Question on Custom Headsculpt (HELP)

[Kvale]

Just wondering... what’s the average lead time to make a custom headsculpt and what’s the price range for commission out here?

I commissioned someone to help me make a custom headsculpt for 500USD in OCTOBER LAST YEAR. What we agreed was I’d pay 50% ($250) for him to start work, then I’ll receive REGULAR photo updates on the progress of the sculpt, and I’ll receive it BEFORE Christmas last year.

I received ONE photo update from him somewhere in late November along with no news thereafter. Some time after New Year, seeming his lack of updates, I took the initiative to ask if he could propose a NEW deadline which he could realistically meet. He avoided answering that Fast forward to 2018, 2 months overdue from our agreed deadline (FEBRUARY 2018) and lack of any further updates and MIA from my attempts to contact him, I opened a case in PayPal asking for a refund if he can’t deliver. He replied rather promptly to that asking me to close the case with (FINALLY!) new photo updates. Though I’m not an expert at customs but I didn’t see much transformation of the headsculpt from the one he sent back in November. Well, but since I was still pretty interested in getting that custom done, I agreed to close the case. So fast forward again. APRIL 2018, freaking SIX months since our initial agreement and FOUR months overdue, I’ve only received two real updates on the progress. The rest of the time he’ll just be updating me on his life - how busy he is in his real life, that he got sick etc etc etc...

Now that I don’t have the option of asking for a refund via PayPal anymore. God knows when the headsculpt will be done, I’m losing my patience and literally all interest in wanting the headsculpt now. It doesn’t help knowing that it’s very much overdue from our initial agreed deadline and I still have to pay another $250 (plus shipping cost!) when it’s done. It’s not a small amount for a college student

Would appreciate (any) insights from pros out here if this is usual for custom works to be overdue etc.

 

[attom44]

Sadly because you seem like a very nice person.. you should have never closed your case..my fear is you may never see your finished custom.. Good luck I hope it works out!

 

[Stryker2011]

Yep. You should never have closed the case until he sent the item. Feel free to let everyone here know who the culprit is; you’ve been scammed, and it sucks, but you should warn others so this doesn’t happen to anyone else. I got burned a few years ago under similar circumstances over at the OSW.

 

[jal76]

This is not even about how long the sculpt should take because it really depends...this is more about some obviously shady behavior...sadly as other posters have suggested in this case it will probably be never...

 

[Pauln6a]

I think the timings vary since the industry is quite small and subject to peaks and troughs at the various stages. I ordered a head in July 2016, which has just been sent to the painters this month. I still haven't seen it but I'm hoping it's OK. The suspense is killing me but at least it stopped me blowing loads of cash on other customs in the meantime.

 

[yruh8n]

Custom work takes time, and the tolerance for wait time seems to depend more on the artist than any industry standard. If you look over in the custom section there are some post about a painter who has had people's heads for nearly two years and still hasn't delivered the finished product. Someone even suggested that if the artist was offered "more money" he might get to the promised work sooner. No one is calling that person out because of his fan base and reputation as a great painter. A sculptor charging $500 for a custom sculpt probably has to juggle several projects at once to maintain their business. I have waited that long and longer, but I was familiar with the artist and was willing to wait. It helped that it was someone well known with a long history of producing custom heads and seemed unlikely to flake out. I hope things work out for you. I saw another thread about a sculptor who crashed and burned. From the artist I have talked to it is a tough business. If you aren't considered one of the top dogs, it can be a long slow grind.

 

[SigitoSutasmano]

Custom work takes time, and the tolerance for wait time seems to depend more on the artist than any industry standard. If you look over in the custom section there are some post about a painter who has had people's heads for nearly two years and still hasn't delivered the finished product. Someone even suggested that if the artist was offered "more money" he might get to the promised work sooner. No one is calling that person out because of his fan base and reputation as a great painter. A sculptor charging $500 for a custom sculpt probably has to juggle several projects at once to maintain their business. I have waited that long and longer, but I was familiar with the artist and was willing to wait. It helped that it was someone well known with a long history of producing custom heads and seemed unlikely to flake out. I hope things work out for you. I saw another thread about a sculptor who crashed and burned. From the artist I have talked to it is a tough business. If you aren't considered one of the top dogs, it can be a long slow grind.

Agreed

 

[dukefett]

I would get a refund and then tell him to give you another invoice for the same initial amount to always stay under buyer protection. Don't overpromise. What's with half these guys who have problems delivering always getting "sick" all the time? Don't say what you can't do. I don't have much sympathy for people that get in over their heads. It's not like $250 is life changing money. If you have a backlog, don't take the job, or don't take the goddamn money more importantly. He should have refunded you and then do another invoice or tell you he can't do the work.

 

[TimespliTT]

i got sean dabbs to sculpt a head, boots, guns, hands, belt in just 2 months, printed and shipping after 5 months and that was him busy and having a small opening. so if he can do something in 2-5 month anyone should be able to just to a model headsculpt in 2-3 months