What Should I Do About These Sheet Pan Orders for My Fundraiser?

[rajenkiPC]

I'm trying to close a fundraiser catalog show and just found out that two of the orders contained sheet pans

I told the coordinator that the pans could not be ordered, but this was a big fundraiser with participants that didn't follow instructions well. In any case, I now have orders and checks for two people that wanted sheet pans.

I wanted to get your opinion on how to proceed.

I planned on calling the customers and letting them know the issue and giving them three options.

• The first option would be to cancel that part of their order and re-write the check...which would of course affect the fundraiser total.
  
• The second option would be to cancel those products but order alternate products at the same dollar amount (this could be a challenge) so that the checks wouldn't have to be re-written.
  
• The third option would be for me to hold the dollars for them in "credit" towards purchase of the pans when they are once again available (maybe call it a rain check?). I would then provide the fundraiser dollars out of my own pocket for the same amount and then order the products on a future show order when they are available for these two customers. I would explain that they will still get their pans, though it may be more than a month before they do and I will keep them informed on the process.

Does option 3 make sense? Do you think this provides a fair level of service for the client?

(Just as an FYI...the credit out of my own pocket makes no difference to me on this particular order. The original fund raiser all ready closed but a group of orders for about $400 came through a week after closing (which included these two sheet pan orders) so I'm entering it as a catalog show and paying the FR out of my commission anyway. I had the original fundraiser structured that if they sold more than $1000 I would kick in 5% to get them to 20% plus I had other incentives that I actually save $$ doing it this way as opposed to entering it as another FR...confusing, I know)

 

[PamperedDor]

I had a similar situation a while back - when the decorator bottle sets went on stop sell - this is what I did :

I called each customer and explained the stop sell and gave them the option of cancelling the order and have me send them a refund (not waiting for a new check), or having me call them when it was available and place the order again and split the shipping cost - hth!!

 

[wadesgirl]

I agree to actually send a refund. You may be waiting for new checks or have people mad about having to write new checks. If they do decide to order something else that is more than the difference just tell them on the phone that they can pay the difference with a debit/credit card or round up the order for the food bank donation if the check is still too much.

I agree with offering to keep them on a list for when the products come back, that's what I'm doing.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I would give them a refund and keep them on a list to call when the pans are available again. I think this one won't be too long but none of us really know. It took a whole season for the Woven pieces to be released again and they had a Chillzanne piece that never did and never will be released.

When something is stop sell we are not allowed to take orders for them. That being said, I realize that some people look past our stickers that say that or have a book that was given out before the stop sell happened. Use that as an opportunity for a CC call.

 

[rajenkiPC]

Thanks...I'm gonna do the refund. Its too bad because then the girls don't get the fund raising dollars.

 

[kaseydee]

You could still give the customers an options to order another item too. I would make sure their checks clear before I issue them a refund. Unless you went to their bank & cashed the check then you could do an immediate refund. Since its a fundraiser they might order another item around the same amount never know.