I signed up for the Fandom Trumps Hate Auction earlier this year. On finding out who my high bidder was, I emailed them and got a reply where they told me in very vague terms what they wanted (a transformers/SU crossover). I emailed them back to ask which characters and scenario they wanted, things like that, and they didn't reply. They still haven't replied. I've tried to get hold of them multiple times, to send sketches and ask for information that I don't feel I can do this without. I've even tried getting hold of them through the auction organisers to no avail. This has sent my anxiety levels through the roof, and has been for the last month or so. I've spoken to other people about what to do and unaminously they've said that i should leave it, that I've done all I can by trying to make contact, but the thought of letting someone down is kind of overwhelming and I can't work on anything else without feeling desperately guilty that I'm not working on this. It would have been late anyway because I've been having computer issues, and I tried to keep them updated on that, but of course I've had no confirmation they've heard that, either. Does anyone have any ideas about anything further I could do?
If it was me in this kind of situation, I would just throw together a picture based on whatever I could think to make with that crossover, possibly with advice from other people who might enjoy an image like that, and put it up with a note of apology to the creator if it's not what they wanted. More or less a "I tried to make this, I only had a vague idea, so this is what I did. It's a crossover, it's a thing, and I hope it still pleases you" sort of situation, if that makes sense.
as unhelpful as it is to hear based on your brainfluff telling you no, you've done the best you could on the contact front and exhausted all your options. I assume they've paid already? In which case, yeah, going with Paradigm's idea and doing the design to the best of your ability with what you have and a blanket apology would be best. This is the commissioner's fault, not the commissioned. You've done nothing wrong, and if they come back from the void of silence to nitpick, point out [with receipts] all the attempts at contacting them and stand your ground. Maybe offer a free wing-it sketch but you don't need to overexert yourself for a deserter. If they haven't paid, the next highest bidder is best to contact, have them pay [if they still have the money], and do their idea instead.
Yeah, that's probably the best solution. I'm a bit worried that if they haven't been getting my messages they won't see whatever I make, but there's not much I can do about that. And yeah, they've paid. If they hadn't I wouldn't feel anywhere near as bad about dropping it.
If they've paid for it, then I definitely think churning out something is worth the effort. If it exists and isn't in the exact state they want, you've already tried your best to contact them to nail down the finished product, and have even with-held this long from making something you were concerned would be unsatisfactory. I would say presenting whatever you make and having receipts of those messages like Carnivore pointed out just in case they come back from wherever they've gone would be the ideal solution.
They actually replied! And they're not angry about it! Apparently my emails were getting picked up by their spamfilter, which is fair. Thankfully the sketch they wanted developed is the one I've already started so things are back on track
