A buyer wants a discount on a consigned item. Now what?

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A buyer’s offer changes more than the sticker price. Before accepting it, check the consignment agreement: it may give the store authority within a price range, or require the consignor’s approval. Show the payout comparison Suppose an item is listed at A$2,650 and the buyer offers A$2,400. If the store commission is 30% of the selling price, with no other deductions in this simplified example: ...

July 16, 2026

Ten consignment software features to test with your own workflow

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A feature list is a starting point. The stronger test is whether a system can handle one ordinary item and one awkward exception from intake to settlement. Requirement A useful acceptance test Inventory Find an item by ID and physical location; distinguish available, held and sold quantities. Agreements Retrieve the exact terms accepted for that item. Pricing evidence Inspect comparables, uncertainty and the reason for a price decision. Marketplace workflow Distinguish drafts, published listings, detected sales and confirmed delisting. Commission Reproduce the calculation under a flat rate and an agreed item exception. Payouts Reconcile amounts due, held, adjusted and actually paid. Consignor access Show only the authorised consignor’s records. Reporting Export traceable transactions and reversals for the accountant. Staff access Restrict sensitive actions and retain an audit history. Recovery Restore a backup and resolve a failed import without duplicating sales. Add the difficult cases Try a partial refund, a cancelled order, a bundle, an unsold return and a changed commission agreement. Ask what happens when an integration stops responding. A successful happy-path demo is not enough to establish reliable operation. ...

June 2, 2026

Starting a consignment business in Australia: a practical checklist

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A consignment business sells goods under an arrangement with their owner. Before accepting stock, make clear who owns it, who can make decisions and how the proceeds and costs are shared. Choose a workable scope Start with categories you can assess, store and fulfil reliably. Consider condition testing, authenticity questions, packing, returns and the likely effort per item. A high asking value does not establish a profitable transaction. ...

June 2, 2026

Evaluating cross-listing software for Australian sellers

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. “Supports a marketplace” can describe several different things. Before adopting cross-listing software, ask what happens to one real item at each step. Build a capability table For each intended marketplace, record seller eligibility, supported categories, draft generation, export, direct publication, sale detection and listing removal. Mark manual steps explicitly. A CSV workflow may be useful without being a live integration. ...

May 7, 2026

What a useful consignor statement should contain

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A consignor statement should answer three questions: what happened to my items, how was my share calculated and what has been paid? Define the period and status Show the reporting dates, preparation date and whether the statement is provisional or final. Separate unsold stock, completed transactions, unresolved returns and payments. A sale recorded near month-end may need later adjustment. ...

May 7, 2026

How to review a resale deathpile without automatic discounts

Reviewed and revised — 12 September 2026. This article has been updated to correct unsupported claims and reflect the current enquiry-based offer. Its original publication date and URL are retained. A deathpile can contain several different problems: items waiting to be photographed, stock with missing information and live listings that have not sold. Putting them in one age-sorted list hides the next action. Separate the queues Queue Useful next question Unlisted What specific information or work prevents publication? Listed, little evidence Do we have enough traffic and comparable-sale information to assess it? Listed, worth reviewing What observation justifies changing price, description or terms? Consignment ending What does the agreement require for renewal, return or another action? Assign an owner and a next review date. Record missing accessories, testing or approvals so another person can move the item forward. ...

May 6, 2026