Tizimarezie Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 In about an hour and a half, a lady will come to pick up a sample candle for a wholesale account. Over the phone and without having seen my product, she assured me that I had the account "in the bag"....(because I'm local). But after she sees this monstrosity, it may completely change her mind. You see...she asked for 100% soy..no additives (except for FO)...and I HATE that stuff!I use to use EZsoy and after making this sample candle for her (after much testing and tearing my hair out!), I remember now why I quit using it and went to a blend. If she would have at least allowed me to throw in a bit of beeswax, the candles appearance could have been nicer.I'm embarassed to give this to her. If it were me...I wouldn't sell this to customers. Lesson learned: I will never agree to taking on a wholesale account with anything but the products I currently make and with the ingredients I've come to trust.If I get this account, I'll be amazed. If I don't...then I don't have to work with this horrible wax, afterall. Either way, I'll be pleased. But what a shame. It would have been a nice account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Don't be ashamed or embarrased. Explain the quirks of soy and embrace it (as much as possible). I use a blend too but promote with confidence. GOOD LUCK ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Definitely promote with confidence. Do you have a sample of the beeswax blended candle to show her your preferred look of the candle. Try very hard not to interject negativity, and gently guide her to the blended candle. She may be uneducated and needs some instruction on how nice a candle can be without being plain soy and FO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Why would she care about beeswax? That's natural too. Sometimes people think they know what they want, but they're really uninformed, and once you explain some of the technical aspects about things, they change their minds.If working with pure soy isn't your greatest strength, there's nothing wrong with telling the customer that and saving yourself some aggravation. As far as this meeting goes, I'm anxious to hear how it turned out for you. I bet you think the candle is worse than it really is. We're usually our own worst critics and can find flaws in things that nobody else can see.Even if this doesn't turn out exactly as you had hoped, I'm sure in the future you will take better control of the situation and things will go your way. Confidence in your products is everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizimarezie Posted September 18, 2008 Author Share Posted September 18, 2008 I agree with all your comments regarding standing up for my product. The meeting went better than I expected. She said she's familiar with soy in that it can look butt ugly. Her company will be reselling them as body candles. Truthfully, I don't care if they resell it as snail bait but when she said it was going onto the body, I didn't want to add any other ingredients to it than what she specified...(or I would have snuck in some BW because I know it's all natural).Okay...now she wants me to find organza bags that two 6oz travel tins will fit into. Off to go look....Thanks for all your responses! This is my first wholesale account..complete with lessons learned. Thanks for being there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapmom25 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Her company will be reselling them as body candles. I'm assuming that you discussed with her that not all candle scents can be rubbed on the skin/body?You better make sure that you ALWAYS use skin safe FO, or switch to EO because you are the manufacturer and you would be liable for any problems the end user/customer would have even though you didn't sell it to them directly.If it were me, I wouldn't let that leave my shop without strict labeling. It's not enough to trust/expect them (the wholesale account) to label them probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizimarezie Posted September 18, 2008 Author Share Posted September 18, 2008 I'm assuming that you discussed with her that not all candle scents can be rubbed on the skin/body?Thoroughly!But yes, I'm concerned with the labeling. She's told me that they will provide the label and that they do not even want my name on a warning label. I understand "private label" and all...but a warning label is required by Fed law and must have certain info. This is what I've told her...and I'm skeptical that she's going to follow through. What now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I would not let my candles leave my bldg unless they had my warning labels on them. Not worth it. Be very careful. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I'd get a lawyer to draw up a release from liability agreement and have it signed by all parties. I wouldn't touch this account, if it were me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KommonScents Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I have a wholesale account with a private label, but I provide the label. It's not worth me losing everything I have for one account. I have in very small print MFG for X by me. Then I put the warning info as required. At first they balked, then I explained whose liability it really is if the house burned down, and they understood. Even a release from liability in some states is not valid, which means bought in NC, given as a gift, and the home burns in MD, it's still my baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot barge pole. The liability can still fall on you and you knew in advance what the intent was. Just being used as a candle is one thing, using it as a body candle is another and opens up that liability window much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Not to mention - since you didn't know til after you made it, that it was for the body, she saw a candle only safe for burning as a CANDLE. The FO load would have been too high. She may end up scamming you in the end because she DOES know.She gets say 40 candles, then complains that she's not paying full price for them because you showed her a candle that smelled stronger, or whatever. She may demand a refund, go on through annoying business crap or even threaten to sue because what you showed her and what she bought are not the same things.Also - you may not even be COVERED under product liability. Did you declare with your insurance you are making flamed candles to be used on the body? If not, your insurance can reasonably say when you bought it, that candles are not for use on the body and your knowledge and sales advocating it are against their rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Okay...now she wants me to find organza bags that two 6oz travel tins will fit into. Off to go look....www.yourorganzabag.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizimarezie Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 Did you declare with your insurance you are making flamed candles to be used on the body? Good point! I'll check with my insurance company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriegsxr6 Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 The best thing to do, is to private label them then. If she puts her labels on them and re-sells them as body candles, then she assumes all responsibility. Make sure you are using body safe fragrance oils, and use less fragrance % so that it wont irritate because of the high percentage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Tizi,I'm not sure why you are wholesaling a product you don't even make yourself currently. Is the money that good for this account to put all of your hard work and reputation on the line for? I'm not getting into the argument about candle lotion, etc., but if I only made votives, I wouldn't take on an order for body scrub. Get what I'm saying?Be selective in business, it pays off in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEP Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Just a thought here. If you decide to make them for her anyway, knowing she instends to sell them as body candles, why couldn't you still put a candle warning label on them? This way AT LEAST you might stand a better chance of protecting yourself liability wise.Explain to her, as was stated, that law requires you to have warning labels.Sandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 It wouldn't matter to a court whether or not you sold them as "body candles", because you would have to know, due to lowering FO amounts. Even if you claimed you were never told.Also, because they are intended for use on the body - you could be subject to fines through the proper agencies.Because by law, you still need to include manufacturer name - regardless of how she sells them, they are YOUR product. YOU are the top responsibility for liability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 I'd personally run the other way. When someone sues EVERYONE in the line from the ingredient suppliers to the final salesperson and each step in between gets hit... (shit, I've even seen the shipping companies get caught up in it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amylynn Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 I would not sell a product I couldn't back 100%, but that's me. I have turned down accounts that want something I don't normally make and I'm not 100% comfortable with no matter how much money it is I may be losing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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