OMG possibly the sleaziest candle maker ever

[comfortscents]

I've applied for an adjudicated craft show. I've done it for the last 2 years, they limit crafters by product,

They accept only 2 of each type of craft so I do both soap and candles so there's just been one other soap maker and one other candle maker. I have to prove I handmake my products, so today this older candlemaker shows up, so she has her lap top and shows me her website and proceeds to give me some "tips." for reducing my costs....here's what she does...on jar candles she pours 90% of her jar with less than a tbsp of fo, then when she does her second pour she adds more oil so the scent is stronger than the candle actually is..she said "they only take a whiff of the candles, so it smells stronger than it is and she saves on oil...this was for a 16oz jar.

Secondly, and this just blows me away...when she ships candles she takes the tissue paper in the box and sprinkles straight oil onto the paper so when the buyer opens the box they are b*tch slapped w/ scent....then she smiled at me and said "honey, I'm gonna slap you down like the hand of God, I will out sell you if it's a contest between you and me.". I knew I was in pretty good w/ this craft show so she would be my competition. No offense intended for those who get their containers from $ tree but I pour my jar candles in vintage containers, hand painted enamelware and just odd old containers. The harpy sitting next to me had 10 random mugs there to represent her style, her mugs sell for $5.00 I had some silver pieces, and French blue enamel small tureens that I sell for $20.00 and up.

There were 2 other candlemakers there besides the harpy and me and one other soap maker who is there every year and we barter stuff back and forth....I already got my call so I'm in for both candles and soap...can't wait to see who the other Chandler is...

[pleasureridgecandles]

omg that is some serious nerve if I ever heard it.... I can't see how she can have repeat customers if 90% of her candle is extremely weak in scent. Good luck and I hope if she's the other candle maker there you kick her butt in sales!!

[B@BlissStreet]

b*tch slapped w/ scent

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THIS NEW MARKETING TECHNIQUE? SHE IS A PIONEER, I AM SURE! BEEN LOOKING FOR A GOOD LINE OF BS TO PROMOTE MY COMPANY; GUESS I'LL JUST USE THIS! THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING. LOVE YOUR POSTS...YOUR WIT IS PRICELESS.

"Hi. I'm Brandy, and I'll be helping you today here at Bliss Street Candle Company, where it is our policy to B*itch slap you with scent. How can I help you with your purchase?" (picture Baby Jane style lipstick and a cigarette hanging from my parched lip!)

Edited September 21, 2010 by B@BlissStreet
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[comfortscents]

Brandy, might we have been separated at birth?

[B@BlissStreet]

I've applied for an adjudicated craft show. I've done it for the last 2 years, they limit crafters by product,

They accept only 2 of each type of craft so I do both soap and candles so there's just been one other soap maker and one other candle maker. I have to prove I handmake my products, so today this older candlemaker shows up, so she has her lap top and shows me her website and proceeds to give me some "tips." for reducing my costs....here's what she does...on jar candles she pours 90% of her jar with less than a tbsp of fo, then when she does her second pour she adds more oil so the scent is stronger than the candle actually is..she said "they only take a whiff of the candles, so it smells stronger than it is and she saves on oil...this was for a 16oz jar.

Secondly, and this just blows me away...when she ships candles she takes the tissue paper in the box and sprinkles straight oil onto the paper so when the buyer opens the box they are b*tch slapped w/ scent....then she smiled at me and said "honey, I'm gonna slap you down like the hand of God, I will out sell you if it's a contest between you and me.". I knew I was in pretty good w/ this craft show so she would be my competition. No offense intended for those who get their containers from $ tree but I pour my jar candles in vintage containers, hand painted enamelware and just odd old containers. The harpy sitting next to me had 10 random mugs there to represent her style, her mugs sell for $5.00 I had some silver pieces, and French blue enamel small tureens that I sell for $20.00 and up.

There were 2 other candlemakers there besides the harpy and me and one other soap maker who is there every year and we barter stuff back and forth....I already got my call so I'm in for both candles and soap...can't wait to see who the other Chandler is...

Brandy, might we have been separated at birth?

Possibly...are you going to offer the "actual" B*itch slap on your website? I'm thinking I could do it for clean people for about $1.50, and adjustable rates on anyone smelly or dirty?

[deb426]

LOL, how about "B*tch Slap Candle Company?"

Ann Marie, if she turns out to be the other candle stand, take the high road. I like to think that people like her get what they've given. Whether its kharma or God, somebody that nasty can't go unpunished.

[Kitn]

bitch slap candle co...

[scifichik]

LOL She takes the cake! Or should I say styro formed shape with icing on it, as I'm sure that's the route she'd go for "baking."

[Noodle]

b*tch slapped w/ scent

And probably most of her customers with any sense notice that they have been b*tched slapped with oily tissue paper. Oil stains big time. What a loser.

[felixncharlie]

You will come out ahead in the end, the jerks always lose. It may seem like they are getting away with these things but eventually it always catches up.Your products sound beautiful.

[EricofAZ]

So the short name of this new company is "BS Candles"?

I was thinking that it would be good marketing to disclose the amount of scent in a candle.

I would think that the U.S. Department of Weights and Measures would be interested in any commercial sales that seek to mislead the buyer regarding the weights and measures used in the product.

It is the same thing as turning back odometers or making the gas meter run faster than the actual flow.

On a slightly different note, there are candle companies that are selling "aromatherapy" that use FO's instead of EO's. Chamomile for example, is pretty spendy and there is a company here in Arizona that claims a good throw and a one pound chamomile candle for $16 bucks. A full ounce is about $108 bucks of the real stuff.

[ProudMarineMom]

So the short name of this new company is "BS Candles"?

Yes, the BS Candle Company a subsidiary of BOHICA Enterprises....

You guys are cracking me up. Love, love, LOVE the sense of humor. Maybe they can use a catch phrase from another post that shall remain nameless, Hella Hella-awsome Candles...

[pleasureridgecandles]

lmao, yeah I was wondering if the scent stingy candle maker got her tutorial from the hella hella good ghetto candle lady....BAM!! Check out her wicks and if they are matches or toothpicks or whatever the hell that supposed wick was and we'll know for sure

[Candybee]

I've heard of this practice before. Its been around for a while. Another is to rub FO on the inside of the lid or top of candle so people are fooled that it has more scent than is in the candle. Both are sleezy practices.

Don't worry-- this person will get their dues paid back in full. People may be fooled into buying once but she won't have return or repeat sales when customers realize they have been gypped.

[sunkissed]

I don't think people will stay duped for long. She's only making a fool of herself because once that candle really starts to burn through, most people will see her product for what it is.

You should put up a sign next to yours saying, "No Gimmicks, Just Good Candles" or something like that.

[Traveler]

All joking aside, this is a woman who is engaging in misleading business practices. She is lying to consumers. I would report her to the Better Business Bureau. Period. People like her are becoming more prevalent and unfortunately, this can have a negative impact on those of us who are so diligent about the quality of work we put into our products.

I have had people tell me they won't buy candles at craft shows anymore because of candles that lost their scent halfway through (among other horror stories!) So they go back to Yankee Candle instead of giving another independent candlemaker a try. It takes a lot of work to win back people who have been "burned" by one sleazeball.

Do you know any of the show's organizers well enough that you could give them a head's up about this? I imagine they would want to know about someone ripping off the consumers who visit their event in good faith.

If this "liar" gets into the show, she has the potential to hurt people. Not just by stealing their money through false advertising but also because her candles might be so poorly made they could start a real house fire. (Clearly she is not interested in quality.)

I will keep my fingers crossed that she does not get into the show ~

[comfortscents]

there is a power seller on ebay who shall remain nameless..lol...donna...are you smiling yet? Anyway this is what she does, she has another candle maker pour her "blanks" of vanilla smoothie scented shapes...then she ships the blanks to the power seller, and the "seller" dips the blanks in whatever scents she wants to sell..she just dips and dips until she doubles the size of the vanilla smoothie blanks, so buyers will get an initially great scent and then as the candle burns down and the V.S. blank starts burning buyers must be fooled about what scent they are actually burning. I used to buy from her and because her candles always burned crappy, I would take a hammer to the scented shell and use for my tart warmer.

I have no idea as of yet who the second candle seller is...I know when she was a talking to me she didn't bother to whisper, the fact that this is a juried show she might be weeded out of the mix.

I've been going thru unique containers and matching scents to the containers. I'll send photos of some of the stuff I want to fill.

I have renamed my Heaven scent to "slapped down by the hand of god"...my daughter would have wet her pants hearing that and I've got to use "b*tch slap" somewhere. I'm not combative or confrontational, when she approached me I actually thought someone was playing a trick on me to get a reaction, but I've asked around about her and she's the real deal. In fact, last summer when I was at the flea market, I noticed more and more crafters were setting up tables..so naturally I went to the candle tables..I actually bought tarts from her...they looked like they were poured on a cookie sheet and just broken up in pieces but I adored the scent...it wasn't one I ever heard of before, I know on certain scents I change the name to something more commercially acceptable, the slabs of wax she was selling as tarts were called New England Mist...I had to have this scent and just knew she would never use the real name of this gorgeous scent..but, I actually asked here on the board if anyone heard of New England Mist and it turned out to be a f.o. from Backwoods..it's fabulous..imho. I think she supports herself by selling candles and she's cutting corners, I just assume everyone anchors their wicks...we got to talking about it and she told me that the wax itself anchors the wick...I did my best Scooby Doo impression and made a sound like "aruhhhhh?". I think she may have been a good candle maker at one time but now she doesn't care...we traded a candle w/ each other, just a votive but she must not use wick pins because my votive from her is drilled and crooked...the 2 other candlemakers have standing in this craft show, I'm sure one of them will get the second spot. BTW, I went to the website that was listed on her business card and there was no website...maybe someone was trying to get a reaction from me..lol.

[ladysj]

All I can say is "OMG" this is too funny & certainly very sad. I love the B*TCH Slap that is hilarious. I take great pride in my candles as I know we all do on this board "Hopefully" It never ceases to amaze me at what some people will do.

[doglover]

b*tch slapped w/ scent

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THIS NEW MARKETING TECHNIQUE? SHE IS A PIONEER, I AM SURE! BEEN LOOKING FOR A GOOD LINE OF BS TO PROMOTE MY COMPANY; GUESS I'LL JUST USE THIS! THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING. LOVE YOUR POSTS...YOUR WIT IS PRICELESS.

"Hi. I'm Brandy, and I'll be helping you today here at Bliss Street Candle Company, where it is our policy to B*itch slap you with scent. How can I help you with your purchase?" (picture Baby Jane style lipstick and a cigarette hanging from my parched lip!)

LMAO.....:laugh2:

[CandleMakinCutiePie]

What I don't understand is why she would tell her competition of her shady business practices?You'd think you would want to keep that under wraps!This women sounds like an ignorant moran.I buy candles from craft shows on occasion and I would be pretty p-ed off if I got one of these duds.

[annie123]

I can't imagine getting repeat business that way...but I would use that

as a marketing point. No wonder customers don't take us seriously and they rather buy overpriced Yankee.

[lsbennis]

I agree with another poster that it does not reflect well on us as crafters, I have been to shows and people have asked me if my candles smell good all the way down, sounds like they made have had a bad experience with other crafters. I don't know its just frustrating that we spend so much time and money to make a good product only to have one careless crafter make us look bad.

[Bernadette]

This happens EVERYWHERE. I don't know about craft shows because I don't do them, but I know it happens on the internet all the time. I continually get calls and emails from customers all the time that relate horror stories of candles they bought from large and small internet candle stores that only have scent on top, are not colored all the way thru, burn terrible, etc. It hurts every one of us. I refuse to advertise anymore, because alot of these same shameless sellers have used my exact words on their sites. I rely instead on word of mouth, and it has all been good.

I wish there was a way to stop them all, but there are still too many that think candle/soap making is easy, and a good way to make a quick buck!

[deb426]

I've had people make the comment to me that they have tried handmade candles (not mine) and been disappointed as it burns down. They say that is why they go back to Yankee. This must be more widespread than I thought. They are surprised that mine smell good all the way to the bottom. I thought the practice of scenting the top was limited to dollar store candles and chinese candles that they sell really cheap. I never dreamed that a candlemaker would do that. How do they keep selling?

[psfponies]

I lost out on having my candles in a store in a awesome location due to what I think are really poor quality candles. The store owner ended up getting this candle making system from a local business that went out of business. The candles are horrible and she only gets 35% of what she sells. I have never seen this kind of thing before its a huge wooden keg with a heating element that holds the wax with a pour spout, you choose your scent and pour that in a tube next to the spout. The candle jar is filled and sealed with a funky wax disc and lid.

She was making $10.45 a piece on my candles and didnt have to do a thing but display them. She only makes about $4.25 on the ones she makes and has to pay for electricity to keep the wax heated all day. So she has to sell about 15 to 20 candles before she even makes a profit!!! Besides my candles being way better quality that just doesnt make good business sense to me?