Advice...?

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

At FC I disregarded what I had read here and commissioned an artist that is known for ripping people off. I paid $20 for a badge and I was told it would be done by the end of the con. I checked in the last day, and they had already left. So I threw an email their way when I got home. I was told it wasn't done and they'd "get to it asap". I got it a day later, which I appreciated the quick turn around and it looks nice. So I gave them my mailing address. I waited. And waited. And waited. No badge. So a month laterish I email them telling them it hadn't arrived and I was worried.
I was then told that they wanted to wait until they had enough badges to mail out in bulk and I had to wait until that happened... I'm not too pleased with this answer, as that could be months for all I know...

What should I do or say to express these feelings? It's bad enough people think I'm an asshole as it is, I'm really not trying to come off that way because it just isn't true.
Is it common practice for people to have their clients wait for their badge until they have a bulk amount to ship at once? I don't want to treat this person unfairly, I'd just like to have the badge I paid for.

Comments

[drake-anaya.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty certain that waiting until you can mail a large amount at once is NOT an uncommon business practice.

Basically, even if it cheeses you off (the artist really should have talked to you before the end of the con, but extenuating circumstances...), as long as you get your badge in the mail within a reasonable amount of time, there's no reason to "express these feelings" to the artist in any way other than professionally: recommend politely to them that they have a page of shipping policies, after-con art completion policies, etc so that future commissioners can know what they're up for.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

I have asked them to mail it as soon as the could, and that is when contact dropped. They have since posted art, so they have been online.
Everything between me and the artist has been polite, nor me or the artist have been rude to one another.

[drake-anaya.livejournal.com]

When's the last time you talked to them? The phrasing of your post makes this correspondence sound very recent.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

March 16th, 2007 was the last note recieved from them.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

To be fair it can be extremely hard contacting customers at a con if they don't drop by before you have to leave and don't leave their room number or anything else.
It's kind of annoying to have to ship things because of that, though badges aren't that bad.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

I saw this person many times before the con was over, just to chat about non business things. So it's not like I was elusive.

[synchra.livejournal.com]

I know I do that, but I make sure it's okay with everyone before I do it. Like.. I ask them what date they need it by exactly and then I get it to them by then, and if they don't need it for a while I send more than one at once. If someoene told me they wanted or needed it sooner, i'd send it sooner.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

I feel I should set the the deadline for Califur or AC.

[synchra.livejournal.com]

yes that would be a good idea. :)

[khirmoonclaw.livejournal.com]

Wow starting to sound like my dealings with a certain continually tardy artist.

I can def understand things coming up but a few months soon turn into a year..

Just send them a polite email reminding them that you did pay in full and it was to be delivered at the con and even though that deadline has been broken the least they can do is go ahead and ship it especially because of your inconvenience.

Unless the artist said that thats how the operate then they cant just be making up rules as they go along..

[kaided.livejournal.com]

I think I know who you're talking about, and if I'm correct...you can expect never to get the actual copy of your badge in the mail. I commissioned the same artist, finished the badge swiftly enough and I paid extra for a hard, print copy to be sent to me. It's been...over 6 months and I don't expect to see it.

[justblieve.livejournal.com]

I know it's nice to have the actual badge.. but the way I see it, you should at least be glad you got the art. It's not like you couldn't print it out yourself if a con came around and it hadn't been mailed yet. So it's not a complete rip-off.

[filthy-animal.livejournal.com]

But when Rensis paid for the art there was an agreement for it to be mailed.

That's the problem. The artist is not completing the deal.

[filthy-animal.livejournal.com]

Actually, not even mailed, finished at the convention. Whatever. A scan isn't the same, either way. Having original artwork in your hand versus a shitty quality scan printout is a large difference imo. Rensis has every reason to be upset.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I don't have a printer to print it off, and I certainly shouldn't have to pay to print it at kinkos.

[forever-noob.livejournal.com]

This is completely unrelated, but I was reading your post and I got to the 'it's bad enough people think I'm an asshole as it is', and went 'huh?' So I checked your lj name and then I was like 'ohhhhhhh...'
Does that make me a bad person? Certain folks fling a lot of poo aboutcha is all I've got to say.


On a related note, if the artist was supposed to get it to you at con then that sucks :/ but I also have to wait til I have more stuff to mail it because I don't have a car and I have to harass my roommates into driving me to the post office. So give them some lenience, but if it takes too long you might consider sending another polite note indicating that you had hoped to have it in time for AC/MFF/whatevahs.

[starcharmer.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, I do wait until I have a bunch of stuff to be mailed. I've actually been saving up things for the past...2 or 3 weeks.

BUT.

A. I ask everyone if they need it by a deadline.
B. I told everyone before they commissioned me that this was my plan. And
C. I gave them an EXACT DATE that everything would be shipped on [the 5th].

So far, I don't see a problem, since you don't NEED the badge right now, but I can certainly understand the anticipation aspect and instant gratification. Hope you don't have to wait long, and if you do...warn us about the long wait. ;D

[felisepia.livejournal.com]

I don't understand mailing things in bulk, it's not all going to the same place is it?

Unless they have a difficult time getting around, there's no reason they should hold it back for weeks, or months, until they have enough things piled up to make a trip 'worthwhile.'

Just my opinion anyway. I'd probably say something just because they said it'd be done by the end of the con, and it wasn't. The least they could do is provide you with a speedy delivery.

[zhivagod.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me neither. All you need to do is buy a box of 500 envelopes and a few rolls of stamps. Mail carriers collect mail from mailboxes too as long as it's stamped properly. :P

[wtfbingo.livejournal.com]

OT--but you frequent the ghetto, yes? lol

[felisepia.livejournal.com]

I'm actually looking at it right now. :D

[rakshepsaar.livejournal.com]

The only time I don't send things off right away is when I've got several badges to do, then I wait until I have enough to fill a lamination page so I don't waste any. But I let people know ahead of time and all ... which is what this artist should have done. Artist gave you a time, it should have been done by then; and it's certainly very unprofessional to not get back in touch. Like people said already, it's not unreasonable for an often-commissioned artist to send things out in bulk, but I'd still keep this in mind for future commissions. That's annoying. :/

[martes.livejournal.com]

I do a lot of business on EBay, and while it's okay to hold the item for maybe a week so a bunch of stuff can go out together and save multiple trips to the post office, any longer than that is rediculous. It's just a stall tactic. Maybe if she lived in Bumfuck Egypt and couldn't get to a post office it would be believable, but she don't. And if this is the artist that has been responsible for the most complaints on this board, that everyone and his brother should know to avoid by now, what did you expect?

[theassassinnox.livejournal.com]

Agreed. If I have lots of small pieces, I'll wait until the end of the week to mail. All commissioners are made aware of this and shown thier art.

I don't think that the original poster is out of line in being annoyed. It's an envilope, many folks can just stick that in their home mail boxes with the flag up....no trip required. And if they ever get out of the house, it can be dropped ina mail box...it's not like it's a large package that requires the post office.

My $.02

~S

[crssafox.livejournal.com]

Not only that, but if you DO prefer to drop it at the post office (which I usually do, just to pay exact postage rather than over-paying) most main branches of post offices now have those self-serve machines where you put your envelope on the scale, select the postage rate (priority, etc) and drop it in a drop-box. You can even pay for the postage using debit or credit, so you don't have to dig for cash. It just requires you to park, run in to the lobby, do your thing, and run out. There's neve a line at mine because at least here in Florida the old people are afraid of technology and so they won't use it. ;)

There's no reason that the badge can't just be dropped in the mail, or sent out within a week. Definitely it's a reason to be annoyed... but then again, the artist has been warned about several times and I have NO idea why people keep commissioning them. Their art may be good but their business skills are not.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

I guess you live ans learn... D:

[crssafox.livejournal.com]

I know, it's an unfortunate thing. :(

As for the "live and learn" I really wish this artist would do that, because they're missing out on a LOT of potential income in being lazy about getting stuff out (or even done!) on time. I totally understand wanting their art, but they just need to learn good business practice... the trouble is, as long as people keep commissioning them, they're going to keep doing the same old song and dance. :\

[filthy-animal.livejournal.com]

There's neve a line at mine because at least here in Florida the old people are afraid of technology and so they won't use it. ;)

HAHAH, YES. Floridian humor. *high five*

[crssafox.livejournal.com]

Hey, Florida's old people have their ups and downs... they might drive slow but at least they're never first in line when technology is involved. ;P

[neongryphon.livejournal.com]

While it is economical to wait until you have a fair few items to dispatch before heading to the Postie, it seems very unreasonable to make buyers wait excessive lengths of time for postage, or to decide they should wait X weeks without even contacting the buyer.

I don’t know about other people, but I factor in a small ‘handling’ cost, not just the price of postage. Most of my items are posted from the UK to the USA. So you’re paying me to get on my bike and cycle to the Post Office. And if I can’t personally make it to the PO in a reasonable time-frame, I ask a friend or rellie to do it for me.

I really don’t know why so many artists make such a big spazzing deal out of posting items, especially within their own country. Lazy, bad communication? I don’t know, but making a paying customer wait weeks (without contact) so you can make a ‘bulk dispatch’ sounds pretty damn weak to me.

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

Especially when postage wasn't as issue when I payed because they were supposed to get the badge done at the con. :|

[rainbow-roo.livejournal.com]

I too commissioned a few artists for badges at FC - I even tipped every person who I commissioned a badge for - an extra 5-10$ over their asking price right off the get go.

There is one person who who promised to have it ready for me by the end of the con. That turned into a week after the con. Now here I am, a number of months after the convention, and nothing.

I am very curious to know if the person you are having problems with is the same person I am having problems with - as I had had some friends try to gently persuade me away from going with a commission from this person.

Can you email me at rivetheadroo@socal.rr.com? I'm just..really curious.. I have a feeling it may be the same person. I dunno..I've tried contacting the artist a couple of times after the con. I'm just not certain why a badge that I paid 5-10$ over the asking price for would not be done months after the commission. =(

[anjel-kitty.livejournal.com]

Lesson learned: always take the word of this community

[mottenfest.livejournal.com]

Sometimes people go fire and pitchforks here... So i take what i read with a grain of salt.