Monogrammed iPhone Case Rant

As some of y'all may know, I just got my first iPhone (or any smart phone at all) this summer for my 20th birthday. I wanted to find the perfect case, and I spent a lot of time thinking about what to get. However, I knew then (and still believe now) that I'm too clumsy to get something based solely on looks.
So, in July I ordered a monogrammed otterbox for my iPhone. I felt like this was the perfect marriage of style and protection for my phone. I absolutely LOVED it, but it was rather pricey. After tax it was about $75. For that price, I really expected high quality and style. That lasted.
I hate to give a negative review on my blog, but I know enough people who have looked at these cases in my circle of blogging friends that I felt the need to say something.

To quickly and very honestly sum up my experience buying this phone case from In This Very Room: I ordered in mid-July, and the case took more than a month to get to me. Prices were high, but I did get a free shipping coupon from their facebook. Overall, they do price these monogrammed Otterbox cases a bit lower than other places I've seen them, however I can't speak for the quality of other retailers. When I got it my only issue was the absolutely ridiculous wait time. I get that it's personalized, but their site says "Up to TWO weeks" not 4-5.
Here's where my real issue has come in. The actual case is typical Otterbox Commuter quality BUT I paid an extra $30ish to get this case monogrammed. So I do expect that part to hold up!  I thought I'd give you a visual of how much it's chipped in 6 months.

Here's my phone case when I received it in August.

I love the design and monogram. 

Overall, very happy with initial quality despite wait time. 

Ok so here's a close up of my case in early November (so about 3 months after I received the case) when I decided to contact In This Very Room. You can see the beginnings of chips around all the edges where pink is showing through. 

November 2012

Finally, here's my case yesterday. The chips have become really obvious and the case looks much older than 6 months. Also, to be clear I was NEVER contacted after I sent two separate messages to In This Very Room via their website. I mostly wanted to find out if it was a fluke and I could get a refund or if this was just the quality of the product. Since I never heard, I really have to assume it's a product quality problem.

Monogrammed iPhone Otterbox case after about 6 months.

As I said, I really don't like to write negative reviews or posts on this blog, but I do think it's important for people to know that these popular monogrammed Otterbox cases don't hold up at all. The good thing about my case is that (because it's an Otterbox) it really has kept my phone safe!

Overall Experience Recap:

• Long wait time for phone case to arrive (twice listed wait time on site)
• Chips began early on and have continued to get worse. I treat my phone well but it chips from everyday use.
• I contacted the site twice with photos and a question about my issues with the case, and never heard back. 
• At six months wear is very obvious and I'm looking at replacing it with a new case.

So that leads me to my current dilemma: what should I replace this case with now? I still want the safety and function of the Otterbox, but I would like something cute too!
If you have any recommendations for quality, sturdy iPhone 4S cases at reasonable prices please comment and let me know!
Next Monday I'm planning to do a roundup of cases I'm looking at. Maybe y'all can help me choose?
Any input is appreciated!

Stay beautiful,
Hannah

PS- Leave your blog link in the comments if you're a recent follower and you haven't commented yet! I want to follow everyone but I'm having some issues with blogger! Thanks y'all! Sorry for the negative post!