At what point do you post here about a member

[Hale Storm]

Just a question and I may have this in the wrong spot. Mods, if I do, please move accordingly as I'm not sure where to ask the question.

Had a member see my kydex work here on the forum and promptly message me to order one. We agreed on a price and a timeline. I typically tell most customers that I'm 3 weeks out in my shop and always try to under promise and over deliver. I go out of my way to get BF members orders out early. Also, I'm old school and never take payments up front until the work is done. I told the customer this and he agreed and said to build the sheath and let him know when it was ready. He was very cordial in fact. We even spoke about me building the sheath and then getting paid and taking the mans order as his word.
Now, days later, the sheath has been finished. Pics sent. Multiple PM's and an email and zero response. His profile shows he has been online as recently as yesterday yet has ignored my messages and email.
I may be wrong or out of line here (maybe both) but this just doesn't seem right to me. He made the request. I took him at his word and built what he asked, all the while sticking to my philosophy of getting BF members orders out ahead of schedule.
Now he has vanished, at least from my end.
How long do I wait before I post here? What is reasonable? Or do I even post here?
In my world, we had a deal. I fulfilled my part and built what he ordered. I gave my word. Now he is not holding up his end of the bargain.
What is normal protocol here?

Thanks for suggestions and comments.

 

[bodog]

If he's blatantly ignoring you after a deal was made then I'd call him out here and send a message to him about the thread.

People are going to say that since the transaction didn't happen then you can't leave a negative itrader score but it may be different when you went and made a custom sheath for the dude and he backed out.

Forum management should stick up for the craftsmen who provide services here if at all reasonable to do so. Maybe they'll make an exception.

No one wants to be stuck with a custom piece they can't sell. Hopefully you can sell the sheath to someone else.

 

[Danke42]

I'd say post his name just so he can see it.

He could be procrastinating and needs an nudge or he could be having a technical issue.

I don't know how may times I've had an issue with emailing a person as part of my work and had the messages bounce because of an IT issue at the the other end. I've got no recourse and the person at the other end is having a freakout till they're literally making a tape while driving to a bridge with someone in the trunk.

Now I have default instructions in my autoreply on how to remake contact if one channel fails.

 

[Hale Storm]

If he's blatantly ignoring you after a deal was made then I'd call him out here and send a message to him about the thread.

People are going to say that since the transaction didn't happen then you can't leave a negative itrader score but it may be different when you went and made a custom sheath for the dude and he backed out.

Forum management should stick up for the craftsmen who provide services here if at all reasonable to do so. Maybe they'll make an exception.

No one wants to be stuck with a custom piece they can't sell. Hopefully you can sell the sheath to someone else.

True, but how many threads have I read here about NOT paying up front, and all the stories of guys who paid up front and got burned. I've never done business that way and certainly wouldn't do it here. One the best parts of BF is finding people you can take at their word. Period.
I always build first and then request payment, even when it's quite a few dollars up front for me. I'd rather do business that way and I think most honorable craftsmen would.

 

[benchwarmer380]

If you feel it's necessary and enough time has passed to call out a flake, then go for it. Hard to give a further opinion without an exact timetable.

True, but how many threads have I read here about NOT paying up front, and all the stories of guys who paid up front and got burned. I've never done business that way and certainly wouldn't do it here. One the best parts of BF is finding people you can take at their word. Period.
I always build first and then request payment, even when it's quite a few dollars up front for me. I'd rather do business that way and I think most honorable craftsmen would.

^^^Much respect.

Commissioned work seems like a very calculated and tricky way to do business. Leaving iTrader for situations like this could set a precedence and open up a whole new can of worms.

 

[bodog]

True, but how many threads have I read here about NOT paying up front, and all the stories of guys who paid up front and got burned. I've never done business that way and certainly wouldn't do it here. One the best parts of BF is finding people you can take at their word. Period.
I always build first and then request payment, even when it's quite a few dollars up front for me. I'd rather do business that way and I think most honorable craftsmen would.

I completely agree. But if you're going to do business on bladeforums it may not be a bad thing to take a one dollar payment up front so you can at least say a deal was done and money exchanged so you can blast the dude on his feedback if they back out like that. Nothing more than a policy workaround. This place doesn't need good guys leaving because they get stiffed with no recourse.

And the way you're presenting yourself in this situation may be better in the long run than the sheath you would've sold to that guy. I know that seeing your approach to business makes me believe you to be an honorable guy. I'm sure others see the same thing. Silver lining, my friend.

 

[braillediver]

Just a thought- Some of us live hand to mouth and maybe you caught him off guard by delivering early? Waiting on the next pay check maybe?

 

[Hale Storm]

I completely agree. But if you're going to do business on bladeforums it may not be a bad thing to take a one dollar payment up front so you can at least say a deal was done and money exchanged so you can blast the dude on his feedback if they back out like that. Nothing more than a policy workaround. This place doesn't need good guys leaving because they get stiffed with no recourse.

And the way you're presenting yourself in this situation may be better in the long run than the sheath you would've sold to that guy. I know that seeing your approach to business makes me believe you to be an honorable guy. I'm sure others see the same thing. Silver lining, my friend.

It's not about the money. It's one sheath. I've lost money on sheaths a time or two in the few thousand I've built. The customer wasn't happy for some reason and I stand behind what I build so I made it right, at a loss. Making it right was more valuable than worrying about losing a few bucks on one sheath. I guess I'm just venting and grumpy about it. I fit this guy in and worked hard to get his order done and ahead of schedule since he is a BF member. Getting ditched and ignored is just wrong.
I doubt I'll call him out on it. It's a $60.00 rig. I've seen many good members get burned on knives that cost hundreds, sometimes thousands. I almost feel petty now for even bringing it up.

HERE IS WHAT I AM GOING TO DO. I'll wait another day (he has been on the forum so I know he has seen my messages) and if I don't hear from him, I'll gift the rig to someone on the forum that I know has this particular blade. Or just do a standard giveaway and get some cool pics or stories.

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[bodog]

What size of knife does the sheath fit? You never know, some guy may be in the market for that particular style of sheath and was waiting to see a stand up guy selling one.

 

[shinyedges]

This could be it for sure. Hopefully he could swallow his pride and say hey I'm waiting to be paid and I'll send funds as soon as I get them.

Just not communicating is wrong. I always try to be as upfront as possible. Sometimes pride is a tough pill to get down.

Just a thought- Some of us live hand to mouth and maybe you caught him off guard by delivering early? Waiting on the next pay check maybe?

 

[Hale Storm]

Just a thought- Some of us live hand to mouth and maybe you caught him off guard by delivering early? Waiting on the next pay check maybe?

No worries there my friend. He could just tell me he'll pay me next payday. No big deal.

 

[shinyedges]

Oh hale I almost forgot about the thread depth and size on the pivot... Did you still need that? I got class tomorrow I can let you know what the measurements are like 9:30pm or so when I get back home.

 

[Hale Storm]

Oh hale I almost forgot about the thread depth and size on the pivot... Did you still need that? I got class tomorrow I can let you know what the measurements are like 9:30pm or so when I get back home.

YES, YES, YES!!! Thanks for remembering.

 

[shinyedges]

No problem, I'll let you know tomorrow night what it is.

 

[Hale Storm]

What size of knife does the sheath fit? You never know, some guy may be in the market for that particular style of sheath and was waiting to see a stand up guy selling one.

It fits the Survive!Knives GSO 4.1. Pre-2016 model.

 

[Hale Storm]

Here's the last part of our conversation. I forgot to mention, I have a 4.1 so i won't need your knife to build the sheath. Thanks[/QUOTE]

Sounds good. I'll take one, just let me know when to send payment[/QUOTE]

Thank you. I'm old school, I don't get paid until the work is done and I take a man at his word. I have enough of that pattern in stock to build one more for your 4.1. I'll try to squeeze it in. I'm normally 3 weeks in the shop, but try to expedite things for fellow BF members. If I don't manage to do it this weekend, I'll definitely have it out by next weekend.

I'll be in touch.

Thanks again,

Ronnie Hale[/QUOTE]

Thank you sir. I appreciate everything and look forward to hearing from you.[/QUOTE]

 

[Hale Storm]

We made the deal on 03/04/16. I finished on 03/11/16 and sent pics and my paypal address. I followed up on 03/12/16 with another PM. I figured he might be out of town for the weekend so I followed up again on 03/14/16. The member was online yesterday and should have seen all my messages. I also emailed over the weekend. Still zero response.

Time for a Give AWAY!???!!!!

 

[bodog]

Sounds good. I'll take one, just let me know when to send payment[/QUOTE

Thank you. I'm old school, I don't get paid until the work is done and I take a man at his word. I have enough of that pattern in stock to build one more for your 4.1. I'll try to squeeze it in. I'm normally 3 weeks in the shop, but try to expedite things for fellow BF members. If I don't manage to do it this weekend, I'll definitely have it out by next weekend.

I'll be in touch.

Thanks again,

Ronnie Hale[/QUOTE

Thank you sir. I appreciate everything and look forward to hearing from you./QUOTE][/I]

While it would be nice to live in a world where a man's word is his bond and informal agreements stand, it isn't. I would suggest having a short contract written up and signed prior to beginning work on a custom sheath that outlines the basics.

"I will do such and such work for $60. I will be paid for the work once the work is finished. I will have the work completed within one month or the buyer has the right to opt out of the contract at no cost to him. If at the end of one month and/or completion of work, the buyer will take possession of my product and pay the agreed upon amount. Any deadline extensions may be negotiated. If buyer does not pay as agreed then I reserve the right to bring buyer to civil court in a jurisdiction of my choosing. I commit to a 100% lifetime guarantee against manufacter's defects. The buyer will have three days after receipt to return the product for any reason."

Signed Signed
Seller Date Buyer Date"


You may never exercise the contract but it would give people pause before they back out. And having a more formal agreement in place would weed out the window shoppers. Either they really want the sheath or not.

Honestly, a lot of these negative feedback threads wouldn't exist if people had some kind of contract in place.

I probably wouldn't do any kind of trade without it. Especially on nice knives that cost several hundreds or thousands of dollars.

 

[Hale Storm]

Thanks bodog.

 

[Hard Knocks]

Ronnie, I hate to see this man, hopefully it's just a glitch and gets resolved. That's a desirable sheath, though, so if he doesn't come through just post it up and sell it. If it was a size bigger (5.1) I'd take it off your hands myself, knowing the quality of your work.