Inconsiderate customers! Grrrrr!!

[azimuth]

Does anyone else have this problem? I'm advertising which of my soap and lotions are currently in stock at my store. I have folks ask if I can put some aside and they will pay me in such and such a day. I'm fine with that. I invoice them through Paypal, and find out the invoice sits for a week or more, unpaid. I email the customer asking if they still want the items and I am ignored. This drives me nuts! What gives??? :evil:

 

[100%Natural]

That's just the simple nature of people. They get interested in something and then something shiny comes along and they're off after that...lol. Maybe put a policy in place that lets customers know that they have to pay within x number of days so you aren't hanging onto product that someone else with actual cash wants.

 

[savonierre]

It is the nature of the business, I think.

 

[MaitriBB]

Yeah on a message board that I frequent, favorite scents were discussed and someone mentioned loving the BBW coconut lime verbena. So I pm'ed her and said I could make her some, if she'd like. She said oh yes great. Made a log and she never responded to further pm's. Lesson learned: get payment up front. It turned out ok though, because the CLV has been one of my best sellers and it's going into my regular rotation.

 

[heartsong]

may I suggest saying that your soaps are limited productions and it is strictly first come, first serve...unless they would like to place a non-refundable deposit for the soap...people are so fickle and thoughtless these days and they'll leave you holding the bag every time...even if they only put $1 deposit on each bar, you have a better chance of getting them to pay up...if they balk at that, then you know they weren't serious to begin with.

 

[Ancel]

I ask for 50% up front, with the stipulation that it becomes non refundable if the remainder isn't paid within ten days. For special orders I ask for the full amount up front, unless I know the person and / or they are repeat customers (I live in a small, small town). Otherwise it's not fair. You can't do that at the grocery store, why should you be allowed to do it with an independent seller?

Good luck!