Michelle Nelson rugging "Beware"

[h2ofowlr]

And the list continues to grow!  Wow, some still at the 2, 3 & 4 year marks may not have even seen this thread and are still humbled at what they can do to get there mount back.  How many have just walked away at this point and shot another animal and taken it to another taxidermist. 

If it was a duck, I would have told her to keep it.

[casey58]

Wow I have always defended her and her work in past threads but this one has me worried about my 3 white tails...

[Band]

Wow I have always defended her and her work in past threads but this one has me worried about my 3 white tails...

I'd be biting fingernails if I were in your shoes.  How long has she had them?  What % of the bill have you paid on them?

[GUscottie]

tag

[NRA4LIFE]

I'd like to know how many older fellas have taken their heads in to have mounted and died waiting.  And I can only imagine how many non-forum members are putting up with the same BS.  No thanks MNT.

[bearpaw]

We will be forced to reign in this topic if members keep posting vicious comments meant to hurt any of the parties involved. Please keep posts to factual comments. This topic should be between MNT and her clients.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I could not agree more  This is ridiculous 

[gottatree]

I'm not one to normally jump in on these discussions. I took in a fairly simple job Euro mount and paid 75% up front. Then around the six month mark I dropped in and well I felt very uncomfortable and left. I then stopped back by and was even more uncomfortable. From that day forward I had my wife make all contact and pick up my mount when completed. She was not as friendly with her as she was with me.  None of these threads surprise me.   

[Hoyt_Alaska]

This thread went from 6 pages to 12 in a few days.. At the beginning a bunch of guys jumped on me (the OP), I got it, your trying to defend a friend, or maybe your go to taxi.. I understand, after a few days of this soaking in, others have seen what I been trying to say. Others have come forward and said the same things. .No contact, no replys to phone calls, messages.. notta.. Its nothing more than excuse, after excuse after excuse.. this happened, that, I need to do this.

   Me coming on here was because my phone calls, texts, messages and FB messages went unanswered. and I needed a answer of where my stuff is at.. I have deadlines to meet, these aren't my animals, if so id just say screw it and Ill go shoot another bear, but I cant.  a 10 year old girl shot the Lynx, How do you tell a 10 year old kid that her cat isnt done because its hung up in Washington?

  Yesterday was Ill open the box and take pics after breakfast and a shower, and show you all..  Im starving to death here and seen no proof.. a few others have had stuff their for 5 years.. OMG, my turnaround time is MAX 12 months.. June first will be 5 years in business and the longest anything has taken is 10 months a 3 days.. I do roughly 100-110 animals of various sorts on average every year..  the lynx she has has a deadline of 15 march that I quote the customer, Unless im dead, thats the date I need to meet.

   Maybe its because I just retired from the military, learned discipline, time-lines, time management, or the fact that im a hard worker or have a degree in Business.. No doubt a bunch of you went to my site and looked at my work, Im not here to trash another taxi, or to steal anyones work..

Going back to my origional post  "Beware"  and for good reason.. as a half dozen of you just on this thread are in a similar boat as me by the same person. it took me posting here and throwing us both in the mud to get a response from her.

We are no longer friends, we have never met, etc.. I had no IDEA she was in this big of a hole, NO "FREAKING IDEA" she was 5 years behind, that is "INEXCUSABLE" PERIOD. Im sorry for all of you waiting.

   I sent the 3 animals as a test, see what the quality is and turnaround on the rugging aspect, Obviously she is not my go to rugger and failed the test.

I use 3 Ruggers across the country, thats all they do is "RUG" animals. It allows me to work on other things while their at rugging as I call it. Work is still done before and after.. and for the haters.. I'd guess 85% of taxidermist in this country farm out their rugs to wholsale ruggers.  Michelle posts pics of great work, I thought why not give her a try, "were friends" does good work, whats their to lose?  Man do I feel like I hit a mack truck..

Now the SAGA about shipping. .LOL.. 2 weeks ago it was;  Was I guess now it was "TRY" to make it by next thursday to ship.. it dont take 6 freaking days to ship a box. If you order from a store and wait a month and the product doesnt show up.. you call them and they say.. Ohh my bad, maybe next thursday Ill try and ship it.. every one of you would go off the deep end.. I dont get it, I have a business to run as well. Print a label, they pick it up. Or go to the PO.. not that hard. their is UPS stores all over towns, WA is not bumb crap egypt..

Until I get proof my stuff is done, Im not sending a 100.00 check for her to pocket and go blow it on burger king or whatever.. Cant do paypal, LOL.. I have a paypal acct.. I can do CC over the phone, debit, yo name it.. How convienent for her..  I mean, you all see the big picture here right? and understand my frustration?

If someone lives near her facility and is willing to go to her shop TODAY, ASAP and pick up my box and mail it to me, I will send you in any way you want $200.00  cash, check, MO, CC over the ohone to your business.. PAYpla takes 5 second..  so if it cost 60 to ship, you made 140.00 for less than a hour of your time. all I need is a picture of the box and a tracking number, My phone number is at the first post.  My aunt lives in Puywallup, but is almost 90 years old, no way im sending her over their. 

[Hoyt_Alaska]

Now that im on a computer.. I can work a mouse and keyboard.. Here is what I got last night when I came in from the shop at 12:09


2/24, 11:21pm  Michelle Nelson
I went to UPS today to ship your Rugs.  They wanted $242 to ship a 24x19x19 box weighing 18lbs.  Ground.  That is ridiculous.  I was not paying that.

I will be going to USPS to check there price.


12:09am (ME)

I just shipped a huge crated caribou, shipping ran 294.00, thru usps. Parcel post.  Ship as soon as possible. COD IS FINE, soon as I get the rugs. I'll cut you a 35.00 check, PayPal you, whichever you prefer

I called UPS, they said they ship COD all the time.. agian, another excuse to why it wasnt shipped. your their, ship it.. at this point ill pay 294.00 in shipping on a box.. No way it cost that much. .as you seen my reply, cost me 294.00 to send a caribou shoulder mount  with detachable antlers to Geronimo, OK..and a BIG caribou too.. so a small box is that much.    Nice try though..

[bearpaw]

This topic is locked for now.

It sounds like Hoyt would like someone to pick up his hides and send them. If anyone is willing to do this, please contact Hoyt and Michelle so we can help this get resolved.
THANKS IN ADVANCE

[jackelope]

Hoyt_Alaska's work is done and will be shipped today.

[ICEMAN]

Michelle, I hate doing this to you, but I need to jump in here.

I have sat quiet way too long on this.

Michelle, let me remind you of the following;

I have been waiting for 52 months for you to finish my 2009 bear hide and euro skull.


October 2009.
Michelle, 52 months ago, in October of 2009, we delivered my 2009 black bear to you to rug and euro skull whiten. I provided a deposit the day you received the bear hide, I sent to you an extra check/advance on the work just before Christmas, wanted to be sure you had xmas cash.... I followed up with two more payments prior to the work being completed. Four payments in all.

February 2010
In a February 28, 2010 email you advised me that the hide was still on the shelf, you would begin work on it in a couple of weeks, should be done as you finish my skull, both in a couple weeks...

October 2010
In an October 26, 2010 email, you advised me that my skull was done, bear is back from the tannery, hide in the freezer waiting for a rug shell. Repairs to the head have all been made.

You claimed that you were remodeling your shop, but as soon as things started to slow down November 15th (2010), that you were to start mounting stuff again. "Yours will be one of the first ones getting worked on."

September 2011
In a September 7, 2011 email you advised me that you were "sorry it is taking so long on your (my) rug. .....you hoped to have the bear done in the middle of October 2011."  You also stated; "If for any reason at all I think it will take a bit longer, then I will let you know."

March 2012
By March 2012 I had not heard from you and sent to you a bit of an angry email asking where my bear rug was, and when would it be done. Your reply contained many excuses in it. Bear rug not completed yet.

June 2012.
Michelle, this is the last time you have contacted me regarding my bear rug.
June 29, 2012 you advised me in an email that "I'm sorry it has taken this long.....When I get it done I'll call you so you can come get it. As far as I am concerned your Bear is paid in full."

Michelle, you have not contacted me for 20 months. You have told me 5 times that it was almost done, or would receive your earliest attention.

I have not posted negative commentary in any of the threads started on this forum which call into question your business practices, until now.

I advise you not to call me a liar. I have treated you with nothing but the utmost of respect. I too have run a business and understand the complexities involved. You have provided nothing to me but excuse after excuse, and lie after lie regarding my bear rug.

Your actions have put me in the uncomfortable position of having to air my dirty laundry in order to get your attention and hopefully a finished product. This delay has fouled the image of my bear in my mind. I only hope that you will complete my bear rug with the attention to detail that you have been known to deliver on projects like this. I pray that you will finish my bear in a professional manner. I have absolutely no power in this situation. You have my rug and skull, and been paid for most all of it.

Since you took possession of my bear hide, I have bought property and built a house with all of my energy. I worked 1/2" off of each femoral head in my hips and had both of my hip joints replaced during the construction of my home. I have battled cancer, taken Chemotherapy and massive radiation therapy, had invasive chest surgery as part of my treatment. I returned to work after all three surgeries and continue to work a 40hour work week through all recovery times. I am not in the mood and have no patience anymore for your slow work and excuses.

I really do not care why you have not finished my rug, there is absolutely no viable excuse or reason that my rug is not complete, in my possession and hanging on the wall of my home.

Do not give me another excuse about why my rug is not complete and beautiful.

Put my rug at the top of your list of things to do, work hard to finish the product.

Finish my rug, then contact me so that I can have someone else pick it up for me.

I am happy to report that I have finally received my October 2009 bear rug and skull from Michelle.

This has taken an unfortunate 53 total months from start to finish.

I was told that I did not properly care for my bear rug which resulted in hair slip on the side of the face of the bear.

On the other hand I was informed that the issue she encountered with her tanner caused problems as well, as more than one taxidermist pulled their work a few years ago from their tanner. My bear rug was also included in the last batch from this sub par tanner.

I was told that it took a long time to locate a replacement patch of face hair for my specific bear.

I was told by Michelle, that she hesitated contacting me after my dual hip replacement surgery. Then later when I was diagnosed with cancer, she did not contact me because she believed that I was mad at her for some reason.

Michelle claims that she sent me a pm which advised me that the bear was done somewhere around Christmas 2012. She also admitted that she noted that the tongue was not installed in the bear and that it was not really done then.

I was told by someone else that the rug had been misplaced or lost in a freezer.

Many members on this site have contacted me with similar complaints regarding Michelle not being reachable by phone or email. Michelle claimed to me yesterday that she gets hundreds of emails on this site and her taxidermy site. She also claimed that she did not get any of her emails at her business site. That she just learned recently that her emails were not getting to her.

I attempted to pick up this rug on Monday March 24th with a surprise visit. She claimed at that time that the rug was not available, it was at her friend "Toms" house for picture taking. This was the same excuse that she used on another bear rug she recently delivered late to another member who will remain anonymous unless he decides to post his story. Michelle told both this other member, and myself that the pictures of our bear rugs were not any good because of a defective SD card.

I was finally able to pick up my rug yesterday evening. The rug looks good, the skull looked good. The quality of Michelle's work is fine.

Why am I posting this?

The reason that I am posting this is to finalize my part of this story. The simple fact is that it took 53 months to get a rug processed by Michelle. Her work is fine. Her business sense is not.

I will not be recommending anyone I know to take work there.

I may post up some pics after the weekend. Thanks. Finally done.

[92xj]

Go figure....more excuses. I'm glad I have done research and found someone to do my work with great business etiquette and customer service.

[turkeyfeather]

Glad to hear you finally got it Ice.