Curiosity Corner

Ian George, the owner of this business, is one of those sellers that’s friendly and helpful before you put down your money to buy his product. Then once you’re reeled in, BAM! You’re out $ 200 USD and dealing with the WORST customer service in the history of mankind. You must be thinking seeing his picture – «Aww! Look he’s holding a teddy bear! I bet he’s lovely!» But NO! RUN! It’s a deception. I know you really want to buy a teddy bear, or whatever collectable trinket he sells in his shop, but don’t do it! Just run! Drop the bear and go!
It started when when I saw Ian’s ad of a beautiful teddy bear by Charlie Bears on Facebook. I’m telling you, this thing is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen in my life, I’d trade my own children for one. I just couldn’t not buy it. I sent Ian an email, about that f – ing gorgeous bear. He responded quickly, and was very helpful. I asked if he could send a non-​stock photo of the bear, because, I’ve tried online dating and I know exactly the kind of Photoshop magic that can make an average looking thing look drop dead beautiful. He said yes, but the bear was not in stock and would not be until Tuesday. I’d have to preorder to reserve one before it sells out (apparently Charlie Bears collectors mistake the adorable little smurfers for chucks of gold and can get really rabid when it comes to getting their hands on one). He seemed trust worthy. People have bought for him and they seem to be happy with him. And I saw that picture of him holding a teddy bear, which he uses as the icon for his shop. I thought: Smiling man? Check! Teddy bear in hand? Check! And he’s British, and I love «Doctor Who»! (Hey, I’m not stereotyping here, but I’m an American… and a bit of a redneck… my knowledge of what goes down in «the land across the pond» doesn’t extend further than Matt Smith’s floppy hair and the fact that they have a Queen). So, trusting the lovely, smiling, British man and his giant teddy bear, I placed my preorder, expecting to hear back from Ian as soon as the bear is in stock.
Two weeks pass, no word from him, I sent him an email asking. He tells me that can’t send me the picture of the bear as he had promised, because it was sold out. I was disappointed, but, no big deal. He shipped my order and I asked him for a tracking number. He tells me that it won’t work until it clears customs in the US, he’ll keep repeating that in later emails, like it’s some sort of catchphrase. I’ll tell him just as many times, I understood, but I’d like the tracking number anyway, so I have it on hand when it does clear customs. Which I did after the first time he said it. He doesn’t respond.
Days after, I check my bank account and there are two unauthorized charges from his website, processed after the payment for the bear went through. They were only about $ 4 USD each, but still, WTF? I email him about the charges and asked for that tracking number again. He tells me he’ll look into the charge, but nothing about the tracking number. I wait for days, nothing, so I email him again. This time he tells me the charges were for international fees from my bank. Seems feasible. I give him the benefit of the doubt. Still no tracking number. I ask for it yet again. I give my bank a call, and was told that they don’t charge international fees for purchases made with a debit card. I email Ian again to tell him what my bank said and made another attempt to negotiate a release for that tracking no. No response. Two days later I send him a follow up. Again no response.
Finally, I posted my concerns on facebook, keeping him anonymous. Three emails and a week of waiting for a response later, homeboy finally response under my public post inevitably outing himself as the anonymous seller. He said this: «I told you in a pm that the tracking number will not become active for you until it clears u s a customs and you will not get a response from me if you take this attitude I work long and hard I get over 500 emails today and every day I got nearly 400 messages on facebook and on twitter I fully understand you are very important to you I am allowed to missa few things». I took one look at that long, run-​on sentence, devoid of all punctuation and sentence structure and I knew that shit just got real, because nothing screams, «It’s going down» louder than throwing away all rules of grammar, gangsta style!
I know homie think’s he’s OG, but b-​tching out a customer is not cool! There are some who will tell you that he’s awesome, but Charlie Bears to some people are like crack and you’d know from «Breaking Bad», the crack dealer doesn’t have to have good service, just good crack. Unless you want to be lied to, charged extra fees, ignored, have your your tracking number held hostage like it’s a little rich girl held for ransom, then finally get a response with a ‘tude of epic proportions, stay away from this man and his business.