Dear Especially Owned Bad Client

[Seraph]

Dear Bad Client,

You didn't pay me the $100 for the images I see you using on your 99designs contest. Due to that, I just got your contest pulled.

BTW, sorry that the $295 deposit you made for that contest is nonrefundable. :|

Sincerely,
Seraph

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Seriously, just been having hilariously awesome luck with dispensing justice to bad clients lately. About time I got a chance to cash in on some of the Good Guy Points I've had saved up!

Edit: Found out that the client was running a SECOND contest for $175. Also pulled down. She's been banned from the site too, so she in total, lost $470 for trying to get out of paying $100. Ouch.

[Evandril]

What odds do you want to put they'll try a third time someplace else?

[barainga]

Another score for the good guys!

[Hawaiian Eskimo]

But, that $100 would cut into the profit she'd make when she won the contest!

I think the 12 year old kid on my TF2 server can just about sum this up: "lol, owned"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Dear deadbeat,

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ha!

Sincerely,
Seraph

[Akasa]

I'd remind them of the $100 they owed you at this point and point out that their contest entries wouldn't have been pulled if they had paid you in the first place... just to rub it in.

[Seraph]

What odds do you want to put they'll try a third time someplace else?

Slim, because now she realizes I'll get her again LOL

Dear deadbeat,

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ha!

Sincerely,
Seraph

Oh man, I'm so gonna have to use that

I'd remind them of the $100 they owed you at this point and point out that their contest entries wouldn't have been pulled if they had paid you in the first place... just to rub it in.

Yep, totally going to actually do that, LOL.

[LillFilly]

Seraph, you always get so much win! I am jealous.

[Moosenogger]

I'm not privy to this sort of thing, so I have to ask:

Did this lady request some custom designs/artwork from you, then enter it into a contest without paying you for it? And she had to pay money to enter this contest, which was then lost (due to it being non-refundable) when her entry was removed from said contest?

If so, that is awesome. Bet she wishes she had been less of a tightwad and just paid the $100.

[KingOfAllSocks]

That seems a bit scammy anyway - why should someone have to pay $295 to enter a design contest?

[thehuckster]

That seems a bit scammy anyway - why should someone have to pay $295 to enter a design contest?

AFAIK, you only need to pay $295 to host a design contest. I haven't used 99designs before, but I believe individual companies pay a certain amount of money to "host" a contest on the site, and the winner of that contest earns the royalties that come out of using the logo.

...which makes the OP confusing to me. The OP is saying the client's contest got pulled and lost the deposit (as opposed to contest entry). What is the rationale behind taking your design and using it in a contest to pick a new design?

[Sapphire Silk]

AFAIK, you only need to pay $295 to host a design contest. I haven't used 99designs before, but I believe individual companies pay a certain amount of money to "host" a contest on the site, and the winner of that contest earns the royalties that come out of using the logo.

...which makes the OP confusing to me. The OP is saying the client's contest got pulled and lost the deposit (as opposed to contest entry). What is the rationale behind taking your design and using it in a contest to pick a new design?

I admit, I'm confused by this too. I thought the SC was the one running the contest, and had to pay to do so on the site? So the SC had a purpose in holding the contest and either was getting entry fees or ad revenue which has now been lost, was what I thought originally happened.

Seraph? Can you clarify?

[Seraph]

Seraph, you always get so much win! I am jealous.

I don't always do, its normally the opposite. Just had a run of luck lately I guess, LOL.

I'm not privy to this sort of thing, so I have to ask:

Did this lady request some custom designs/artwork from you, then enter it into a contest without paying you for it? And she had to pay money to enter this contest, which was then lost (due to it being non-refundable) when her entry was removed from said contest?

If so, that is awesome. Bet she wishes she had been less of a tightwad and just paid the $100.

Seraph? Can you clarify?

Can do! Ok, so basically she hired me to do some custom banner images for her. She promptly didn't pay, posted them on her website, and then went to 99designs and paid for a contest. On that site, you have to put a nonrefundable prize money deposit down. That way, contests are "guaranteed" to have a winner, because...well, you ain't gettin' yo' money back!

Her contest was for $295, had my images being used in the project details, and the whole point of the contest was to copy what I did, just slightly differently, and with a different color scheme. So, basically asking for people to copyright infringement! However, nobody knew that, as she was claiming in the contest to have full rights to the images. Hahahahahaaaaaa--No.

If in the case that a contest holder violates the terms and conditions of the site, say by stealing images and using them for the contest, then they are banned, and all their contests closed. Their money is nonrefundable.

I'd reported the one $295 contest, but it turns out she had another one running, also using my images in the brief, for $175. So she was out on both of them.

That seems a bit scammy anyway - why should someone have to pay $295 to enter a design contest?

Not enter, the contest holder pays it. Its free for designers, but it still sucks butt because you still have like a low chance of winning. Sure, you may win, you may get paid, but it's normally not worth the time invested. And you have to then factor in all the contests you won't win....more wasted time.

Because of this, I very very rarely enter contests, but its always funny because I get like fifteen personal invitations to contests per week.

[Andara Bledin]

If the contests have open viewing of the entrants, it might be good for newer designers to enter them just to have their work out there to be seen. Like with American Idol. Sure, everybody wants to actually win, but even if they just have a halfway decent showing they often still can get a contract from it.

It'd be an awesome way to build a portfolio, too. Rather than just make designs to beef it up, make designs that have a chance of getting you a paycheck as a bonus.

^-.-^

[Kalani]

Seraph, I especially love your takedowns, because you get the right to be extra bitchy and ownful, and that makes for the BEST stories!