Update to respond to the owners response: I have never and would never be paid to take down a negative review. The mere suggestion is libel. This place sucked. Again, I have thrown pieces at other places. The piece is never good, but I do it myself and it's fun. This wasn't fun, and my partner didn't form his own spout because the teacher completely changed it afterwards. He touched his piece with a single finger, and the teacher literally completely reshaped it after. I didn't say anything when picking up the pieces because I walked in and the only people there were *other students* who couldn't fix an issue because they *don't work there*. There was no one there to complain to. The owner never reached out to make it right, and instead of trying to make it right accused me of extorsion seven months after the fact, so that really says how they operate. Another review complains of the owner, and boy does that line up with their response. Their own *teacher* messed up throwing my pot again so *she* was why the neck had to be cut off. I had a totally (mostly) well formed neck on my original piece. *She* said there was no more time for the teacher to throw another.
I've been to a couple of different pottery throwing classes and this is the worst. They text you like 8 times the morning of with reminders, but if you have questions they don't answer. I don't know if this teacher was newer or what, but the class wasn't even full (two people cancelled) and she was clearly overwhelmed. Unlike other classes you don't actually end up doing any of the throwing yourself. You do some of the beginning stages, but she basically redoes everything you do and makes a new piece. In doing this, she messed up my piece, which I had gotten fairly close to what I wanted and then tried and failed to rethrow it, so I got like a two inch tall pot out of it because the only option was to just cut the entire neck off. My partners piece she didn't even give him the option of trying to shape it himself, threw it from a new piece of clay, and then asked him to form a spout WHICH SHE THEN REFORMED. He literally played not a single part in the piece. I paid for four people to do this and only one of us actually got to keep the clay we worked on. We were told a foot would be cut into the piece. Not one of the four has a foot cut in, and they spelled one of our names wrong when they cut it into the clay. Additionally, multiple pieces have sharp pieces of glaze and missing glaze. I wasn't expecting a masterpiece, but I was expecting to actually make something on my own.
Response from the owner · 3 weeks ago
Update to Update: Amanda, your own update proves our point. You didn't say a word after class. You didn't say a word in the three weeks it took your pieces to be fired and ready. You didn't say a word at pickup. You never called, texted or emailed to say, "Hey, I didn't have a good experience," or "There's a problem with the glaze." Not once. Your only communication with us was this one-star review.
Calling it libel doesn't change the facts. Shortly after your review was posted, someone texted us offering to change it for $600.
We wish you had simply told us. We would have gladly invited you back in to make it right. You had every chance to contact us and find a way to fix it. Instead, you went straight to a one-star review, accused us of libel and chose all of this drama.
We've been teaching since 2000. In the last 15 years alone, we've taught over 1,500 One Time Wheel classes to more than 18,000 people.
Original Reply: Shortly after this review was posted, someone texted us offering to make this exact review disappear for $600. That's a scam, and we don't play that game. Our reputation was earned honestly, one student at a time.
To everyone reading: we have nearly 200 reviews from guests who had a great time at the wheel, and we work hard to make every class a fun, creative experience.
Amanda, this is the first we've heard of any of these concerns. Nobody in your group raised a single one during class, where our instructor was right there to help, or texted us afterward. You picked up your pieces without saying a word, then posted this one-star review that same day.
You said we texted you "like 8 times" the morning of class. You received three reminders in total: one when you booked, one a few days before class and one that morning with directions. Each just asked for a quick "Yes." You also said that "if you have questions they don't answer." Your only messages to us were "Yes" and a note that you had permanent bracelets you'd pushed up before. Neither was a question.
Our instructors have years of experience and regularly teach classes of 11 to 12 students, so your smaller class was far from overwhelming. They guide every student at the wheel and step in when a piece needs saving. The goal is for everyone to go home with a piece they're happy with. It's also completely normal for first-time students to start over with a fresh ball of clay. That's part of the learning process. After practicing the steps on their first try, students can put everything they just learned into a new piece, with the instructor helping center the clay. Think of it as a second try, and most beginners are glad to get one. Your partner formed his own spout. Our instructor helping refine it doesn't mean he "played not a single part in the piece."
We understand being frustrated about your own piece. The neck was uneven, and an uneven neck likely wouldn't have survived the firing process, since every pot is fired twice. Our instructor stepped in to save it and thought you'd be happy with the result. If you had told her in class that you weren't, she would gladly have given you a fresh ball of clay to throw it again yourself.
As for the feet, a foot can only be trimmed onto a piece that's balanced. If a piece isn't balanced, a foot can't be added during trimming, so it's left with a flat bottom.
Every One Time Wheel piece goes through a kiln quality check after firing. If something slipped past us, we would have gladly fixed it, but you never brought it up. Our offer still stands: bring the pieces back, and our kiln master will sand down any sharp spots, reapply glaze where needed and refire them at no charge.
If something isn't right with your piece, all you have to do is tell us. We'll always make it right. That's what Potters' Place is all about. We love teaching and giving every student a rich, fun, creative experience, perfect for date nights, birthdays, anniversaries, team building and more.
Come make mud beautiful with us!
