How Do You Handle People Wanting To Cancel Orders.

[hollisyoung]

I've had the same problem. But unlike you I am a strictly custom order guy. In person or over phone. I do not under any circumstances put a name or initials on it until I get paid. I still have a belt from 2011 with the name "Alford" on the back because I was dumb and didn't get the money up front. He still has no intention of paying. So needless to say every "Alford" I meet I try to sell this belt hahaha.

[bluesman1951]

To answer your question : I dont have a shop ,I dont take orders unless its from a established customer I am 100% wholesale . I have a well established client base and my job is to bring them a well made product at a fair price . I make my regular stuff and am always creating new stuff . I have a idea what will sell and try to make my customer a sucess. Only a few have my phone number ,none of them know where I live except the city . When I show up its best to take all I have what ever it is because honestly I never know when I am coming back . In 25 years of this leather business only a few times has a customer come over . That did not work out well so now thats over . If some one wants to be rembered and seen first with new stuff my advice is buy it all next time I ll and give you first option . Usually a sales call consists of "what do you have ,add it up ,get a check be social and I am gone maybe 10 minutes total. I like it this way . If I had this the way I wanted I would sell twice a year and go find me a great cabin with a hot tub and hang out till the pile was big enough to make a road trip . I have no idea what every one else is doing or how they conduct their business . I decided long ago if I did not like it or enjoy it then it was not going to happen . Am I rich NO not by a long shot ,its a battle some days . No one gets close enough to screw with my happiness or my time . I am old enough now I no longer care nothing to prove the stuff I make sells and when it dont Ill create something else . Good karma is what matters these days ,the saying : As you give so shall you recive " is not just a nice saying ,in a sucessful business its the law . It makes things work . So I hope this answers your question sir . All my best ,Good luck . Bill

[Jeff L]

Have any of you that refused a refund had an issue with PayPal? I do know that a customer can file a complaint and sometimes the money is refunded almost immediately... Without even contacting the seller other than to inform them that the funds were taken from their account... Also what about a money back guarantee that most makers have???

[Dwight]

My policy is simple, . . . I treat my customers like I want to be treated. They don't like what they ordered, . . . they get their money back.

Sometimes something does not work out, . . . is not what they expected, . . . whatever.

That's my policy.

Yeah, . . . been burned, . . . will happen again, . . . but I sleep well at night knowing I did not rip anyone off, . . . and there should be no hard feelings by anyone.

My last "return" was a very special custom belt that did not work out for him, I made him a new one, . . . added a brand new buclke to it also, . . . got two holster orders from him, . . . plus, I'm wearing the belt he didn't like.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Cyberthrasher]

Have any of you that refused a refund had an issue with PayPal? I do know that a customer can file a complaint and sometimes the money is refunded almost immediately... Without even contacting the seller other than to inform them that the funds were taken from their account... Also what about a money back guarantee that most makers have???

I've never had it happen from this end, but I have been on the other end of it. From my understanding, once you file the complaint Paypal pulls the money and holds it while they go through the process. That's how I remember it anyway. This would be a good reason to ENSURE that you have a written document and be able to prove that the customer has seen it.

[veedub3]

Have any of you that refused a refund had an issue with PayPal? I do know that a customer can file a complaint and sometimes the money is refunded almost immediately... Without even contacting the seller other than to inform them that the funds were taken from their account... Also what about a money back guarantee that most makers have???

When you file a dispute with Paypal, while they are investigating, they will give you a provisional credit if you were the buyer, and they will remove the funds from your Paypal account if you were the Seller. As the buyer, If they side in your favor, they will send you notice that the credit is final. If they side with the seller they will remove the credit from your account, and give it back to the seller.

I had this happen a few weeks ago both as a Seller and a Buyer. Luckily Paypal sided in my favor on both disputes. As the Seller, a customer stated she never got her order, and Paypal removed the funds from my account. I was able to provide proof of delivery so Paypal gave me the money back. As a buyer, I placed an $155 dollar online order that was lost in the mail and the seller would not give me a refund until she got the package back. I never had possession of the package because it was lost in the mail, so I could not control when and if the packaged would be returned to her. I filed a dispute, Paypal gave me the provisional credit while they were investigating, and a few weeks later I received notice from Paypal that the credit was final and the case was closed.

Karina

[Dwight]

While most of my relationship with Paypal has been good, . . . several years ago I bought a computer off Ebay.

I should have known better, . . . but the price and the lure was just too much, . . . so I bought it, . . . paid by Paypal.

Long story short: the computer was junk, . . . software not installed right, . . . I'm not even sure he had licenses for the software.

I contacted him and told him his computer was coming back.

Took it to the Post Office, . . . sent it with tracking number and it had to be signed for by him.

He got it, . . . signed for it, . . . refused to refund my money, . . . tried to slide by the time allotted by Paypal for disputes.

They sided with him, . . . even though I had all the documents proving he got it back and HE signed for it.

Fortunately, . . . Master Card stepped in and refunded my $350.00 or I would have lost out altogether.

Moral of the story, . . . if you have a dispute, . . . act quickly, . . . positively, . . . and have all possible receipts & paperwork. The copy of his signed receipt was the ONLY thing that made the difference for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[raysouth]

From previous small business ventures, I developed a refund, no-refund policy and made sure that customers were aware of the policy.

It did not, initially, have to do with leather products, but I continue to use the same policy.

If it is special order or custom fabrication, it must be paid in full when placing the order and there will be no refunds.

Years ago, many, I had customers that operated older machinery that required special order parts. The suppliers/manufacturers had remaining stock of older parts but they would not refund when any of them were ordered. You buy it, you own it, was the policy.

Having been stuck for a rather large order by a customer who found some used parts before his special order arrived, decided to cancel but did not tell me until his parts arrived and I placed a call to tell him they were here.

Thus my policy became the same policy used by the suppliers. I lost the money I paid for the antique parts and decided that any special or custom order was a fixed deal for future sales.

Most customers were very understanding but there is always those around that will give you fits.

I found that I lost no business and still use the same policy with custom leather items. If it is something I can easily resell, that has no personalization, I may make an adjustment but rarely happens.

I think that everyone has to develop a policy when dealing with special orders, or simply be willing to eat the cake, if customer refuses the order and wants a refund.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Pretty much all of the responses are spot on. On saddles and most other high end items it is 50% down nonrefundable. If they cancel order they have lost their deposit. Plain and simple. Once I had a guy at the track order a belt, he wanted it tooled and initialed. When I delivered it, he didn't want to pay for it! He said " I was just kidding, I really didn't want one." He was trying to get me to reduce the price, I took the belt, and in front of all that were there watching to see what I would do, I took out my knife and cut it into pieces. Looked at him directly and told him that " I was just kidding, I really didn't want to make him a belt anyway!" That set the tone for all orders at the track from then on. I got a lot of mileage from standing my ground, and it was all good. Bob