09/04/2026
Serious business-owner question… how long do you think is reasonable to hold onto an order that hasn't been paid for and the customer has been unavailable/unresponsive? 👀
I have over $1,500 worth of completed orders currently sitting here waiting to be paid for and picked up or shipped. I also have another order that's $500+ that has been an on-and-off situation with communication but still unpaid.
I have always tried to be understanding and kind. If someone needs a little extra time, I'm willing to work with them. I've even gotten into the habit of making orders before receiving payment because I want to trust my customers and make the process easier for them.
But realistically… how long is too long?
Some of these orders have now been sitting here for over A YEAR. 😳
At this point, they're taking up storage space that I desperately need, and I'm also out that amount of money in materials and labor.
I never want to be the business owner who makes someone feel bad because life happened. I genuinely understand that things come up. ❤️
But I also have to remember that this is my business and this is my income. I can't indefinitely store completed orders or float hundreds of dollars in materials for someone who isn't communicating with me.
So I'm thinking it's time to establish an actual policy instead of continuing to handle these situations case-by-case.
For those of you who own businesses - what is your abandoned/unpaid order policy? Obviously I am working with precious and irreplaceable items, but shouldn't that mean they want them back?
And customers… what do you think is a reasonable amount of time for me to hold items unpaid?
Because apparently I need to stop being a softie and Crack down on some boundaries. 😂
*Picture of a necklace I made from a wedding dress for attention*
