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[Kitsoru]

Originally Posted by DreaM HunteR

I'm reading this and, hahaha, that is a little fun... I would like to make a list of people who want us to make costumes for them and after all they don't respond too :P

I wouldn't say it's really the same thing the other way around, though. When you as a customer send a quote to a commissioner, you have some level of dependance on them- to respond, to acquire a costume. The commissioner doesn't have anything riding on a commission request if they work on a first pay/first confirm first serve basis. The commissioner can just shrug it off and take another job. It's no water off your back as a commissioner like it is as someone seeking a costume (presumably with a due date for a convention).

Unless you're really desperate for money, but most (note I said most, not all) commissioners do commission work on the side, not as their primary income. For those that do, I can understand frustration with prospective customers not responding once quoted.

[Ineedaname9]

I'm dealing with this right now...it's been two weeks.... I want some sort of communication...like that my commissioner is still alive. T_T I mean I did the whole pay for half now and pay for half after I see the finished product.....but you know that is still a lot of money...

oh where out thou my commissioner!?! -fustrated.....-

[Moondemon]

Originally Posted by Ineedaname9

I'm dealing with this right now...it's been two weeks.... I want some sort of communication...like that my commissioner is still alive. T_T I mean I did the whole pay for half now and pay for half after I see the finished product.....but you know that is still a lot of money...

oh where out thou my commissioner!?! -fustrated.....-

Who did you commission?

[Ineedaname9]

Originally Posted by Moondemon

Who did you commission?

uniquecreator....she responded the day after I wrote this. lol

My other is OperationNK, who is the one I'm more worried about. I did reviews of her work and her site has a lot of good stuff. I got one progress pic and I paid her for the material. ...I just haven't gotten a response in three weeks. Which worries me.

[DreaM HunteR]

Originally Posted by Kitsoru

I wouldn't say it's really the same thing the other way around, though. When you as a customer send a quote to a commissioner, you have some level of dependance on them- to respond, to acquire a costume. The commissioner doesn't have anything riding on a commission request if they work on a first pay/first confirm first serve basis. The commissioner can just shrug it off and take another job. It's no water off your back as a commissioner like it is as someone seeking a costume (presumably with a due date for a convention).

Unless you're really desperate for money, but most (note I said most, not all) commissioners do commission work on the side, not as their primary income. For those that do, I can understand frustration with prospective customers not responding once quoted.

Sorry, but you are a little arrogant with what you actually wrote here... It is also a work and if someone says after hearing the price - ok, I like it and I want you to make costume for me - commissioner automatically "book" time for making this costume and for example waits 10 days for payment which is wasting time if someone didn't respond for commissioners questions if everything's allright ==

But that's an offtop :P

Originally Posted by Ineedaname9

uniquecreator....she responded the day after I wrote this. lol

My other is OperationNK, who is the one I'm more worried about. I did reviews of her work and her site has a lot of good stuff. I got one progress pic and I paid her for the material. ...I just haven't gotten a response in three weeks. Which worries me.

I am really shocked that someone may take your money and then just don't respond O_o those people are just a thieves O_o

[uniquecreator]

You may have had a bad experience with some other commissioner, but I have come through on time with all my commissions as you can research on this same posting service and on Ebay. Please have more confidence and patience while your commission is being made. I have responded to all your PM's and it is August 16th and your commission is due at the beginning of September. I send pictures as soon as the outfit looks decent because I have sent progress pictures and some customers do not understand the process and then they think it is being done wrong, only to find that the end product/outfit came out beautiful and exactly what they wanted. Don't worry I have taken care of all my customers and I plan to do the same with you. -Uniquecreator

[Kitsoru]

Originally Posted by DreaM HunteR

Sorry, but you are a little arrogant with what you actually wrote here... It is also a work and if someone says after hearing the price - ok, I like it and I want you to make costume for me - commissioner automatically "book" time for making this costume and for example waits 10 days for payment which is wasting time if someone didn't respond for commissioners questions if everything's allright ==

lolwat. Of course it is work, yes, but the issue here is not work, but dependence- who is depending on whom to receive something. A commissioner may be somewhat dependent on a customer to reply with whether or not they want the commission they were quoted for, (and therefore, for money), but in the meantime they can accept other work if they have other customers coming to them. For a customer, it is dependent on whether commissioners reply to them whether they get anything at all. And I stated already in my last response re: the issue of commissioners dependent on the commissions for money:

Unless you're really desperate for money, but most (note I said most, not all) commissioners do commission work on the side, not as their primary income. For those that do, I can understand frustration with prospective customers not responding once quoted.

I'm not talking about people who ask for a quote, agree on the commission, and then back out before handing over money. I'm talking about people who ask for a quote, but then don't reply back to it.

Unless you mean that you book time for everyone who asks a quote for you, before confirming that they are going through with the commission in which case personally, I think booking time for a commission without knowing if it's going to happen rather than on a first come first serve basis sounds like a massive waste of time on your part, but if that's how you do it then... Sorry?

[DreaM HunteR]

@kitsoru: I'm not angry about all that (when someone after a few long messages reply yes i want it and that's end) but I think this situation is a little "funny"...
It's not that I'm trying to tell that commissioner has a right to NOT reply when she/he makes costume for someone, becouse she/he has not. My posts are a little offtopic, I hope you understood what I meant well - you wrote:

the issue here is not work, but dependence- who is depending on whom to receive something

I don't want to compare those two situations - when commissioner doesn't reply and when client doesn't reply after a long talk about details of costume, how commissioner wants to make it and after accepting commissioner. That is not what I meant.

[Ineedaname9]

Originally Posted by uniquecreator

You may have had a bad experience with some other commissioner, but I have come through on time with all my commissions as you can research on this same posting service and on Ebay. Please have more confidence and patience while your commission is being made. I have responded to all your PM's and it is August 16th and your commission is due at the beginning of September. I send pictures as soon as the outfit looks decent because I have sent progress pictures and some customers do not understand the process and then they think it is being done wrong, only to find that the end product/outfit came out beautiful and exactly what they wanted. Don't worry I have taken care of all my customers and I plan to do the same with you. -Uniquecreator

XD It was just I sent an message to you before the one you responded to me. My other commissioner is the problem now. I was just being...overly dramatic? I didn't say anything 'bad' or anything toward you I just...was worried? I'm allowed to worry.

The other commissioner OperationNK is the problem. I've sent her several messages and I have gotten nothing just over a month and she has been on recently.

[The Hag]

Originally Posted by Ineedaname9

I'm allowed to worry.

You are allowed to worry, but please understand that a commissioner's business relies heavily on their reputation. Worrying in a public forum and using the commissioner's name when at that point there has been no real failure on the commissioner's part is unfair. If uniquecreator had not seen this thread and responded, you might not have thought to post later, "Oh I was being overly dramatic and worrying for nothing!" People coming along later would see your post and could come away with a poor impression of her. Also please keep in mind that, while communication is important, the more time a commissioner has to spend sending emails and pictures, the less time they have to actually work on people's commissions.

As a commissioner, I have found it helpful to be very specific in my agreements stating that updates will be sent no later than a certain date and that other emails from the customer will be answered as time allows. I keep my end of the bargain and it seems to keep my customers from unnecessary worry as I almost never get emails from them except in response to my own. Of course, my agreements also state that excessive emailing will result in cancellation of the order with a full refund. Frankly, if I ran across a current customer complaining about me by name in a public forum, I would also cancel their order and return their money. Some things are just more trouble than they're worth.

[CapsuleCorp]

I haven't had to make any policies about email/updates like The Hag, and I hope I don't. I'm a little fascinated/curious and a little worried about the difference in expectations between commissioner and customer about the frequency of communication. I mean, I'm not going to take a photo of every single step in the construction of a costume, but if progress photos are requested I'll send them - when the costume looks like something. And not one week after the project has been taken - a good point is halfway between your absolute agreement to the order and your deadline. Every single costume is different, and every commissioner works on their projects in different manners, so it really shouldn't be a surprise that far in advance of your deadline, the commissioner may not have even bought the fabric and thus, has nothing to show and nothing to tell.

Do customer really want weekly emails? Daily? That can come across as nagging, particularly if your deadline is not for two months or more. I can understand that the masses of unreliable commissioners and scammers floating around the Marketplace can make a customer nervous and want to know for sure that they didn't pick a bad one, but at some point you have to just trust your commissioner and don't start freaking out until your deadline is within two weeks and you've heard zippo. I've noticed some people flipping out about their commissions when they're still a month out from the deadline and HAVE gotten at least one update/photo. Don't start reviewing your commissioner until your costume is delivered (or the deadline is past), jumping the gun and worrying whether they'll make it in time only serves to worry other people who may commission them and potentially ruin the commissioner's reputation prematurely.

[Ineedaname9]

I think that one message every two weeks as it get closer to the date is reasonable. If I give you five to six months, in advance one four weeks is reasonable. I'm trying not to nag. If you just tell me " Hello, yes I am working on it. I'll message you when I have pictures to show you. Bye." It's like well okay then glad to know you're alive XD.

Also, as I said IT was more toward the other commissioner I have who still has not responded in over a month.

I did say I got a message from uniquecreator, after sending two messages about a week apart. I was only asking because she said she was going to start at the end of July and she hadn't started sewing it when I asked at the end of july. Which is cool and all but I just wanted to know how far behind she was kinda of deal.

I'm not nagging. Nor am I trying to damage the reputation any of my commissioners. I did type she messaged me afterward. I'm quite pleased with uniquecreator. I can't wait to see how to goes. She was not who I was referring too.

Also the title of this thread is "Commissioners who don't respond", is this not a case of a commissioner not responding?

I am have paid for half of the commission already, then if I ask 'how is it going' after two weeks after the last udpate the commissioner should respond in a few days or so? Not leaving me hanging for a month on end wondering why they are avoiding me? I do realize it is a hobby thing but still have some responsiblity and at least give me an update every month or something. It doesn't even have to be an update she could just say I have yet to work on it or something.

Also I didn't mention their name in my original post. Someone asked me to name them. Maybe I should not have mentioned their names but you know how am I suppost to know if they are not a scammer if I do not mention their names? Maybe someone recognized their name and could have told me that 'yes they are a scammer I have been scammed by them blah blah blah.' At least then I would have some peace of mind. Even if it's 'Oh damnit I've been scammed there goes my money.'

[Axelai]

Jumping in here.

In my experience, I think its best if commissioners send an update that they've bought needed supplies, an update when they're working on the costume, and then maybe a progress photo if requested. Then for sure, a picture when its done so we know its done.

I usually request progress photos in case they pick a wrong color of fabric, or if theres small details we didn't discuss that I want changed. For example, when Loserific worked on my Darry costume. She didn't send any progress photos of the scarf. Just when she finished. And it turns out, she did the bottom parts as triangles instead of diamonds like she should have. Had she messaged me and asked, looked closer at the reference, or shown me progress pictures, this could have been avoided. Now she refuses to fix it (and has dropped off the face of the earth as you all know).

Regardless. There are many things that can be remedied by asking the customer. As they're the ones actually wearing and paying for the costume, so you should always get their opinion on things you're not sure about.

Working everything out in the beginning can fix most of these problems. But you know what I mean. If they say "Hey have any progress photos?" and you say "Yeah, here's a pic of the shirt I'm working on." Then its good. If you refuse, that's when customers start to panic. Like you are refusing because you're scamming them out of your money, or you're lying about the fact you've started it. Customers who have had bad experiences previously tend to get iffy about the commissioners.

Food for thought here. I'm just saying this in my experience.

[The Hag]

Originally Posted by Axelai

Working everything out in the beginning can fix most of these problems.

This is absolutely key. Commissioners can save themselves a lot of headaches by deciding what level of communication is not going to be onerous for them and spelling it out explicitly in a written agreement. Things like:

• you will get an email on or before this date telling you I am starting
• you will get an email on or before this/these date(s) with (or without) a progress photo
• you will get an email on or before this date with a photo of the completed costume

Then sticking to it.

As a customer, if a commissioner doesn't offer an agreement like this then ask for one. If they refuse - find another commissioner. If the commissioner starts missing specific deadlines then I agree, the customer has the right to complain. If the customer feels they have no recourse other than complaining in public, then so be it.

Originally Posted by CapsuleCorp

I haven't had to make any policies about email/updates like The Hag, and I hope I don't.

My standard agreement continues to evolve. My policy of cancelling orders due to excessive emailing was the direct result of an extremely time consuming interaction. It all ended well but I had no desire to go through it again. I am open to people's questions and concerns regarding my standard policies. If a potential customer were to say to me, "Gee, you know, I'm kind of a worry-wart. Can we add an extra update around such-and-such a date?" I'd be fine with that. It's just best to have everyone's expectations set out beforehand.

[Ineedaname9]

...I feel like never asking for a commission again. Is it really nagging for me to ask my commissioner ever two weeks a 'hey how's it going?' then when the person doesn't respond in over a month just my only option is to wait till my deadline is past?

That seems wrong... If can't get the item thru the person I asked and paid to have it commissioned then don't I have a right to get someone else to do it for me? If I need it by a date then the longer I wait the more expensive its going to be for me to find someone else to make the items for me by the same date.

Also, I did try and contact her thru email and her blog with no response. Honestly, what other option did I have? It shows that she does come online here. As proof of her last time she visited time.