I run a very small but growing sign business. I am in an unincorporated part of the county, so no biz license.
Gemini wants proof that I make signs or a letter from mom or something, before they will even tell me prices. I have two prospective customers that I would like to bid Gemini letters to but I can't. Anybody dealt with this before?
Thanks
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Do you have or need a sales tax license?
File a Schedule C with your tax return?
Posted by Mike Pulskamp (Member # 3475) on :
Yup, I have a resale permit but the guy I talked to seemed to want more.
Thanks
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
They will accept a copy of yer Yellow Pages ad.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Mike, I don't need a business license here, the guy I talked to told me my sales tax license would work.
Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :
I think I faxed my letterhead, business card, and business number (GST code here in Canada) It was no problem.
Suelynn
Posted by Dave Cox (Member # 3517) on :
Mike, Resale license should work fine. If the guy you talked to wants more, hang up and call back later when he's gone. Also, might do good to mention that you might have to take your "considerable amount of business" somewhere else.
2 cents bubba
Posted by Mike Pulskamp (Member # 3475) on :
Thanks all!
Guess I will give it another try.
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
I dunno Mike, they believed me 19 years ago! I think I mighta sent them a biz card back in the day. Do they still provide the name of your shop in your choice of gemini letters for FREE? I know you get the word SIGNS in the starter kit. Love...Jill
Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :
What eveyone else said!
Jill, all I got was a BIG "G" in my box.
Posted by Greg McRoberts (Member # 3501) on :
I've been on their mailing list for years. All I did was use one of their circle numbers in a SignCraft return card.
They've sent me tons of very useful stuff and never asked me for anything.
I don't know why they'd be giving you such a hard time. That's odd.
Posted by Mike Pulskamp (Member # 3475) on :
I don't know about the free signs, but the big box of samples and info is darn impressive. Only thing missing was a price sheet. I will talk to them again today.
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
I dunno why, they sell to just about anyone around here. At one time they would even allow you a free set of letters for your own business. I remember getting 36" prismatic ones. Plenty of samples in my shop also.
Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
You will appriciete their methods when one of your customers tries calling them direct. Its for your protection.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Mike - Did you get a catalog? Usually your price has a 40% discount from the catalog price. But if you don't have a catalog everything above is null and void.
Probably they are just trying to avoid having one of your customers trying to order letters and skip the middleman. Seems to be for your own protection, although a sales tax exemption number should be fine and then they will not charge you any sales tax.
You might call back and ask for someone else. Never hurts to get a second opinion.
They are a great company. If you go to one of the B.I.G. shows put on by Sign Business Magazine or one of the other trade shows, they will have a booth with a whole mountain of sample letters that you can just load up on.
Posted by Rovelle W. Gratz (Member # 4404) on :
Usually a letterhead is enough.
Posted by Roy Frisby (Member # 736) on :
I've had several customers call me for letters after attempting to buy from Gemini direct and being referred to me by Gemini. They are great folks to deal with and they stand behind their products.
Posted by Michael Latham (Member # 4477) on :
Quite possibly you had the same guy I talked with the first time I ordered with Gemini, and lost money on hte deal. I made the mistake of getting multiple senario quites at one time, James put them all on one page, some things not linked together, when I asked him to explain he acted like it was not his job. I muddled through it and when the order came the mold fees and shipping ate me alive! I went about my business with my $5 profit and thought I'd do better next time. They called to see how I liked the order! I told them, she said she would look into it, another guy call who is higher up on the food chain and apoligized for the confusion and said quote sheets probebly need to be revised, or at least looked at. Made me feel better. The james calls, acts like it was my fault I could not seperate his quote and thats the way they do it, do you se a pattern here, another person "follows up" and tels me who to T/W when I call and they will make my life nice again. Can't wait. ps. go to a show or call for a catalog, getting a them to believe you is the easy part!
[ July 22, 2004, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: Michael Latham ]
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