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What would you do?

busypc

busypc

New Member
Just need an opinion. Had a new customer (actually an organization that a wife of one of my current customer's belongs to). They were in the market for an "over the street banner". We had not sold any of these before, so kinda new territory for me. We call the City that it was to be hung in, got them to fax over the specs for the banner and special ordered a 36' banner. Now that the banner has come in and my customer has brought it to be hung, the city informed them that they had changed their "specs" and require something different. Okay, this is an expensive banner. I thought that maybe I had ordered the wrong thing, but I have called 4 different vendors and they all sell the same thing...all over the US. I have telephone everyone at city hall including the Mayor and they are very uncooperative. The banner is for a special summer event for children in their city. I feel the city should hang the darn thing and be done with it. I do have the specs in writing. I really don't feel we should have to refund this expensive banner. We are a small shop and I am out some $$ on this one. I thought I might offer to do some screenprinted signs just to help them out. Any ideas?
 
Fred Weiss

Fred Weiss

Merchant Member
Was a permit issued under the old specs? Customs vary, of course, but around here the permit would overrule the new specs as long as it hadn't expired.
 
G

GypsyGraphics

New Member
was there much time between them sending you the specs and the completion of this job? if not, the city should have noted, when sending the current specs, that those spec were applicable till whatever date.

i would think if you have proof of the date the specs were supplied and the turn-around on the job was soon after... that the city would allow the variance between the prior and new specs.

i wouldn't bother trying to get someone on the phone to approve the variance, you'll want a more official approval that a verbal ok.
 
busypc

busypc

New Member
No permit is required here. You just go bring the banner to the city and pay a fee to have it hung.
 
busypc

busypc

New Member
The specs were faxed over to us at the end of March. The thing is, you cannot bring the banner to be hung until 2 weeks prior to your event. So my customer has had the darn thing waiting for that date. My fax does have the date stamped on it.
 
busypc

busypc

New Member
The mayor said for my customer to contact the legal department to see about reimbursement. Don't know how to read that, really. It may just be the run around.
 
iSign

iSign

New Member
all the good questions already asked, and more, should be answered before others can ioffer meaningful information..

who said what? when? in writing? client knew of city specs? client paid deposit? acknowledged specs? what is event date? will vendor do replacement for you at cost? if you return first banner? will you do replacement for end user at cost? will end user accept reduced costs on replacement?

I see you replied while i wrote...

If it will help any, the phone records should "date stamp" the fax to a degree, except not identifying that specific fax... but it's something though I don't know if it will help any
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
A letter to your local newspaper outlining what happened will probably fix this pretty quickly, politicians hate being labeled as the bad guy, especially if children are involved.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Would/could you share with us what particulars have changed from what you provided your customer from the original specs ??

Did the size change ??
Did the weight change ??
Did they just plain stop ALL banners from being hung in this location ??
Are they refusing to put the banner up ??
Does the banner itself not meet code at all any longer ??
 
busypc

busypc

New Member
Vendor will not replace the banner because it is the "industry standard" that is used all over the US and the city is being ridiculous. Our fax is date stamped electronically. Really can't replace the banner with anything that will fix the city's specs. Yes, it is sad that they won't do it for the kids.
 
busypc

busypc

New Member
They are saying that the banner no longer meets the specs they gave us and they whipped out a new set of specs. They want 1/4" holes in the banner. The mesh banner we have should work just fine. Yes, they are refusing to hang it. We got the specs originally, ordered according to that and not they've changed the specs. Funny thing is, they knew they faxed over the specs you would think...it's for the Art Museum in a small community. They refused them for something else last year. I am wondering if i need to just step out of the picture and tell the folks they need to fight it out with city hall.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
busypc said:
They are saying that the banner no longer meets the specs they gave us and they whipped out a new set of specs. They want 1/4" holes in the banner. The mesh banner we have should work just fine. Yes, they are refusing to hang it. We got the specs originally, ordered according to that and not they've changed the specs. Funny thing is, they knew they faxed over the specs you would think...it's for the Art Museum in a small community. They refused them for something else last year. I am wondering if i need to just step out of the picture and tell the folks they need to fight it out with city hall.
Click to expand...


Seems as though there is some invisible problem taking place here. In other words..... someone has it in for your customer.

If you've been paid, I would distance myself quickly, unless you can really do something about it. If you're shooting in the dark.... you could get into trouble and possibly ruin if for all future work in that area and have the same problems your customer is experiencing.

If you really want to help, I'd go into City Hall and point blank ask them, what you did wrong. Tell them you don't want the same problems occurring, as you are getting more and more clients in this vicinity and you don't want to make the same mistake twice.
​
 
busypc

busypc

New Member
Thanks for all the info. Yes, we've been paid. I feel badly for my customer, but I also feel like we did our job. Since these types of banners are hung all over the US I think the city is not making a good decision. I really don't want to burn any bridges at City Hall. It's not my fault they changed their specs. The banner does allow wind to go through and that's the "big" issue. So, i think my customer needs to contact the legal department and let them refund their money.
 
iSign

iSign

New Member
+3

you need good relations with the city sign police a lot more then with one client (wife connection notwithstanding) ...and a lot more than that client needs it.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
That's your call. Do what you feel best. No one can tell you to throw good money after bad, but if you think it will make them happy and keep coming back or bring in additional customers.... by all means.... go for it.
 
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