GLGA Member Question – Charging for Samples

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Do you charge clients for samples that they request?

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If we have to order a die or order special material, then yes we charge for samples.  If we can make the sample with materials that we have on hand, then no.

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Depends on the sample. If we can produce a low cost one, and we have a good relationship or a potentially good relationship, we will provide it free of charge. We tend to charge if we have a hard cost of goods involved or if the client starts to get out of hand on multiple requests.

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Depends.  Sometimes with short run digital and wide format printing the sample is the job.  Got to know the customer and give them the expectations upfront.  We usually don’t charge, but have and have gotten taken advantage of, too.  Tough call.

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It depends.  If it’s a direct client, yes as that’s really no different than overs.  If there is a designer involved, we do not charge samples provided for the designer.

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We include 25 samples on every job and include that in the estimate with the exception on digital jobs.  For digital we include one unless the customer requests more and then we charge the per piece price.

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We charge for exactly the quantity we deliver. If samples are requested we include that in the final count.

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