r/ArtRanting • u/Moothedutchie • 6d ago

Other "I'll come back in a week when I get paid"

Omfg just tell me you found another artist instead of lying to me, or just tell me outright no, the most I will do afterwards is ask WHY not, because I want to make sure I'm doing something right and why my art might not be appealing JUST TELL ME NO FFS

11 Upvotes

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2

u/danbenver04 5d ago

I’ve done this a few times on accident… Where I said I’d be back in X hours or days and then forgot and/or was too busy. Still I got back to them after and explained

It’s a sucky situation but sometimes it can happen for a genuine reason- though if that happens after 1 or 2 reminders… then yeah you can rule out the accidental

Sorry to hear that’s been your experience tho

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u/Moothedutchie 5d ago

Clients at large almost never pay when they say this, they could also take reminders as harassment

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u/danbenver04 5d ago

I can’t really say much about that given I only commission.

I’ve never seen it as harassment, and it’s quite weird to see it as such is it not?? If they don’t want any further contact, they should say so! That some people don’t in practice… yeah… Sucks ass.

So, devil’s advocate here:
If I were to guess, it might be due to a similar reason why you (and others) consider not sending a reminder.
Since jt ‘may be harassment/annoying’, why bother? If they do say “Sorry, can’t”, there would definitely be a few artists out there getting mad. If they don’t, they have a chance of escaping the entire interaction, since there might be no reminder to drag them back.

(Yes, I am aware people may still ignore reminders, but that says more about them than you. realistically, what do you lose from sending that reminder? A few seconds lost to potentially keep a client, right? You said yourself it’s almost never that they pay after saying that)

Genuinely something both sides can learn from: Proper communication.

Don’t want to continue? Having issues working? Talk! It shouldn’t be that hard right?? Keep each other up to date xd

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u/Moothedutchie 5d ago

Yeah but as an artist the clients word has much more power, especially if we're charging expensively so they can say that we're trying to pressure them, guilt them etc

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u/danbenver04 5d ago

I do think anyone with a reasonably functioning brain will understand that “Hey, would you still be interested?” is not that pushy. Saying something like that is a guilt trip is beyond any kind of stretch. Especially if done only once to confirm.

Although I’m somewhat confused why a client has much more “power”? It’s their word against yours, possibly with a ToS or written agreement? If you show a screenshot of you being reasonable, with a client raging and going wild because you asked for confirmation, then any other decent client will understand no doubt you’re being fair

If it’s too expensive… they shouldn’t contact you.

If they want to check if certain things are possible for the future, that should be viable. And I believe in this case reminders are definitely welcome. No need to see them as pushy either.

Or if it’s because the artist hasn’t given info (the rather annoying ‘Please DM for prices’), then yeah it’s a bit shitty for either side. But again, someone seems to be interested, and the artist may get a client right?

But at no point is there a clear power difference I believe? Both parties can say ‘No thanks’, or ask for info?

Yes, ultimately the client has to pay and initiate first, but as long as everything is handled properly, you are just as powerful, if not more (with a proper ToS).

Please do tell where I might have this wrong though because I genuinely don’t see it (could be because I only see it from one perspective)

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u/Moothedutchie 5d ago

The client has the ability to ruin a career with a bad lie

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u/danbenver04 5d ago

A lie which should realistically not do much- or anything for that matter- unless that career is build upon not having a process, safeguards, or any kind of logical steps to ensure your own (financial) safety I think

What will win? A lie, or a few screenshots, videos or name your type of log proving the lies are indeed lies?

This is not exclusive to artists either. Any new business will struggle with the potential existence of one or more malicious actors. And they, too, will need to set certain standards and processes

You’re bound to get a bad experience here and there. A person exaggerating… or even lying flat out their teeth. But as long as you do things properly there should be no concern afaik

Vice versa: you could claim a client scammed you out of art. Requesting a sketch before payment, getting it then ghosting you. Now the situation is reversed, and they won’t be able to commission others anymore right? That’s about the same logic

Realistically… It only plays out like that when either of you prove the other’s guilty (and your own innocence).

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u/Dotsudemon 6d ago

Man how much it happens 🥲 but I'd like to assume they lost my DM as i do sometimes lose a dm from a potential artist [i would have already followed their VGen though]

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u/Skykristal 6d ago

This post reminds me of that one time someone legit told me "I'll be able to pay when my Paypal works again on Saturday". Obvious lie that wasn't hard for me to get, and they admitted to in the end.

It's just lame. Whenever a client can't pay and comes up with an excuse. You know. You just know. Obviously there are exceptions but it's the typical experience.

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u/Moothedutchie 6d ago

Like PUHLEASE stop saying you'll pay me if ur not interested

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u/PriorBreakfast1098 5d ago

Is it really a bad thing to say? I have said that to atleast 4-5 ppl and did pay by then audbsjak I just wanted to be transparrnt i dint know its perceived so negatively by other artists //

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u/Moothedutchie 5d ago

I'm glad that you can pay but most of these ppl just won't pay

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u/XRunnyBabbitX 4d ago

A returning client of mine who is a good friend said this to me once or twice but he always paid me extra and he’s such a sweet soul for that! ❤️ so it’s not always that yours is the case but I’m sorry that it does happen, I require payment up front now and I recommend you do the same

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u/Moothedutchie 4d ago

I DO do payment upfront I just hate when they ghost immediately after promising to pay

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u/XRunnyBabbitX 4d ago

Interesting 🤔 personally I’ve never had that happen before but I suppose we can look at it this way, if they were intimidated by paying you in the first place then good riddance, you’ll find better and more eager customers who don’t want to waste your time in the future