We require 100% deposit on all orders. There are many practical reasons, but one of my favorite responses (loosely quoted by Tobi Fairley) is, “If, after placing an order, you decide you don’t want that sofa, I can assure you that I don’t want it either.”
Basically, once a custom order is placed, it is non-refundable, so it may as well be paid in full. And, since I cannot cancel the order, I’ll be faced with the balance due and the question of, “where do you want it?” when it arrives at my studio.
Also, we’ve had clients go through tough times that pulled them away from the project. While it is completely understandable that someone dealing with a personal crisis can’t focus on the design project, the custom orders already set into motion cannot be paused or cancelled, which means production will conclude and balances will be due. Basically, we’re a design firm, not a bank or a furniture showroom. ; )
Those examples aside, there are many benefits to paying 100% up front:
– It cuts paperwork in half (Instead of billing for a deposit and final invoice).
– Projects move more quickly as it makes the entire order process more efficient and allows us to get your orders to you quicker.
Here’s an example of the ‘old way’ to illustrate:
Our vendors won’t ship your items until they are paid in full, so in the case of a 50% deposit, we would then pay our vendors 50%. They would send us an invoice when the item is ready to ship. We then send you a balance due invoice. We process your payment. We then pay our vendor. Some vendors still send paper invoices and only take checks, so this can add a week or two to the lead time.
Our vendors won’t ship your items until they are paid in full, so in the case of a 50% deposit, we would then pay our vendors 50%. They would send us an invoice when the item is ready to ship. We then send you a balance due invoice. We process your payment. We then pay our vendor. Some vendors still send paper invoices and only take checks, so this can add a week or two to the lead time.
– Since we do turn-key project installations (where we do one delivery after all of the orders are in at our local receiver’s warehouse), you would still be required to pay for items in full prior to receiving them.
Best,
~S
Great quote: “If, after placing an order, you decide you don’t want that sofa, I can assure you that I don’t want it either.”
I agree, 100% payment definitely makes the entire order process more efficient, it’s not like we can return it anyway.