I wondered if any crafters out there have had problems where customers wanted to return Bespoke goods. ie made for the customer or printed for the customer ? One of the things I am reviewing is working out which of my goods offered fall under the “bespoke” category and which are not, as this has a significant impact under the Consumer Contract regulations, on Returns and costs, and is not always straightforward.
For example, my handmade greeting cards- If I have some in stock, and then ordered, then clearly they are not bespoke goods. If the customer wants me to add a person’s name or phrase on a card, that is bespoke and they can only return them if faulty, but need to be informed that. But what if I don’t have any of a particular card or design printed, I then print some for a customer, and then the customer returns them within 14 days because they decide they didn’t like them ? Clearly the customer needs to be informed at the point of purchase what is considered ‘bespoke’. If you make a garment or jewellery, for a specific customer it may be simpler ?
Besoke or custom made can only really be for something that is made say for
(A) to fit a particular customer’s sizing’s ie made to measure in clothes or think bespoke kitchens where he kitchen maker comes to your house builds a kitchen that will only fit in your home and no one else’s.
(B) Something that a customer has asked for a particular spelling of a name or dates and names etc on an item that had to be specially/custom made. or a painting ect that is a one off item.
Bascially it’s something that you’d only produce once or as many times as required to that customers instructions.
Something that you can’t sell to anyone else.
I would also regard something made in an unusual colour, at the customers request, bespoke.
For example, I have made a Christmas tree bookmark in green. If someone asked me to do a pink one then I wouldn’t want it returned as I’m unlikely to be able to sell it to anyone else!
Kim
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You need to make it clear before the order is placed that pink is a bespoke bookmark and cannot be returned unless faulty.
One thing you need to be careful of, is that if say a trader has a range of colours that they make something in, say eight different choice of colours, and a customer orders an item in one of the much less popular colours or designs, they still have the right to cancel the contract after you send it to them, and the seller has the immediate problem of getting rid of that least popular designs/colours. Probably via a reduced or ‘sale’ price. so there will often be a loss to the seller.
This is made clear in the guidance on Consumer Contract Regulations by the government, which uses a sofa example with different shades. I think that’s a bit unfair on the seller, but of course how would the customer know it was an unpopular colour/design, they don’t really care ! ?
Yes, obviously I would make it clear to the customer that this not a colour I would normally make this particular bookmark in and as such it was non returnable unless faulty.
This is covered by the partial exemptions to the DSR as stated by Trading standards, as an ‘item made to customers specifications’.
I would list it on Folksy as a ‘Custom order’.
Kim
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The DSR have actually been revoked, as i understand it, but to a degree the principles are now within the newer regulations that came out into effect in June ie Consumer Contracts (Information , Cancellation, and Additional charges) Regulations, 2013 . What a mouthful !