In the past five years, with the internet and the emergence of China as the manufacturing capital of the world for inexpensive products, competition in the custom flip flop industry has mushroomed along with custom orders of products. This industry has changed drastically just as others industries have changed, but some changes are not for the better. Some manufactures are not upfront with customers regarding the time and minimum order requirements for custom product orders. Understanding what is involved in ordering custom flip flops for your fundraising product will save you time, money and aggravation.



Manufacture Lead Time:

In manufacturing custom flip flops, there are some things that are set, like manufacturing time. Factories in both China and the Philippines have the same production time of 2 to 3 weeks. These factories will offer a faster turn around time, but it is very expensive.

Transit Time:

Then there is the transit time of shipping the orders from the manufacture to the customer's country. If the flip flops are shipped the most cost effective way-via ocean-it takes around two weeks. Keep in mind that there is no way to rush the container ships into the port.

However, flip flops can be flown in-at an additional cost of $4-$5/per pair. But many companies list this air freight as a "rush" charge and do not tell the customer up front what it is and how much it adds to the cost of each flip flop.

U.S. Customs Lead Time:

Once the flip flops arrive in the United States they must go through U.S. customs. It takes on average two weeks for an order to clear customs. Keep in mind that you can not rush your products through customs. Beware that there are some companies that do not disclose the customs clearance time in their delivery of the order. They may just disclose the two weeks ocean shipment time and not mention the customs clearance time.

Minimum Order Quantities:

Another "surprise" that an unwary customer can experience is minimum order quantities. Many companies neglect to mention that they have high minimums and this fact is not disclosed until the customer places the order. Most factories will not touch any order under 500 pairs because it is not cost effective to produce a smaller number. It can take years for a company to negotiate smaller minimums with a factory and it is unusual in this industry to find a custom flip flop supplier who can offer as low as 100 pair minimum orders. Beware that not all companies will mention the minimum order requires when you place your order. So be sure to ask up front.

Kathie Lively, designer of Bagus Custom Sandals, mentions that time and time again she receives calls from customers who have placed orders with other manufacturing companies for their fundraising products, only to find out that they can't deliver on time or that their final bill is way above what was promised. "Most of these customers found these dishonest companies on the Internet and placed their orders based on their advertised low cost and turn around time. Then, after they have placed the order and get ready to pay the invoice, they find that they have to order many more than they thought and the flip flops cost much more than the advertised cost. Then once they have paid for the order, they find out that their order will take four months instead of the four weeks promised. Some of these customers never receive their fundraising flip flops, since some of these companies are not legitimate" explains Kathie.

All in all, there is no getting around minimum order quantities, production time, transit time, and customs clearance time. Beware of those companies who are not up front with all of these conditions and remember to ask and get answers before you place your order.