PPB February 2019

header (in Outlook, Message, Options) to see where the email really came from. JENNIFER REISSAUS, MAS Advertising Specialties Alliance / Kaeser & Blair Cranberry Turnpike, Pennsylvania It’s most likely a scam. But if you want to chance it, I would only take pre-payment by credit card or ACH into a separate account that is set up specifically for this purpose. Also, the promise of additional orders in high quantities is a little bit of a red flag. TANIA FREY Stone Designworks Brewster, New York There are two very simple and logical things to be considered: If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Why would anyone send you an order that is unsolicited? Someone you don’t know, contacting you, where there are probably hundreds of options of suppliers nearby? When I do an order, I have to go through a process with my customers to submit ideas, quote prices, get purchase orders, etc., and that’s with existing clients. It’s your decision, but there are many ways to verify a customer. But you’re more than likely wasting your time. By the way, another lesson to be learned: credit card companies hold the merchants (that would be us) responsible for fraudulent charges, even if the credit card authorization goes through. MARK SUCHANEC Total Sales & Marketing, Inc. Warrington, Pennsylvania I’m going through a situation with a fraudulent order that was just disputed right after delivery, as it was too good to be true. In the beginning, I asked in Promo Connect and received some responses that the order might be fraudulent, but it was so tempting that I was blindsided. Please beware. Don’t try it the expensive way, as I’m now at a loss for $7,724.14. I still hope to get this money back. In short, I placed an order by email, paid by credit card in full and I even requested a copy of the customer’s ID and credit card and received it all, but afterwards I noticed all the documentation was fake. The next day after the delivery, it got disputed with the claim that this was a stolen credit card, but the customer wanted even more. JOEL STERN Sterlion Creations Spring Valley, New York You might be seeking a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. I suggest you call your new customer and thank them for their business. Ask them how they found you, then ask a few questions about their company, so you can help them grow their business. You can certainly build a mutually beneficial relationship with customers you haven’t met. Sometimes, they are the best kind. Good luck! DAVID J. HAWES, MAS+ Geiger Minnetonka, Minnesota The lesson is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. My question when I see these emails is always why would this person randomly select me for this large order with a high dollar amount? It never works out well. I’m sure the big online-only sellers have a bunch of checks and balances in place to weed out these scammers. We smaller guys must be extra vigilant. ALLAN CLAIR A&A Specialty Advertising Fort Myers, Florida This is a tough lesson to learn. We just need to ignore these scams. They all have a common theme to them and it’s sickening. As small-business owners, we need to be vigilant on every order we take and validate and vet each new customer and order thoroughly prior to investing in anything. I would suggest possibly setting up a Gmail account for your business that you can use to communicate with them instead of your actual business email, as I’m sure they sell legit email addresses to each other, which only helps propagate more and more of these scams. RICHARD ANDERSON AAAA Designs LLC Morrison, Colorado Do YouHave An Answer? A Distributor Asks: I’m curious about how other distributors handle clients backing out of orders. It doesn’t happen often, but I have had clients request samples and place the order, and after I send over a proof, they back out of the order. I also have had clients request samples without ultimately placing an order. It’s not a big deal when it’s a small promo item, but when they request a couple of jackets or polos for sizing, it can be a little expensive. I don’t want to nickel- and-dime my clients, but at the same time, these seem like very avoidable and inconvenient expenses for me to eat. What’s Your Answer? Email answers along with your name, title and company name by February 20 to Question@ ppai.org for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine. | FEBRUARY 2019 | 13 INNOVATE