"Cambridge Artisan" are not in Cambridge and not artisans.

Over a month ago, I spotted a linen mix summer top at half price on "Cambridge Artisan" a Facebook clothing web page. There were about 8 or 10 versions of the same item, in different fabric designs, all very attractive, and the page was professional and efficient. I ordered one, and received a confirmation of the order, then went back to surfing Facebook.

About 20 minutes later I came across another picture of the same line-up of tops, in the same photograph and the same page design - but under a different name - "London King". Alarm bells went off. Why the duplication if it was an artisan's site? So I had a search for reviews for each site.

On Trustpilot I found this page - www.trustpilot.com/review/cambridge-artisan.com The stars given were -
5-star <1%
4-star <1%
3-star <1%
2-star 1%
1-star 98% (you can't give no stars) and there were stories of long delays in delivery, dreadful quality, wrong sizes, being told you had to pay the postage to China yourself to get a refund, and offered ridiculously small amounts as a refund.

I also searched for reviews of London King. Opinions were much the same, but I can't find them now to link to them - maybe the firm is no more. I discovered that neither of them are anywhere near London or Cambridge. They (and also a shoe site called Orthofit London that one reviewer thought was connected with them) are, you won't be surprised to hear, in China.

Decided to chalk it up to experience and hope it is wearable, but it is now more than a month. I emailed them a couple of days ago to ask when it was going to arrive. Received this answer this morning. Many other people have had the same excuses. I haven't repied yet. Will do that tomorrow. -

"Dear XXXXX Thank you for reaching out again. My name is Lisa from Cambridge Artisan, and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you’ve experienced with your order.

We fully understand your concerns. We regret not meeting your expectations regarding the delivery.

However, we’ve experienced delays due to two main reasons. Firstly, the item was sold out due to high demand. This caused a slight additional delay as we had to ship them directly from our factory in Asia.

Additionally, we are facing unforeseen logistical issues on one of our main transit routes, which has led to extra customs inspections and other challenges. For these reasons, we estimate that your order may take approximately 7 to 8 more weeks to arrive.

To resolve this situation as quickly as possible, please choose one of the following options:

Option 1: Receive a 5% refund of your total purchase amount, and you can keep the item once it arrives. This is an exception we are offering in the hope that it will be a satisfactory solution for you, as we don’t usually offer this type of compensation.
Option 2: We are offering you an additional 25% discount on your next purchase with the code VIP25DELAY, which can be combined with any existing promotions in our store.

We are working diligently to ensure your order arrives as soon as possible. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Please let us know which option you prefer, and we will proceed with your request right away.

If you have any other questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help with anything you need.

Best regards, Lisa from Cambridge Artisan