Need advice about customer who wants to return content 2-3 year after purchase!!!

[classyteam]

Here you go. Hope it helps!
I'm a content provider and recently have a problem with one of my best customers who has been regularly buying content and paying on time for the past 8 years. He has refused to pay for an order of about $7k saying that I have supplied him with poor videos for years.

We were supplying about 50 sets per month, of which about 3 hours was video. And he wants to return video only...I think it is not too much time to check 3 hours of video with 5-10 workers in stuff.

After non payment of the latest invoice he seemed to disappear for several weeks, not replying to my emails. Eventually I received the following email:

"...But there is lots of material you sent us that we paid for that we
cannot use. And no we did not have time to check all that stuff out
before you were paid. We spot checked some stuff and you were told the
lighting and quality needed to improve and to not use copyrighted
music etc..."

We are a customer-oriented company and would obviously agree to amend or substitute any content which did not meet our customers approval, but not 1-5 years after supplying it!
Even given this huge delay in identifying a problem, I have asked our customer to make a list of all the videos which are not acceptable, with reasons, and have offered to offset the cost of these against future orders.

However, I can't agree to non-payment of a $7K invoice just because of some vague comment about 'poor quality' of the videos we have supplied. I think we are being very fair about the situation and have tried on numerous occasions to talk to our customer to resolve the situation satisfactorily.

Am I missing something? Sure it is the responsibility of the customer to check the quality of the content before payment, especially as there were never any upfront payments. Usually payment was 2-3 weeks after delivery with plenty of time to check all was OK.

I wonder what other content providers think. Would you accept returns of content from several years ago? What would you do in my situation?

Any suggestions gratefully received!

[Toby]

Who is right or wrong is irrelevant. The question you have to ask yourself is do you wish to keep this guy as one of your best customers? If yes, then work something out that he'll find acceptible. If not, tell him to fuck off and assume that you'll have to turn over the $7K outstanding bill to a collection agent.

[gonzo]

I cant imagine trying to return content that far after the fact. Hell I have some I wish I could but yuou either check it or you eat it.

And Im with Toby you have to work out something if you want to keep this guy around. However I will tell you I think vendors of all kinds are going to start seeing htis shit more and more as people look to cut corners.

Is this a big program?

[classyteam]

Originally Posted by gonzo

I cant imagine trying to return content that far after the fact. Hell I have some I wish I could but yuou either check it or you eat it.

And Im with Toby you have to work out something if you want to keep this guy around. However I will tell you I think vendors of all kinds are going to start seeing htis shit more and more as people look to cut corners.

Is this a big program?

I would want of coarse to keep him but and even accept the videos just to keep him. BUT I want him not to be a jerk but appretiate me taking it back

[scarlettcontent]

1 to 5 years is a crazy amount of time to return anything.

[gonzo]

There is no appeciation in business.
Id turn it into a sale if it were me.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by gonzo

There is no appeciation in business.
Id turn it into a sale if it were me.

OK, bear with me for a moment and I'll relate a story from my retail management days that ties into that very well.

I was a store manager for most of the 15 years I was in retail shoe sales, with a sales staff that was paid on commission. As store manager I got a commission on the overall store sales, plus a smaller commission on my own sales. For that reason I usually only waited on customers when everyone else was already busy.

The one exception was when a customer came in with a worn return, complaint, etc. I usually got called out of the back room to handle it. One particular Saturday morning, with two salesmen on the floor, the first several customers were returns. In each case I made the exchange, usually with a prorated credit for the wear, plus sold them at least one other pair and accessories.

Early afternoon they took a tally on what each of us had sold that day. By just handling returns I'd made more sales than the two of them combined. I didn't get called out of the back room to handle returns any more.

Moral of the story: Returns are an opportunity to turn an unhappy customer back into a happy customer and sell him something else.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Toby

Moral of the story: Returns are an opportunity to turn an unhappy customer back into a happy customer and sell him something else.

I agree hes told you what his problem is in most cases so the objection is easy to overcome.

[softball]

Originally Posted by Toby

OK, bear with me for a moment and I'll relate a story from my retail management days that ties into that very well.

I was a store manager for most of the 15 years I was in retail shoe sales, with a sales staff that was paid on commission. As store manager I got a commission on the overall store sales, plus a smaller commission on my own sales. For that reason I usually only waited on customers when everyone else was already busy.

The one exception was when a customer came in with a worn return, complaint, etc. I usually got called out of the back room to handle it. One particular Saturday morning, with two salesmen on the floor, the first several customers were returns. In each case I made the exchange, usually with a prorated credit for the wear, plus sold them at least one other pair and accessories.

Early afternoon they took a tally on what each of us had sold that day. By just handling returns I'd made more sales than the two of them combined. I didn't get called out of the back room to handle returns any more.

Moral of the story: Returns are an opportunity to turn an unhappy customer back into a happy customer and sell him something else.

I have never quite thought of it in those terms, but that is exactly what we do. Someone is pissed off because he expected something he didn't receive. So we give him either a refund or another product and an additional free membership. It is an opportunity to develop the trust necessary to retain business and more often than not another sale. Words of wisdom from Toby.
So you sold shoes.....now I see the progression to fetish....lol....jk, T.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

I have never quite thought of it in those terms, but that is exactly what we do. Someone is pissed off because he expected something he didn't receive. So we give him either a refund or another product and an additional free membership. It is an opportunity to develop the trust necessary to retain business and more often than not another sale. Words of wisdom from Toby.
So you sold shoes.....now I see the progression to fetish....lol....jk, T.

You guys are going to be so much fun in a few days. I cant wait!
Havent been to a show since Vegas and I was dreading this flight but I am ready.

[softball]

However, in this case in point, it feels like a loser and/or lost client trying to worm his way out of a financial obligation. I also agree with Gonzo it is a sign of the times. Lots of people being squeezed and passing on the misery.

[DannyCox]

I also have the feeling that the customer just doesn't have the cash to pay his bills anymore and is using poor excuses to weasel his way out of it. I highly doubt that you will save him as a client, no matter what you do, as it seems he just won't be buying anything anymore.

[RawAlex]

My take: Take the current 7k worth of videos and pics back, cancel the bill, and then don't shoot anymore without cash up front.

Take the content, and shop it around to similar themed sites, see if anyone is a buyer. If not, package it up as a "content special", and sell it as many times as you can to as many people as you can.

[Nymph]

I have to ask if you have any return policy at all? If not, I'd sure as shit get one up so this does not happen again. Give them X amount of days to check their purchased content, and if they are unhappy with anything, they can return & get a refund, or other material in exchange.

As for this situation, I think you are just gonna have to eat it.

[EmporerEJ]

I've never heard of such a long return policy on content. Did they offer it on their site?
Did you promise satisfaction, or something special?
Sounds more like weasel out of bill to me.

[gonzo]

FWIW I have some of the classy content now. If your looking for primarily solo girl content the quality is excellent, the zip is complete with 2257,releases AND very nice stills to accompany the 10 minute average videos.

You might want to add in your own soundscape but otherwise these files are ready for addition to your members area with very minimal effort.

Checkout cart gives you a history of what youve purchased and a trouble ticket system should you have any issues with your content which were responded to within 24 hours.

No reason for a client to complain about quailty so far after the sale.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by gonzo

...No reason for a client to complain about quailty so far after the sale.

The only reason that makes any sense is that he's grasping for a reason not to pay for the most recent $7K purchase.

[deviant]

This thread and some of its stories reminds me of http://notalwaysright.com/