Advice: Contests and being ignored

[yaminekohyousai.livejournal.com]

I'm dealing with a situation involving a rather elusive artist, and I'm wondering whether the situation warrants a full beware.

Back in March of 2011, I won an artist's Kiriban contest. Initial messages with details and references were sent, and everything seemed fine. Two months later, I contacted the artist and asked about the pic. The reply stated that the artist was looking into new ways to color their art and that they'd work on the pic when motivation struck them.

That was the last I heard from them. Since May, I have sent a polite request for a status every 1-2 months, the last time being in January. No reply. I know the artist hasn't disappeared, because he has posted nearly 50 submissions in that time, and according to FA, he has read all 4 of my unanswered messages.

Now, I can understand long wait times (especially for free art). Hell, if he were actually responding to my messages I'd pretty much have no problem. But being ignored like this just strikes me as very bad form.

Comments

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Since it's a kiriban, I would personally just let it go. It's not a good thing to say you're going to do things and then not do them, but this isn't something I would pursue. I'm not sure I would say you're in the wrong to do so, but...

If you want to pursue it, however, I would advise asking less often. I know 1-2 months doesn't seem like a lot, but it would probably help destress both of you if you spaced it out more.

I agree that ignoring you is bad behaviour, though. They're probably just lost interest but don't want to tell you so.

[ocelotish]

I think you're out of luck in this case. If I'm reading it correctly, you haven't really given the artist anything, you just caught the lucky number (for free). You didn't spend any money and hardly any time or effort to get it.

Normally with contests I'd say that the winner has to be given what they won or an equivalent of the same value, or the contest holder has to refund all of the contestants. In this case, it's essentially a gift. While you might not like it if the artist ignores you for free art they promised, they don't have a contract with you for it.

Basically, they are being a bit of a jerk for ignoring you, and if you haven't sent them a note since January it might be time to ask them what's up. However, you don't have any real claim to the free art, so if it doesn't happen, you're just out of luck.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

This. It's free art, and it'd be different if the contest had you doing something like art of your own or buying a raffle ticket. You haven't actually lost anything.

[crimson-flygon.livejournal.com]

It's bad form to not fulfill little free art events like that, but I don't think it warrants a beware

[tunavoice.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of artists that will sometimes bail out on drawing someone something for free, especially if they've lost interest. (I'm guilty of doing this in the past once.) Unless it's become highly excessive and they don't show professional behavior (for both commissions and free work), then I don't think this would warrant a full beware.

[squirrelly-kaku.livejournal.com]

I don't see why this would be grounds for a full beware. O_o; It's free art. You're not out any money or time... what is there to really beware about?

I'd understand if it was a trade, or you had commissioned him, but a free request from catching a certain page view number? Not really beware worthy. It may be "bad form" to say you're going to do something for free and not doing it, but I don't see why they'd need an entry here for that. How one handles free work usually isn't on the same level of how one handles a trade/commission.

[megamon-blue.livejournal.com]

Kiribans are little more than free art requests, of which no artist has any obligation to fulfill.
Since you paid nothing and gave nothing, you are out nothing. It does not warrant a beware.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I disagree that this does not warrant a beware, considering how entitled yaminekohyousai feels to a freebie, I think we'd all do well to avoid him/her >:/

[yaminekohyousai.livejournal.com]

My main problem was with the lack of communication , but maybe you have a point, and there was entitlement there too. I've never been good at introspection.

In any case, I've simply told the artist not to bother. Not worth the headache. I haven't used my best judgment in this case, so I'm sorry for wasting everyone's time.

[deejthistle.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't apologize for making the post. We learn through feedback, so regardless of how much you are or aren't in the wrong, you have the responses here to advise you in any future situations. :]

[stormslegacy.livejournal.com]

Don't feel bad for asking a question, that's why this place is here! If the mods thought it weren't worth asking they wouldn't have let it through.

[ocelotish]

Exactly, I would say it's quite extreme to take a beware of you. No one can automatically know how to handle everything, and I haven't seen you been hostile to what people are saying. The artist did break a promise and you are "entitled" to the art in that sense. As a person you have every right to be annoyed, just as a customer you have no real claim to it.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

I'll have to admit that I am very bad about following through with free art. So much that I've stopped offering it entirely unless it's live. OP, you are out nothing, and therefore there is no beware. If the artist doesn't have time anymore, or must put their effort into paid work, then that is how it is. You are not entitled to anything.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

I dont see how free art would ever constitute a beware.

It's free art. If the artist doesn't wan to do it, then thats it. They don't have to do anything for you for free.

my two cents

[millislim.livejournal.com]

While the OP shouldn't necessarily be entitled to free art holding a contest and not following thru does look bad. Kiribans are about getting those views...new watchers...etc onto your page and nothing does that better than a free art contest. If I'm giving away free art (no effort on contestants needed) I will post...entering does not guarantee free art your clear. And if the artist in question didn't want to fulfil the free art, that they said they would do, they should say so. I would also agree about letting this go and not being a full beware but dangling free art for views and then not following thru isn't cool either. I don't give away more free art than I'm willing to produce. If I can't follow thru it only makes me look bad.

[marblestheskunk.livejournal.com]

Honestly, when artists do contests like this whether it be a kiribin or one of those 'repost' my journal things, it REALLY pisses me off when they do not follow through.

It makes them look extremely unprofessional, as they are basically just trying to get free advertisement, especially with the journal ones.


But yeah I don't think a beware is in order, but as someone who has had this happen to me, it is very annoying to go out of your way and get excited thinking you won something yet they never follow through, if they can't keep their promise to follow through with a contest I don't trust them with a commission either.