Need Advice - Unresponsive Commissioner

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

EDIT 2: They have since responded to the last note I sent. They said they never received my previous notes. I'm not so sure, but FA has been getting updated and changed around, so maybe it did glitch or something. But regardless, I have their information now, and I'm going to get the badge sent out ASAP. I'd like to inquire this be marked as 'Resolved', thank you for the advice everyone!

EDIT: I have since noted the Commissioner one last time, stating that they have one week to respond to me before I will no longer send them the badge. If they fail to respond within that time, I will keep the money for now, but if they contact me in the future, I will still be more than willing to give them a refund. But I will NOT send them the badge, if they still want it they can print/laminate it themselves. Thanks for the advice everyone!

About a month ago, I had a client (Whom I'm going to keep anonymous) Commission me for three pieces - A detailed reference sheet, a badge, and a cell phone wallpaper. All three have been finished and posted since, and now my problem is this;

Not only have they merely favorited the reference sheet, neglected to respond at all to the other two commissions as far as favoriting, and haven't commented on any, but they also have been ignoring my notes. They paid for me to print, laminate and ship the badge to them, and when I asked for their address, they read the note but did not respond.

I'm not really sure how to deal with this, as I have the suspicion that they don't like what I gave them for whatever reason, and that's why they're ignoring me. Though correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the right thing to do, be to let the artist know you don't like something about the piece so they can possibly fix it, rather than ignore them altogether?

And I have checked their profile, they have been on FA since the posting of the Commissions and my notes, as they have favorites from mere hours ago (even today), and the two notes I sent were read. I did shout on their page with links to the finished commissions as well, so there's no way they didn't know they were done.

So should I continue noting them? Should I ask if there's something wrong with the piece(s)? Is it wrong on my behalf to think a commissioner should at least comment on the work they bought, if not favorite or re-post it too? Or should I just refund the extra they gave me to ship the badge, and just leave it at that?

Thanks in advance.

Comments

[mazz.livejournal.com]

Send another note telling them you need their address one more time.
In the note state if they do not respond they forfeit the money they paid to have the badge laminated and shipped out. Tell them they have 2 weeks to respond.
You did your half if they can't bother to respond then you owe them nothing.
If they are unhappy with the work they should communicate this to you.

I don't however think they're obligated to fave and comment but really it is a bit rude not to let you know if they like the work you did for them.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

I will try that, thank you.

And I never really thought Commissioners were obligated to comment on a piece, or favorite it (personally if I'm going to re-post the work, I don't favorite it, I just comment on it), but I agree that it's rude to not respond to it at all, or at least let an artist know whether you like it or not.

Thanks!

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

If they paid via paypal, check your record of the transaction for a shipping address. If one was included, when you let the commissioner know that they have 2 weeks to respond, if you receive no response to the contrary, you will ship their stuff to the PayPal addressed, per the agreement originally made on (whatever date it occurred)

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

I didn't think of that. I shall check the transaction. I'm wondering if maybe that's what they expected me to do, if the address is there. Though that doesn't justify ignoring my notes.

[fenrirs-child.livejournal.com]

I always ask for an address after pieces are finished regardless if they attached one to their payment, for two reasons. One, if they didn't put their name or something in the note, it can be hard to find their payment among the many, and even if that's not the case, a confirmation from the customer that the address on paypal is where they still receive mail is better than having it get lost in the mail. As far as paypal is concerned, as long as you shipped to the confirmed address on paypal's records, non-receipt isn't your fault, but my work is handmade so it's not as easily replaced.

tl;dr- the above comment is right on the money.

[funkicarus.livejournal.com]

i don't personally think i'd ask if something were wrong, because that's kind of inviting disaster (they might demand refunds or changes if they see you're feeling not so confident about the transaction!) buuut i would note them again and say something to the effect of 'i really do need your address to mail these, i don't want them to get damaged due to neglect!' or something.

if they paid via paypal, paypal may have retained their address information and you could always use that.

it's also possible they're just a low communication commissioner once the job is done. they do exist! i've had people fav things months later.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

I see, I appreciate the advice.

As suggested by another commenter, I did check Paypal and their address isn't there. So I will note them for their address one last time, if they don't respond, I'll leave it at that.

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

I have no advice on the address part, but a lot of my commissioners never respond or comment, just left a fave. Sometimes not even, just a mere one word reply to my notes. Maybe they are someone like this?

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Well, they did favorite the reference sheet, but they never faved or commented on the other pieces. I'm not really upset about that though, it was more of a question on the etiquette as far as that sort of thing.

[kalika-tybera.livejournal.com]

I second what Mazz suggested above, send them one more note saying you need their address and that you require it by X date. It's not expected for everyone to +fav or comment, but I think it's a bit weird or even rude not to say anything at all or at least let you know if they're happy with it.

I'm actually in a similar boat. I had someone pay me in person at a convention for a commission and said he'd send me the info by email after the con. It's been over a year, I've sent him at least 8 emails and 3 or 4 FA notes (which he hasn't read) and he's ignored all. He is active on the site, however. So weird, I can't even refund him because I don't have his address, it's a stalemate situation.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Wow, your situation is pretty weird. People like that must have a lot of money to just toss it around to artists, and then never follow-up and get what they paid for of their own fault.

And yea, I do find it a little rude to neglect even commenting. Because I am genuinely worried about a piece until the Commissioner says they like/love it. I'm still new to the Commissions game, so I'm not all that confident in my abilities, yet.

[kalika-tybera.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have no idea what to do. I'll refund him if he ever contacts me, but all I can do is hold his money indefinitely until then.

I think we all enjoy getting some sort of feedback. While it's not a requirement, it's nice. I will say over the years I've had a handful of people who never said 'thank you' or let me know if they like it. Not often, but it happens. Sometimes you just have to not worry about it, if there was a serious problem with the art then the ball's in their court to say something about it.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Very true. It is their responsibility to point out any problems.

Thanks for the advice, though! I hope that person contacts you sometime so you can be done with that x3

[henriekeg.livejournal.com]

Funny!
Unrelated but a while ago I commissioned an artist who really was in need of money, and kept asking for the paypal address after the drawing subject was ok-ed. Much later he drew the artwork and really outdid himself, sent me the large version (through notes!), but keeps ignoring my questions about where to pay him! I now got free art which is awesome but I don't want, I want to pay for his hard work!

...it just makes me wonder if these people are simply VERY scatterbrained.

[rtydmartel (from livejournal.com)]

...it just makes me wonder if these people are simply VERY scatterbrained.

If this person is still in a difficult in real-life situation (the urgent need for money leads me to suspect this), then, yes, they're probably juggling all sorts of problems at once (because when you're short of money, problems pile up like woah in a sort of snowball effect) and it's kind of difficult not to let slip some things when you're worrying about so many things and playing damage control in every facet of your life.

I say you keep contacting them periodically (like, once a month or every two months); hopefully one day they'll see in their account your many notes and will contact you.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

That's very unusual indeed! I've never seen an artist completely neglect to provide a payment method o.o

Did you ever end up paying them by now?

[henriekeg.livejournal.com]

Nope, I still didn't. I'll send him another note sometime soon. I won't forget because I'm using the drawing as my desktop background, it's so great!

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Huh, well in that case. The money must not have been all that important to them, then. I wouldn't worry too much over it.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

I would send something like "final notice" to get their attention then state that since the commission was completed on X date, they have until Y date to respond to you with a physical address to mail the badge to. If they do not repond I'd personally take the route of refunding printing and ship costs, if only to avoid any possible negative rep like "they never sent my badge but kept my money!"

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Yah, that's what I've been afraid of. I didn't want to run the risk of being accused of keeping the money without sending the badge, but I also didn't want to just refund them without knowing what's going on either.

But I have sent a note by now in regards to the commission, and gave them a week to respond to me.

[aazhie.livejournal.com]

I don't refund unless I hear from the person... that's it. I'm pretty easy to get a hold of and you are trying to make contact. Hold onto it as long as you can stand, but warn them you cant keep it forever.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

I've sent a note giving them a week to respond, but I have people telling me to refund after that, and some people not to refund xD

I may just say that I'm going to keep the money, and state that when they feel like contacting me, I will still be up for refunding them if they request it, but I'll be past sending the badge. If they still want it by then, they can print/laminate it themselves.

[aazhie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, whatever works for you! It's hard to make a disclaimer for everything, but for me, contact is key. If someone doesn't keep in contact with me OR warn me they will be gone and don't know when they can contact me, their commission is going to not end up as awesome or deluxe unless I know them. I know most folks don't have time to pester me every week, but once a month at least, right?

I think your idea is a good idea, they can deal with it now

(frozen)

[obsidianwolfess.livejournal.com]

I don't feel that you owe the person a refund for failing to give you an address. If anything, just hold onto their artwork in a folder until they finally respond. You were paid for the time to work on their art, not just for shipping. You owe it to yourself to be paid for the work you did.

Like others have said, give him/her a few weeks. Hopefully they'll reply!

(frozen)

[obsidianwolfess.livejournal.com]

By the way.. I saw in your gallery that you seem to have re-used the same pose on the badge AND the cell phone wallpaper. Did you ask them if it was okay to do that?

Because I'd think that being commissioned for two different pieces of art would mean drawing the character twice. That doesn't sit right with me, and if you didn't ask their permission... That might be why they are upset and not replying. As a buyer, I'd have a sour taste in my mouth if that were my commission. At that point, I really do think that you owe them a revision of either the badge or the wallpaper. Just my two cents.

(frozen)

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

The Commissioner stated in their note that they wanted the Cell Phone wallpaper to be exactly the same as the Badge. So yes, I re-used the pose, and revised the background on both respectively.

(frozen)

[obsidianwolfess.livejournal.com]

Good to know.

(frozen)

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Even if it was a problem, that's not grounds to ignore my inquiries about their work. I would have been more than happy to re-do one of the pieces if they'd asked. But they did stress that they wanted those two in particular to be exactly the same.

(frozen)

[obsidianwolfess.livejournal.com]

I wasn't saying it was an excuse for them to ignore your notes. Just was saying that if it hadn't been okay'd by them, that could have been a reason for disappointment. Since it wasn't the case and you got it resolved, doesn't matter much now. Lol.

(frozen)

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

And now with this cleared up, I'm just going to ice the thread.