The checklist worth running before you pay for a group order

Ten minutes of checking prevents the three mistakes that ruin group orders: wrong sizes, wrong spellings and an order that arrives after the event.

A group order is a single purchase that goes wrong in more ways than a single item, because everything that can be wrong can be wrong once per person. The good news is that nearly all of it is catchable in one pass.

Spellings first

A misprinted name is the one mistake that cannot be quietly ignored, because it is on one specific person's shirt and they will be standing next to everybody else. Read the list back against wherever the names came from, rather than against your memory of them.

• Check accents and apostrophes, which are the most commonly dropped
• Check shortened names against what the person actually goes by
• Check for two people with the same first name, who may want surnames

Sizes second

Count the sizes and compare the total against the number of people. It is the fastest way to catch a name that was added without a size, or a size set twice.

The date

Work backwards from the event, allowing for artwork checks, approval, production and delivery. Use the timing actually confirmed for your order and destination; a general guide cannot establish an arrival date.

Review the payment and delivery options offered at checkout, including the total cost. If a delivery window is missing or unclear, confirm it before relying on the order for an event. Cash on delivery is an option only when checkout offers it.

One last look at the design on the real garment

Look at a preview on the actual colour you are ordering, not on white. A design that reads on a white shirt can lose its lightest element entirely on a dark one.

Then order once

Confirm every size and quantity before ordering. Separate purchases may have different delivery charges and arrival times, while a single purchase may still need several parcels. Check the actual quote rather than assuming a saving or a shared arrival date.