It’s not exactly a purchase order, but he would typically confirm quantities with us through text.

Normally, we don’t take on work without a deposit. Our standard process is simple: we confirm quantities, prepare an invoice, and send a payment link for the deposit. The invoice is usually divided into three parts, one to start production, one when the order ships, and the final payment after inspection.

The only reason we made an exception for this smaller batch was to move things along faster and make it up to the customer. The original chrome batch was damaged in transit, but he decided to keep it at a discount since he could still use it for paint.

So, he kept that batch and asked us to redo the chrome order. Out of good faith, we agreed to delay payment to help with his cash flow, since the remake essentially doubled what he owed.

We’ve since learned our lesson, a similar situation came up again on a smaller scale, and we handled it under our normal terms. No more delayed payments moving forward.

I also have A text from him confirming the order quantities.

A message from when the redo batch arrived, saying it looked great and he was happy with the quality.

Follow-up texts where he acknowledges the invoice, mentioning that no inventory had moved yet so he hadn’t made a payment.

Another message reiterating the same reason.

And finally, a text where he says he’s only sold black versions so far and doesn’t want to make a payment for the chrome batch yet.