About
Us (for the really bored)
The "us" bit of Almost Abstract is Chris and Frank Carrick (I'm the Chris bit).
We've been working together for the last 27+ years and married for most of them.
This all started with me making jewellery as a hobby.
Then things started to get out of hand...
We started to sell the jewellery at craft fairs.
One day I got talking to another 'craftworker' and we ended up buying his ornament business.
That involved, renting a workshop, hiring staff and a lot of paperwork.
The jewellery sort of got left behind. After five years it was time to get a hobby (getting a life was out of the question).
In one of those happy accidents, I learnt to paint with an iron.
A technique called 'encaustic painting'.
I may not be able to draw but I can paint with an iron beautifully.
If the idea of painting with an iron intrigues you as much as it does me, do an internet search for "Chris encaustic painting" and read all about it. One thing led to another and I now make the wax, paint with it (to order if you want me to), photograph the images I use, fight with Photoshop to put paintings and photos together, print them out (using someone else's printer, Frank won't buy me the £10,000 printer I fancy) and finish them off in various ways from straight, mounted prints to key rings, magnetic address books, magnetic bookmarks, baccy tins, quartz crystals, jewellery, you name it, I'll try it. Then in 2002, Frank (trying to be nice) bought me broadband for Christmas and I discovered eBay... Frank got left making the ornaments and chess sets.
In those days, he didn't get much help or hindrance in the workshop, especially after I rediscovered the stand-in-the-cold-warehouse type auctions.
This was back in the days when ebay was fun, not so many rules and (under the old rules) we got to the dizzy hights of been titanium powersellers. One thing lead to another and when 'we' got the chance to buy some of the stock from a closing ribbon wholesaler and the chance to clear a wool shop when it closed, 'I' accepted both.
That left Frank without a workshop. It's full of wool.
He's got a post room instead and before you feel too sorry for him, he's got it kitted out with tv, dvd, lots of speakers and other suchlike stuff as well as scales, envelopes, boxes, brown paper, bags of c-pack, tape guns.... Nowadays, the staff have long gone, reducing the mountain of paperwork and associated headaches. They've been replaced by ebay headaches instead and believe it or not they can be much worse (never thought I'd say that).
...and somehow or other the tax man is subsidizing most of my "hobbies" - auctions (online and off), painting, photography, computers and even the jewellery is getting a look in again.
Frank sort of sighs/smiles sweetly and hopes I know what I'm doing...
As for the future, ebay are changing lots of things. If ebay will continue to work for us or if we will continue to work for ebay, remains to be seen.
As for now....
Our aims
- To supply you with stuff you want, like and appreciate.
Either from stock or made to order. - To get it to you as quickly and helpfully as possible.
If there's a problem or something you want made, contact us.
We can't sort it unless we know about it.
Orders & Prices
- We try to keep our prices realistic.
- Basically if we can get a good deal, you can have a good deal.
Payment
- We accept cheques, postal orders, bank transfers, most credit/debit card payments and Paypal
We accept Paypal but we don't 'prefer' it. - If you are buying more than one item and paying by Paypal, please pay for them altogether ie in one payment.
Paypal have a percentage fee but we also have to pay a standing charge on each payment. The less we have of them the better...er...cheaper it is. - We can't accept credit/debit card payments over the phone.
We ditched the merchant account when they brought in chip'n'pin. It worked out way too expensive to be practical. - We can take most credit/debit card payments using a 3rd party online merchant system.
To do so all we need your email address.
If you want to pay that way, let us know and we'll send you a payment request via email. Then it's a case of following the links and giving them your card details.
The system we use, doesn't use eCheques. Your card is either accepted or it isn't and they let you know straight away. No waiting 10 days for Paypal to clear it.
Sorry but ebay wont let me say which 3rd party merchant account we use, least not here. - We don't use automated emails (or automated feedback).
You will get an email from us when one of us sees your order/payment. That is unlikely to be instantly.
Postage & Shipping
- We aim to send everything out the day we get paid for it or the day after if we get your payment too late to make today's post.
- We use 1st class or airmail unless there is a good reason not too.
- Our postage is worked out on a how much it actually costs basis.
That usually comes down to weight plus packaging - Frank doesn't get a wage :-( - We do combine postage, but...
We can't make ebay's automated postage discount systems work with our pay-what-it-costs charges.
We have tried and failed - miserably.
It works fine if you are buying several things from one listing but not if you are buying one thing from several listings. - When you buy more than one item, don't pay straight away, either ask what postage is due or wait until we send you a revised invoice.
- Bear in mind that sometimes things just don't travel well together and we need to post things separately, for their own sakes.
- UK mainland parcels over 4kg are often cheaper to send by courier.
Check your invoice, if your address is within their main UK delivery areas, there should be a choice of Royal Mail or courier. The courier we use is DHL. - Airmail and surface mail parcels weighing over 2kg are expensive to send anywhere.
It's usually cheaper to send bigger orders as two small packages, rather that one.
Ask if you want us to look into using a courier, sometimes they are cheaper and sometimes not. - Don't pay for extra insurance unless you need it.
Royal Mail's prices include up to £36 insurance, but they only pay out for the contents not for the postage paid and that bit bugs us (can you tell?) - We put the price for UK Next Day Special delivery on all our listing, unless it goes over £20.
We offer the service if you feel you need it, but in our experience 1st class will get most mainland UK mail there the next day anyway. - Frank always sends out your-stuff-is-on-it's-way emails.
If you paid by Paypal he sends them to the email address on your Paypal account
If you don't get one and think you should have, email us and ask. Paypal emails have been know to go AWOL and we may not know that you have paid.
Returns
- We don't ask awkward questions.
We stopped asking any questions after some things were deliberately broken in order to return them.
We were not impressed. - Notify us within 7 working days of receipt and make sure that the item is returned to us complete and unused.
- Faulty items shouldn't get as far as a buyer but occasionally one does. Tell us, we'll sort it.
- ebay/Paypal's terms state that you must send the item back via a trackable means ie we have to sign for it. So please don't send anything back to arrive on a Saturday. We won't be in to do the signing.
Saturdays, we're always at the PO when our post arrives. One of us will have to go and pick it up from the delivery depot and that isn't going to happen till Tuesday, at the earliest.
That means you'll have to wait for your refund.
Where else to find us
- By email -
At chriscar100@freeuk.com
Using ebay's messaging system. We don't like it, but ebay don't allow clickable email links anymore and their system doesn't allow us send you photos or answer you direct if you've left the 'hide my email address' box ticked, so untick it.
Leave it ticked and we get your message but can't answer it until one of us logs in. - On the phone at -
01388 602831 or local rate from within the UK at 0845 121 0649
Please, if you are ringing from the US, watch the time difference. We are 5 to 9 hours ahead of you, timewise. - In real life at -
Almost Abstract, Wharton House, Wharton St, Coundon, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, DL14 8PD (UK) - On the internet at -
www.almostabstract.co.uk
There's more than one site, but that page links to them all. I split the chess sets, paintings, ribbon and yarn into four sites, I'm thinking about an ebay overflow one, but haven't got that far yet. Maybe I should finish the other ones first...
Getting in touch
- email, phone or write, but please don't call, at least not without checking first.
We don't have a bricks and mortar shop any more.
Almost Abstract
Wharton House
Wharton St
Coundon
Bishop Auckland
Co Durham
UK
Tel:- 01388 602831
chriscar100@freeuk.com
© Chris Carrick
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