What Do You Do When a Furniture Piece is Not Claimed?

Thank you to everyone's invaluable feedback in answering a member's question about a dilemma with an unclaimed piece of furniture.

Some of the great advice from members was the following:

1. Never order a single piece of material without a non-refundable deposit first and a signed contract. 
   • This was the most popular recommendation from fellow NOMMA members. A 50% deposit, or 25% deposit for larger jobs, seemed to be the common consensus. This amount should cover the materials at the very least. If the item is not claimed after the deposit is paid, then you can sell it to make up for any other lost time and funds already invested. 
2. Make sure you put it all in the contract.
   • Include payment information, completion date, non-refundable deposit information, etc. 
3. If you are already in this predicament where a customer has not claimed a finished piece, you can always auction it off  as a nice NEF auction item!
4. For $30, you can take your customer to small claims court. 
   • You will have a better chance at getting your money back if a contract was signed. Be sure to keep a paper trail of attempts made to contact the customer with the payment information, description of item(s), dates, and any other pertinent information. 
5. Give the customer a chance to respond.
   • Just in case an unforeseen emergency has come up, it might be a good idea to allow for some time to pass. Follow up with your customer with multiple calls and emails to ensure enough contact has been made. 
6. Lastly, enjoy the piece for yourself! You worked hard and put a lot of time and effort in creating the piece, aside from the costs involved, so why not enjoy your own hard work?