[edited] please beware of this artist, Pollypuma

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

 How should i approach an artist that is obviously having an attitude with a client?

I paid for an item with shipping and i got this back a while ago

" Could you please send me your address? I will try to ship your product soon. We have to come up with 200 or the power company will shut us off. So i might have to wait to ship until my Veterans check comes in if thats okay. Its a measly 123 each month but it comes on the first. If you need your product before then i can ship it, but we may need the extra money this month to cover the cost of the electricity. Its up to you what you choose. Thank you for your business and support of  ********."

So okay, i was in no hurry. A bit annoyed, but i could wait. I sent them my address and told them i was okay with it.

That was over a week ago and i asked again about shipping and here is our conversation

Them: need your address.

Me: i gave it to you twice 8/ *insert address*
(i realize now i gave it to them once, but i had still given it to them. previously. But whatever, that was okay, a bit annoying but okay.)

Them: This is the first time I have received your address, and i had sent you a note saying that i didnt get paid until the first you then sent me one back saying that would be fine.
But i will skip dinner tonight and ship your equipment today.
( thats where they started to get rude.)

me: yes i did send it when i said i was okay with waiting. it's in my outbox.

them: I did not get that message from my mate and if your ok with waiting then why would you ask me if i shipped it yet?
But we will put it into the mail today.

me: i was, but i would like to know why it would take so long if i paid for it?

them: My mate and i just had a mis carriage and we have to pay for it, not to mention our electricity almost got cut off. So I had no choice but to use some of the shipping money you had sent for your commission to help pay for it. I was going to pay for it and send it once i got my check. But it will be shipped today or Monday at the latest . Im sorry again for the delay. I assure you we will not have another miscarriage.
(EXTREMELY rude now)

me: im truly sorry that you have problems, but i paid for it and honestly thats all my money should've gone to.

them: Without our electricity on i could not have completed the work, thank you so much for letting us mourn the loss of our unborn son your such a kind and understanding person.
(that really annoyed me. completely unprofessional)

a while later them: I just read your journal and your right your payment should have gone to your order im sorry to make you wait so long.

now i dont think i handled this too well, but what do you think and how could i have handled it better? i told them that i was okay with waiting but that the only problem i had was with the attitude and that i look forward to receiving the items;

"that is fine. the only problem i had was that you had an attitude about it.

i do not appreciate getting an attitude by someone i paid to do a job.

I look forward to see my items soon, my partner gave me the money for them as a gift and im very excited to wear the collar from her. "

I feel bad because they were having problems, and i understand. I guess i was to unsympathetic because i'm crabby? just looking for advice so i can handle this better and be nicer next time. also i dont know if this could be considered a beware so i will give the username if i am told that it can be considered one.

Edit 1: user is pollypuma, Here is a screencap for proof; http://www.iaza.com/work/110726C/iaza12206146228500.png

Edit 2: I have received the items today, and WAS given a tracking number not too long after i originally posted this.

This is resolved, but i really wont recommend the artist if you cant handle attitude. The fur lining of the collar is already falling off and i will have to ask a friend to help replace it 8/

edit 3: now the user posted a journal and sent a note asking me to have it removed. http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2564913/

The user is being continuously rude to me and badmouthing me on furaffinity as well as his 'mate'; http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2564913/ http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2565333/ screencaps have been taken in case the user deletes them before i can show my partner (they've been wanting to take their chances and order a collar from them because they like mine other than the glued fur problem) and  save just in case i need them in the future.

Edit 4: I would like to clarify that the only issue i had was the users attitude. Not the fact that they brought their personal life into it, as i had asked a question. the first thing that really annoyed me and was extremely unprofessional was this "I assure you that we will not have another miscarriage." If the user had simply left that and many other remarks out then i would have been much more sympathetic. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when someone uses a tragedy to make their customers feel bad about asking about their items.
I commission very often and i have nothing but patience. Another user i had commissioned missed many deadlines with me, but kept me updated and was very polite, therefore i was nothing but polite and patient. As long as I am updated and met with a professional (or even friendly) attitude then all is fine. I may seem to have high expectations, but this is a business relationship and i do not expect any less than i would if i go to a store and ask for assistance.

Edit 5; the user is bashing me now and has been reported on FA. I have tried to remain calm for the most part and hope i did not lose my temper. It seems that the stress has gotten to pollypuma and i will highly recommend one does not commission this artist to avoid such 'drama' and other problems; http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/683/wwwfuraffinitynetjourna.png/

Thanks,

Blue

Comments

[astraldescent.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I'm in the boat that when its a business relationship, regardless of circumstances it is not your business and you aren't obligated to give them asspats and comfort them. You're someone buying something from them, not their best friend.

I know that must make me sound like a bitch, but please people, where else in life is any of this acceptable? I've gone to work after a relative died, because I could not get time off for it because it wasn't "significant enough", and even though I wasn't sunshiney and happy not once did a customer say "Oh I'm so sorry" they went to my supervisor and complained that I looked tired and grumpy, even though I did my best to be polite to them.

Now, in any normal type of job, most likely you would be able to get time off for a miscarriage... then again, this is presumably in the US, and here it's difficult to even get maternity leave at some places.

I do understand that it's a large disaster and very emotionally taxing and it would make lesser things slip their mind, but honestly it seems like they just pulled it out of the sympathy hat, I might be wrong but the way they talk it doesnt seem "real". They were guilt tripping about something else first, and then upon seeing that it didn't work, all the sudden it was something else.

If the first message they sent was "I'm sorry, we're dealing with a miscarriage right now, can you please give us a week or two to recover" the response might have been different, but no, they were griping about having no money and no address, even though addresses are clearly given when you purchase via paypal.

Overall, I can see what people are saying- yes it's tough, and if it really happened to them I am really sorry. But the way they came out with it, and the way they talked, it seemed like they just wanted something new to guilt trip the op with- it didn't seem like it was the "real" issue, or like it mattered to them at all until they realized the OP didn't feel oh-so sorry for them.

These are a pair I'll be avoiding as well.

[demon-merageshu.livejournal.com]

Please get to know us before passing judgement on us

you know

[shibaskunk.livejournal.com]

after reading this whole post

it is not just polly puma but you as well

i am not gonna bring up what happened to me but it seems like the same situation