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COMMISSION/CUSTOM WORK POLICY
14 years ago
COMMISSION/CUSTOM WORK POLICY
I think it's important for any artist to have one of these, so I thought I'd write one up real quick, just for reference purposes. I'm not so much using this as 'insurance' for myself in the case of a disagreement, simply so you guys know that we're on the same page, and know what your rights are.
Waiting Period: (Paid work only)
When waiting on work from me, this is how I like to see the timeline.
1-14 Days: Please give me this amount of time before you begin contacting me about progress on your work, or, if you'd rather, a refund. I am a slow worker, and also have days where I just can't get anything out, so I need some time to get things looking proper :P
2 weeks +: At this point, after fourteen days have passed, you're free to send me a polite message asking on the progress of your commission, or how long I think it will be. I have progress on all work listed on my journals (see below) but I will be more than happy to let you know the estimated time till completion, and why I may be taking longer on the work. If you'd like a refund at this point, you're welcome to ask for it.
4 weeks +: After a month has passed, you as the paying commissioner have every right to ask for a refund, whether I've begun your commission or not. There will be no hard feelings, I will be very apologetic (because, honestly, I know that asking for a refund isn't fun for either party) and you will get the money you paid whether I can afford to give it or not. Obviously, I would still prefer you be polite, since no one likes working with someone who treats them disrespectfully, and you will NEVER hear me treat you or anyone else with disrespect. If you ask for a refund, or even just progress inquiry, I will let you know why it's taken me so long and when I will have yours done. If you'd still like a refund, then you'll get it! :) No questions asked.
Waiting Period: (Unpaid work only)
When it comes to contest prizes, trades, or requests, things are a bit less lenient on your end since you're not a paying customer. Obviously, it varies for those who give me something in return, and those that are simply requests.
Contest Prizes: If you've won a contest prize from me, I will prioritize it over free work, but not over paid work. This may take me anywhere from a few days to a few months, but I WILL do my best to complete it for you. If you contact me to cancel your prize, I will not argue, I will just remove you from my list. If you contact me to ask about progress politely, I will let you know why its taking the amount of time that it is and when I think it will be done. If you are rude to me, I will remove you from my list and not complete your contest prize.
Trades: Trades are a lesser priority than paid work, but higher than anything else. Sometimes, I will intersperse trades between paid work since designs are easier/more fun for me, but generally, you will have to wait a bit of time if I have commissions in progress. If it's been around 4 weeks since you've completed your end of the trade, you're more than welcome to contact me and ask about it, I will be more than apologetic! I love doing trades, so I always try to get them done quickly. If you want to cancel a trade, just let me know, I'll understand! If it's been more than a month or two, though, and neither of us have completed our halves, I will usually either contact you and ask if it's still on, or just assume it's canceled.
Requests: Requests are simply this: optional. If I take requests and do not complete them, it's really my right not to do so since I am getting nothing in return. Clearly, I feel bad whenever I take requests and then don't do them, but sometimes that just happens with me (usually, actually). I will sometimes go back to old request boards and use references offered for freebies now and again.
Rework/Refund Policy:
If you're unhappy with the work I complete for you, you have several options, depending on the type of work it is.
Custom Designs/Adoptables: If you don't like the design I've completed for you, you can either sell it to someone else for the same or less price that you bought it for (NEVER sell designs I give you for more than you paid!), or I will resell it and redo the design for you.
Commissions: I am more than willing to make minor changes to finished commission pieces, such as color changes, markings, expressions, etc. When it comes to more drastic changes, it is much harder for me to do. If the mistake is on my end (I completely overlook a detail you told me) I will redo it for you, but if you simply forgot to mention that your character's hair is waaay longer or that you wanted them looking chubby rather than thin, I will not correct the mistake, simply because it takes me too much time. If you'd like it redone anyway, I may charge a fee.
Refunds: As stated above, so long as you've waited an acceptable amount of time, I will refund your money without question, whether I have it to give or not. Please also note the details regarding manners below for this!
MANNERS***
This is VERY important! I take social etiquette very seriously and never excuse rude or disrespectful behavior, no matter the circumstance. If you contact me at any time, whether it's been a few days or a few months that you've been waiting, and you treat me with disrespect, I will NOT cooperate with you with the respect I'm not being shown. If you contact me and are simply rude, I will refund your money (or work out whatever the issue is) but never work with you again in the future. However, if you are HOSTILE (I will ask a third party for their opinion on the matter, in case I'm just being sensitive) I will NOT refund your money, I will not cooperate with you, and I will simply tell you that your behavior was unacceptable and block you. This may seem harsh, but I go out of my way to be kind and respectful to people, especially when it comes to business and other people's money. I will NEVER have an attitude with you, even if I think you're wrong, so I expect the same courtesy in return.
Uploading my work:
If you've bought a commission from me or an adoptable, you are more than welcome to upload it anywhere that allows you to, so long as you give me explicit credit for the work and link back to me in some way. Either to my profile or to the originally uploaded work. If I see my artwork uploaded anywhere without credit, whether it's a commission/adoptable you bought from me or not, I will contact you and ask you to credit me. If you don't, I will report the submission as theft.
If you order a commission or custom from me and do NOT want it uploaded anywhere, I will just upload it to a third party image host (ie. tinypic, iaza, etc.) And link it to you in a note or email. No biggie!
DISCLAIMER:
I find it unacceptable when artists treat their paying commissioners poorly, in or outside of transactions. When I take someone's money, I am giving them my time and doing them a favor. The customer is always right, you know? So I will always go out of my way to be polite, understanding, and courteous to customers, and do what I can to keep them happy. I will not tolerate disrespect or rudeness, as stated above. I will not tolerate anyone being needlessly impatient (contacting me after a few days). So long as you're kind to me, I will be kind to you, it's that simple!
I WILL NEVER TAKE ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THOSE I ALREADY HAVE FIRST! I know how infuriating that can be, so I never do it. If I do this and you're waiting on a commission from me, this may mean that I've forgotten about you or there was a mix up of some kind. Just kindly note me and I will let you know! (It may also be because I'm about done/just finished your commission and simply haven't gotten it to you yet). This does not apply for adoptables or trades!
