Refund

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Sorry if this is too off-topic but I thought you guys might know something about refunds.
Due to personal issues I think a commission is taking too long, and the customer paid me well to do it. However due to a recent turn of events (which I could not forsee) I hardly feel like drawing anymore at all, can I just give a refund without consulting my customer?
I don't want her, who is a good customer and a good friend, to be a victim of my current listlessness and plan to offer her to finish the commission at a later date when my muse is back with no charge.
Who here has given a refund before and how? How was it received?
A little help here?

Comments

[genet.livejournal.com]

I've told the commissioner what is going on, told them that I cannot guarentee their commission will be completed, and offered the full refund. To date, no one's taken me up on it. :)

[thaily.livejournal.com]

It's also a pressure thing for me though -_- At the moment I'm just kinda burned out and even though of drawing makes me feel sick.

[genet.livejournal.com]

Big hugs, knowing what that's like and how unpleasant it is.. mrf. :/

My best suggestion would be to email the commissioners, explain that you are unable to work on art for the forseeable future, and either advise that they will be receiving their refunds, or tell them that they may very well be looking at years before their commission is completed.

It would be a shame if you don't pick up your pencils again- you're a great artist. But... getting these commissions off your back so to speak may very well help take some of the.. anxiety and discomfort out of art for you.

[limeykat.livejournal.com]

I've gone through a Art block*** while in mid commission. It's not fun.
My largest problem is feeling "overwhelmed" such as coloring full images on 11x14" paper.
And the wonderous wait for someone to take their sweet time replying. (both different peoples commissions)

The refund process is usually met with some bitter sweet emotion and sometimes no problem at all.

Customer can range from being hurt and dissappointed if they had their hopes up...

Some will ask you to stick with it, but offer you all the time you need.. (and are very nice about it)

Then you have the few that get angry about your end of the bargain remaining incomplete.

If you feel you cannot complete a commission within a certain allowable and comfortable time frame, Regardless of customer reaction, It's the responsible thing to do, offering a refund. Then you can work out the details accordingly. :3

I almost wound up throwing money back into someones face (bearing grudge) because while the person was CONSTANTLY online, he never once emailed me in a 3 month period to tell me what he wanted drawn.

***(I consider a block to contain all sorts of different reasons.)