"Heavy Horse AWOL?" Topic

Is Don Settle still painting? I paid him to do a job and haven't seen any figures. Over a year now.
Hope he is well and my figures will arrive shortly.
Sensitive to pandemic and crashed economy so paid for $300 USD
of painting in advance. I expect Honor amongst wargamers.

Radetzky March
aka Max

Go with Fernando dude, Fernando.

I feel your pain. If there is one thing I've learned, never, ever pay a miniatures painter a deposit…ever.

Thanks guys.
Lesson learned.
Max

"I feel your pain. If there is one thing I've learned, never, ever pay a miniatures painter a deposit…ever."

Actually that's not very fair. If you talk with a lot of professional painters of figures that will tell you that "in order to keep interest or some form of guarantee", for a commission they usually require a deposit or fee for the project when it starts.
This started because so many people would send figures to painters who would then paint them and have them ready only to find the buyer has changed his mind, or came back with "Oh man…I know when I agree for you to do this that I said I would you 1000 dollars for all of these figures, but like…wow man…I didn't know you really wanted me to pay the 1000 dollars I agree upon….How about 150? Will that do?…"
And as for paying deposits, well…renters have to usually do the same thing with landlords for apartments and houses, and car dealerships usually need a down payment (deposit) before you can sign the paper and drive off with the wheels you want… So why shouldn't mini painters be any different?

Yeah that was the exact same spiel they gave me about deposits.

However, in every case where Ive paid deposits, the painter has become evasive and unresponsive and it has taken an unreasonable amount of time to get my stuff. I always get my stuff but the deposit serves as some sort of license to abuse me.

All of the non deposit painters stay in constant contact and I generally get my stuff in a reasonable amount of time. There are some exceptions where non-deposit painters take a long time to complete a project but they never ghost me.

Thus, when I hear a painter wants a deposit, Im gone.

And as for paying deposits, well…renters have to usually do the same thing with landlords for apartments and houses, and car dealerships usually need a down payment (deposit) before you can sign the paper and drive off with the wheels you want… So why shouldn't mini painters be any different?

I dont see these as apt analogies because in both cases, you are getting something that is already created either immediately or almost immediately.

Speaking of deposits…
Well there was more to the story of Heavy Horse stiffing me.
I sent the painter Heavy Horse extra figures as a potential trade for additional figures in the future. So in essence I paid him twice, in lead and in cash.
I had hoped peer pressure would help with this…other painters I have used are class acts…
But if anyone knows Don Settle, he should at least return
the figs I sent him.

I imagine you have tried calling him, e mailing etc?

All his contact details are here on TMP;

TMP link

But there may well have been some problem in the meanwhile (this was dated 2013)

I have been waiting over a year on an order. I always pay immediately. I always offer to put a deposit down. I am always polite and understanding (perhaps too polite.) I have stayed in communication. I believe I am an excellent customer. So why over a year? Very frustrating and I am running out of US based painters. There are not that many who do historical. The UK has plenty of painters but the shipping almost doubles the cost.

The UK has plenty of painters but the shipping almost doubles the cost.

It does? I suppose if you are only getting $100 USD worth of panting. What mailing service are we talking about? USPS or a courier?

I get a lot of minis painted in the UK and the postage is dwarfed by the painting costs.