Sillikilts - Long Lead Time for Delivery

[cessna152towser]

From Kiltman's thread about waiting two years for a kilt it emerged that he is not the only one who has had a long wait. At least one other x-marker (Butch) has been waiting even longer than I have for a fun kilt from Astrid Olafsen of Arizona. Astrid markets her unique Burning Man Sillikilts on her Sillikilts website and also on Etsy where she listed three varieties as currently available as recently as 28th June 2010. Yet I am still waiting for my Paisley Pattern kilt which I ordered from her a year and a half ago. This was suggested by a fellow x-marker for me, intended as a fun item to complement my Paisley Tartan kilt, but I am beginning to lose my sense of humour as the kiltmaker never replies to any of my repeated e-mails. I sent her the agreed price of $75 on 17th February 2009, then she told me that the kilt was almost read for dispatch so I sent her a further $12 dollars for shipping the following day. Then I was promised the kilt for early summer. Then at Christmas she explained some personal problems she had been having and I generously offered to pay a further $40 on receipt of the kilt, in the hope that this would finally motivate her to complete the kilt and send it to me. I also promised to post reviews on the various kilt fora with a view to boosting her business. Since then she has completely ignored me. I know she is still around as she has had four good feedbacks on Etsy within the past month and she has a good feedback score there. Eighteen months later I still have no kilt and no explanation of the long delay. I paid her by Paypal and it is now much too late now to claim a refund through them. Why do kiltmakers take our money and then fail to come up with the goods we have paid for? This absolutely stinks. At least if the kiltmaker is in my own country I can go and chase them up in person and ultimately bring a claim if I do not receive my goods. However I feel that the seller is playing games here because she is safely outwith my reach in the USA. This would not exactly encourage me to order a kilt from any USA based kiltmaker in the future, which is a pity as there are a few kiltmakers out there whose products I would still like to add to my collection. Who else is waiting for a kilt from Astrid and for how long? Has anyone actually received one of her products?

[Monkey@Arms]

Sorry to hear about this. I appreciate the warning to the forum.

Best regards,

Jake

[denmcdough]

Alex, sorry to hear about this. I guess it shows that people are people, no matter where they live. I'm sure there might be a dubious kilt maker in Scotland, too.

Please don't be turned off on American kilt makers. Here are two that I've dealt with and they're wonderful, superb craftsmen (woman): Alexis Malcolm and Wally Catanach.

[Alan H]

Alex, I don't know about Astrid and sillikilts. It doesn't sound good. I'm sorry you're getting yanked around (pun intentional) like this.

..but I do know this. Bonnie Heather Greene, who quietly frequents this board and occasionally posts here, is an absolutely first-rate kiltmaker that lives in the USA. She was communicative when I had her do a special job on a special tartan for "Piper George". She let me know what delays there might be due to her vacation, and when the time came she delivered the kilt as promised. Her prices are reasonable...she's not the least expensive kiltmaker, nor is she the most expensive on this board. The kilt she sent was drop-dead gorgeous, extremely well-made and I willingly and happily will tell the world that Bonnie Heather Greene is a MUCH better kiltmaker than I am.

I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone. I would wear a kilt sewn by Bonnie Heather Greene with pride and pleasure.

And she lives in the USA.

[cessna152towser]

Thanks for your replies. I have given her an ultimatum that I want my kilt or my money back before I leave for USA on 10th September otherwise I will go very public about this on all the various fora. I sent my message by e-mail and also via Etsy and Facebook to make sure she gets it. So for a few more weeks I will continue to give her the benefit of the doubt but if there is still no response I will give no quarter. I still would like to think I would see a nice fun kilt or my money back but I fear I may have go to war over this. We need to hound out the people who take our money on the promise of a kilt then fail to deliver the goods. I will let you know the outcome.

[cessna152towser]

Well my latest e-mail received a prompt reply and I am now promised the kilt in time for my trip to Boston and Loon Mountain next month so hopefully I will have something new to show to the New England Xmarkers and to review on the forum. I am also planning on bringing my Lady Chrystel boxpleat with me to New England along with my 8-yard Cunningham heavyweight kilt.

[Jordan]

Good luck alex hope everything turns out ok

Jordan

[Nighthawk]

What a crappy deal! I was thinking about getting one of those kilts...

[cessna152towser]

Kilt has arrived. Well worth the wait for a beautiful piece of artisanship. The design of a kilt in Paisley pattern, which I had commissioned, proved particularly difficult for the kiltmaker as she needed to plan it so as to hide much of the orange of the pattern in the inside of the pleats. Pictures of the finished product here:-
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...d-grant-61413/

[Riverkilt]

Glad you finally got the kilt and like it. Embarrased that you were treated like that from Arizona - but it was down in Tucson I think...way South of here.

I would respectfully disagree that TWO YEARS is NOT worth the wait...no one should have to pay two years in advance for a kilt.