Should have taken your advice...

[rebeccajo99]

I so should have taken all of your advice and not done any consignment shops. I have 2 of them and 1 I was having problems with, but we worked them out and we are now doing great. Sales are starting to pick up and all is good so far and the store owner and I have a good and open relationship.

However, I am now having problems with the other one. I payed my rent as I always do and this morning I went to go check my e-mail and she sends me one saying she is deducting money from my commission check as according to the following policy change. I read the e-mail that was copied and pasted below the message and I was like "what, you can't do that without telling me". I looked at the time stamp on the copied e-mail and it was sent Friday. I looked at all my e-mails and I never recieved it. I called to talk to her about it and she snapped at me and said she sent 3 e-mails on it and she doesn't have time to talk about it. I sent her an e-mail telling her that I didn't receive the e-mail... even included a screen shot of all e-mails recieved from her to show it and asked for the fee to be refunded. I'm still waiting to hear back from her, but all I can say is... I should have taken your advice.

I only did it to get my name out there since with my kids, I don't have time to go around to shops looking for wholesale accounts. I don't think I will actually get any wholesale accounts from just having the information out on my table at shows, but we are going to just have to hope and pray that I do... otherwise, that part will just have to wait until my kids are older.

[Candybee]

I'd march right down there and pull my stuff of the shelves now. This woman is not the kind you want to work with and she will just be more of the same down the road. There is really bad communication between the two of you and you are going to be the one who pays for it.

Isn't this the same person you complained about before taking deductions from your sales?!!!

Doesn't have time to talk about it indeed!!

Edited November 23, 2010 by Candybee

[NaturallyTru]

Does the email say effective immediately or XX date? Vary vague if not and fishy smelling. What is the deduction she is making for?

Do you have a written agreement? Does it say anything about policy changes?

Trudi

Edited November 23, 2010 by NaturallyTru

[rebeccajo99]

no, this is not the same person that took deductions from my check before. That person and I talked about it and I showed her the paperwork and evidence. She admit that everything was her mistake and we have a new agreement in place about it. I have not had any problems since.

This one today is a totally different person/landlord and store. The e-mail that she copied does not have an effective immediantly or date when the change will go into effect. The lease agreement that I signed says "Terms and conditions are subject to change by Management upon written notification to Vendor." I've been trying to figure out if sending an e-mail counts as written notification. I've talked to 2 people about it so far, 1 says no it is not and the other says it can be used, but I would have had to respond saying I got it, or a read receipt would have needed to be sent back to the sender showing that I got it before the change can go into effect.

She sent me an e-mail (not in reply to the one that I sent earlier) indicating the dates she sent the e-mails. I received one on a date that she says she sent the e-mails, but it is not for the same policy change and I reread that e-mail 5 times now wondering if I missed it, but I still don't see it in that e-mail. I was going to have my husband read it too when he gets home from work.

The deduction she is making is to cover the paypal fees that she incurred from me paying the rent with paypal. The change in policy was how the rent is to be sent if using paypal to pay it.

[Candybee]

So you pay by paypal and she gets to pay the fees? Thats nice. I wouldn't be so happy about that myself. I'm sure thats why she is changing the policy and she's obviously upset about it. You are probably the only person paying that way. Why don't you give her a check?

[funkymonkey66]

Go there and pull all of your items during business hours, let all the customers see that you are taking your items. Be polite because you are representing your business, but get your stuff. Let her keep the extra money she took out of the check. I have a feeling you can bicker with her until you're blue in the face and she will continue to bully you regardless if you prove anything to her.

She knows she wrong so she'll fight you tooth and nail.

Did she give you a written contract or an emailed contract?

You are doing her the favor by allowing her to sell your merchandise without major expense of paid inventory. It's a win win for her and you're getting taken advantage of and she is being rude. You have less to lose than she does by ending the business relationship.

I have been anti consignment since early 2000 for good reason. Some of these people forget who is filling there store and that you didn't get your material to make the candles on consignment. Your money is spent, theirs is not.

ETA You're paying rent too? OMG

Edited November 24, 2010 by funkymonkey66
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[rebeccajo99]

So you pay by paypal and she gets to pay the fees? Thats nice. I wouldn't be so happy about that myself. I'm sure thats why she is changing the policy and she's obviously upset about it. You are probably the only person paying that way. Why don't you give her a check?

I guess I don't understand why she would be upset about paying the fees. When I signed the lease the agreement in September, it said that we could pay using paypal. I asked her if we had to pay extra by doing that, she said no, she eats the fees incurred by paypal. She is now asking that we send our rent payment as a gift so she won't get the fees.

I was using paypal to pay since I am sharing a booth with my aunt. That way, I did not have to get money from my aunt before mailing or driving there to drop off the check. I just wait for our check from our monthly sales and then take my aunts portion from that and give her the rest of her sales.

[rebeccajo99]

Go there and pull all of your items during business hours, let all the customers see that you are taking your items. Be polite because you are representing your business, but get your stuff. Let her keep the extra money she took out of the check. I have a feeling you can bicker with her until you're blue in the face and she will continue to bully you regardless if you prove anything to her.

She knows she wrong so she'll fight you tooth and nail.

Did she give you a written contract or an emailed contract?

You are doing her the favor by allowing her to sell your merchandise without major expense of paid inventory. It's a win win for her and you're getting taken advantage of and she is being rude. You have less to lose than she does by ending the business relationship.

I have been anti consignment since early 2000 for good reason. Some of these people forget who is filling there store and that you didn't get your material to make the candles on consignment. Your money is spent, theirs is not.

ETA You're paying rent too? OMG

The lease agreement that I signed in September is written. This change that she is charging me for was supposedly sent via e-mail.

I am paying rent and the percentage of the sales she keeps is only 6%. So I get a majority of of the money. I am not going to be signing any more agreements for consignment again.

[Candybee]

I guess I don't understand why she would be upset about paying the fees. When I signed the lease the agreement in September, it said that we could pay using paypal. I asked her if we had to pay extra by doing that, she said no, she eats the fees incurred by paypal. She is now asking that we send our rent payment as a gift so she won't get the fees.

I was using paypal to pay since I am sharing a booth with my aunt. That way, I did not have to get money from my aunt before mailing or driving there to drop off the check. I just wait for our check from our monthly sales and then take my aunts portion from that and give her the rest of her sales.

I see. This woman is a piece of work. Thats very confusing to change the way you do things and now she's asking you to send payment as a gift?!

Its your stuff and you can do what you want. But I gotta tell you I would not deal with such nonsense and I'd let her know... as I am taking my stuff back.

If you stay and let her get away with this there will only be more to come.

[NaturallyTru]

I wouldn't completely stop doing consignment. There are more good ones out there, than bad.

I have only had one problem with consignment in the past 10 years; but it was my fault. I got chummy with one gal and allowed her to take some stuff without paying right away....big mistake!

How much are you selling each month? Are you making money that is paying your gas or some groceries each month? Is the Paypal fee from this month worth losing those sales?

I would have her add an addendum to your agreement that stipulates the change and that says that any further changes must be in writing and agreed upon by both parties in writing. I include email as writing these days. If you both have emails saying each of you agree, then...it's good.

Trudi

P.S. I sent you a pm with another question.