Ghost Host
Sr Member
I've been struggling for weeks about posting this, but really, there's no reason not to at this point. The short of it is that I paid $4000 (via Paypal) to "renowned" UK sculptor Mike Hill to sculpt a Walt Disney likeness and mold it and ship me the mold, nearly 5 years ago (summer of 2004); and still have nothing to show for it.
After I paid him, he pushed the start of the project back several months. He did get a good start on the bust, finally, but his quoted timeframe of 6 to 8 weeks shot by. After some nagging I got some progress photos that weren't bad, but I had some comments, which was part of the initial agreement that he consider my suggestions on certain details as I saw fit to mention. Then, after several more months went by, for some reason he decided on his own to resculpt the thing. I finally saw photos of it and it looked ok, but he just seemed to stop at that point. He had made a comment in passing that he wasn't into the likeness I commissioned him for. Then communication dropped to nearly nothing. Several more months went by. The only time I ever got any response from him was when I'd send a firm e-mail to him (but I never threatened him or used harsh language). I finally decided after over a year of no progress to ask for my money back. He was resistant, and for the most part continued to ignore me. At one point he did actually send me a check for $500, but nothing afterward. Several more months went by, I decided that I'd try a different approach and asked him for either one of his finished pieces in his collection, or ask him to sculpt something he might be more into, being as he's into Hammer films... so I suggested that he could do a Dave Prowse bust for me instead, if that would work better for him. He seemed excited at the prospect so we moved in that direction and I sent him alot of new reference material. But the same treatment continued towards my commission... nothing. Time went by and more e-mails and I even heard that he was producing a sculpting video last year so I contacted him and asked about including the Prowse bust in it, and he agreed. Now he won't even return e-mails and his phone has been disconnected.
Do I have any legal recourse after 4.5 years? Any suggestions on this issue with Mike Hill? I'd even take half of my money back and call it good, if I could. There are many other things I'd like to do with the money he's apparently stolen from me.
After I paid him, he pushed the start of the project back several months. He did get a good start on the bust, finally, but his quoted timeframe of 6 to 8 weeks shot by. After some nagging I got some progress photos that weren't bad, but I had some comments, which was part of the initial agreement that he consider my suggestions on certain details as I saw fit to mention. Then, after several more months went by, for some reason he decided on his own to resculpt the thing. I finally saw photos of it and it looked ok, but he just seemed to stop at that point. He had made a comment in passing that he wasn't into the likeness I commissioned him for. Then communication dropped to nearly nothing. Several more months went by. The only time I ever got any response from him was when I'd send a firm e-mail to him (but I never threatened him or used harsh language). I finally decided after over a year of no progress to ask for my money back. He was resistant, and for the most part continued to ignore me. At one point he did actually send me a check for $500, but nothing afterward. Several more months went by, I decided that I'd try a different approach and asked him for either one of his finished pieces in his collection, or ask him to sculpt something he might be more into, being as he's into Hammer films... so I suggested that he could do a Dave Prowse bust for me instead, if that would work better for him. He seemed excited at the prospect so we moved in that direction and I sent him alot of new reference material. But the same treatment continued towards my commission... nothing. Time went by and more e-mails and I even heard that he was producing a sculpting video last year so I contacted him and asked about including the Prowse bust in it, and he agreed. Now he won't even return e-mails and his phone has been disconnected.
Do I have any legal recourse after 4.5 years? Any suggestions on this issue with Mike Hill? I'd even take half of my money back and call it good, if I could. There are many other things I'd like to do with the money he's apparently stolen from me.
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