So I ordered a few pretty stone flowerpots from Mexico for my container garden. They looked bigger in the photo and I don’t recall Novica giving the exact dimensions in the product descriptions. I was hoping they would be big enough for herbs like parsley and oregano.When the pots arrived, they were not only far too small—only about 2” by 2 1/2”—but I was vexed to find that the stone was porous, so it sucked water out of the soil. This left them unsuitable for anything but succulents, which I don’t grow.Here’s where things get really bad.I left a 3-star review (max is 5 stars) on Novica’s site, saying that while the flowerpots were nice-looking and well-crafted, they were impractical for the reasons described above and had not been accurately described on the site. I blamed Novica for this rather than the artisans.The review was never posted and I was never told why. Novica says that defamatory reviews are not allowed. I thought that since my review hadn’t included any abusive, profane, obscene, racist, bullying, enraged or other offensive language and was written in a generally levelheaded tone, I was in the clear. I realize now that Novica’s definition of “defamatory” is extremely broad; it effectively means you can’t say *anything* bad about any of its products. No complaints or criticism allowed, no matter how civil. Sure enough, when I looked around the site, I saw only fawning 4- and 5-star reviews on all the products. Nothing even remotely negative. This is deceitful and doesn’t allow buyers to get an accurate idea of the quality of the product.In addition, their stuff is pretty overpriced and takes an eternity to ship. There’s a mom-and-pop Mexican import store near me that sells better-quality merchandise at lower prices and gets their stock in much more quickly, so what’s Novica’s excuse? I wonder whether the high prices really go to the artisans in question or just line Novica’s pockets.I’m not doing business with this company again. They offer subpar value for money and because they censor all critical reviews you can’t learn whether the item you’re buying is really any good. I can’t stomach that kind of dishonesty. They’ve lost me forever.UPDATE: Less than 48 hours after I left this TrustPilot review, Novica has, after many months, emailed me in a rather contrite way. I can’t tell whether they’re being sincere or just covering their butts, but here it is:“Greetings,“Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback in the recent Product Review for the Heart-Shaped Reclaimed Stone Flower Pots (Pair), "Heartfelt Planters" from NOVICA. Please accept our most sincere apology for the delay in responding to your review.“We truly value hearing what our customers have to say, as it allows us to improve our products and customer service. Our artisans also benefit from such customer feedback, as it ultimately helps them succeed in their enterprise.“We noticed from your survey comments that you were not completely satisfied with your purchase. You have mentioned that the size were not as advertised as we as the quality of the pots. I have reached out to our region to team to confirm the size and also the quality concerns you had. We have sold over 100 units with no return. I'll let you know as soon as I hear back from our team.“At NOVICA, we want you to be completely satisfied with each and every purchase. We believe that the creation of a bridge between consumers and world artists depends on high quality products and extraordinary customer service and we would welcome the opportunity to correct the issue you are having with your item. Please let us know if you would like me to set up your return for a refund. We will be happy to help set things right.“Thank you again for your feedback and thank you for shopping with us.“Best Regards,“Tiali“NOVICA Customer Care”UPDATE #2: To their credit, Novica has handled this debacle by issuing me a refund on 2/8/22–several months after the purchase, but shortly after this review—without my even asking for it. They also tried to call me on the same day, but I was unable to take the call due to more pressing issues. They said they’d call me back. I have become more cautiously optimistic about them and will keep you lot posted.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
Novica unites you with more than 2,000 extraordinary master artists around the world. Read about their lives, explore their fascinating cultures, and select from more than 30,000 handcrafted works of art.
