Etsy Addiction Goes Awry, Please Advise

Sorry kids.  I have been rather ill lately, and I have not been able to post as of late!  I also have been working A TON, trying to hoard my "fun" money for moments just like this.  All week long I have been dreaming of today...when my paycheck arrives via the magic of a Direct Deposit Visa card, and  that card is about to do some serious work. 

Exhibit A:

You can visit Carly's awesome shop, black and bronze via Etsy, but I follow her on Instagram, and whoo-lordy am I glad I do!  Look at these sweet things:

 

Yes, that's right I swooped up the longer of these two, made of sterling silver, so I NEVER have to take it off...and I am never going to!

Up next, is an awesome CUSTOM made fox scarf that my pal Bethany over at The Sepia Puppy was kind enough to whip up for me.  Bethany has been a constant supporter of my blog and I can't thank her enough, so I want to support her art in any way I can.  Check out my sweet scarf below, and her Etsy store here.

 

Finally, (maybe)...another addition to my sloth collection, the most awesome sloth t-shirt I have spotted so far:

 This one is from Zen Threads, and it basically rules my world.  This one comes in womens XL, which is another reason I LOVE IT, because my lumberjack arms will fit comfortably inside.

If I am able to order this dress in a larger size...it might be purchased as well!  I about died when I started browsing Jennifer Lilly on Etsy, and her dresses are to die for.  This is the one I am currently obsessed with:

Depending on how many obscure band t-shirts I have to purchase for John (the man gets gifts too), I may just go ape and get it all.  Oh, and this too, from Passive Juice Motel:

Yeah, I'm out of control.  But I love buying handmade! Have you entered the Nerdbiskit Giveaway yet? You only have a couple more days and I have like...one entry.  As happy as I would be to give everything to her...let's get going people.

I wanted to reach out to readers and ask them about "not-so-great" experiences with Etsy sellers.  Have you had any?  If so, what happened?  I know some of my readers are Etsy vendors themselves and I would LOVE your feedback on the following situation.  

I just recently had my first Etsy disappointment, and I am debating whether or not to pursue it further with the seller.  I just recently purchased two matching "best friends" necklaces, and mine broke within about five minutes of wearing it.  I messaged the seller, and because I am not savvy with jewelry, I attempted to describe the situation.  She suggested I take it to a jeweler to have it repaired.  My mind was blown.  I could not believe someone would not be more embarrassed, nay apologetic about having something break so quickly.  She wrote: 

"Sending a picture would help me to better advise you what to do however, if you want to save time, I think many jewelry places will be able to retwist your ring into place for little to no charge.

Even without finer pliers, you may be able to press it back into place with regular pliers, a little squinting, and some decent leverage- if you still have the jump ring, that is.

Otherwise, if you want to send it back, I can fix it for you and will gladly cover the postage."

After I sent pictures, it turns out that my chain was merely broken.  With further close investigation I noticed how cheap the chain was, and realized that replacing it with the same quality was really not a solution.  I'm a human being who happens to be mobile, not a thrash rocker who jumps around and freaks out all the time.  If I send this all the way back to Rhode Island, first of all, how are YOU covering the postage and secondly, am I just going to get the same quality of chain again?  All these thoughts were racing through my mind, and after I sent her the pictures and explained my fear of it breaking again if I attempted to fix it, she replied with this: 

"Okay. Send it on back and I'll put a new chain on it for you."

Wow.  What customer service.  Then, I realized something even more frightening.  I just sent one of these to my best friend.  What if it snaps on her within the first few moments as well?  Then what the hell am I going to do?  Ask her to send it back to this super-friendly seller?  "Oh sorry girl, do you mind packing it up and shipping it to Rhode Island?  She'll magically cover the postage."  

I don't know what to do.  I ripped my charm off the chain, and hooked it up to my charm necklace, all in a fit of rage.  To quote my BFF, "you could of gotten better quality and customer service at Claire's."  Sadly, she is absolutely right, and I don't want her to be.  I am obviously not sending the necklace back, but what do I do?  Do I leave a cold reply and negative feedback?  Do I ask for half my money back?  Do I wait until the other one breaks and demand a full refund?  I have NEVER had a negative experience with any Etsy seller before, and I am so confused.  I had this whole diatribe written down, ready to send, but I decided to reach out to my clan first and get some feedback.  So, what would you do?