Bad customer

Excellent outcome, I'm glad it worked out. Any chance you'll show us a pick or two of this little gem??

whitie
 
since you asked...

phil.jpg
 
Don Cowles said:
I try to run my business in the same way that I run my personal life. I like people, and am inclined to trust them. As such, many times in the case of a customer ordering a custom piece, there are phone and email exchanges, sometimes including photos, and a relationship develops. When the knife is finished, the customer (if not paying by credit card) will tell me he will put the check in the mail the next day. I have often shipped the knife before the check has actually arrived –again, because a relationship has been established, and there is an element of trust there. I have never been burned until now. It pains me to have to consider approaching people differently.

At age 66, I did not just fall off the turnip truck. I was a police officer in the Chicago area, where naïveté can be fatal, and I seem to have survived. This guy was just as sincere and pleasant as can be. He complimented me on my service, thanked me for the progress photos, told me he loved the knife when he got it, and apparently decided not to pay for it. Emails to his old address bounce. He does not return phone calls. And …he owes me $600.

I welcome the input of anyone who might have some advice on what to do –both with my approach to my customers in the future, and with this person in particular.

I intend to give him another week or so to respond (it has been a month), at which time I will post his name and address on this thread to provide fair warning for other makers.
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Sir, I consider myself an honest man of some integrity. And I would NEVER be offended if you asked me to pay by USPS MO and held my shipment until your payment was in hand.

Don't think twice about it. Receive your payment first -- make sure you have the cash -- then send the goods. Believe me, you will offend no one by taking such measures.

[Hey -- that's a really attractive knife!]
 
Asking for cash up front is pretty much standard in todays knife and non knife business world and the only person who would be offended is somebody trying to get over.
 
He returned the knife because RTDTB travels in the dream world also...except in the form of a clown with a bloody axe and fangs that rip out throats and drink blood ....I paid dear ol phil a visit in his sleep a few nights ago....when he awoke in a cold sweat..and ..with his frillies full of poop and pee he could not get to the Post office fast enough...:D :D

ok just kidding ...but I could have if I wanted to...
 
OldPhysics said:
Sir, I consider myself an honest man of some integrity. And I would NEVER be offended if you asked me to pay by USPS MO and held my shipment until your payment was in hand.

Don't think twice about it. Receive your payment first -- make sure you have the cash -- then send the goods. Believe me, you will offend no one by taking such measures.

[Hey -- that's a really attractive knife!]
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Don,

What OP said.

You and I go back a while and I would not be offended if you asked me to send payment before you sent the knife to me. I know that the last knife I got from you hit my door before you got the check, but it would not have bothered me a bit if it had gone the other way of you wanting a payment first.
 
That's a *really* nice knife Mr. Cowles and I'm glad you got it back.

Some months ago a USPS MO of mine went missing en route despite being sent Priority Mail and with delivery confirmation for tracking purposes. I *didn't* have enough money on hand at the time to send another one to the seller while I resolved the missing $ issue with my post office. Fortunately the seller didn't send the knife.

Now I specifically ask sellers not to send a knife until the $ is in their account.

PS The MO is still lost but the PO refunded my money...after charging me a a 5$ "investigation fee" and making me wait until 60 days had passed after the date of issue. :rolleyes:
 
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