When to expect payment?

This will be the first year I sell anything online (previously I've only produced 1 or 2 clutches of ball pythons a year and sold all the hatchlings locally) but this year I'll have a fair number of morphs I'll want to sell. I'm expecting to have to advertise them online since I doubt I'll find a local market for them.

My question is this: I live in FL so it may be too hot for me to ship for a little while longer, so do I ask for a deposit and wait for payment in full when its cooler, or do I expect payment right away and just wait to ship? If I ask for a deposit, do I make it refundable or non-refundable if the buyer changes their mind while we are waiting on the weather? I'm just curious what everyone does. As a buyer, I've made payment in full and waited awhile to recieve my animals, but I didn't know if that was the norm.

Thanks!

For me, I require a deposit which is non-refundable unless something goes wrong on my end. I leave it to to buyer if they wish to make additional payments or just pay the balance when temps allow for shipping, or at the agreed upon deadline. I make a point to let them know that any payments after the deposit are 100% refundable if the buyer changes their mind. If the buyer changes their mind, I will apply the non-refundable deposit to a future purchase but it can not be used as another "deposit". Only credit towards the future final balance.

As for the amount of the deposit. Assume they back out and ask yourself what amount would you place on the inconvenience and potential loss of sale while you were holding it. This way if they do back out, you don't feel like you lost anything. I never understood why people under these conditions still complain when the buyer backs out. If your deposit was appropriate, you were compensated for your time.

I have not produced anything to sell yet, but I am planning to ask for a deposit, nonrefundable, and I also plan to do payments but I will not release any animal until paid in full.