But why can't you just CANCEL it??

[Betweenshades]

A guy ordered a part from us last week. He was able to find one locally and called me to cancel his order. This is fine, except for one small issue:

He bought it Friday and it was shipped out the same day.

I explained this to him and told him that he can just not accept the package and it will come back to me. He FLIPPED out on me!

"I'M NOT PAYING FOR RETURN POSTAGE BECAUSE I DIDN'T NEED THE PART. THAT'S DUMB AND A HORRIBLE RETURN POLICY!1!! JUST CANCEL MY ORDER AND REFUND ME!!!"

(ranty mcranty pants)

So, I attempt to explain to him that refusing the package is free for him; he doesn't have to pay for it. It will just be mailed back. Oh, and that I wouldn't be refunded until the part was returned. Thanks for shopping with us.

10 minutes later, I got him off the phone. I don't know if he actually got it or just got tired of yelling.

[Mnemjian]

Well OBVIOUSLY it should be your job to call the post office and get them to find the package mid-transit and send it back. It's not his fault he ordered a product he didn't need!

[wildman]

When I have ordered a part in the past, it is because I couldn't find it locally!

[bainsidhe]

So how will the story end?
a) He doesn't refuse the part and gets angry because he now has to pay return postage if he wants credit
b) He refuses the package, only to learn that his local supplier still has to order the part and he has to wait even longer, which will somehow be the OP's fault
c) He accepts the part, but still demands credit without making the return, because the OP should've known better than to ship it so fast

[b2addm]

..."I'M NOT PAYING FOR RETURN POSTAGE BECAUSE I DIDN'T NEED THE PART. THAT'S DUMB AND A HORRIBLE RETURN POLICY!1!! JUST CANCEL MY ORDER AND REFUND ME!!!"

"Yes sir Mr Ranty, I'll be happy to do that for you. Let me put you on hold so that I can hop in the company time machine, go back to Friday, and cancel the order. While I'm at it, I'll just wave my magic wand as well so you don't even need the part at all. What's that you say? You're still not satisfied??? What a fucking shock."

[Mytical]

So how will the story end?
a) He doesn't refuse the part and gets angry because he now has to pay return postage if he wants credit
b) He refuses the package, only to learn that his local supplier still has to order the part and he has to wait even longer, which will somehow be the OP's fault
c) He accepts the part, but still demands credit without making the return, because the OP should've known better than to ship it so fast

C sort of . It is a scam. I worked for a place that actually had this happen, and the SC thought they would get away with the "I never received the part, it must have got lost in the mail" bit. Now since sometimes no signature is needed, they can get away with this..no way of proving the item actually arrived..however the this particular SC was a brilliant mastermind..as we had shipped it where it had to be signed for. The company pulled up the signature, checked it against previous signatures of this person on file..and got their money.

[Betweenshades]

So how will the story end?
a) He doesn't refuse the part and gets angry because he now has to pay return postage if he wants credit
b) He refuses the package, only to learn that his local supplier still has to order the part and he has to wait even longer, which will somehow be the OP's fault
c) He accepts the part, but still demands credit without making the return, because the OP should've known better than to ship it so fast

C sort of . It is a scam.

Which is why I never refund without the part in my grubby little hands. And eBay agrees with me every time. It's awesome.

[underemployeed]

I was working on my managers computer, ended up needing to send back parts because it was decided it wasn't worth fixing. I kept some because I didn't want to deal with all the return shipping and it was benefit of being told "By the quality you would want in your computer".... when it is realized more is wrong than is worth fixing after you get a new motherboard. I can use some parts.

It was $12 to send back $43 part, and that was with them waiving the restocking fee.

[hawkchick11]

This is common at my job. People get mad that they can't cancel their orders after they've placed them... even though it says right above the Submit Order button that orders cannot be modified or cancelled.

[Mytical]

Don't even get me started on the ones who order something custom made, get exactly what they ask for, ask for a new one/try to cancel then turn around and say "Since you won't be able to sell that one, I'll take it for <ridiculously low price>" I've seen people do that with Paint (among other things) a LOT.

[Rena_Muffin]

What a douche. I'm sorry you have to deal with SCs like that.

[Kogarashi]

Don't even get me started on the ones who order something custom made, get exactly what they ask for, ask for a new one/try to cancel then turn around and say "Since you won't be able to sell that one, I'll take it for <ridiculously low price>" I've seen people do that with Paint (among other things) a LOT.

And this is why I only take money up front now for most commissions. Unless it's something I know I can sell to someone else, then no dice, money first or it's not getting done.

I had one customer who commissioned two fans from me who wanted to pay with a money order after the fact. No biggie, I did the commission, only for them to ask for an extension on their payment due to family emergency. I gave them a month's extension, but I'm not completely naive; I will not ship until I see the money, even if I'm willing to do the commission first. After the month was up, the customer stopped answering my e-mails. Since the fans were along the lines of my standard designs, they were easy enough to relist and sell to other interested parties.

[mattm04]

Don't even get me started on the ones who order something custom made, get exactly what they ask for, ask for a new one/try to cancel then turn around and say "Since you won't be able to sell that one, I'll take it for <ridiculously low price>" I've seen people do that with Paint (among other things) a LOT.

I have seen SCs at the supermarket with deli or bakery items that obviously can not be resold tall the cashier, "oh i only have $X to spend, so I can't take <deli or bakery items>. " The cashier then voids them off, followed by the SC demanding them for free of dirt cheap since they will just get tossed anyway. Thankfully, It has never worked when I saw it.

[Kanalah]

Koga, (can I call you Koga?)

I had a fancy pant business guy commission a quilt from me once. This was back when I didn't have down payments or anything. I emailed him to let him know that his quilt was ready. He responded asking me if I still had another similar quilt. I told him that I did and gave him the price. I never heard back from him. Actually sold both of the quilts at that year's really big craft show.

So yeah, there's totally a reason why I ask for money up front and insist on tracking all my shipments. I've been ripped off far too many times in the past.

[Mytical]

As I told Kanalah (who is making me some crafting goodness for my mother for mothers day) I prefer that if I order anything that the money comes first. IE she doesn't start the project until Paypal receives the funds. I know wild things happen to me all the time, and would rather not fret if some wild thing happens and I can't pay.