my implements myself, or buy so many oversized ones. I’m accustomed to adjusting to handles and grips way too big, changing my technique to adjust to a tool; but when it comes to human flesh, I want what I do to be precise, for safety, for sensation…for both of us. So, I’ve been looking into alternatives, and discovered the world of children’s tack supply. Do you know that they use those hand crops on horses? I thought they were just BDSM novelty. Which makes me wonder where they were marketed to first? 
Anyhoo, I ordered my first child-size crop yesterday, the ‘Kinkaid Kidz Krop’, a purple leather number, 18inches long, and it should be here next week. It was cheap (under $20 with shipping); but they all were, so I don’t know about the quality. But these are advertised for training, and used for real tack supply. So expect a review soon. I’m not going to link a children’s tack retailer here, just because I don’t wanna freak them out…so if you’re tiny like me, go do a search (perhaps on ask, after you use the new eraser) on ‘childrens tack supply’. I’ll weigh in on quality and use when it arrives, and on other items as I purchase them.
Men who look like Kenny Rogers and why they love me. WHY????
I see in my trackbacks that I have some reading to do over at saratoga’s, as I get caught up from the latest dad-attack drama. More on all that later, insights and whatnot. This is just a quickie.
Tonight, I was checking in at my alt.com account, looking for a quick ego pick-me-up before going to bed. And there in my inbox, with his witty dry humor and big bushy beard, was yet another man who looked like Kenny Rogers. There must have been a local meeting, a vote of some sort, and a memo circulated; because in the last month, I’ve been contacted by no less than 8 M.W.L.L.K.R., in various stages of Kenny-Roger-ness. It seems to be a progressive affliction, coming on with age as all terrible ones do. Younger versions usually have dark hair, but bushier beards. Elder Kennies tend to be a bit more round, and white bearded- they seem to emphasize the mustache more. No to the facial hair, guys. Just no. One of my grandfathers was a M.W.L.L.K.R.; kind of a cross between Kenny and Wolf Man Jack. And in the strip clubs, I always knew that when a M.W.L.L.K.R. came in, I was set for the night. I don’t really know why they love me, though. I’m not sure I need to know.
They’re nice guys. I know. And I shouldn’t judge them for looking like Kenny Rogers. But…I see them and try to imagine whipping Kenny. Putting my red leather neck and cock collars on him and putting him in the cage in my closet. Riding his face like a horse. Pissing in his mouth. Making him do clean up as a cuckold. And then I can’t help but imagine the pissy smelling beard scraping the inside of my thighs, and hearing “Oh RuuuuuuuuUUUby…..don’t take your love to town..” in the background and then… well… I just get the willies. And I just can’t shake that with a M.W.L.L.K.R. – how do you break that to a guy? “You got to know when to hold ‘em. Know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away…”
I do know that I’m getting older; and I’ve been in relationships and attracted to many men much older than me- as much as 15 years. Older men and I are tight- they like me and I like them….I know them, and it’s easy to enjoy them for so many reasons. But, after so many relationships with older men, so much experience with them in my past work as an escort and dancer…is it too much to want for a young, attractive, intelligent man for a partner? Do I not get one of those? I mean, I’m only 33. At my daughter’s high school I get shooed into classrooms and mistaken for a student. I’m not ready for a Kenny; but since I took my pics off my profile, men who look close to my age have been few and far between. And I’ve had every incarnation of Kenny possible- older, younger, fatter, more muscular, dark haired, light haired, clean cut, scraggly. Looking at this younger pic of him, I can see a bit of one of my brothers, under that beard.
Ugh. No offense to my fans and readers who may or may not have Kenny-esque features.
I guess I’ll have to break down and put up a new photo.
For those of you who who have checked in – here and privately, thanks so much. Dad is stable and out of the hospital. He ended up not having open heart surgery after all. For now. I’ll know in a month or two how much this is going to impact me day-to-day. And, like I said, more on all of that later. Thanks for the well wishes and prayers and good thoughts. They really do mean a lot to me.
Catching up….awww shit
So, I got home Thursday and today felt caught up enough to log in here and get started on the responses to saratoga, the sex worker series, updates on general stuff.
I was taking a look at stats and got a call from my elder younger brother who was driving dad home from the hospital the last few days….dad was in the middle of a heart attack in a very small southwestern New Mexico town, and is being life flighted to Lubbock and headed straight to open heart surgery. So.
I dunno what I’m going to do yet, but, yeah…not so in the mindset to explore the kink world. Still. I AM horny as hell. But since it looks like I won’t get to address that for a while longer, I’m going to try and ignore that for now. You may, if you are so inclined, send me emergency porn stories (joe) to read to my cut out dolls, which I will take with me if I head up to Lubbock. More as I know more…