Three meetings and a few e-mails and I think the staff issues will be resolved soon. I just feel blessed that I can e-mail my Principal to let her know about the "stuff" going on. I love our charter school and everyone there but the skinny little 19year old brat in the office

Mom,

No way I will trade you! We have a great school staff, from the admins to the janitors to the cafe workers, to the paras, to the teachers, and I have the luck to have the best Principal and Vice Principal anyone could be blessed with! Yes I am gloating!

I got the feeling from the orignal post that the items were going to arrive before the person who ordered them could remember where they ordered them from, so calling to cancel the order doesnt seem to be an option [img]smile.gif[/img]

It would be nice to know how this one worked itself out though.

Ok, you voted and approved the purchase of a $5,000 item through a particular vendor. The person responsible for ordering from this approved vendor chose to switch to an unapproved vendor for the item. They have no purchase order, and you have no invoice, Right??

In our bylaws, this would negate the vote for the item; the motion would have to be placed back on the table with the new vendor as supplier. In essence, The person in charge of purchasing the item is doing so without the approval of your board, as they did not follow the prescribed procedure. It's almost as if the vote never occurred in a procedural sense.

I'm sure that this will frustrate and anger the unauthorized supplier once you explain to them that the buyer did not have authorization to make a contract with them, but if you don't want it now, and you will be swiping from other budgeted items to pay for it, then the vendor will just have to deal with it. Try to settle this issue before shipping has occurred to eliminate the old "I paid $XXXX to ship this and it was refused - PAY ME!!" thing. The "cost" of shipping seems to triple in this type of situation.

Hopefully for the supplier, they carry this item in inventory in their business and didn't special order it just for you; If this is the case they aren't as likely to try to force the transacton.
Either way, I'd handle it (with the vendor) as an unauthorized and unapproved transaction and leave it at that.

Remember: It is far easier for a customer to find a new supplier than it is for a supplier to find a new customer; most suppliers KNOW this. SMILE!

[ 10-17-2003, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: PTA Renegade ]

Hey Dave,
I'm reading this as this items was ordered knowing the money was there and the ordering person had the expenditure approved but NOW they realize $5000 is too much and they want out of it. You know,a teenager buys a great pair of shoes then realizes she needs the cash for gas but between the store,coffee shop, and the parking lot she lost the reciept and there is no cash back without a reciept. (retail background, know this all to well).

newcopres- don't quit, take better notes but don't quit. At this point, a meeting with your board and a look at the budget is needed. Your group just lost $5000 (sort of) and it needs to come from somewhere. Copy these numbers and have 'em for the next meeting. "Due to a splurg we are going to need to cut _____" Cruel to be kind in the right measures.....

If it helps I'mdealingwith office staff that won't tell a vender I was meeting what time school lets out at, they refuse to transfer calls, ask if the teacher you are leaving a message for WORKS there (phonelist RIGHT there), AND MY FAV, told a parent her daughter (2yrs. old) needed an escort to go to the rest rooms and not to ask again as these are not public restrooms (the mom was waiting for her kindergarter)!!!!!!! I would trade you in a heart beat!!!! I'll hang in there if you do [img]smile.gif[/img]

I am trying to read between the lines here. Let me get this right and correct me if I am wrong. Someone ordered an item(s) that was approved to be ordered through a specific vendor, but that someone does not know who they placed the order with. This item(s) has yet to arrive, no check has yet been cut for it becuase their is no invoice asking for payment!

Try this - when it arrives if it does - return it un opened with the notation not ordered!

Some companies charge what is called a restocking fee. 20% on a $5000 order is excessive, I would check my state laws on this. Also, in most cases this restocking fee can only be charged if you were aware of it, again check your state laws, via contract or other means. If ordered on line this would be some notation someplace on the web site, if ordering over the phone, most states require this be explained, and if on an ordering form it is included in the small print. Otherwise you can argue the point. The laws of your state apply, regardless of the state the company is doing business in I might add.

This is assuming your board does not want this item from whomever it was ordered from. If they do then they need to figure out how they are going to pay for it.

That's about as good as the people that buy thousands in ski gear and try to return it with their credit card STATEMENT as a reciept! NO JOKE!

The onlything I canthink of now iswho would have written the check OR if it was a credit card, a name. Take away the treasurer's checkbook, who approved this? OR who bought this?

The damageisdone, unfortunatly. Now you just need to find a way to not let it happen again.

Hang in there.