Tiny Details

It seems like I’ve been doing a lot of posts like this lately. I don’t like to think my wife and I are suckers, but man it seems like we’ve been getting ripped off a lot in recent memory. I can’t help but think that honest, legitimate businesses just don’t exist anymore. They’ve been driven to extinction by money-grubbing scam artists out to milk you for every cent they can.

My most recent bout came with a company named Tiny Details based out of Syracuse, NY. My wife was interested in earning some extra money for us from home, a prospect that I found very appealing. What with our son and all, it’s really not feasible for her to go to work, so finding her a way to draw income at home was ideal.

I found Tiny Details while researching along those lines. I considered the link pointing to it to be more legitimate than most (and trust me, I know a lot about links). The site seemed a bit unprofessional, which should have been a big tip-off, but I didn’t find anyone saying anything negative about it. My wife was very excited at the prospect, as much as she loves arts and crafts.

Unfortunately, I didn’t do my research as thoroughly as I should have. It wasn’t until after we had bought a kit for my wife that I came across these Tiny Details customer complaints and some more recent warnings about Tiny Details. I also managed to find the Tiny Details Better Business Bureau report. I’m ashamed to say that I missed such glaring stop signs. I guess I must have been dreamy eyed over their false promises rather than incredulous as I rightfully should have been.

At any rate, I’ve cancelled our order and plan to seek reimbursement through whatever means necessary, up to and including legal action. I don’t expect them to make it easy; companies like this never do. I fully suspect it’s money that I’ll never see again one way or another, in which case I’ll take it as $55 worth of valuable education: If it seems too good to be true, it is. Do your research first, and do it right.

For my past exploits into consumer dissatisfaction, feel free to check out Fine Print Thievery, Advanced Internet Technologies, AT&T Prepaid Phone Card, and my review of Fandango.
 

Following the last email that I included in the comments below, I received a constructive response from Mr. Buchan. As promised, here is the excerpt from that email explaining Mr. Buchan’s side of the story:

We’ve had more than 55,000 home assemblers since 1999. With that kind of volume, there are going to be people who are unhappy. Our complaint volume is extremely low given the volume of business that we do.

Miniatures are not for everyone, that’s for sure. Just the same, if we didn’t buy miniatures from assemblers, we’d have nothing to sell. At the moment, we’re in both major wholesaler’s catalogs as well as directly market to numerous doll shops. I personally attend three major wholesale miniature shows per year to sell our product. We’re not illegitimate as you seem to portray. In fact, I invite you to come visit our offices, store, and warehouse here in New York.

I certainly don’t want anyone to leave angry–there’s no need for it. At the same token, I don’t want to give away materials, postage, and employee time to people who can’t or don’t make a saleable product. Dollhouse miniatures are precise–they need to be accurately made. Anything that’s not gets sent right back to me to replace for our vendors.

Mr. Buchan goes on to encourage anyone who has any issues to contact him directly at kris@tinydetails.com.

If you are considering doing business with Tiny Details, I encourage you to weigh all the facts and decide the truth for yourself. Many online sources (including me) cite negative experiences. However, it could be that we are merely the vocal minority. I personally feel open-minded enough to accept that possibility, and I hope that each and every person who reads this will have the consideration not to leap to judgment in either direction.

I would have to agree with you on your take on Tiny Details. I worked for them in the month of June 2006 and only on last Friday the 4th of August did I hear back from them. They didn’t accept my kit and they didn’t send me the razor blade and glue to fix them. I think that they are out there just to keep their customers $55 deposit. Now, I am trying all that I can to get that $55 back.

Is there a ligitimate assembly at home job site out there?

Thank you for saving me $55 and a big headach!

I dealt with Tiny Details in July of 05. My story is the same as most everyone elses. I got shafted and my Kits werent accepted. I wanted to get in my car and go to Groton and pay a personal visit to the gentleman who ran this company. I was out my 55.00 deposit too - The projects are incredibly difficult and you can’t satisfy these folks when you do your work and mail it to them

I’m glad I could help, Sal. Amanda, E.S, I’m sorry to hear of your bad experiences. Believe me; I feel your pain. My wife and I were unsuccessful in getting our money back. I myself am happy to move on with my life and consider it a $55 lesson in consumer skepticism. Always remember the old adage: Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware.

As for your question, Pat, I would avoid the whole venue if I was you. Tiny Details is by no means the first scam I’ve heard of; the whole industry is supposedly ripe with them. My recommendation would be to find employment outside the home if possible. The only success I’ve ever had with earning money at home was with this website, and it’s certainly no way to get rich quick.

Thank you very much for your info. I was seriously considering this company.

Hi….thanks so much for this information…you know what.. I agree that there are no works from home that an help you at all…I paid for a Tiny Details kit yesterday 03/15/07 of tje tiny magazine racks (made out of wood) and as soon I saw this web I called the Tiny Details company and cancelled the order…I also called the bank and posted a stop on the transaction..afetr reading all this I desided I would not take that risk…thank you very much for saveing me $59.85 hope to hear from you if there is any news about work athome jobs, cause I have a 4 1/2 month baby and I would really love to do something at home to spend more time with him..
Thanks a lot..!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m glad to hear that you found my post useful, Aneth. It’s always gratifying to see someone avoiding a mistake based on one’s own advice. Unfortunately, I’ve given up looking for work-at-home opportunities; few, if any, seem much more legitimate than Tiny Details, and I just can’t bring myself to trust those that do. As I mentioned above, the only residual, home-based income with which I’ve had any success is through blogging, and it’s taken me more than a year to draw what little income I do from that. I wish I could be the bearer of better news, but it seems that earning money from home is far more difficult than ordinary work, much as the Tiny Details of the world would have you believe otherwise.

I wish I had done a little research on the web before I invested money with this company - mine was with the Christian Miniatures which is as I understand the same company or part of the same company as Tiny Details. Anyway, I learned too late and am afraid I have lost $165 on this scam. I am fighting to get any bit of my money back but probably will not. What a shame for companies to make such enticing appeals and then to just shamelessly take our money. They were so nice on the phone - when they would answer it - but definately have turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I feel so stupid for falling for this. I hope anyone reading this will heed the advice given on your site - don’t throw away your money to these people.

just wanted to say thanks for the advice. There are so many of these scams out there and there needs to be a good way to filter thru all the crud!

Sent my completed set in over a month ago and have heard nothing. My sample was accepted, I sent the completed set in within the 60 days, yet, I’ve heard nothing. I have sent E-mails, left messages on the annoying machine…nothing. You know, it’s not the deposit that I paid that makes me so mad, it’s the fact that I made 100 stupid post-it note pads that were 1/4 of an inch square that makes me mad!!

No matter how hard you try, (and you will be trying hard, those things ARE tiny!!!!) even if you do it EXACTLY how they show you - they WILL NOT give you your money - they say it’s not “sellable” - BULL CRAP, my sh*t looked right. I spent HOURS on it!…. and don’t even think about getting your money back… whatever!!!!! RIP OFF people, rip off!!!!

[…] Then there was a personal journal chronicling the “$55 worth of valuable education” from Stephen Ward. He must have Googled too, because the same WAHM comments and FIB threads were listed in his post as well. Plus, he included a link to what he found at the Better Business Bureau’s listing for Tiny Details. […]

I recently received an email from Kristopher Buchan (kris at tinydetails.com) regarding this post. Here is the content of his email:

I am writing about the substantively incorrect postings that you have on your
website.

I am asking that you remove this point immediately. Your representation of
Tiny Details is inacurate and libelous.

I have forwarded this information to our company attorney, along with your
domain registration information.

Please govern yourself accordingly.

Kristopher Buchan
President
Tiny Details, LLC

Naturally, I did Mr. Buchan the courtesy of a response. Here is the content my response email:

Hello Mr. Buchan,
If there is any substantively incorrect information in my post concerning Tiny Details, I’d be most appreciative if you would point it out. To my knowledge, everything in my post is not only 100% accurate, it is also my opinion. As such, it is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. I’ve included a copy of this below for your and your lawyer’s reference:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

I feel certain that your company attorney will reiterate my assertion that this is, in fact, not libel. If I may suggest, perhaps you should focus more on improving your company’s shoddy reputation and less on using legal scare tactics to silence its critics.

Regards,
Stephen Ward

P.S. I will be including this and any future emails from you in the comments of the post on Tiny Details as a public service.

Just a few minutes after the previous conversation with Kristopher Buchan, I got another response from him. Here is the text of his response.

Mr. Ward,

You will be hearing from our attorney.

What you have posted is indeed libel.

I am in the process of seeking your address through your domain registrating information. You will be hearing from us shortly.

Kristopher Buchan

Naturally, I invited Mr. Buchan to point out the libelous material so that I could remove it. Here is the content of my response:

Mr. Buchan,
Again, I invite you to point out which statement in my post is factually incorrect. If you can do so to my satisfaction, I will be happy to retract and/or remove it. I can only imagine that you haven’t done so because, as I have already asserted, I have made no provably false statements of defamation. I look forward to seeing you in court.

Regards,
Stephen Ward

P.S. I suggest you try checking my domain registration information instead, as I am unaware what “domain registrating information” is.

“Tiny Details” Owner Sends Miniature Threats To Former Customer…

Tiny Details is a work-at-home company that pays hobbyists to make little dollhousey things. You buy the materials from Tiny Details for $55, make the assigned object(s), and Tiny Details buys them back. Unfortunately, many customers have complained ab…

[…] I received an e-mail from a friend of this blog today who filled me in on an interesting online exchange between a blogger and the president of a company he blogged about.  As it turns out, the post written by the blogger provides a less-than-friendly portrayal of the president’s company.  […]

After I’d had a chance to simmer down a bit, I decided to write Mr. Buchan another email offering a compromise in lieu of a pointless lawsuit. Here is the content of my email:

Hello again Mr. Buchan,
I think we got off on the wrong foot the other day. Allow me to be the first to extend the olive branch. While I assert that my post is in no way libelous and have no intention of removing it, I consider myself an open-minded person. Thus, if you would like your side of the story presented as well, I’m certainly happy to hear it.

It might interest you to know that the story has received some widespread attention on the Consumerist and several other blogs. As you can clearly see, threatening frivolous lawsuits has only served to worsen your company’s image. If your true goal is to salvage it, I suggest you start by mending fences with two of your former customers, namely my wife and I.

To be clear, my purpose is to avoid dragging us both into an unnecessary lawsuit when we could instead compromise. The post is staying, but I’m willing to update it with a more balanced view of your company. I hope that you’re willing to accept my peace offering and save us all a lot of hassle.

Regards,
Stephen Ward

If I read the info correctly, there is a one year statute of limitations on libel in New York State. Assuming that’s where Tiny Details is registered as a business of course. I’d have to believe they’d file the suit in their state or your state, but you never know. Time Limits for Filing a Defamation Lawsuit: State Statutes of Limitation

Thanks for the info, David. Actually, I researched that when I first received Mr. Buchan’s email. Regardless of the statute, however, I’m sure there are legal work-arounds and loopholes that would allow him to file suit anyway. I feel much more at ease offering a compromise, from both a legal as well as a humanist standpoint.

[…] Blogger Stephen Ward and his wife contracted with Tiny Details to assemble some dollhouse pieces from their home.  I am unclear on the exact details about “what went wrong” from his post, but if you scroll through it, what’s interesting are the two levels of response from Tiny Details. […]

Thank you for posting this. I just saw an ad for Tiny Details in the Classified section of my local newspaper, and was curious to see what the deal was. Now I know to stay far, far away…

Tiny details is a scam, They ripped me off 55.00 too. I cancelled the next day, after ordering they charged my credit card 3 weeks later. called them about it and they wont talk to me they keep hanging the phone up on me. dont do business with them diffently a scam.

[…] As a side note, I myself have been involved in an instance of the Streisand Effect. In July of 2006, I posted a critique of a business named Tiny Details on my old personal website. In February of 2007, Kristopher Buchan, the owner of the business, emailed me with threats of legal action unless the post was removed. Within two days, news of his threats had circulated on the Consumerist and several other blogs. We managed to reach a peaceful settlement afterward, but not before permanent damage had been done to Tiny Details’ online reputation. […]