Caveat emptor for rugs lovers :)

[Sakura]

I wanted to share my recent experience ordering custom rugs from an online exporter in India. I think maybe this has similarity to buying a car online that you can't inspect in person.

I ordered three custom-sized pure silk rugs and provided exact CAD measurements. It took them about 8 weeks to complete. Before shipping, the seller sent me photos with rulers placed on top of the rugs. I approved the photos, but when the rugs arrived, they were significantly shorter than the measurements shown in the approval photos. The difference was clear and measurable. I think the seller used altered ruler to cover their mistake and to get my approval before shipping. They thought that if I approved the shipping, then they were free of all faults.

Another issue was the finishing quality. The surface had noticeable fuzz, the edges were not trimmed evenly, and the corner cuts were not clean. It looked like the rugs had not gone through proper surface shearing or trimming, which is normally standard for this type of product.

Communication also became difficult. When I raised the issues, they tried to ignore me as I did not receive a response for a week. After follow-up, the seller tried to justify the size difference using a "3 - 5 percent tolerance" that was never normal standard nor mentioned during ordering. It is common to have 1 cm discrepancies, but the difference was huge like 5 to 6 cm. Eventually they offered to remake the rugs, first with an extra charge, and later without, only when the matter has gone to my credit card for charge back investigation.

I think they were trying to maximize profit by sending my order to inexperienced low paid home-made knitter and not to professional makers.

Since the rugs did not match the approved measurements and the finishing was not as described, I submitted the documentation to my credit card company for chargeback review. They are currently handling the case.

My takeaway: If you order custom rugs internationally, especially without seeing the workshop in person, scrutinize everything and acted like you are a rug dealer and knows everything about rugs, and save all communication in case there is a problem later. Otherwise, these type of shady sellers will try to profit and insult your intelligence.

Hopefully my experience helps someone else avoid the same issues.

 

[Sakura]

The cut dimension was too messed up and didn't fit my display cabinet.



The seam bindings were not done properly so the white base is showing randomly.



Random bulky seams.


The surface wasn't not properly trimmed so you can see threads poking out here and there and the overall surface looks like outgrown weed rather than flat.


I am sure this is not truly handmade but more like a fifty dollar piece tied by some amateur at home who is extremely near-sighted. And they were charging me at 10x the actual cost for their pure profit at the expense of quality. Pure shady sellers. India is now joining China for producing crap.

I'm getting a replacement from local JAPANESE maker to do these rugs for me. It would be pure wool rather than pure silk, but I don't have to deal with India anymore. Never ever again.

 

[Luzifer]

The last picture looks like polyester to me!

They thought since you live in a different country they can cheat you out of your money. Very wise of you to use your CC, it's the only way to get refunded.

 

[Sakura]

The last picture looks like polyester to me!

They thought since you live in a different country they can cheat you out of your money. Very wise of you to use your CC, it's the only way to get refunded.

I can confirm the material is pure silk. It feels soft to the touch, similar to my other better quality silk rug.

The color is a bit strange, though. I requested deep red and gold yellow, but some threads look pinkish red and the gold looks more like plain yellow.

I very rarely file chargebacks. I think the last time I filed was in the early 2000 while I was in the States. I usually try to resolve things directly with the seller. But in this case, they were not cooperative at all. They even called the remake a “good will gesture,” as if they were doing me a favor, and never once apologized. All they had to do was acknowledge the mistake, apologize, and politely ask me to cover shipping. Instead, they chose manipulative tactics, so now the issue is with my credit card company.

 

[Sakura]

Just an update: I lost my chargebacks. I don’t see it as a complete loss, though, because I learned important lessons, and the seller essentially lost any future business from me.

Always get a signed contract with clear terms when commissioning custom items. Credit card companies rely heavily on signed agreements, and email correspondence carries very little weight in chargeback disputes. Emails can still be useful in court, but for small items, pursuing legal action is usually not worth the time or cost.

Anyway, I ended up ordering custom merino rugs locally instead. They’re Japanese-made, cost only a fraction of the price, and the quality is excellent. They fit perfectly on my cabinets and are plush enough for my LV trunks.

 

[Luzifer]

It sucks you lost the chargeback. I noticed my credit card doesn't want to get involved much. When I called them a few times they always referred me back to the seller. My best outcome is if the seller ignores me. You win easily.

 

[Sakura]

It sucks you lost the chargeback. I noticed my credit card doesn't want to get involved much. When I called them a few times they always referred me back to the seller. My best outcome is if the seller ignores me. You win easily.

Spot on about these cc companies. Mine is Amex and I noticed they have no real interest in handling small item disputes. The representative apologized repeatedly, but it was clear she was mainly there to keep me from cancelling my membership. I will think for a few days to see if I should cancel it.

This incident taught me that cash is king. I will no longer hand over money until promises are kept, and I will not rely on photos alone since they can be altered. Especially for International transactions with countries filled with scammers.

 

[Luzifer]

I rarely buy outside eBay Amazon and AliExpress because there's no way to know if it's safe.

Even if you cancel your credit card they will not care they may so much money, one user is irrelevant.

 

[Sakura]

I rarely buy outside eBay Amazon and AliExpress because there's no way to know if it's safe.

Even if you cancel your credit card they will not care they may so much money, one user is irrelevant.

I once bought an item for one week delivery but never received anything after two months. Filed complaints with Amazon and the Amazon representative just forced the seller to refund or risk account termination. The seller literally got so scared they attempted to deliver the item and asked me to just keep it for free with no return. These sites sometimes have a real executioner that guard the buyers.

 

[Sakura]

I feel that the Indian card processor and the rug seller are acting together. After reviewing the documents, the processor was the one that initially rejected the chargeback. I asked Amex to block both the processor and the seller from charging my card again in the future for security reasons.

 

[REKIII]

Catching up on this one. Crappy experience for sure. The custom rug for your cabinet is a neat idea. I've never seen something like that.
Would it make sense to have a local/semi-local upholstery person come and make these?

When I initially clicked on the thread I was sure this would be about toupee's. While not disappointed, I'm glad I was wrong.

While on the rug topic, has anyone ever bought a Turkish rug? When we were in Turkey over the summer we visited a Turkish rug maker/seller. It is an interesting process, but crazy expensive. I think the value is there, but not really my thing. $30k USD for a simple 4' X 8' and they went up from there.

 

[Sakura]

Catching up on this one. Crappy experience for sure. The custom rug for your cabinet is a neat idea. I've never seen something like that.
Would it make sense to have a local/semi-local upholstery person come and make these?

When I initially clicked on the thread I was sure this would be about toupee's. While not disappointed, I'm glad I was wrong.

While on the rug topic, has anyone ever bought a Turkish rug? When we were in Turkey over the summer we visited a Turkish rug maker/seller. It is an interesting process, but crazy expensive. I think the value is there, but not really my thing. $30k USD for a simple 4' X 8' and they went up from there.

I think a $30K rug can be a great lifetime investment, especially if you walk barefoot at home, love rugs, and have no pets with sharp claws. Some people keep them purely for display. Muslims use them for praying. Just make sure to buy from a reputable rug maker and see the rug in person before buying like inspecting the silk quality, thread counts, patterns, seams, and also...the scent. If you can buy them directly in Turkey that's even better

I've already had replacement made for the shelves. I gave the measurements to the rug maker, and they cut it to the exact dimensions. Natural pure merino wool in red.





I usually walk barefoot at home, so having a nice rug matters to me because I can really feel the texture. It's a very satisfying feeling. I have a Kashmir medallion rug in my music practice room. It's pure silk with a high thread count, bought locally from a reputable Japanese rug importer for like $10k. Because silk rug is naturally thin, I had to put a wool rug underneath to increase its thickness. Now it's sliding a bit when I play my violin maybe because tap dance when I play





This is Chinese silk rug that I use for my cat room. I bought it many years ago and they still hold nicely.





This is also a Chinese silk rug for my audio room. It has held up very well over the years. Both Chinese rugs were reasonably priced, around the standard $5K range for silk.

 

[Sakura]

I previously refrained from calling out the companies and individuals involved in scams. On second thought, I believe it is important to raise awareness for our members. Without naming the parties involved, this thread would have little value.

So here it is:

https://carpetofkashmir.com

If you contact this company, you will deal with a person named Rohit. He sounds positive in emails, but he lies and misleads buyers to get approvals. The rugs stink like rat droppings. They were clearly stored in a rat infested place, not fumigated, and contain roach eggs. I sealed them in plastic bags and a roach appeared days later. I am incinerating them.

 

[Luzifer]

Damn that's crazy, a freaking bug in there!