Advice For A Very Stupid Person Lol

[Smowball]

Ok I have an online shop, a FB shop, I’ve had it for about 8 months and it’s going very well. I have one regular customer who I think is on benefits, as she asks for things to be delivered on specific days. In fact,thinking about it, I’m 99% sure she’s told me that herself. Anyway, about two weeks ago,over the course of several days she ordered about £100 worth of stuff for her grandaughter. Which I then ordered and paid for. Delivery is today. I message her as usual last night and get a very bizarre reply saying it’s the daughter, Mum is in hospital dying, listing a million complaints, and that they can’t pay for the order as need money for hospital visits. Well I sound callous but I just don’t believe it. Every message listed a different complaint. I can try and return the goods. But my question is that I need to be a bit tougher in future so what would be an appropriate post on my page re payment? Without offending anyone. 90% of customers pay cash on delivery, some by BACS or PayPal, which I’m steering everyone to.

[Zacs-Master]

Make them pay when they order. Simple.

[Flonska]

Probably better to focus upon the one customer rather than take a "scattergun" approach and risjkalienating the majority/all your other customers.
At the end of the day, if this is the first an only time this has happened and it is a genuine circumstance, you may have to simply write this off as an "occupational hazard."

[Flonska]

^risk alienating^

[Old_Geezer]

Regular customer. Death's door. Daughter wants to avoid purchase. Probably an extremely rare event. Unsure I'd change because of it.

Say Paypal preferred, COD or BACS accepted ?

[Smowball]

I think I’m going to insist on BACS or PayPal fornorders over a certain amount

[Barmaid]

I would. But also make sure you know what the distance selling regs are and whether they apply to you (most likely they do).

[Canary42]

I guess your best option would be to put a ceiling on your "trust" (a bit like contactless card transactions which are limited to £30).

[Smowball]

I agree. I don’t think I realised when I started it just how many sales I would have, so it started as cash on delivery(all sales documented so above board etc) but then it started to grow ......

[murraymints]

paypal on ordering is the best option

[Baldric]

///and it is a genuine circumstance///

How do you know it's genuine?

[EDDIE51]

I would only sell if they pay when they order. Use BACS or Paypal only. Paypal has the money back guarantee that applies to all sales not just eBay. To honest I have never heard of someone operating the way you say you do. Ordering & paying for items yourself and then selling them on, and expecting them to pay on delivery. How do you deliver? Your post sounds as if you deliver items yourself?

[Old_Geezer]

Why wouldn't it be ? Regular customer not contactable suddenly.

[EDDIE51]

Barmaids advice is Good.You really do need to look at the Distance Selling rules. I am sure they apply to you.

[hc4361]

Even if the payment is upfront the law gives everyone the right to cancel the order and get a full refund, even after receipt of goods.
So in this instance the outcome would have been the same.

For your own protection though you should insist on payment at time of ordering