Deposit on custom items

[my-auction-now]

I get a lot of request for custom items that I make. We agree on price and how to make it.

After I make it buyer says can I get a better price, or You know I really do not need it after all. This has happend to me 2 times this week alone. Ebay policy doe not allow me to charge a blank sale because I have to ship it with in one day. Takes me at least one to 2 days to make item. I cannot have customer send me a deposit because I have not sold the item yet, so no way to get a deposit. I would think that Ebay could set up a deposit system on a listing and apply the deposit to the item when sold.

If buyer changes their mind they forfit the deposit and I get it less Ebay fees. Is their any way to get a deposit on items before making them. maybe I missed this .

[gurlcat]

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@dhbookds wrote:

I think I misunderstood the question......... 

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Well don't feel bad about that because there was no way anyone could have understood it, by reading the original post and looking at the listings.   The replies made by the OP this morning reveal that the situation is not like anything we are accustomed to. 

Almost all of his sheath listings start with the word 'Custom' in the title.  But in the description there is no mention of what kinds of customizations can be made or how to request them.  Then today the OP replies:

"I make knife sheaths. I make it custom to fit a special knife. It is made to fit that knife only.

It is not just changing a sheath that is made already."  So ...... apparently the sheaths in active listings are NOT actually customizable; they are already made and ready to ship.  Their titles should probably be 'Handmade' not 'Custom.'

But apparently (somehow) buyers know they can write a private message to request a unique one-of-a-kind sheath to be made just for their own knife, then the OP makes it, creates a listing for it, and notifies the buyer that it is ready to purchase.  Do I have that right @my-auction-now ? 

If that's how it works, then the idea of having some kind of feature for a security deposit is even more 'out there.'  How could there be any kind of automated feature ... for a listing that literally doesn't exist yet???

[gurlcat]

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@my-auction-now wrote:

I guess from all the responses I am getting, it is best to just forget custom sales on Ebay. 

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Hang on, I THINK I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU.

Okay, so would it be correct to assume that when someone requests a custom sheath, they use one of your active listings as the basis of what they want, just altered in some way(s)?  -Seems like that would be likely, since you have so many different kinds offered. 

So here's what you do.  Take the main photo from that listing and show the alterations using an editing tool (see below -I used Markup in my Mac's photo editing suite, but you could do it with any image editor that lets you add text and drawn lines, etc.). OR you could just do a simple drawing on paper with the details written, then photograph THAT.  Then create the listing for your buyer, and PUT THEIR NAME in the title -lots of sellers do this when they create custom bundles and such.  The idea is to let other buyers know the item is not for them, but I think it also doesn't hurt to make THE buyer feel put on the spot by seeing their name right in a publicly-viewable title. 

Before I go any further, I must say that I am having a crisis of conscience because I'm as non-violent as it gets ...... and yet I am now gripped by desire to own a "bar fighting knife." 🤣  I had no idea such a thing existed.  And now I'm wondering if there are also "street fighting knives" and "porch fighting knives" and  "out on the dusty plains fighting knives" and etc. 

Okay so one day you get a buyer from Australia who writes to you saying, "Mate, oi want a sheath just like this bar foiting one except oi have a KNOIF-knoif, 10 inches long and 2.5 inches at the hilt.  Also oim a leftie.  Can yeh help me out?"  Then you reply, "Sure thing Mr. Dundee, give me a minute and I'll create a listing and send you a link to it."   -Make sure you set the handling time to however long you actually need to make it (might as well since you won't get the Top Seller fee discount on a 'no returns' listing anyway). 

Then ...... list it and send him the link.  If he changes his mind, you won't have wasted any materials or time other than what it took to create the listing.  

(here's your active listing)



(Now here's the listing for the custom request sheath):

[mam98031]

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@my-auction-now wrote:

Great except for one thing  I still have to make the item before I can list it. And I have no deposit till item is done. This solves nothing. 

They still back out and I am still out the sale and left with the custom item I do not need. 

I guess from all the responses I am getting, it is best to just forget custom sales on Ebay. 

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I would disagree.  Create a listing that is clearly marked everywhere to be a Custom Listing and what areas are customized.  Clearly and completely describe it.  Increase your handling time to allow yourself plenty of time to create and ship the item.  And have a no return policy.

[dhbookds]

@mam98031   that still doesn't protect him from a "lying" Not as Described claim.......

[mam98031]

@dhbookds 

I wasn't aware of anything that protects a seller from that on any transaction.

[dhbookds]

I wasn't aware of anything that protects a seller from that on any transaction.

@mam98031 
exactly and that seems to be what he wants protection.......at least for the amount of a "deposit"........ 

[bandrhome]

If you want to keep doing the custom work list on Etsy then. You can set up a listing for deposits.

Im still in the boat, they pay in full. Custom items are not returnable or refunded.

[inhawaii]

Stop making them BEFORE you get paid.

Make them AFTER you get paid.

[jameshen1]

Before I go any further, I must say that I am having a crisis of conscience because I'm as non-violent as it gets ...... and yet I am now gripped by desire to own a "bar fighting knife."   I had no idea such a thing existed.  And now I'm wondering if there are also "street fighting knives" and "porch fighting knives" and  "out on the dusty plains fighting knives" and etc. 

K-Bar is a maker of knives.  A brand of knife if you will.  Also known as Ka-Bar.  It is not a knife for fighting in a bar as realistic as that seems.  🙂

[jameshen1]

Didn't buy it on eBay, but I have one very similar to this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/167166423001?_skw=k-bar+folding+knife&itmmeta=01JQ7NNMD1PBAED3JSR0JNQJ0X&ha...

[gurlcat]

Alright but the OP's listing doesn't say "K" or "Ka".   Also it specifically says "Bar Fighting Knife" (not "Bar Hunting Knife" or any other function).  

All I know is, if conjuring the image of a bar fight wasn't the intention, somebody goofed. 🤣

[my-auction-now]

I could make a listing explaining the cost, the deposit required. When the buyer accepts this listing, and makes a deposit on the listing

I would make the sheath. After the sheath is done He would have 48 hours to complete the payment in total. If he does not make payment the deposit is forfeited. I get buyes all the time wanting me to make them a custom sheath just for their knife.

And all my sheaths are handmade and my custom design, for certain popular knives.

They are not factory made. It would also be easy for the buyer to send me the knife, but Ebay does not allow my shipping address to be give out. I do have word of mouth sales off Ebay where they do send me their knife. The knife becomes the deposit. after payment, I send back the knife with the custom sheath. 

[gurlcat]

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@my-auction-now wrote:

I could make a listing explaining the cost, the deposit required. When the buyer accepts this listing, and makes a deposit on the listing

I would make the sheath. After the sheath is done He would have 48 hours to complete the payment in total. If he does not make payment the deposit is forfeited.

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There is no way for a buyer to only pay PART of an item's price, as in a deposit, and then pay the rest later. 

I'm sorry but you really must let go of this whole deposit idea.  There is simply no way to do it on eBay.  I gave you a workable solution in message 32 -did you read it?  It would get you the full money up front, which would be better than a deposit anyway. 

[farmalljr]

First a bit of advice:

I can see you use a machine to sew, but your handmade items are incredibly underpriced. You are pricing like these are import products. If you are hand making them your prices are too low. 

Secondly, I would not advise you to sell "custom" or "personalized" leather crafts. Most likely they would not be resalable if they are returned. The likelihood of finding another "Tom" to buy a Buck 110 sheath is slim to none. Custom work like that should be strictly non returnable, and eBay does not allow that. 

To be honest, eBay is not really the best place for handmade leather goods. You have competition from literally all over the world, lowering the price buyers might pay, based on what foreign sellers charge. If you want to sell them here, I would at least advise that customization is probably a bad idea. Your items look nice. I would just sell "stock" products though. I list a little bit here myself, but eBay is the wrong place for me to sell leather goods. I have a few b stock items and a few nicer ones, but this is the wrong venue for a craftsman to sell their crafts. Prices too low, and the chances of a bad return too high. Beside you are going to pay a pretty fat fee to sell stuff here. 

If you want to avoid all the bad that can and does happen, you need to sell locally at markets and craft fairs, or have a site of your own. Stock products are ok, but you will have nothing but headaches with custom work. Others have already advised how to increase your shipping delay time. 

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@my-auction-now wrote:

I get a lot of request for custom items that I make. We agree on price and how to make it.

After I make it buyer says can I get a better price, or You know I really do not need it after all. This has happend to me 2 times this week alone. Ebay policy doe not allow me to charge a blank sale because I have to ship it with in one day. Takes me at least one to 2 days to make item. I cannot have customer send me a deposit because I have not sold the item yet, so no way to get a deposit. I would think that Ebay could set up a deposit system on a listing and apply the deposit to the item when sold.

If buyer changes their mind they forfit the deposit and I get it less Ebay fees. Is their any way to get a deposit on items before making them. maybe I missed this .

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[mam98031]

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@dhbookds wrote:

I wasn't aware of anything that protects a seller from that on any transaction.

@mam98031 
exactly and that seems to be what he wants protection.......at least for the amount of a "deposit"........ 

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There is NO deposit and there isn't anything beyond normal Seller Protection.