Advice needed

[latiro.livejournal.com]

I'm not name-dropping, I just want some advice regarding the commissioner

On Dec. 21, I opened a journal for experimental cell-shaded commissions. The moment I posted the journal, someone left a comment wanting a spot. I told them to send the details of what they want on their commission via PM, but they never did. I even left a polite reminder about it, they still didn't answer.

I sent them a PM on Feb.28 and told them I've canceled their commission, thinking they weren't interested in it anymore. They replied, saying they didn't have enough to afford the commission, which is understandable.

Lately, I've been hearing some rumors about the commissioner's bad history/business ethics and several artists were having problems dealing with them. I was pretty much shocked I even had the commissioner on the list (before I canceled their commission)

What should I do? Should I blacklist this person and block them? Because I don't wanna have the same negative experience with them like other artists did.

Thanks in advance!

Comments

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Hmm! It's a good topic of discussion.

Personally, I would do a little digging, try to find any evidence of this customer potentially being an issue. Rumors fly around a lot and sometimes there's very little truth behind them.

However! If you are still unsure, I would simply decline their commission if they choose to buy it in the future from you. Blocking is an easier, but far more terse way of sending that message so I avoid doing that unless it's absolutely necessary.

If you DO find ample evidence this person will be trouble, feel free to block at your leisure though.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

I'll be sending a screencap soonish

they also have some alt. accounts that they use the avoid blocks/blacklists

pming you the screencap of the evidence

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

After discussing the person in question, yes. Yes block, and block all alts. This is someone we are discussing at length recently, they are best to avoid completely as a customer.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

thanks for this useful advice! Blocking them and their alts asap

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

I'm really curious who this is if it's that bad. But if Latiro doesn't want to name them, I understand.

[nxcritter.livejournal.com]

i asked the same

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

If you've seen the ex-client in action being a very bad client, you have every right to block them and blacklist them. Obviously they took a slot from you and never actually paid for it, and you waited a VERY LONG (sainthood status) TIME to get that "I can't afford it :(" excuse from them.

If they couldn't afford it when you asked/cancelled after all that time, they sure as hell didn't have the blunt up front the first go around, otherwise they would have paid.

You owe them no explanation, you don't even need to try and feel bad about it. If your gut is telling you they're someone you don't wanna deal with ever again, cut them off.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

thanks for your advice. I was thinking their "I don't have enough afford" pm was an excuse not to pay. They also mention they left a comment about not having enough, but nowhere did I see that comment

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Why take up a slot if you know you can't pay? Super shady.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

that's what I was thinking, too

[lironess.livejournal.com]

I don't worry much about rumors...and I require a 50% down payment. So if they can not pay that I do nothing....I would be very clear though that they do not get the work until you are paid in full...

[latiro.livejournal.com]

I don't do work unless I'm paid anyway

[chronidu.livejournal.com]

You have the right to block and blacklist any client you see fit for any reason you see fit so long as you're not doing it after they've given you money and before they've received their product.

If this is who I think it is you are talking about, a client with a history of charge backs for whatever reason they see fit even after work is delivered, then I would say yes, a blacklist is very reasonable.

I would also politely advise them that it's unprofessional and a hassle to the artist to claim a commission slot they cannot pay for.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

I thought that was very unprofessional for them to claim a spot only to back out of paying me. And I don't think they do charge backs, as far as I know

thanks for the advice

[nxcritter.livejournal.com]

I would recommend limiting the time you hold your slot's for. That helped me a lot. I would set it for 2 weeks that way they have enough time to get a second pay check just in case they where only a little short and that way you don't loose to much time. Be sure to have a TOS that states that so you don't have people contacting you about a slot the forgot about or couldn't afford.

I would like to know whom so i may add them to my list of no no commissioner's.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

This

that's a good idea for me to hold spots for 2 weeks. Thanks

[lackoflollies.livejournal.com]

I'd like to know who this person is too.

[purpule.livejournal.com]

I don't even have to ask because I know who you're talking about from the description.

It's not that they don't ever pay for commissions, because they do, but they use the fact that they sometimes pay for commissions as a right to not black list them. Even if they DO pay for the commission, good luck on getting credit for it because they'll repost it in their gallery without so much as a comment or a fav on yours. I think they have an addiction/hoarding problem, when it comes to buying art, adopts and even real life animals, so yeah, I wouldn't blame a block in this instance.

Not worth the hassle.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

indeed, not worth the trouble at all

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

Please note that the purpose of an advice post is to advise the OP, not to pressure for identities. We prefer that they're kept anonymous for a reason - because advice posts are not vetted for proof like bewares are.

[aerospiritual.livejournal.com]

If it sounds like they're going to be a hassle and other artists have sufficient evidence of it, you should definitely blacklist them. There's really no need for you to go through the same kind of crap that others have- if it were a one-time issue, it'd be a different story, but from what I understand from your post, this person has a history of doing this kind of thing.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

I've just blacklisted and blocked them last night

[tealmoonxiv.livejournal.com]

If they act like that from the start then they're definatly going to be a hassle.

And I think I know who it is and they are not someone you ever want to work with. -_-

If you don't mind sharing the name could you PM me?

[latiro.livejournal.com]

see Shuki's comment above

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

I've had a few people who have done this. It's usually trying to get free art. They pull the 'Sorry I can't afford' thing if you ask for payment up front. I have, basically, a rough 24 hour 'pay or lose the slot' guide. After that, unless they pay up right away, the slot is dropped.

If you do draw them, then they say they can't pay up, and they get at least a free sketch out of it.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

maybe that's what I thought. Like I said to nxcritter, I'll be holding commission spots for 2 weeks until the commissioner pay up

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

Seeing as no one has mentioned you by name, its pretty bold to shoot in here claiming you're the one the OP was concerned about.

And even then, if you disregard mentions of rumors, the OP had someone take a commission slot and never paid up/gave details the first time, nor when they were prompted, twice. They (the OP) have all the rights in the world to blacklist someone for that, no actual story needed.

[kerstin-orion.livejournal.com]

Screening this, as this post was an advice post, not a beware, and names will not be given, even by someone who believes the post is about them.

[databank.livejournal.com]

Little late to the party here, but hopefully I can reassure. From what you've said in your post, blocking is a sensible thing to do. Taking the honest commissioner's perspective, it annoys the heck out of me when people claim slots they cannot afford or simply have no desire to pay for.

My personal opinion is that a two week hold limit on a slot is more generous than I'd expect out of any artist.

[latiro.livejournal.com]

I've just blocked the commissioner a little while ago (I can thank those helpful comments), and yes having people claiming commission spots when they don't have any money to afford one is just plain annoying

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that the two week hold limit is a good idea