Going to be an odd question.
I am planning on writing a query to Alain Mazaud, I'd written many years ago, and for the life of me I can't recall why I'd ask him (it's in French, but): "Do you take an upfront materials and launch fee, with any balance to be paid at the end?
(followed up by a query on his actual build deposit protocol), etc.
Is that query proper and/or normal? Just can't remember why I included that, unless I'd seen somewhere that was specific to Mazaud.
Thanks. All dads, Happy Father's Day fellas.
Comments
I have heard of this certainly when having something made to order and I paid half up front for one I had made by another luthier. I don't see a problem with that. Possibly some who build in quantities and are confident they can sell them all do not bother but if it is to be a custom order I would suggest some sort of upfront deposit would be normal practice.
Hey Chris, no, of course, I expect a deposit, I just have two entries for deposit (from French):
Do you take a deposit for material, and a startup fee, balance to be paid at the end?
Do you also take a deposit for beginning construction, with the balance to be paid at the end?"
Seems awkward language, that's all, and it's so specific I wonder if I'd gotten the query someone else on this site used, or something. I've just paid a general deposit, some % of the final, and paid the rest on completion - never seen it broken down like this.
Thanks.
"...
pas encore, j'erre toujours.
Seems to me like the same thing, he is just explaining the need for a deposit in more detail; possibly the literal translation for dealing with a 'foreigner' comes across as a bit wordy. That is all I can read into it.
Last time I enquired (not with Mazaud) I was just asked for ".....Dont 500€ d'avance à la commande ".
OK, thanks, Chris. Yeah, I just can't recall why that would have been in there, and as I am more or less fluent I didn't depend on a translator or anything so must have gotten that somewhere. I'll just query and see what happens.
Merci.
pas encore, j'erre toujours.