Q&A Wednesday: What Makes You Stop Shopping from a Company?

In light of MUA Cosmetics' most recent social media gaffe (following on the heels of their 50% off sale social media debacle), Phyrra's post on what it takes for you to forgive a company, and me wanting to get more input from you guys, I thought I would start a Q&A Wednesday theme and ask "What does it take for you to stop shopping from a company?" this week. At what point does a company lose your loyalty as a customer? Is it based off social media gaffes, unprofessionalism, issues with customer service, etc?

The focus of the post isn't on what MUA did but the situation makes for a perfect example to ask you for your thoughts on the issue and whether it would affect your decision on purchasing from the company or a similar company in the future. The backstory is that Karla Powell previously worked for MUA Cosmetics as a makeup artist and spokesperson. Karla announced that she was moving on professionally and was now going to work with Crown Brush UK. In response, MUA announced Karla Powell leaving the company on their brand's fan page but at the same time, Mr. MUA (who I believe to be the owner of MUA Cosmetics but who is at least someone affiliated with MUA Cosmetics) posted a very unprofessional, whiny, and immature message on his fan page complaining about someone leaving their team who was very ungrateful considering how much the company has given them a break. 
(Credit for the screenshots go to Shannon)


mua cosmetics social media fail

Well customers aren't dumb and considering both statuses were updated at the same time, it was readily obvious that Mr. MUA was talking about Karla Powell. If you were wondering, Mr. MUA's page is public and searchable so it was very easy to see his status. MUA later posted an apology on both the brand and personal page and Mr. MUA removed the post on his personal page.

I was already annoyed with the company after their 50% sale debacle (where they yelled at their customers on Facebook to stop trying to purchase from the site) so this really just put me over the edge. I don't foresee myself purchasing from them any time soon since it's readily obvious that the people behind the company don't know how to conduct themselves in a professional manner though it honestly also helps that the products aren't readily available to me. 

I tend to stop shopping from a company when they conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner (usually related to customer service issues or social media issues) though those can be forgiven if it appears that things have changed. I refuse to shop from companies who take advantage of bloggers on a consistent basis, stealing photos without crediting, and all around biting the hand that feeds them free publicity.

So for you, what's your breaking point with companies? I'd love to hear your thoughts through the comments!

3 comments

  1. Wow, where do I even begin? A lot of things make me want to stop buying from a brand.
    Like you said, first and foremost is professionalism. If I even catch a whiff of a business being unprofessional on Twitter or FB, I definitely tend to shy away from purchasing from them. Some small businesses are really great at staying professional yet friendly (I think Harlow & Co as well as Cult Nails comes to mind) whereas other companies don't seem to be able to draw that line.
    Another thing that completely turns me off is when a brand creates a product that manages to be offensive. Since MAC's Rodarte fiasco, I still haven't been able to look past that shameful collection and I think I've only purchased one product.
    I definitely think that there is room to forgive, like when Sinful Colors used stolen pictures but as far as I know, the parent company Revlon did try to make amends.

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  2. Typo! "I tend to stop shopping from a company when they conduct themselves in an professional manner" I think you mean "unprofessional"?

    I stop shopping at a company when they've crossed an ethical line. For instance, I'll never buy from Lime Crime for their lying. I think an important issue is also how they handle the controversy. Are they apologetic? Are they remorseful? I mean they may not be in reality but even the impression that they're trying is worth more than not.

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  3. Actually, Cult Nails just dropped the ball over the weekend, I think it was; she blabbed that someone in the indie polish community ended their life due to mental illness, specifying what illness it was, and that person's family was trying to keep it quiet. It wasn't respectful at all.

    Companies that won't fess up to the wrong they're doing, denying fault are an automatic no for me. I don't care if they finally recant later, because when it came down to it they didn't care; they're sorry they got caught, not sorry they screwed up. Lime Crime, Sleek, Geek Chick, and Evil Shades are all good examples of that.

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