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I have purchased multiple items of batik clothing from Unicef/Novica as I know that this a place where I can find truly unique items and support a good cause at the same time. I have had one item delayed in shipment and they were very good about advising me on status until delivery. Each item that I have received has been a very high quality and is exceptionally comfortable. The size recommendations on the web site are an accurate guide. I get many positive comments on my Novica attire and enjoy looking for new items.
NOVICA customer care was prompt to respond back to my replacement request for one of the pearl earrings which had a blemish. Once I sent a picture of the blemish, NOVICA was prompt to offer me free replacement for the earrings. I didn't even need to send the blemished one back. Great products and matching customer service. I will continue to shop at NOVICA and highly recommend them.
Beware: if you register on novica.com you will be spammed endlessly, without any real possibility to unsubscribe from their mailing lists. They offer an unsubscribe link, but that link doesn't work. You can also write an email to novica, asking to be unsubscribed. They will answer that you will be unsubscribed within a few business days, but that doesn't happen either. After many attempts to be unsubscribed I have my email client consider emails from novica as spam and wrote this review.
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.
An item I ordered was broken when I received it. I reported it immediately requesting an exchange and Laura responded promptly and placed the exchange order for me quickly, making the process painless and easy. I can’t recommend Novica enough, both for their quality and quantity of items but also for their excellent customer service.
This is the worst customer service I have ever dealt with. The ordered goods could not be delivered by fedex because I was on vacation. After that I have not received any message whether the bracelet will be delivered, despite multiple inquiries. The money has long since been debited. I can only warn against these people and will probably file a complaint. Das ist der schlechteste Kundenservice, mit dem ich jemals zu tun hatte. Die bestellte Ware konnte von fedex nicht geliefert werden, weil ich im Urlaub war. Danach habe ich trotz mehrfacher Rückfragen keine Nachricht erhalten, ob das Armband geliefert wird. Das Geld ist längst abgebucht. Ich kann nur vor diesen Leuten warnen und werde vermutlich Anzeige erstatten.
I was so very happy to have found this company Novica through a friend in Facebook. I ordered the Quitapena Love Cotton Wreath and was jumping with joy when I got it. It was so beautiful and nicely made that my daughter loved it for Mother’s Day present. The worry dolls were so exquisite!!! I want to thank Lucia which was the artisan that made it. I immediately went to order another one for my sister that fell in love with it. I will keep ordering from Novica cause it came super fast and the product is amazing!!!!! Thank you NOVICA!!!
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