Got this email from a client and I'm wondering if I should be worried?

poet123

Sorry to be blunt, but do you actually run a business or is it a hobby?

Do you not have records of the order? Presumably, the reason the customer gave you a timescale is that he wants the money refunded within that timeframe? It is only November 1st, nowhere near Christmas......act now, sort this out or it will escalate and you will come worst off if it goes to court.

JamesO

MUMMYTO2BOYS wrote: »

If you'd sent me half a mirrored set I'd want a full refund and not only refunding for what hadn't been recieved.

You took full payment up front THEN discover you can't source materials?!?

You failed to update the customer at any stage?!?

You agreed a date to complete the order but forgot so it was a few months late?!?

At best you seem very laid back, at worst you're a conman. If the customer posted his experience of your business on here he'd be advised to take you for all he can get.

Legally, you may not be liable for all he is claiming.

Morally, you should be ashamed and give AT LEAST a full refund and take your HALF order back and let him try and find someone capable of fulfilling his order.

Yes, I think it's reasonable to full refund I'm just not going to find it easy as I spent the bulk of the money on raw materials. I am ashamed it was such a farce, I just don't see that I should pay for the state of his mental health...

JamesO

4743hudsonj wrote: »

well is he able to assemble what he has into something usefull or not?

They could make up gates and half the fencing, and probably could work something out, but the inner layer wasn't completed (the linking sections that were the main complicated bit of the design)

i too sympathise with you and they do look like theyre trying some of it on but if they had posted here we would be helping them to claim from you

but claim what? For his mental health?

You make it sound like you were making several gates etc

if you have sent some of the gates in full

ie they are individually completed and can be installed then i beleive your offer of partial refund is adequate and state that you will be willing to make up for any extra costs they incur from sourcing a supplier for the rest of the order provided you see invoices/quotes and deem them to be reasonable

they don't want a partial refund and i will accept giving them a full refund, but does doing that make me liable for more?

Thats all you can do


have you explained your full situation to them?

They think i'm lying and i don't really blame them, it does sound a bit of a reach after i did forget them...

Maybe them having a condition will make them sympathise more with your injury......

they hadn't mentioned the mental health condition until that email

JamesO

poet123 wrote: »

Sorry to be blunt, but do you actually run a business or is it a hobby?

Do you not have records of the order? Presumably, the reason the customer gave you a timescale is that he wants the money refunded within that timeframe? It is only November 1st, nowhere near Christmas......act now, sort this out or it will escalate and you will come worst off if it goes to court.

It was a business, now probably closing, I didn't have much work when they asked about this and paperwork is normally on the computer which was changed during this. I know I've been a bit !!!!. If I wasn't being a bit !!!! I probably wouldn't have nearly burnt my arm off.

I know it's no excuse, but it was a bit of a bad patch.

I'm happy to refund as soon as we agree an amount, but they say they'll only hold the items for me to collect for 2 months before disposing of them. I don't know if I can arrange my mate for that soon, and I know someone independent will be more expensive.

MUMMYTO2BOYS

JamesO wrote: »

I am ashamed it was such a farce, I just don't see that I should pay for the state of his mental health...

Well forget he ever mentioned his mental health, take your useless lumps of metal out of his way, apologise profusely and hope he accepts a full refund!

poet123

2 Months is 8 WEEKS :eek: ample time to arrange collection. I am afraid the customer is being quite reasonable here.

If that was me I would have sued you well before now, if you can't arrange for your mate to collect you will have to make other arrangements.

You will need to bite the bullet on this one, or he will take legal advice, and you will come worst off.

Sort it out, now

olly300

JamesO wrote: »

A

Do I have to collect in the 2 months? I know a man and van, but he's always busy around Christmas...

You need to collect them within 7 to 14 days.

If you don't then the customer can try and charge you for storage (again they have to go to the small claims court), get rid of them, or leave them outside his house thus allowing other people to take them.

I suggest you organise the man and van, and make it very easy for the customer to give them to him. Otherwise you may find you lose both money and the gate you have made.

JamesO

ok, thank you for all of your help - I'm amazed by how quick you've all been.

I have a better idea of where I stand now and I'll send a polite email back offering a full refund plus interest, plus £50 and see what they say...

does that seem fair (in the circumstances)?

MUMMYTO2BOYS

JamesO wrote: »

ok, thank you for all of your help - I'm amazed by how quick you've all been.

I have a better idea of where I stand now and I'll send a polite email back offering a full refund plus interest, plus £50 and see what they say...

does that seem fair (in the circumstances)?

Yes, I'd say so. They probably made all the threats in hope of scaring you into giving them their their money back so they could start again.

isplumm

JamesO wrote: »

ok, thank you for all of your help - I'm amazed by how quick you've all been.

I have a better idea of where I stand now and I'll send a polite email back offering a full refund plus interest, plus £50 and see what they say...

does that seem fair (in the circumstances)?

James .. make it a condition of refund that you can collect the gates back with 7-14 days .... otherwise you may end up giving him a refund without the gates.

Mark