I think your dolls are beautiful, I would not have been able to turn it down even if it was not what I was expecting. I think it is always hard to fulfil a commissioned order… something I rarely do, and there is always that risk. I have sometimes had people take a commissioned work and say very little at the time, leaving me feeling rather unhappy, and then sometime after receive a letter telling me how they love it so much, and couldn’t live without it, having taken the time to look at it, and appreciate it. Payment is not enough for a creative person, there must be that feeling that we have brought happiness and in return receive some appreciation for our work. If someone genuinely does not like it, they could be pleasant about it, this costs nothing. I do know how you feel but sometimes there is nothing we can do about the odd customer like this, and thank you for posting as it has taken me to your lovely dolls.
Thank you for your lovely comments and you’re right - for me it’s never about the money - it’s always about wanting someone else to get pleasure about the things I’ve carefully created.
Just a point about deposits… as I understand the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you can not take a “non-refundable deposit” for an item. If the customer doesn’t want something, then they dont’ have to buy it / can return it for a refund. An exception though, is a personalised / customised / tailor-made item, that couldn’t be sold to anyone else because of the way it is made.
It’s best to take payment up-front (or a 50% deposit), when accepting special / custom orders; however, you have to accept that a customer has the right to change their mind, within 14 days, or to return an item that they don’t want to keep (again though, if it’s customised/ personalised, they can’t return it unless it’s faulty or not what they agreed to buy).
It’s a good plan to give a full “specification” in writing, at the time you are setting up the order with your customer. This then forms part of your contract with your customer and, so long as you stick to that description, you could refuse to refund a custom or tailor-made item, on the grounds that you have made what was agreed in writing and that it can not be sold elsewhere. (I keep in touch with my customers throughout the making process, providing “in progress” photos, to try and avoid the “but that’s not what I wanted” problem at the end).
I’m afraid the rules do rather favour the consumer - which is how it should be really. None of us likes to have problems with something we have bought online, that turn out to be different to what we expected.
There are rules about returns and also about refunds and postage costs, also about providing our contact details and cancellation information.
See these links for more info: https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/distance-selling-regulations
I can now vouch for the lovely customer support and attention to detail that Martine @MaisyMuffin provides, I hope she puts on here a link to the listing of the Guide Leader dolly she has made for my daughters birthday. Rachel
Hi Maisy Muffin, I totally sympathise with you. I was asked to machine knit a ladies 3 piece suit for a wedding. I ordered the knitting yarn specially, and had to make several alterations to the pattern that she chose, because of her height and shape. It involved a fairisle waistcoat, a sweater and full skirt with a wide fairisle band round the bottom. It took me quite a while, as it was a fiddly pattern.
I delivered it and she didn’t even try it on, just said it looked heavier than she expected, so she didn’t want it. Had it been a standard size, I could have sold it. I had loads of compliments, but no one was the right size for it. So I gave it to a charity shop in the end.
I never asked for a deposit, and you certainly learn by your mistakes. I no longer do special orders, and I just sell what I have made. I think it’s sad though, that people are like that.
Hi Martine, @MaisyMuffin
Sorry to hear you went to so much trouble to end the way it did. I agree, any custom dolls you make you should take a 50% non refundable deposit. I’ve added your shop to my favourites, your dolls are just cutie patooties and I love your mice!! x