Completely misleading samples and…
Completely misleading samples and dismissive customer service
I ordered a fabric sample from Minerva expecting to receive the fabric shown in the product listing. What arrived was completely different in appearance. Not a slight variation. A totally different sample.
When I contacted customer service, I was told that samples are only intended to show the feel of the fabric, not what it actually looks like. That explanation makes no sense. For anyone sewing or dressmaking, the visual element of fabric is fundamental. Colour, print and texture all matter when making a decision.
I paid for this sample, had to enter full card and personal details because there’s no quick checkout option like Apple Pay or PayPal, then received something unrelated to what I ordered. It was time-consuming and wasteful.
The most disappointing part was the response. There was no apology, no acknowledgement that the listing was misleading, just a very blasé tone and a passive “thanks for understanding.”
It also feels environmentally irresponsible to send out samples that don’t match what customers are actually considering buying.
I won’t be using Minerva again. My mum has worked in tailoring and dressmaking for over 50 years and warned me about them. I wish I’d listened.
EDIT FOLLOWING MINERVA’S RESPONSE: if I’m ordering a paint sample, I order it in the colour I want. I don’t just order it in any colour to ‘get a feel for what paint is like’! Dressmaking is exactly the same. We are not just looking at fabric feel, quality and weight, we want to see what the pattern will look like. It’s frankly absurd that you would send out a sample that does not show the colour and pattern - especially given the cost per metre. This is an absurd idea and I can see from the reviews that you’re getting that the launch of this idea has not been at all successful.
Minerva からの回答
Hi Celia,
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with your latest order at Minerva. We do apolgise if there was any confusion between the different sample options on site.
Our Minerva Exclusive fabrics are Print On Demand, which means customer orders are custom printed specially. Our regular Samples are also Print On Demand. These samples are the best way to see exactly what a specific print will look like on a given fabric basecloth but may take some time to be printed and sent out for customers.
We have recently introduced our Quick Ship Samples for customers who just want to see what the basecloth is like to get a feel for the texture, drape and opacity of the fabric. Our Quick Ship Samples are in stock in our warehouse, so can be sent out straight away. They may however be of any print in our range, so are more to assess the fabric basecloth than the print.
We do apologise if it is not clear enough that there is a difference between these two types of sample. This information is on the fabric listings but we can certainly look to see if we can make this any clearer for customers in the future.
All the best,
Gavin at Minerva
