"Fair of Masters": customer reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

This portal for the sale of copyrighted works has existed for more than ten years. Many found their business thanks to the opening of a store on this site. Someone has found a hobby doing master classes for artists.

Tempting handmade project

This marketplace was conceived as a way for artists to communicate and sell their works - jewelry or souvenirs. In 2010, the founders of the site, competent startup and IT specialists introduced its new version.

The emphasis has already begun to be placed on the commercial side of things. Denis Kochergin, one of the founding fathers, explained this idea this way: a master is a mini-company with its own purchases, sales, advertising, and ratings. Not doing this is dropping out of the market segment.

But it is also dangerous to get too carried away with selling souvenirs to the detriment of creative development, you will die as an artist. Sharing ideas is the way to go. At the same time, a new thought is overgrown with details that a single person would not have thought of. There is development due to social thought.

This is how the updated "Fair of Masters" started, reviews of which wereenthusiastic. I had to invest money to buy paid cards of masters, learn how to present my products, take advantage of taking pictures from different angles.

From a simple showcase for sale by Alena, Cherkasov's wife, her felt works, the site has become an outstanding trading platform. It is visited by up to half a million people a day. City of masters, not otherwise. Or even a small country.

Expansion of activity and its consequences

So, a new country has appeared. With its Constitution (website rules), with its citizenship and passports (masters club cards). And even with capital punishment - expulsion from the country for breaking the law.

The site has become similar to Etsy, an American portal for selling handmade items. It works on the principle of auctions, and all the products there are of good quality, because a bad review will simply close the store.

How the Russian man in the street is not used to such a tough business! The mysterious Russian soul protests against those who "measured harmony with algebra"! There were rumors that the "Fair of Masters" had deteriorated, the reviews on the Web appeared not only negative - abusive.

And the administration does not work well there, and does not bring complaints to the attention of the owners of the site. They don't know anything and therefore they can't do anything. Yes, and they sold their rights to some foreigner, now you won’t find the truth at all.

Recognize? Purely Russian moaning. The ministers steal, the complaints of the craftsmen are not understood, they do not reach the father-king. Yes, and the Germans swindled him, now do not expect good. Classic!

Customer Disappointment

Actuallywhat happened is what always happens when there is increased competition. Entrepreneurial sellers began to sell consumer goods, not tailoring. Often made in China. There are interesting reviews about getting "author's" dresses with unopened tags.

Let's skip the discussion of a homegrown fashion designer's ability to place an order for his models in China and let's face it. The marketplace is huge, checking every potential scammer is ridiculous. Hoping for the honesty of the seller too.

However, the "Fair of Masters" is blasphemed mercilessly - customer reviews are full of resentment:

• Previously, handmade silver jewelry was bought on this site, and recently factory-made stampings began to arrive.
• Purchased agates changed color after a year in a box in the closet.
• The boots bought lasted a month and began to fall apart.
• Pre-paid beading turned into multi-beaded print.
• The customer transferred money for the dress before receiving the package. The dress never arrived. The administration only shrugged off the complaint.

The scheme of unscrupulous sellers is as follows: an official purchase is made, and the master removes the thing from the window of his shop, after receiving the money transfer, the order quickly closes and puts the buyer on the black list. And there is no proof.

"Fair of Masters": reviews of sellers

There are two kinds of dissatisfied sellers: newbies and oldies. The latter remember the lighttimes when there were no Chinese fakes, all the masters were selling their works and solving creative problems. And now, they sigh, it's not like that. Forgetting who helped them rise and become famous.

The second, brand new, opened a store and sat without sales for two years. Disappointed and closed it. They did not study marketing steps or invest in advertising. The "Fair of Masters" turned out to be to blame - sales reviews written by such sellers are unflattering. Excuse me, did you come to the marketplace or the exhibition?

Reviews of masters

Disgruntled artists leave messages like this:

• Some artists sent their work to buyers. Those, without waiting for the cash on delivery, wrote a review, but refused to redeem the parcel. The works were returned to the masters, and they did not earn anything.
• Complain about paid reviews from competitors.
• Even after a lot of activity with compiling collections, zero result.
• Some masters characterize the site as a market for creative materials bought from Aliexpress.

Working at the Masters Fair is a business

There are people who are successful in dealing with this project. They highlight two points:

• Purchasing items online.
• Working at the Masters Fair.

Reviews of these lucky ones speak of considerable diligence and a serious attitude to their own business. It's inmostly creative people, but who managed to force themselves to live according to the norms of our time.

First of all, they want to remain citizens of this country of masters. Therefore, they unquestioningly correct blunders, even if the customer made a mistake in size. Know their rights well and respect the rights of others.

Communication on the forum is not considered an empty pastime for them. In the process of an easy exchange of opinions, ideas and other information, the horizons expand, and a person grows professionally.

A single master, if he wants to be at the level, must educate himself and invest in himself. It is easier to do this in a team of like-minded people.

The spirit of the times requires additional skills: knowledge of the basics of copywriting and SEO optimization, the ability to work with photo-processing programs, and many related speci alties. Progress goes forward, who manages to keep up with it, more successfully than others.

Sometimes such people are perplexed when they hear about products that have not been sold for years or reciprocal rudeness. They simply do not take the situation to such extremes, preferring to start with themselves and remain silent in order to save the client.

Working in the service industry implies such professional behavior. Why should artists stand out? This is illogical.

How to sell at the Craft Fair

The "Help Center" section describes in detail how to create a store, promote it through keywords in the "Yandex" line, how to correspond with the buyer and change the order conditions (for example, a different colorproducts). Screenshots provided.

Those who managed to adapt to the routine leave positive feedback about the site "Fair of Masters". Their advice will be useful for beginners:

• First of all, do not rush to open a store. "Pit" - a large area, walk around, look, read the rules, chat.
• Explore your niche, its potential buyers.
• Take into account the seasonality of sales.
• To have your own website and groups in social networks in parallel with the shop on the "Pit" is justified and will only bring benefits. Although it is forbidden to advertise your sites on the Pit, you never know which of them will buy goods.
• Think from a shopper's point of view: isn't it difficult to deal with shopping?
• If everything is clear, ask the old-timers for help and open a shop. Consider the mistakes of others.
• Get shopping.

The owners of the site try to maintain a positive atmosphere, a lot of advice and reminders of politeness and responsiveness. There is nothing that cannot be discussed and reached a consensus, says the "Fair of Masters". Feedback from buyers who have found their sellers speaks for itself.

How to successfully buy at the "Craft Fair"

In the help section, the site provides instructions for using the purchase programs. Explains the difference between a finished work, custom work, and a showpiece. It is enough to go through the purchase procedure once to understand the principles.

Detailed step-by-step instructions with screenshots will help the beginner. If acontact the author of the product, he will most likely take the trouble to help make a purchase.

There are indeed enough options that arise when buying at the "Fair of Masters" site. Customer reviews about the site as not very easy to use. But this is due to the desire to protect customers and take into account possible misunderstandings. For example, you can change the terms of the transaction several times. For the sale of handmade, this is normal - either the buttons are different, or the lining.

Experienced old-timers formulated their advice for beginners:

1. First, a contract is concluded, the purchase goes through the basket and payment is made after the author accepts the purchase.

2. Keep the receipt for the amount sent by bank transfer.

3. Inform the seller about sending money and take a written message from him at the "Fair" that the money has arrived.

4. When paying in cash, take a receipt.

5. Discuss the color, shape and all the nuances. Allow or refuse changes. All write through the "Fair", this will help not to confuse you with another customer.

6. Discuss the date of execution of the order separately, constantly ask in what phase the work is being done. Then, if there are difficulties (interruptions in the material), you can correct the changes in time.

How to write a review on the "Fair of Masters"

The system of operation of this huge online store provides for leaving customer reviews about the product you like or not. Also leavesreview and seller. This increases the level of reliability of the transaction.

The trade closes automatically if there is a callback, otherwise it will wait 90 days to exit the asset. Such is the interface of the "Fair of Masters" - bad reviews or good ones, but anyone closes the deal. Reviews are voluntary, but convenient. So it's better to leave them so that there is no confusion.

Some people buy an item without registering and therefore don't leave a review. Someone was able to register, but did not deal with the interface. Obviously, these buyers do not fully understand the importance of the review.

After all, there is nothing complicated about how to leave a review on the "Fair of Masters". Since the seller does not experience this problem, the instruction for the buyer is:

• If the purchase is made and accepted by the master through the basket, officially, you can leave a review.
• Follow the sign "My fair - Purchases", we see our thing that we bought.
• Click on its title.
• On the page that opens, click "Write a review".
• Put a smiley.
• If you wish, write a few words.
• Click on "Leave a review".
• In the window that opens, put "OK".

Not everything is so sad

Not always to blame for unsuccessful purchases or sales "Fair of Masters", reviews of which are so sad. The tool is not responsible for who uses it. And the site is a sales tool.

Summing up the discussion on the forum on the topic "Bad site", onethe master deduced the principle: according to the law of meanness, an honest master always gets a fraudulent buyer, and vice versa.

This is naive to say the least. We have no right to demand decency from others. But we can and must know how to protect ourselves. There is a certain ethics of behavior on the "Pit", as it is called. This is a set of simple rules that everyone can master. Who sold at the "Fair of Masters", probably met reviews of this type:

• Do not rush to order the item you like until you have talked to its author.
• It's not the reviews that matter, but the people who write them.
• A conscientious author will never offer to go to another site to discuss something.
• Customers will do the right thing by taking multiple screenshots of their purchase.
• Keep your receipts safe.
• Create an agreement with the seller, only then send an advance payment.
• If you breach a deal through no fault of your own, act in accordance with consumer protection law.

And you should not be silent when you see injustice nearby. Collective solidarity can do a lot. To paraphrase a well-known expression, we can say: “Do not be afraid of scammers - in the worst case, they can make you lose money. Do not be afraid to lose regular customers - in the worst case, they will go to your competitors. Be afraid of the indifferent - with their tacit consent, our "Fair of Masters" receives reviews as unscrupulous businessmen.

Those who are thinking about selling their handmade products, but are afraid to set sail on thismarketplace because of the reviews, let them compare it with other options. Now analogues of the "Fair" have appeared, but they are not so hyped.

After all, this is the first Russian project of this level, and there are old-timers and real artists here. After all, you can try and learn. And then make your own website and deal with it.

And yet, if you do nothing, nothing will happen. Try, dare, learn to sell, learn the skill. Grow professionally. And good luck to you.