Update for Nerida Hansen Fabrics Customers

I am back. Things are stabilising and here's where I am at.

A Recap

2022-2023 were extremely challenging years for me in business.

Toward the end of 2023 I experienced some incredible highlights and extreme challenges within a few months of each other. I had started customising orders for my customers and within 6 months of doing so I found myself under extraordinary pressure. A completely new direction with unexpected events left me pivoting in every direction to secure my supply chain.

As a result I let down many customers with late deliveries. By February 2024 I had secured high quality suppliers who could help me expedite deliveries but it took time to stabilise the flow of product. I struggled with the balance of demands. I knew that I had to add in some significant changes to ease pressure. I initiated those, and communicated them to my audience where appropriate.

By September 2024 I was rapidly catching up on delayed orders and each week I was managing refunds for customers who did not want to wait. I felt very confident about moving forward and announced a new bricks and mortar opening.

During this period, third-party social media activity emerged that publicly characterised me and my business in a way that did not accurately reflect the facts. A multitude of public statements circulated across other channels that did not reflect my position or the full context of the situation at hand.

I found myself having to put forward new communication with the facts just to reassure customers. The social media activity also challenged this communication.

The material impact of these conversations were devastating. My business succumbed to an overwhelming level of refunds and charge-backs and by early November 2024 Nerida Hansen Fabrics collapsed operationally and financially.

Since that time I have been navigating a complex web of administrative, financial and mental/ emotional challenges that I have never experienced before. I made several attempts to deliver outstanding orders, refunds and creditor payments but I never anticipated the regulatory challenges which upended me several times. Unfortunately the mental health-related challenges were also overwhelming, and on many occasions I found it quite impossible to move forward.

Consumer Affairs Investigation

After the collapse of my business in late 2024, I was left without the means to fulfil outstanding orders, pay creditors or provide the last amount of refunds. I had thousands of meters of fabrics in China waiting to be shipped but I could not afford to import it, nor could I sort the administrative mess that I was left with. Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) understandably became involved.

The Role of CAV is to assess complaints and consider them alongside the business records, with the aim of reaching a balanced understanding of the circumstances.

Recently, I attended a comprehensive meeting with Consumer Affairs Victoria, which provided a valuable opportunity for direct engagement. Over the course of an extended session, I was able to present my position in detail and ensure it was fully represented. I was able to submit a range of supporting data including records of refunds, delivery volumes, supplier correspondance, stock ready and future commitments, as well as records of my news and social media communications.

This session also helped me gain a clearer understanding of the process.

A very positive outcome was identifying areas for improvement of my process or approach that I had not previously been aware of.

I was advised by CAV that decisions regarding ongoing trading remain at my discretion, and that the review process, if furthered, will take many months.

This provided me with a clear framework for moving forward and I left the meeting a different person.

Next Steps

The sustained social media and subsequent regulatory pressure over the past 18 months has had a profound impact on my mental health. Unfortunately in the latter part of last year I was stalked anonymously with a persistent message to stop trading. The content of the messages became unsettling after she showed stalking behaviour toward my extended family. I had to report it to Victoria Police, and it turned out that I knew this woman very well. Deciding on charges being laid will take some time, but I have now been reassured by police that anything the woman does from now will be used against her. They would be very surprised if she attempted to contact me again.

There are still multiple social media groups or platforms that continue to contribute to misinformation and damage to my reputation. I cannot deny that the very presence of them is still very upsetting. Over the past 18 months, I have sought support from Meta (Facebook and Instagram), YouTube, Reddit, the Australian eSafety Commissioner, Magistrates Court, Victoria Police, The Education Department of Victoria, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce, Legal Aid, and numerous offices of federal and state politicians, only to find that nobody could offer meaningful protection. It was only when targeted messaging became very personal that Vic Police were able to step in.

With no means to engage a lawyer, I have had to step back from advocating for myself. Trying to seek justice has become as traumatising as the causes of my grief.

I am extremely fortunate to have an amazing team of medical, psychological and psychiatric support and they are helping me realise that what these women say on social media is only their business, not mine. Honestly, it is a difficult concept to grasp, but with the reassurance of Vic Police and the clarity from the CAV interview I feel I am finally moving out of the nightmare and into a new day with a much brighter future.

I do have to move with caution. After recent attempts to "get back into life" I quickly learnt that the trauma I have experienced is not easy to overcome. I am struggling to return to my old self - I am still anxious about plans with friends, getting amongst my community and I still cannot answer my phone. I know I cannot accelerate too fast without risking further instability.

Last year also showed me that I cannot necessarily make definitive plans. Many times I have tried to reignite my business with the goal of fulfilling orders, refunds and outstanding debts. But I was disrupted time and time again from unexpected outcomes and fallout from the business collapse - and who is to say there will not be anymore. With my CAV interview over, I do believe the worst is behind me - but I must recognise harmful events and interactions, and keep removing myself from further mental harm.

What I do have now is fire in my belly to get orders delivered, refunds processed and all other creditors paid. I have amazing partnerships and projects with very supportive suppliers who have been with me all the way. If all goes well I now have the means to build financially and create some real financial stability, which is necessary before I allocate refunds and orders.

Over the coming weeks I will continue to dedicate time to my wellbeing, but I have well and truly started working with my suppliers to rebuild.

Communication Going Forward

Vy is really looking forward to starting working with me again for customer service, and we will reinstate the info@neridahansen.com email from start of next month. She will work to help me allocate printing to customers still happy to receive their orders, and communicate directly to enquiries after the 1st of April.

For clarity, I cannot commit to a firm schedule for any one customer right now, but I will be refunding and replacing limited (but hopefully growing amounts) each week starting later in April, or earlier if possible. Realistically it may take a number of months to see all creditor and customer obligations met, but I am confident that I will not be held back any further.

Thank you for reading my update,

Nerida xx