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Q: Chargebacks for Internet sales on custom items ( No Answer,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Chargebacks for Internet sales on custom items
Category: Business and Money > eCommerce
Asked by: tsigany-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 16 Jul 2006 15:20 PDT
Expires: 15 Aug 2006 15:20 PDT
Question ID: 746883
I made a garment for a customer who contacted me via my website. She
requested a skirt made from antique sari fabric and said it could be
any color but red.  She gave her measurements which came out to be
XXl, much bigger than anything we have a pattern for. I told her we
would need to make a new pattern in her size and would have to charge
20% more than the standard price for the extra work. We also told her
it would be non-returnable because although we always take returns on
regular garments, we cannot sell something in a very difficult size. 
She said she was fine with all that and she couldn`t wait for her
skirt.  We decided on a blue sari, which she approved.  We worked very
hard on it, even adding extra trim to the hem so it would fall more
vertically over her hips.  When she received the skirt she emailed
that it looked terrible on her and she wanted to send it back.  We
said that although it was a final sale, we would take it back in
exchange for a merchandise credit.  We have a lot of beautiful jewelry
and other items so she could have easily found something else.  We
didn`t have to do that since she had approved the custom item as a
final sale but we felt sorry she didn`t like it and wanted to make her
feel better.  Suddenly, she decided we were con artists who force
people to buy custom items in order to keep their money.  She went
ballastic and called us every name in the book. She then contacted her
credit card company and disputed the charge.  We did as they asked and
sent a huge packet of information and all our email exchanges with
her. She was so obviously crazy that we were sure they would find in
our favor. I just received notification, yesterday, that they found in
her favor because she didn`t get what she asked for.  In the meantime,
she still has the skirt and now she has the money, too.  We are out
about $300. worth of labor and materials.  The credit card company
appears not to have read one single word of the materials we sent
them.  When I called our bank for an explanation, she said it will be
very expensive for us to dispute the findings and we will very likely
lose, since they almost always find in favor of the customer in all
Internet sales.
In the meantime,I have been waiting for Home Depot to finish my kitchen for three
years and they have also charged my credit card without my approval,
yet my credit card company found in their favor. What`s the deal...am
I just cursed?
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Chargebacks for Internet sales on custom items
From: dgp-ga on 16 Jul 2006 18:32 PDT
 
I can sympathize with your situation as pretty much the exact same
thing happened to me except I was screwed out of $7000. I asked the
same question and here are the comments I received
http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=373438

I took the advice of one of the commenters and made every future
customer sign a pre sale form that they agreed goods would only be
exchanged if they were faulty and refunds were not given, this was
also the advice from the merchant account company that processed the
credit cards.

Sadly the credit card companies regard the cardholder as the customer
and the merchant bears the brunt.

I suggest that you close the door on this misery and walk away wiser and sadder.

Good luck in the future

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