Getting commissioners to READ!

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

This is a partial rant, and the rest is me asking for some help in preventing and dealing with something annoying.

Okay, I know when I bid on auctions, Furbid, eBay or otherwise, I READ every detail before I click BID. But it seems I'm encountering more and more, particularly with Furbid, folks who simply aren't reading ANYTHING and bidding.

This frustration steams from a recent auction I posted, that I felt was pretty clear. The title was something like "Conbadges for pickup at AC", from there I mention both that the badges where ONLY for pickup at AC, and that I wasn't going to ship them.

So I'm paid, doing work on the badge, and then I'm sprung 'Oh here's the address I want it shipped to'.

THANK YOU FOR not reading the damn auction. At this point, it's not worth dealing with refunds, I'm going to finish the badge, ask for the cost of shipping to the UK, and mail it when I get a free moment to get to the post office.


So Halp me guys, is there anyway I can get these guys to read, and understand auctions? Bigger font on basic info, asking in email once it closes? I don't want to treat everyone like they're dumb, since this is just a minority of bidders who are stupid. But really this is getting a bit aggravating that I have to deal with things similar on a repeat basis.

Comments

[tyrannica.livejournal.com]

Huge font, bolded at the top, and at the bottom.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Heh. I've run into this before. Bold big font is probably the best solution, but even then you'll get a few who don't.

I figure, teach 'em to read it next time! Refuse to ship if you say you won't ship. Stick by what you've said. Their loss that they weren't paying attention.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I honestly don't want to be an douche about it, but by no means am I going to rush to get this in the mail. I'll be shipping it on my time, which may end up being after AC, since the point of the auction was to give me time to work without wasting my time walking to the post office right now.

[foxhack.livejournal.com]

A douche?

It's not your fault you're getting commissions from idiots who can't be bothered to read the terms of the sale.

I've had similar problems on my eBay auctions, every once in a while I get someone who wants me to ship something to a country I don't ship to, or who wants to pay with a method I can't accept (like a Canadian money order). And I write everything clearly in my auctions, but still, some idiots seep through.

Don't feel bad about it. Dey R dumb.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I usually give a nice 'take a hike' to anyone that pulls those things before paying, sadly this time I was sprung this after payment AND after I'd started work. Might as well finish it and not have a half fished badge thrown out.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Let them get a friend to pick it up at the con and mail it to them.

[banrai.livejournal.com]

I would say do what Bladespark said.

Or perhaps add in a clause that says basically you charge extra (beyond shipping fees) to ship out, due to the inconvenience. Then if they complain, hey it says right there how much getting it shipped costs.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

I'm going to add something to my terms of commissions page about failing to read auctions. :\ I mean really, it's not like I HID any of this info from people.

[kategod.livejournal.com]

Put it in bold, put it not in bold in a few places too, and put it in there A LOT. Just say also that you have to say it a lot because you've had issues, people will understand.

[susandeer.livejournal.com]

I would second this and then reinforce it with, "If you bid, and win, and then tell me where you want it shipped, you have voided the agreement and, if monies have been exchanged, you lose your monies. Harsh? Yes, but if you're going to willfully waste my time by not carefully reading, it will come at your cost."

[foxhack.livejournal.com]

What if the shipped part is an email address? ;D

[kassichu.livejournal.com]

If you ship the badge, the prick gets what he wants--you shipping it even though he doesn't want to (or is unable to) pick it up when you say it's pick-up only. I say finish the badge, have it available for pick-up at AC, and if he doesn't show up? Oh well.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

As much as I want to do that, he paid with Paypal, and the last thing I need is for him to dispute it and get back his money for a badge I already painted.

But he sure as heck isn't getting it fast either, I'm not going to waste a morning going to mail one badge out for someone that can't read auctions.

[sunhawk.livejournal.com]

One of the things I learned from working conventions is that you could have a two-foot sign in big letters saying "PRICE $5" and people will LOOK RIGHT AT THE SIGN and then ask you how much. Some people either just don't really read things or they somehow think there is a different, perhaps secret, answer that they will get later on.

I agree with the idea of explaining what will happen to those who don't follow auction criteria and then they have only themselves to blame for wasting their money.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

Don't even get me started on cons, "So that's 20 right?" "20 right?" no guys it didn't change in the ten seconds it took you to ask the second time!

*eye roll*

[atateatarin.livejournal.com]

I admit I repeat the price to people over stalls perhaps more than once, but more because of the fact that I don't hear so well and have the World's Most Shocking Short-Term Memory to compound the fact.


Though sometimes I think people try the whole 'repeat' thing to get the price dropped without the seller realising they've done it. Mum confuses nana into thinking she said a particular amount by repeating it often enough and then changing the price (thankfully she only uses her powers to stir, and always gives the difference back).
A friend of mine does something similar at the market - 'It's X price.' 'Y price?' 'No X price.' 'Oh I thought you said it was Y price. The most I can afford is Z price.' 'Okay, well how about A price?' 'Hmmm... B price?' 'Okay, B price.'

[rusti-knight.livejournal.com]

Next time they ask twice or three time to confirm a price, the second time say "Nope, $30 now. Wanna ask again?"

[artyskox.livejournal.com]

My BF could tell you some amazing stories with dealing with commissioners at cons like that. He's got a price list sitting in very clear view on the table.. there isn't a TON of options there, but we're talking simple items: Prints, CDs, etc.

The same guy at every AC comes up to him, browses his CDs then asks.... every year mind you (this is 3 or 4 years running..) how much they cost. When he hears $20 he gets pissed off, throws the CD down and storms off.

[graffiti-roth.livejournal.com]

Would anyone else consider it rude if, while shipping the badges to him, also include a hand written note about how you do appreciate his business, however you wish that he can read the description a bit better, and you will not going to do this just for him again?

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

Once I send the final scan, I'll be making a polite but firm reminder to read auctions along with it. He has zero feedback, so I can at least save other artists from dealing with this again! I suffer for you, don't forget it.

[atateatarin.livejournal.com]

Thankfully I've had the blessing of having buyers who actually read my item descriptions... but it's more likely due to the fact that I don't have a great many auction conditions besides the most obvious ones.

I think the most exasperating one I had was from a zoomorphic commish, which I'm sure from my samples were obviously digital, and the buyer made it clear after the fact she wanted traditional. I still agreed to do it, more for the fact that I wondered what it would look like but it would have been more of a gamble on her part than mine, especially seeing as I don't have many decent examples of traditional work anywhere (for some obscure reason, my Derwents give me sniffles and watery eyes, and I'm still learning watercolour). It turned out though, it was all good.



Ooh, I tried to click over to your dA but tha letters in devart in your webpage link are mooshed around :3

[tiros.livejournal.com]

I think you should reference to the auction, stating the parts that show Pick-up only, and say if he wants it shipped he'll have to pay that cost extra. It's not your fault he can't read, why go out of your way for him?

[frisket17.livejournal.com]

My god. I have stories for you next time you're over about commissioners forgetting to read. Actually, I've only had one in the past 6 months that made me question their ability to comprehend English as a language due to their... oblivious nature.

But ya. Next time we hang out, I'll share :)

[jurann.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that a number of sellers fair to do anything to make any special points like that in their auctions very clear. I'd say, use a boldface font and put special conditions on a line by itself, use bullet points too. Anything you can do to draw attention to the important things that make your auction's rules different from what may be perceived as "normal" for the site. I'm not saying you're guilty of this, and the things you specify in the auction description absolutely ALTER the arrangement and agreement that placing a bid invokes. If they bid on an item and didn't realize the rules despite them being clearly stated, it's THEIR fault and THEY have to pick up the slack. They can have a friend pick up the badge for them or they can try to ask you for shipping. If you specifically state that an item must be picked up in-person somewhere, then it becomes their responsibility to see to it they can make that happen. If they refuse to pay after that, they have violated the agreement they made when they bid and you should leave negative feedback.

Whew! Anyway, it's not your fault. Sounds like you did things right, it was THEM who screwed up, it's for THEM to deal with resolving in a manner that's agreeable to you. Had you been using FurBuy (http://www.furbuy.com/) for your auctions, we'd mitigate that with the bidder(s) in question for you. Feel free to check out the site, and contact me if you should have any questions. =)

[calypte.livejournal.com]

I would say aside from putting it in bold text in the body portion, put it on the image itself. Seems to me that the bidder probably just looked at the example image, went 'ooh pretty' and clicked bid. If it's the first thing they see and they still do it, well then I'd have to say their intelligence level is in question.

charge extra for STUUPID

[aazhie.livejournal.com]

I admit, i do occasionally skim terms if i have seen the seller's auctions before, but dang, i usually manage to not bid on the WILL NOT SHIP auctions. maybe if you wrote WILL NOT SHIP in between every statement. WILL NOT SHIP, it would sink in, perhaps? WILL NOT SHIP, nah, probably not.

WILL NOT SHIP :P

~jessi :3