I just got a note in my inbox that says thus:
"I think I paid you for a badge and
if so you told me you were gonna contact me after ac and its been a month."
Now, I did get a number of commissions, but I kept great records and I KNOW that I did every commission that I received. Thankfully, I make receipts for any commission over $15, and most of my badges fall into that category. I find, if for no other reason, it reminds the commissioner that they have a commission to pickup, and I always write my table-name and number so that they can relocate me. I admit, i don't always do it for the $10 badges--they're generally very quick by comparison and never ones I potentially take home.
I've asked him to scan the receipt if he has one, and that he probably has a different artist since I'm 100% certain I finished my que.
If he was to get upset or insist what should I do? I mean, if this ended up here, aside from pointing out that he doesn't have a reciept I have no idea how else I could defend myself against a claim like that.
And secondly, is this possibly someone trying to get free art? It would be a very easy scam to pull with some artists >.> Especially if others are getting similar notes. *EDIT TO ADD* I'm not saying I think he's a scam artist! I'm JUST saying that a scam like this would be very easy to pull.
Update: I got a second note, with a bit more detail, he's emailing everyone in my general area at the con because he knows where he got a commission from but not who from. He described someone putting the data in the back of a notebook--I don't use a notebook, so it's definitely not me =3 I totally understand getting confused--but for the record, I imagine that most people would A. give details about the commission in the first note rather than the vague example above, and B. be a lot more polite in the same situation.
"I think I paid you for a badge and
if so you told me you were gonna contact me after ac and its been a month."
Now, I did get a number of commissions, but I kept great records and I KNOW that I did every commission that I received. Thankfully, I make receipts for any commission over $15, and most of my badges fall into that category. I find, if for no other reason, it reminds the commissioner that they have a commission to pickup, and I always write my table-name and number so that they can relocate me. I admit, i don't always do it for the $10 badges--they're generally very quick by comparison and never ones I potentially take home.
I've asked him to scan the receipt if he has one, and that he probably has a different artist since I'm 100% certain I finished my que.
If he was to get upset or insist what should I do? I mean, if this ended up here, aside from pointing out that he doesn't have a reciept I have no idea how else I could defend myself against a claim like that.
And secondly, is this possibly someone trying to get free art? It would be a very easy scam to pull with some artists >.> Especially if others are getting similar notes. *EDIT TO ADD* I'm not saying I think he's a scam artist! I'm JUST saying that a scam like this would be very easy to pull.
Update: I got a second note, with a bit more detail, he's emailing everyone in my general area at the con because he knows where he got a commission from but not who from. He described someone putting the data in the back of a notebook--I don't use a notebook, so it's definitely not me =3 I totally understand getting confused--but for the record, I imagine that most people would A. give details about the commission in the first note rather than the vague example above, and B. be a lot more polite in the same situation.
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If you're postivie you're finished with your work and he can't provide a receipt or even how much he paid for it i would assume such.
Do you keep track of usernames/e-mails for future contact or something that might make his name/username/e-mail look familiar?
I thought that too, given that the note was so vague.
I thought it was vague to the point of fishing. Not knowing if you commissioned an artist is one thing, but it's such an easy scam to pull if you observe what looks to be a less-than-organized artist and one that aims to please and responds to pressure like "AC was a month ago, why haven't you contacted me?." It wouldn't be hard to look through someone's gallery and fabricate a vague story about a commission, always with the out of "oops, wrong artist!"
That said, I only considered that possibility, I didn't automatically think "OMG SCAMMER."
However, it may just be a case of 'buyer took cards for a few artist he commissioned, and got you confused with someone else that took his commission home'. If you can get him to give more details on what he bought, you might be able to weed out if this is the case.
I wouldn't jump to a 'scam' conclusion, the size of the Alley at AC can be a bit hard to navigate during and after the con, I know I've mixed up artists before and did the same thing with a badge taken home, emailed the wrong artist.
I considered scam only because the note was so vague and with an "if so." I just thought that was odd.
Let us know what happens from here!
I think the trick is to be polite but firm, and stick to your guns if he's honestly not one of your commissioners. After all, if you didn't take any work from him and have no proof that you did, and neither does he, then he doesn't really have a leg to stand on in his argument. Just be polite., which I'm sure you will.
Good luck!
Here's hoping it's resolved with a simple "I'm sorry, you have the wrong artist."
If he tries to raise a stink, frankly, he's got no proof at all that you're the artist he commissioned and even said as much in his message to you. You need only state the truth to defend your position, and he's got nothing to use as evidence to make you look bad if it heads that direction. Reasonable people will see the difference.
I have a little form I fill out for everything except my pre-made stuff (I track those sales another way). It was cheap and easy to print out 25-30 pages and keep it in a binder, keeps me from losing track of who I owe art to :)