How long do you wait for payment on a custom listing?

[Former_Member]

It seems like most of my sales come from custom listings, and I've had two this past week that asked for a listing and then never paid. One has been 6 days, I emailed her after 4 and she apologized and said she had waited for approval from someone and would purchase it that night. 2 days later, she still hasn't.

The other one has been 2 days, but I created the listing within 5 minutes of her asking and I've heard nothing. I sent her a convo this morning asking if she was still interested with no response.l

As long as I have the fabric in stock, I guess it doesn't matter, but to me it's incredibly rude to ask someone to create a custom listing for you and then never purchase it. I'm inclined to deactivate the listings but that might just be cutting off my nose to spite my face... :(

[IndigoPaisleyDesigns]

It happens all the time..I had someone ask me to hold a $25 mini painting for them for a month and in the end did not buy it..but at least it wasnt a custom listing. I'd send them one final convo and state that if the listing wasnt bought in 24 hours you would be deactivating it. Because really you could run out of the fabric..

[Former_Member]

i only had one and i think it took over a month. i let her know when it was posted, then after a week or two went by i took the reserve off and changed the price. then she sent a private message saying she was going to buy it but the price had changed. so i changed it back and it still took a while... i ended up sending her a message, trying as politely as possible to say 'please buy it already' and she did. she was very nice about it, telling me she had had computer problems.

it all worked out in the end.

mention in your shop policies any length of time in which you require custom orders to sell and remind them upon ordering.

[Former_Member]

Haven't dealt with this before, but seen other shops set up a time constraint, like a week. They include it in their policies and custom listings, and I'd imagine explain it to their customers. Might be helpful!

[Former_Member]

Thanks, I guess I just have a hard time understanding why people do what they do! lol...and I just had another email from someone asking me for a custom listing, we emailed back and forth and I know she's sitting at her computer. I made the listing and now nothing, she's disappeared! Arghhhh!

I did put something in my shop policies that I would hold fabric for 24 hours for a custom listing, after that, it's first come, first served. No one reads it though.

[Former_Member]

If you have it in your polices, can you keep the listing and then if someone else orders the same fabric, too bad for the first person? I also get annoyed by people who do this. I had a shopper ask me a million questions (I make coasters, there isn't much else to say!) and then not contact me for a month, at which point she paid for the items.

[Former_Member]

I recently dealt with this...I had a woman request some custom earrings as a gift through facebook since I post daily of my etsy updates. I made her the earrings and sent a message to her after they were done. Three weeks pass no response. Then one day I just happened to log in and saw her update her page so i commented letting her know they were done..she removed my comment then blocked me lol....I just shrugged it off and laughed, all she had to do was say she was no longer interested, it happens all the time. We see something then change our mind. But its fine someone else will buy it :)

[RunkPockDesigns]

haha that's crazy Jasmine! I can't believe she blocked you, how weird!

I've had similar situations with custom listings, and what I usually do is leave them alone for a week, message them to let them know their listing is still up in my shop for them and I wouldn't want anyone else to accidentally purchase it. Then in another week, I'll message them again and say that I am going to deactivate their listing, and all they have to do is let me know when they are ready to purchase it and I can put it back up in my shop.

[Former_Member]

I like prompt payment, they don't pay for custom orders... I don't make it. At least a deposit, just in case I need supplies. The balance due when the item is finished and custom listing is live. In my policies, If payment for your purchase has not been made within 72 hours (3 days) of purchase, the transaction will be cancelled.
I don't do custom orders anymore, but when I did, I had that in my policies, about the deposit.

[Sbb1]

I have a few return customers that will ask me to reserve an item and they have paid as agreed;however my policy states that I will hold or reserve an item for 72 unless otherwise negotiated and if no payment received the item goes back up in the shop and I always leave a link to my policies at the end of the convo to of the agreement to remind them.
As for custom orders, I don't begin them until the order is paid for. I havent had anyone to negotiate and not pay for their listing yet and hope i wont. I am a little lieniete with some of my return customers.