Let’s just say, between the payment struggle, the delivery drama, and what I found when I finally opened that package… I have a story to t

I Watched Her for Months. Then ₦13,000 Almost Became a Lesson.For months, I admired her work from a distance. Buying from her? That was another matter entirely.I had been scammed by online vendors before, so whenever I saw her handmade sandals and bags, a little voice in my head would ask, “What if she collects your money and disappears?”So I watched. I saw her designs, her sales, and the beautiful things she made. I wanted to trust her, but my past experiences kept holding me back.Then, in January, I finally decided to take the risk.I ordered a pair of handmade sandals from ALINOR, owned by Precious Ene, for ₦13,000. We agreed that I would pay part of the money first and complete the balance later.But life happened. Things got tougher financially, and completing that payment took much longer than I had planned. Precious was patient with me, and I genuinely appreciated that. Eventually, I completed the payment and sent my waybill fee.I thought the difficult part was over.I was wrong!!!😂Precious sent out my package, but there was a problem with the phone number on the waybill. She had asked for my delivery details earlier, but I had assumed she would confirm them again when it was time to send the order. Instead, she used my WhatsApp number, which doesn't receive calls. She messaged to tell me the package had been sent and that I should expect a call. I had to explain that the number wouldn't work for calls, and the conversation became tense. I was told there was nothing that could be done to change it. At that point, I was ready to give up. After waiting so long to complete my payment, was I now going to lose my sandals before even seeing them? Monday came, and Precious reached out again to ask whether I had received a call.I hadn't.She asked me to go to the park, so I went. But there was another problem: I was asked for a delivery code I didn't have. Without it, they said they couldn't release the package.At this point, I was beginning to wonder whether these sandals were determined not to reach me. 😭I contacted Precious again. She explained that she didn't have the code they were asking for, but she didn't leave me stranded. She sent me the number of a woman who handled deliveries from Jos to Akwa Ibom. When I couldn't reach the woman, I was given a dispatch rider's number.I called him, not knowing what to expect.To my surprise, he was calm and helpful. Eventually, the woman was contacted, I handed my phone to someone working at the park as she instructed, and after all the back and forth, I finally received my package.After months of admiring the sandals, weeks of trying to sort out payment, and a delivery process that felt like a story of its own, I was finally holding them.I opened the package with little expectations. I was almost in the mood to say, “Anything I see, I'll manage.”Then I saw them.The colour. The design. The quality. The finishing.“Wow!” was all I could think.The sandals were beautiful, neat, and well made. I paid particular attention to the finishing because my previous experiences with handmade footwear had left me expecting rough edges and poor workmanship. But these? They were worth the wait. And the best part is that this wasn't just a beautiful first impression. I received them months ago, and I'm still wearing them. They're still intact, and the sole hasn't come apart. In fact, I'm already telling myself that when I have the money, I'll order three or four more pairs from ALINOR. 😂 What made this purchase exceed my expectations wasn't only the quality of the sandals. It was the entire experience. I had spent months afraid to trust an online vendor. When I finally did, things didn't go perfectly, but the order eventually reached me, and the product gave me a reason to be glad I had taken that chance. Precious was patient while I struggled to complete my payment, and she followed up when the delivery became complicated. For that, I appreciate her.I spent months wondering whether I could trust her with ₦13,000. Now, I'm thinking about trusting her with the money for three or four more pairs. My only remaining challenge is convincing my pocket to cooperate. 😂

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