ok, so i have officially been ripped off. almost a year ago i commissioned a piece of jewelry. the guy insisted i pay up front. i needed it the following week & he assured me it would be in well before. so i called but it hadn't arrived yet. the date came & went, still nothing. so i let it go for a bit, but held onto the receipt, waiting for an opportune time to head back to the shop, which isn't exactly just around the corner. so, 11 months later, i find the shop no longer exists. so i head to the one next door, & without me even telling my tale, they tell me he closed up shop & skipped town with everyone's jewelry & money. nice. and i contributed to that. i knew as i forked over my credit card all those months ago that something seemed off about that deal. always listen to your gut people!!!! lesson learned.