CC on Maui

20% of sales is very reasonable as a vendor participation fee. I have two shows I used to do that I paid 25% of sales, plus a flat fee. I'd do it.

AAAHHHHHHGGGGHHHH!! This thread should not be allowed to appear until after the 25th! (j/k) LOL! In a perfect world, I would be determining what quantities I would need and of what products (web sale specials, specific shows, open house, wholesale). Then I would be ordering my FO's/EO's and start my production as soon as I clean up my Christmas mess.

I've used PayPal with BCN before. You will get a PayPal inovice from them. The USPS shipping isn't shown as a drop-down choice on their site. You did the right thing by placing it in the special provisions/comments box. And Luci is right -- they ship quickly.

I did some as an experiment that I poured into a tray mold so that I could swirl. After they set up, I cut them out with cookie cutters, used a soap stamp, and put them in shallow tins. They turned out great (sorry, no pics). Play with it.

Some people just like to spend their life swimming upstream I guess. Others are just plain lazy. For some reason, too many people think they are above the rules. I wouldn't want to be rackin' up all that karmic debt. I prefer to sleep at night. LOL.

Too cute! Great job!

This was my Mom's favorite fragrance when I was a teenager. Of course they stopped making it years ago. In June of this year, Scent-Works started carrying a dupe. I knew what I would be making my Mom for Christmas. She's getting dusting powder, lotion, shower gel, and (not pictured) dry body spray.

If I am not mistaken, there is no statute on unpaid/unfiled taxes. I sure wouldn't want it hanging over my head for the rest of my life. It's pretty difficult to get beyond the occasional craft show level of business without being a registered business in my experience. There are too many checks and balances (ie, business banking, insurance, merchant account, etc) that stand in the way. JMHO. That being said, there are tens of thousands out people out there who fly under the radar everyday. Pretty sad that so many people lack such integrity and ethics. A sad statement of the world we live in today.

Okay. Obviously you are upset about what they have done to you and feel that contacting an attorney to pursue legal action is what you should have done. That said, unless you are trademarked/patented, I'm not sure what legal grounds you would be pursuing. So, I guess my question to you would be why didn't you pursue them? or why aren't you now? Especially if you believe you are about to lose your business over it? I can be slow sometimes, so perhaps I'm missing the intent of your thread, unless it was simply to share on the fact that you've had others copy you, too. Yeah, it sucks, and yeah, it happens. I'm not trying to sound harsh, but it's simply the reality when you put your stuff out in public. Some of the things you mentioned in the quote above however, are IMHO more the exception to the rule than the norm (Ie, your customers falling victim to the snakes who decided to make their own product and pass it off as yours?). My customers know me, my company name, my product, and where to find me when they want more.

A couple things to think about if you are using them for candles, or thinking of it: I found that the plastic (clear) portion of the lid scratched easily, and didn't look so nice after a while in a retail environment. I also found that you'll want to use a UV inhibitor (if you don't already) as candles in these tins will fade quickly when out in daylight (shows) or under bright lighting (retail). Just my 02 cents.

Welcome to the board. My truth is that those who don't follow the rules will succumb to those who do in the end. The weiner heads will not be the last ones laughing. Period. Unfortunately, copyright/trademark infringement has occurred since the time of the first written word, and will continue long past our demise. Unless we are in a position to trademark and copyright everything we offer -- then yes, we will continue to fall prey to the copycats from time to time. I've been in business a long time, and have experienced my share of those who copy. The more competitive the market you are in, the more likely you'll find this occurring. Did it ruin my business? Nope. In the end, there is more business out there to be had than I could ever shake a stick at. Copyrighting and trademarking is only as good as the enforcement arm is long. That said, I would rather concentrate my efforts on doing the absolute best job I can in running my business, than to worry about what the copycats may or may not be doing. In the end, those who lack the originality to design/development their own dream are the same ones who give up when they don't realize instant gratification from their efforts. I'm sorry you are hurting. Sometimes we have to step away from what we are passionately entrenched in to look at it clearly, KWIM? Maybe it's your time for a change.

I'm in complete agreement with what David said. That's the way I would have handled this case.

Yes, that's exactly the thread I'm referring to. There was alot of information in that thread that would probably have answered the question(s) you are raising. That's the only point I was trying to make.

Sounds like you'll simply have to test them. I'm guessing that anything with FO or EO in it will degrade these. JMO.

Didn't we just have this thread?????? :whistle:

A good commercial GL quote will usually include product libility. Be sure you ask the insurance agent to include it in your quote.

Aloha Shine, You'll find that RLI doesn't cover candles. Not sure where your MIL got her information, but I would check with your state/city/municipality -- whoever governs commerce or business licenses for your area. The bottom line is that any company -- regardless of the product you sell -- should have General Liablity insurance (this is a commercial policy) in place before their first transaction. It's simply good business. Candlemakers insurance can be difficult to find, and can be very costly. You'll do best to begin by calling an Insurance Broker from your yellow pages and explain what you are doing, and that you are looking for a Commercial General Liability policy. You may go through a number of brokers before you find one even willing to talk to you. In the meanwhile, you might want to check out the insurance that is now available through www.soapguild.org. I switched policies when it became available, and it's saving me over $2K annually in premiums. (I make candles and B&B products). You probably will want to do some searches under "insurance" on this board, too. This is a topic that is discussed frequently. Good Luck!

So sorry to hear what has happened to you. I had a SIL start a B&B biz several years back, which was in direct competition with me. I was in shock. This is a very small island. That said, I tend to find that copycats are generally one-trick ponies who are a flash in the pan, then gone. Slow and steady wins this race. Keep the faith.

If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it probably is a duck. If it was me? I would follow up by calling the insurance company she claims to work for, and see if she actually does. If she doesn't, I would make them aware that someone is fraudulently representing themselves as an employee of their company and is attempting to sell you an insurance policy (unsolicited), and that you are pretty upset and unhappy about it, as she was asking for very personal information. I would give them all the detail (written) of your conversations and subsequent correspondence, with copies of any emails you may have from her. Then, I would happily provide them the name, addy, email and phone number for her. They can do what they choose with the info. If she is not an employee she has broken the law. Thereafter, I would not have any further contact with her.

My roller bottle perfumes are all a mixture of light oils & FO. They are very liquid/fluid. I have never had a problem as you described. What kind of roller bottles are you using?

So.........whatever happened after your email to her? Did you hear anything back? Inquiring minds want to know.

Gotta love it, eh? I have about 3 more idiot days to go. LOL Congrats to you and hubby. Now, curl up and enjoy the rest of the season!

Congrats!

In the end, whatever method you use, please be sure to check around and see what these particular items are selling for in your area. It will give you a good idea of what your local market will bear, and hopefully keep you from leaving $ on the table.

Alas....a great example of Caveat Emptor. Looks like Country Creek is out her $ this time around. I've never purchased from Candlescience as they are on the other side of the country from me. Good info to know. Thanks for sharing. Here on the west coast, I love Specialty Bottle for my tins. The pricing is great, and they come packaged very well (boxed), too.