Every now and again I feel the urge to reiterate the issues I have with supply and demand for my bears. I am eternally grateful that after coming up 12 years of making my bears that people still want to buy them .
I do have ongoing concerns about the best way to make bears available so that everyone who wants a bear gets a fair chance. So in the interests of fairness I have for some time put a PayPal button on the page for each bear. This means that when the bear is still available if you hit the 'pay now ' button first you will get the bear. That is fair and gives everyone an even chance. I always state the time the bear will be 'going live' on my Facebook page and if you are on my mailing list you will get an email with a picture of the bear giving notice of the imminent bear being revealed and the time.
However , in the interests of absolute fairness I just cannot presell the bears. I cannot accept payments before the bear goes live and I cannot let anyone jump the queue.
Very occasionally I will offer a first option on a bear to a person who has missed out on several bears. If I do send you photos its on the understanding that if I don't hear from you within a certain timescale, taking into account time differences I will sell the bear.
Being fair is part of running an online business and I cannot break the law. If you are unsure of anything I have all my legal obligations clearly visible on my terms and conditions page.
What has prompted me to write this is that I have for some time had an uncomfortable sense that things are not as crystal clear to everyone as they should be. Yet I have always operated fairly.
Also I do get asked for layaway, and I understand why, my bears are not a cheap item and people like them. That said with layaway comes problems and I do not want to engage in those problems.
The problems are collection of instalments, many people do not keep to the instalments and I end up chasing them, the I have a bear who needs to be resold months after I made it. Then people have a habit of seeing another newer bear they would like to own and they want to swap. This causes problems and in that case I have the right to refuse and that causes bad feeling.
So in the interest of my sanity and my cash flow I am not offering layaway in any form. It sounds mean spirited and not what people want but I know that teddy bears can be bought on a whim at times ..and layaway can be taken on lightly and impulsively only to realise a month down the line that actually, that bear isn't going to fit into the hug..and I can't afford it. Leaving me to have to deal with it or chase people for money when I haven't the will or the wherewithal to do it.
I really hope you understand this!
I do have ongoing concerns about the best way to make bears available so that everyone who wants a bear gets a fair chance. So in the interests of fairness I have for some time put a PayPal button on the page for each bear. This means that when the bear is still available if you hit the 'pay now ' button first you will get the bear. That is fair and gives everyone an even chance. I always state the time the bear will be 'going live' on my Facebook page and if you are on my mailing list you will get an email with a picture of the bear giving notice of the imminent bear being revealed and the time.
However , in the interests of absolute fairness I just cannot presell the bears. I cannot accept payments before the bear goes live and I cannot let anyone jump the queue.
Very occasionally I will offer a first option on a bear to a person who has missed out on several bears. If I do send you photos its on the understanding that if I don't hear from you within a certain timescale, taking into account time differences I will sell the bear.
Being fair is part of running an online business and I cannot break the law. If you are unsure of anything I have all my legal obligations clearly visible on my terms and conditions page.
What has prompted me to write this is that I have for some time had an uncomfortable sense that things are not as crystal clear to everyone as they should be. Yet I have always operated fairly.
Also I do get asked for layaway, and I understand why, my bears are not a cheap item and people like them. That said with layaway comes problems and I do not want to engage in those problems.
The problems are collection of instalments, many people do not keep to the instalments and I end up chasing them, the I have a bear who needs to be resold months after I made it. Then people have a habit of seeing another newer bear they would like to own and they want to swap. This causes problems and in that case I have the right to refuse and that causes bad feeling.
So in the interest of my sanity and my cash flow I am not offering layaway in any form. It sounds mean spirited and not what people want but I know that teddy bears can be bought on a whim at times ..and layaway can be taken on lightly and impulsively only to realise a month down the line that actually, that bear isn't going to fit into the hug..and I can't afford it. Leaving me to have to deal with it or chase people for money when I haven't the will or the wherewithal to do it.
I really hope you understand this!
Completely understand, Jenny. I am going to do as you do from now on and let people know a few hours in advance when I will have a single bear for adoption - it really is the most fair. It seems you've found the best way to deal with layaway, too! I salute you! Hugs, Janice
ReplyDeleteooh Jenny I echo everything you have said here and I think it is important to have everything transparent in our terms and I know yours are too, but there are a few who seem to step that line, but its nice to remind people once in a while x x x
ReplyDeleteYou have stated it clearly and I'm sure every one understands.
ReplyDeleteHUgs Kay
the platform to assess information on your new born bears are clear and informative, there is only one problem here IS the time zone, have to wake up in the middle of the night ;)
ReplyDeleteyour bears always go so quickly when i checked up in the morning, they are already adopted.
I fully accept that its hard to pin down a time that suits everyone. I have released them at 2 pm which is good for many people in the eastern hemisphere but when I did that people in the Western hemisphere complained!! I have done it at 11 pm too! hard to get it right!
ReplyDeletejenny xx