In need of help/advice

[foxena.livejournal.com]

This is more of a premtive move on my part just in case something happens with this person later.

Its also me needing advice. I have offered to issue a refund but have not yet gotten a response.

This isnt a beware yet.

Several months ago I was commissioned by someone who shall remain anonymous, for now. I was doing an open stream card commission and he purchased a $10 ink with a $2 tip of a naked Ferret girl. I completed the card as he watched and it took me a week or so to mail it out. I honestly just wanted to wash my hands of him because the whole transaction had been borderline creepy and the guy seemed to treat women as objects  which, me being a girl, tends to rub me the wrong way.

So I sent it out, doing my ABSOLUTE BEST to write down his adress on the envelope. It was in french and absolutely full of accents and special characters. And sent it off with two other international orders.  Well I kept tabs on the other two internationals because I tend to befriend a GOOD amount of people out of country. One of which was a good friend and it took him over a month to get his cards, when they finally arrived I could breath a sigh of releif. So I assumed all had gone as planned and I completely forgot about the creepy guy.

Untill a week ago when he noted me on FA asking if I had sent out his card. Not remembering who he was, because I have done ALOT of cards between when i started and now I asked him to describe it. when he did I informed him I had indeed sent it and that if it hadn't arrived to check his local post office. I know in some international shipments that they hold things at the post for people to pick up, happens with my briton boyfriend all the time. I thought this was a reasonable thing to say as I know it happens fairly often and something may have just fallen through the cracks.

The response I got was... well.. a tad rude. (i cant say i didnt respond any better but alas it was 3am and I was in a less than accomodating mood.)

My first response when he told me he didnt receive it:



His reply:



which incited this reply from me.


I tried to remain professional, I did. But I was a little ticked off at the idea he implyed I was trying to scam him.

I havent yet gotten a reply but I'd really like to know what to do so this doesn't happen in the future.

I also have this sneaking suspicion he's trying to get something for nothing but seeing as I cant prove he didnt get the card I'm up a creek. Its only $10 but this is quite literally MONTHS after the fact I would have thought he'd have brought this up alot sooner.
EDIT: I have spoken to him and implored him to check his local post office. He's currently working in Paris and his mother is still at his old adress so hes going to ask her to check. More updates when I know more.

On another note we resolved the rudeness issue on both our parts, I apologised for my reaction to his reply and he inturn apologised for his bluntness. So I can at least account for the issue with the customer to be resolved, the shipping issue is still pending though.

Comments

[foxena.livejournal.com]

Dear lord... O.o this is disheartening because I DON'T want this happening in the future with something more expensive. I have a handful of chards that need shipped to australia soon. Would insurance be wise? ( am going to make sure i have scanned copies of everything too)

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

For $10 commissions? no, insurance is not worth it. Do a high res scan and archive it on your computer. If it goes MIA, you can offer to send the commissioner a replacement print of item.

For more expensive items... it's really a crap shoot on whether insurance is worthwhile. It generally does force you to use a more expensive mailing service to even get insurance in the first place and then you have to deal with the claim. Your claim may take months to resolve.

make a high res scan of every item you can. If lost, you can then always offer a replacement print. It's not the same, but it's really the best you can do.

As heartbreaking as it is, assume items WILL be lost or damaged and you will NOT be compensated for the loss. (since the judgement on insurance may go against you) price accordingly to take X amount of loss.

I generally assume around 1% of my shipments will be lost or damaged. I can usually replace items, so not as big an issue for me, other than the cost of replacement and postage. For one of a kind items, you may want to build in a bigger "planned loss". I'd say 5-10% might be more realistic for you.

adjust your prices to reflect that assumed loss. If you don't have anything lost, GREAT, it's profit! If you do, since you already accounted for it, you should be fine.

it'll be depressing as hell when it happens and eats up time resolving the issue. but you can plan ahead on the financial side so it doesn't wipe out your profits.

[foxena.livejournal.com]

In the end despite the issues i had personally with the customer, it didn't make me write off the incident completely. I came here, i explained everything, even my own issues (because even though it paints me poorly, it paints an honest picture of my state of mind throughout the process which was relevant as to why i didn't scan it. (at the time i was so put off by him i just wanted that tiny peice of fetish fuel out of my sight, lesson learned however and i scan everything now, regaurdless of content)

But despite all that. I want to be the best at what i do. I want to accomodate for all things i can accomodate for and make sure or lessen the chance of it happening again. My customers are important to me, they are my cheif source of income and even loosing one, to me, even if i didn't LIKE the person, is devastating. It hurts me both financially rapport wise and on a personal level. (it probably shouldn't be personal, but it is for me) I try to connect with most everyone I draw for so even if i disagree with them, or don't particularly care for them as an individual, I can still have that connection.

Im not perfect. But seeing as I have but one really good income and art is it, its very VERY important to me that I make certain everything goes as smoothly as possible. when things DONT however I feel like I've failed my customers. and it tends to add insult to injury when they choose to discontinue business with me over the ONE THING I had the least control over.

I thank you for all your advice and I will take it to heart. It helps alot to know that things like this DO happen and im not just insane for thinking that it could have landed elsewhere.

[mrst4nkr.livejournal.com]

One thing I will say then is that you should definitely keep receipts. It will at least show the country and general area you are shipping to. That may be enough for the customer to feel that you did make an attempt to send it to them.

[starcharmer.livejournal.com]

This is what I do. I've never had someone flip out at me and accuse me of not sending something [I don't think I've ever lost anything either, though]. Even still, I keep my receipts just in case until I hear all the parcels on the receipt arrived at their destinations.