We're currently redoing our master bath and it has been ... interesting to say the least!

Most of the renovation has been really fun, but we did run into a snag with a particular vendor. For those of you who have a bigger master bath, you've probably googled "extra large bath rug" or something to that nature and come across Vita Futura. It is a small business located in Tampa, FL and run by the owner, Michelle. They have beautiful rugs that are made in Germany and are not mass produced (and therefore very pricey). However, there aren't a lot of options for bigger rugs, so we decided to order from them.

WORST. MISTAKE. EVER! We got an e-mail saying to expect delivery of the rug in 2 - 2.5 weeks. Okay, no problem. After 2 weeks, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our very expensive investment, when Michelle called to tell us that the product was back-ordered and we wouldn't be getting it for another month or so. AHHHH!! Anyone who is on a tight schedule with a bathroom renovation knows that this is very bad news. But hey, we're easy-going people and we understand that things happen. I was a little concerned, however, that we weren't even contacted about it being back-ordered until we were due to receive it. After all, if we had be called a few days after the order was placed, we could have easily chosen a different rug and still stuck to our time schedule. When I made the casual comment that it was unfortunate that we were informed so late, she snapped and told me that the product wasn't due to be delivered for another week. I knew this was incorrect because I had the e-mail open with the original order date and the quoted delivery time frame, and knew the rug was supposed to be delivered any day now. She sighed loudly and told me that she's been doing this for a loooong time and she KNEW my e-mail said that the 2 - 2.5 weeks was the estimated time for shipping, not delivery. I was starting to get uncomfortable with how rude she was being and politely told her I had the e-mail open and that simply wasn't the case. She then talked to me like a 2-year-old and asked me to read it to her slowly, line by line, so I could see my mistake. I did just that and she fell silent, and then quickly said, "Well, that must have been a system error. I need to fix that on my end." No apology, no nothing. I was very upset by this time because I was being treated like a stupid, oblivious moron who couldn't read a simple e-mail correctly. I told her that I was very taken aback by how she was treating me and asked if she treats her customers this way. She told me that she was not at all being rude - that I must have been "already upset" about something and she was just trying to explain the process to me and I was confused. Hah :). I of course canceled my order which she acted unconcerned with, and I then asked her, "Aren't you worried about your customers telling their friends about their experiences when you treat people like this?" She laughed at that. My husband - who is usually very laidback and easygoing and doesn't get involved with the vendors - about lost it with her.

I just feel like it's necessary to write this for anyone else who is thinking about using this store. When we buy things off the Internet we never really know what we're in store for, so it helps to have some sort of guideline. I will say that the Vita Futura rugs are very pretty and come in larger sizes, but I'm just not sure if it's worth the horrible customer service. I, for one, don't feel at all comfortable with giving my money to someone who laughs at their customer's distress and can't muster up a simple apology for their rudeness. After I hung up with her, I found other reviews on Amazon and the like about negative experiences with her, as well as people who have bought items that were different colors / appearances in person than they were on the website.

On the bright side though, I've found a comparable bath rug here at a local shop in Destin, FL that is $75 cheaper and absolutely gorgeous. I know that's not an option for everyone but it's worth thinking about. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer in this post - I am sure there are awesome vendors out there for bath decor, but I just didn't find Vita Futura to be one of them.