Don't Do It!

Just don't do it. Unless you just happen to love spending money and time on others, don't take special orders without up front money.

I'm good at preaching and so lousy, sometimes, at taking my own advice or even listening to my own instincts.

Not long ago, I received a special request. It had to do with specially designed drawer pulls. I decided this would be a good project for my grown daughter. If not for that thought, I would not have done this at all. I gave up, a long time ago, and went to writing instructions, instead of working my back off for nothing. I vowed never to put myself in the position of victim, again.

Well, obviously I did. Running on trust (this person sounded so desperate and earnest), I designed 3 separate drawer pulls, according to the pictures he/she sent me and the dimensions I was given.

Right off the bat, the paws weren't right. I was directed to other pictures, online, that looked nothing like the first I was sent.

I was already getting aggrivated, but went ahead and spent the time to redesign. In the meantime, I ordered in enough inserts that fit into the back, for a bolt through a drawer front. I paid almost $50, considering shipping. Then I also invested in the glazes, after this person selected the colors from an online catalog. Naturally, there were 12 colors. So, there was another $30 plus for glazes.

At his/her earnest pushing, I finished a dozen samples, which this person approved from pictures. So there was the consideration for electricity and wear and tear on the kiln, for 2 firings.

What do you suppose the outcome was? He/She vanished. No contact, not even a 'go to hell'. I've tried numerous times, to contact him/her by email, which seemed fine until now.

I'm out around $100 and performed designing work and mold making that would have amounted to a charge of $100 and the customer.....poof...gone...

I could get nasty, considering they even have a website online but I imagine, by now, the web host has also discovered the disappearing customer.

So it's time to preach to myself, all over again, decide what to do with unreturnable supplies and go on to better things.

So the upshot? Don't do it. Do as I say, don't do as I do.