To those who sell locally...

[vhawthorne]

Do you find it best to collect payment upfront from people you don't really know yet?

[BarbB]

Absolutely, unless you don't mind adding to your inventory if they don't pay you. I've only ordered without payment with the people I work with.

[vhawthorne]

I wouldn't mind at all adding to inventory if someone failed to follow through of course.

Now that I'm doing this biz all over again and hopefully getting it right this time around, I think I will just require payment upfront from the new customers. I remember a few years ago when I first started I had a local woman ask why I don't do like Avon reps do and collect payment upon delivery. At the time I honestly just said I wasn't comfortable doing that until I got to know my customers. She looked at me like I was weird or something lol.

[BarbB]

It's surprising she would act that way because when you order on line you have to pay first, when to go to most home parties you have to place an order pay, and then get it later. I think most people today are more use to paying first. You'll always come across a few who don't get it.

Happy New Year.

[FlickerScents]

I always get payment up front. It is just what people expect to do. You are right about AVON but try ordering from any other co and they need money up front.
Best of luck to you in your renewed candle venture.

[LDYAPXR]

I just recently got out of Avon(in Dec) when they instituted minimum orders but I always collected payment up front because I had to pay Avon in order to place my order.

[vhawthorne]

I agree ladies

and these products are just too darn good to worry about when you have to pay for them

[DebraFerrie]

I usually colllect when I hand them the candle. I keep an inventory here so wouldnt mind having extra but I never ran into that problem.

[ChristinaH]

Usually I will collect the money when I deliver the candle. If they want me to ship it to them, I collect up front.

[LadyJayEnterPrises.com]

Hello all, since I have been in the gift shop business for some time now would say like most post here get your money up front if you don't know that person. But also look at it from their point of view they don't know you either so if this is a situation where you are close to a computer you can place the order for them online via your online store, Or if you have a paypal account get their order and contact information and send them an invoice with what they ordered via email. Once they receive it and make a payment you then login into your backoffice and place the order shipping everything to that customer because you now have their payment. Now they have a receipt of what they ordered which is on the way and you have your money in your paypal account which is just like having a bank account virtually. There's other ways to do it as well but I just want to keep it as simple as possible at this point. I hope this helps