How long do you wait before you sell a cue a customer ordered , but hasn't paid for it? I have had this issue come up with my last 2 customs and I have had offers from people to purchase them. Its been about a month since the cues were completed. I did complete the cues by the deadline I gave the customers, so they knew when the cues would be done and keep giving me excuses.
How long does a customer have to pay?
- Thread starter Justin RC
- Start date
BLACHEART42
Registered
I'd give them notice, that they have a week. Then you're free to sell it to whom ever...JER
I'm not a cue maker but I have plenty of experience with this. 30 days is more than fair. I know sometimes things can change drastically from the point of order to the point of completion. You might want to consider adding a written grace period to your purchase order forms, so its right there up front.
My thoughts are if the customer is making a concerted effort to square up and communicating their situation up front then I'll exercise some patience but if things look hopeless you'll have that 30 day verbiage to fall back on.
If you end having to sell the cue out from underneath them after 30 days and want to go the extra mile you could always apply their initial deposit to the next cue they order provided they're willing to pay upfront.
I worked with a furniture maker who did that with some success.
He took an order for a 2k dining room table with a 300 dollar deposit. Customer lost their job and he sold the table for 2k after the 30 day grace period expired. However he applied the 300 dollar deposit to the customers next order in which he required them to pay in full up front. Ended up retaining a lot of good customers because of this policy.
My thoughts are if the customer is making a concerted effort to square up and communicating their situation up front then I'll exercise some patience but if things look hopeless you'll have that 30 day verbiage to fall back on.
If you end having to sell the cue out from underneath them after 30 days and want to go the extra mile you could always apply their initial deposit to the next cue they order provided they're willing to pay upfront.
I worked with a furniture maker who did that with some success.
He took an order for a 2k dining room table with a 300 dollar deposit. Customer lost their job and he sold the table for 2k after the 30 day grace period expired. However he applied the 300 dollar deposit to the customers next order in which he required them to pay in full up front. Ended up retaining a lot of good customers because of this policy.
I'm not a cue maker...... There is no excuse for ordering a cue and not paying in full upon completion. It's yours to do what you want with. Sell it and return the deposit less any expenses on your end. If they dealt again let them pay in full in advance. Who needs customers like that. It's your livelihood. Money is no joke.
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I agree with Bishop's recommendation of saving the deposit for the next order.(If you choose to let them place another order) But why would you return the deposit?
Once a deposit has been sent, you are agreeing to purchase the goods as laid out in the contract. If you cannot filful your dutys as the customer, or cause damages to the seller via lost time/resources, than the deposit is forfeited, and right to the goods stay with the seller.
I say, give them a week to explain themselves, then post on AZB for us to buy!
And in future, make it clear from the getgo what you expect from the customer.
I don't take money up front because that just leads to more issues. I will wait an appropriate length of time and then give them a final week before I sell it... People have circumstances that can come up and they won't have the money or just they back out of the deal.
The last one the backed out.... I sold the cue in an hour for exactly what I was asking originally for it.
Needless to say... I will never entertain making a cue for that person again.
Kim
The last one the backed out.... I sold the cue in an hour for exactly what I was asking originally for it.
Needless to say... I will never entertain making a cue for that person again.
Kim
If I ever get paid for the last cue I delivered, I'll let you know. I wasn't sweating it because the guy said he had a family emergency and had to leave the state, but now he is back and has neither made an effort to pay me, nor returned my texts. I saw him the other night at the pool hall and he mentioned nothing about paying me.
He's now had the cue for six weeks....
Never.....ever....again
