Bee Hive has been through a lot. And not quite back on its feet. But, things have been hopeful. New website – new beginning.

After being so focused on keeping the doors open – it did not occur to me that someone would ever actually do any harm – consciously – to the store. Would ever try to steal from it or cause financial chaos. It just wasn’t on my radar. In my mind, I thought the whole world knew that Bee Hive was in the process of rebuilding. Working to get stronger. That every little detail, interaction, transaction – positive or negative – truly mattered.

I was not on my guard. Did not listen to the voice inside my head that was saying – This is fishy.

Instead, I was choosing to believe that things were turning around and this sale was a result of a lot of hard work. Things were turning around. And, this person was truly interested in supporting a small independent kids’ book store in New Mexico.

Even though he is in California. And ordering very random, expensive textbooks from me through an email exchange.

It was a large sale. Certainly way more then an average day in September for Bee Hive. He paid with a credit card, via email, for a few textbooks – several hundred dollars each – and had me priority ship them to him.

I did what he requested. Feeling a little weirded out about it – but super grateful, nonetheless, along the way.

It wasn’t until after the books had been sent and received by him – that I got the notice.

There had been a chargeback. The Bee Hive was accused by the cardholder of fraudulent activity. The sale was reversed and the money was taken out of the Bee Hive account.

I was confused. I read the email quite a few times trying to understand. And then I felt like I had been physically assaulted. And, I had a hard time breathing for a bit.

The Bee Hive was accused by the cardholder of fraudulent activity. The sale was reversed and the money was taken out of the Bee Hive account.

But, then I knew. Exactly.

The story from here gets tedious and uncomfortable, but briefly, I contested the chargeback using the email exchanges – including him giving me the credit card number – and tracking information that the package had been mailed and received. My rebuttal was refused. The name and email did not match the name and email on the account.

Aren’t businesses protected from fraudulent activity? I asked (cried)

NO. And, in fact, I took a verbal lashing from my merchant services company about all the ways I had screwed up.

Because…this was all my fault…

And then there was another chargeback for the shipping charges. Different credit card used for that charge.

And the fees from the merchant services company for the chargebacks. And the fees for the Bee Hive account being overdrawn, because of the lack of funds in it due to the chargebacks.

And so – after a long few day of utter despair – I sat down on my floor at home (house was empty), and surrendered.

I am done. I can’t do this anymore. I get it…Bee Hive has run its course. It is over.

And then in the midst of my breakdown – I got clear.

No way. After everything, no way is this a**hole going to be the reason the Bee Hive goes down.

You know?

The only way I can get any money back is if I go after the guy myself. And, I don’t have the resources or council or, frankly, the energy or time, to do what that takes.

I filed a police report. And, wrote the guy strongly requesting that going forward, he leave small businesses alone. Please.

Honestly, I don’t know if Bee Hive is long for this world.

I am sort of looking at this as going either one of two ways:

This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back: Bee Hive can’t catch up financially after this, and everything else, and it is over.

Or:

This is an important lesson for me, of the necessary caution I need to use from here on out, in order to continue on for several years to come.

Time will tell…