What do you do when customers order wrong stuff?

[kemasa]

Having a policy for charging for incoming firearms, as well as for shipping, allows you to decide if you want to charge or not. If you don't have any policy, then it is much harder to charge even if you want to.

It seems like it is getting worse with customers who buy a firearm and then for some reason it has to be sent back and they don't think that they should have to pay anything. In some cases it is not worth charging, but in others it might be.

[ElvenSoul]

Having a policy for charging for incoming firearms, as well as for shipping, allows you to decide if you want to charge or not. If you don't have any policy, then it is much harder to charge even if you want to.

It seems like it is getting worse with customers who buy a firearm and then for some reason it has to be sent back and they don't think that they should have to pay anything. In some cases it is not worth charging, but in others it might be.

Hide it as a shipment fee

[acespawnshop]

We have no official policy regarding this issue. That's why we're discussing it and getting everyone's input. One of the things we talked about a few months ago was having some sort of portal on our website that will tell everyone how to handle the online ordering process hopefully provide links to FAQ on DOJ website and roster. Also hopefully people can fill out something to let us know what they're ordering. It would eliminate the gun showing up and we don't know who it's for problem too. Just tying to get ideas before we proceed.

[audiophil2]

I charge the seller. The transfer fee is to transfer the gun. Shipping it back to the seller is a transfer. They can't really argue that fact.

[SoldierLife7]

Aces,
Do you have a caveat on your web page that explains the issue and states that a "handling fee of $XXX" will be charged if guns have to be returned to the original shipper due to the customers failure to follow you clear instructions when ordering guns from other vendors.
As a business owner, I would most definitely charge a fee for my time if customers just blindly order something without checking with the eventual dealer who is necessarily involved...i.e.you.
My policy has been that when I get a customer (VERY few) who has been less than considerate when ordering something from another vendor (bread out of my mouth) I will not return the item till the fee is paid and he won't get his $$ back from the initial vendor until the gun is returned.
However, that policy is clearly advertised and available to customers if there intelligent enough to investigate the procedure
And, as said, I doubt you'll lose that customer since they seed more interested in dealing with other vendors in the first place.

To me, this seems like a very reasonable approach to the situation.