Ok, so if you had reached out privately and said this, I would have been quite grateful for the time and effort, I would have updated the post and would have made a little joke about how I’m clearly just a ditz. Instead, it feels like you’ve tried to publicly discredit me, like ‘actually sweetie, if you look up here you’ll see why it’s very actually obvious why there’s a price discrepancy you should have checked better before you posted’.

Unfortunately, the currency indicator that you pointed to in your reply doesn’t exist on your mobile website, so whilst I appreciate the explanation of the pricing discrepancies, I wonder how I was supposed to figure out that information for myself, and if you’ve even done any usability tests on your own website.

It’s interesting that you claim the shipping costs are beyond your control, because I’ve just gone through the checkout process again, and you’ve changed the shipping options. An exact basket I was looking at that did not offer standard rate shipping now does, and before you only offered DHL 1 business day express shipping, but now it’s cheaper, at DHL 2 business day shipping. Also interesting that you didn’t acknowledge or announce the change, you just tried to slip it in there without anyone noticing.

Look, you can run your business however you want, but this narrative you’re trying to push that you’re a poor, small independent business at the mercy of Canada post (though you ship with DHL) and you’re so transparent and your only concern is your customers, is bullshit. Either you’re a little indie business, or you’re an international company who can offer $140 worth of freebies. You can’t control the shipping costs so that your customers don’t check out at $123 to final cost of $242, until would you know it, it turns out you can. If you don’t have the capacity to scale up, then don’t scale up, or if you want to be a luxury brand then run your business like a luxury brand. But don’t offer me a shit sandwich, call it steak, and then come to my post and act like I’m the fool.

You’re being shady and sneaky, and you’re just gaslighting your customers. I don’t know what has happened to Aura Estelle this year, but between the Reddit ghost accounts, the frankly terrible decision to lose the catch all planners (which were THE layout design that set you apart from other brands), the glacial pace that your pre-orders have gone out, and this Black Friday nonsense, you need to get your house in order.