Shapeways internet scum eshop!

Recently I saw the Gimbal 3 axis camera support for GoPro and decided to have a try. It showed a picture of complete system and it costed only about $19.81 plus 19.99 shipping.
After payment it displayed I had only purchased the back cover! Why would I want just the back cover? And why the product picture showed the full parts?
I immediately sent a request for a order cancelation and asking to payed values to be refunded to my Paypal account.
The order was canceled and it doesn't even show on my account anymore. But unfortunately Shapeways refused to make the payment refund!

Welcome velociraptor,

To start, shapeways doesn't control what a shop owner sells, claims to sell, or advertises. It's an open market for 3D designers to sell there items, so if you have a question about an item or it's description, it's best to ask the owner of the item.

Did you email service@shapeways.com? I know they wouldn't take your money without sending you product. That's not how shapeways works. I've been around here for 3 years, and I've seen complaints, and customer service has always taken care of them.

As the moderator, I did have to edit part of your post, as we like to keep an upbeat positive constructive feel in our community. In no way meant to censor your concerns.

I really didn't expect that either from Shapeways or whoever is selling trough them.
But after contacting Shapeways support and wait patiently for my refund for more than a week , all I see is that my order was deleted from my account but no refund was made to my paypal account. Not to mention when I made the buy the picture showed clearly the full kit parts.

I know problems can happens, but this is looking like more than a simple problem in my opinion. And I believe buyers have the right to know the facts, isn't it?

My first experience here is been really disappointing!

Check out the product link to see for yourself:

https://www.shapeways.com/gallery?mg[search][categories]=38&mg[search][clear]

https://www.shapeways.com/model/207257/3_axis_camera_gimbal_f or_gopro__back_cage_.html?gid=mg

Thanks for your attention

Regards,

Daniel

I'd contact service again about your refund. There are many things that could cause it to not show up yet.

As for the item, until just recently shapeways had the descriptions truncated. I don't know when you ordered so it's possible that the information was hidden, but in the first paragraph of the description the item says
"(Picture shows all the parts - camera is not included, and this is model here is only the back cage. Check the 3D model to see it. For the complete kit you have to order the back cage, the front lid, the servo cage and the mounting arm. You will also need 3x MKS470 servos, and a 16mm x 8mm ball bearing, not shown)"
as long as in a few other spots where it is mentioned.

But like I said, if you ordered while the description was truncated, it would not have been displayed unless you hit the "see more" button. So I could see how you could have missed that.

The old item description displayed the first 5 lines of text unabridged , and the "Picture shows all the parts - camera is not included, and this is model here is only the back cage." part is in line 3 - this information wasn't hidden in any way.

And the items name is "3-axis camera gimbal for GoPro (back cage)"


Personally, I see no need for a refund, because you get exactly what you've ordered.
(Lucky for you I don't work for Shapeways. ^^)


But it isn't nice to call someone "internet scum", although you just didn't read the article description.

Well, all the other parts on sale shows only that part in the picture. I went by the picture that showed the hole kit. For me that was obvious, it didn't show only the back cage. At the time It didn't have the description that now is saying that the other parts are not included and it is only the back cage. It was a really misleading advertisement as a picture is worth a thousand words. Just after payment it showed the correct picture that shows only the back cage.

I was not happy with that and wrote a polite email asking for the order cancelation and money refund. I received a letter that they were aware of this problem and trying to correct it, but would do as I asked. So far it was ok, but now has been more than 10 days and my order has completely disappeared from my account and no refund was made.

This can only be two things, bad customer support or really a scum attitude. And that is definitely not nice!

But since I haven't received my money back and I'm considering it lost, I decided to go trough with my order and pay for all the other missing parts to see how it goes. I alredy sent the customer support this email.

Let's see if this time I will get a reliable service or problems will continue to prove my possible theory of unfair business, what would be a shame because this is a really good business idea that should be taken more professionally. It will surely grow really big if they work right and customers are satisfied.

First, welcome to internet purchasing. What is in the picture is rarely what you actually get. The written description is the legally binding part of the contract between you and the seller. Second, Shapeways standard operating procedure is to issue a coupon, not a direct refund. You must request a direct refund. If all my customers were like you, I'd have a lot of angry ones because my first photo is of the item assembled, painted, and often with other aftermarket brass etchings and decals attached.

I have a internet shop in an auction website just like eBay. If I make the smallest mistake in description or pictures I'm in deep trouble and I have to really make it up to my customers not to go out of business! It seems that in 3D design people doesn't have the same worries, but outside this things are really savage and mistakes are not easily forgiven in such a competitive global world! Maybe I'm been too exigent, but that's how I learned to survive and earn my money! The good service that I give to others will be the same that I expect to receive. Am I wrong?

I'm gonna throw this out there that maybe everyone involved is somewhat at fault. You should have read the description more thuroughly, the creator should have written a better description, and shapeways should be more clear on their policies. I was given to understand from my own experience that Shapeway's doesn't just automatically refund to paypal they do shapeways credits for the value. thats what has always happened when i've had a canceled product of any kind. Beyond this I also think you need to understand that while many people on Shapeways sell product widely the reality is that Shapeways is still an expiremental site and a community formest dedicated to growing the 3d printing feild not an ebay market place clone. The people here make their products out of love for the hobby more than from a make a buck attitude. And of those here not everyone waits by their email to respond to comments as many of us do this for fun. I should hope the creator of this product revises his entry to have this confusion corrected the truth is that often when items are canceled the creators have limited feedback as to why and its easy for what we believe to be a clear and consise description to be misconstrued. We can't just contact whoever purchases/cancels an item without going through custmer service just like you and even if we could I doubt many of the creators have the time to do so as this isn't a full time business.

The intention surely wasn't to fool anyone with this photo.
A project like this "3-axis camera gimbal for GoPro" requires too much efforts, and the item is waaaaay to exotic.

Just as (hopefully helpful) hint,
whatever the default picture might show,
there is always also one of these white-and-grey pics. These pics are rendered from the files we upload. There is no option to delete them.
These rendered pictures always display the "pure" items.