Design dilemma -- what would you do?

#1

I need to be a bit general, for obvious reasons. I submitted a couple of pattern designs to a certain company in August 2005. They give a time frame within which you are supposed to hear back, whether they accept or do not accept your designs. That deadline came and went, I e-mailed again requesting that the contact me…perhaps they didn’t get my original submission, perhaps they were very busy and overloaded with submissions…whatever, I just wanted some communication. That was in late 2005.

Now, here we are, middle of January 2006, MONTHS later, and I still haven’t heard from them. I sent a pretty firm ‘I NEED to hear from you and don’t be expecting any further submissions from me…blah blah blah’ type e-mail yesterday and I am half expecting to not hear from them at all. It is very much leaving me in limbo, being unable to submit elsewhere until I hear from them, I can’t even say ‘forget it’ and just hand out my patterns to all of you for free until I hear from them.

What would you do in this type of situation??? I just want to be done with it.

#2

What do you think would happen if you stated in an email and follow up with a written letter that if you haven’t heard from them by X/XX/06 you will be submitting your designs elsewhere? I don’t know the details, obviously, but it doesn’t seem right that they can keep you tied up much beyond their original estimate.

#3

I would send a written letter with return receipt requested, or something that shows you they’ve received the letter, outlining the steps you’ve taken since day one up until the written letter. Give them an end date, as Ingrid says. I don’t know the legalities of all of this, but I can’t help but think a paper trail would work to your advantage. Also, have you been emailing a certain person or do you just submit to the design department? It may be helpful to get a name. Good luck to you. This must be terribly frustrating.

#4

The emails have been to a design department, not to an individual.

I mailed a handwritten letter (ya know, the old fashioned way! :wink: ) on Friday stating exactly the steps that I have taken in TRYING to communicate with them, still hoping that they will reciprocate. I honestly don’t want my patterns published by them at all anymore, but I want some communication so I can say thanks but no thanks.

I will keep you posted. If I still don’t hear from them…I don’t know. A phone call maybe??? I just wish I could share my patterns here with all of you to enjoy.

#5

And we’d looooove to see them! I hope you get some resolution on this.

#6

I’m kind of in the same situation - I submitted patterns to a website to be used in an online magazine… the time it was supposed to be up and running has come and gone, I have recieved no responses from various attempt to contact the woman, her website is down and all her emails are bouncing back… :wall:
It sounds like your situation is different in that a) it was a larg(er) company, and b) (I’m assuming, here) you were supposed to be given some kind of compensation for your design…
Ingrid had a point, if you got your patterns into them before their deadline, and they STILL haven’t responded to you, you have no obligation to hold those patterns for them. Re read their stated policy (if there is one) on submissions, ie IF we accept your pattern we will contact you, etc… State a date that you expect to hear from them by, and if they don’t contact you… well, that’s not polite so I won’t say it :mrgreen:
As long as you haven’t signed anything giving them exclusive rights to your pattern, it’s your pattern. Period.

#7

I suggest you document any communication with them so if anything ever does come in reference to your patterns you have some recourse. That way they can’t come back with “we never heard from you.”. :rollseyes:

#8

Ya know, I’m just irritated about this whole thing. At first I was really disappointed, I mean, I love my designs that I came up with…why wouldn’t they?? :wink: I was so excited and nervous and eager and everything else, then the time came and went and the time is STIIIIIILLLLLL passing, without a single word of contact from them. The only contact they give for submissions is via e-mail. I checked and double checked that I had the address right. I copied and pasted the address directly off of their website so as not to make a typo. Other people have obviously gotten through and had their patterns accepted…there must be nothing wrong with their email account.

This isn’t a sob story of why all those other people’s patterns and not mine, but REALLY, I’d expect some kind of communication. If you like my patterns, GREAT, if not that’s fine too but I NEED TO KNOW. If they come to me at this point with an offer, I am going to say no. I have decided that already. If the communication up to now has been this poor, why should I trust that it will be any better in the future.

BTW, to whoever mentioned it (I think PHM??)…I have not signed anything. I have just submitted my ideas. That’s all at this point.

#9

So annoying! I think you’ve covered yourself well so far. Hope you hear from them soon.

#10

Two weeks since letter was sent…nothing… :wall:

#11

It’s been way long enough. Forget them. :rollseyes: And make sure you send a scathing letter to someone in general management informing them of why you will not be submitting any more patterns to their company, and make sure you mention the fact that you have also informed all of the THOUSANDS of people on this website of how shabbily you were treated… Nothing brings change in a company faster than bad publicity, but only if they know they’re getting it… :wink:

#12

:evil: Yeah! What she said!! You’ve done your part–over and above, I’d say–so, forget about them.

#13

I tend to agree…I didn’t see this thread when it started so I just read through it and brought myself up to date…

I’m sorry they didn’t respond–there is a lack of concern in the business world today…it’s very frustrating to wait for a response that doesn’t come. They’d be frustrated if the roles were reversed.

I agree with everyone else…you’ve covered yourself and you’ve waited long enough. Try submitting them elsewhere if you feel confident about them–I’m sure they’re great!

#14

Stay tuned…my patterns are coming to ‘Pattern Central’ forum soon…
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It was KnitPicks[/size]

#15

KnitPicks! :shock: I almost wish I didn’t know. :verysad:

#16

That’s kind of shocking! :shock: Although I’m not sure why…maybe because we all love that place. :??

#17

Ya know, I almost feel bad saying who it was, but I have felt soooooo mistreated, I wanted to put it out there. Maybe I should have kept it to myself, I dunno :expressionless:

#18

Maybe we should inundate them with emails protesting their treatment of one of our own! :devil:

#19

You start, Ingy. I’ll be right behind you. :oo:

#20

:verysad: That’s so sad… and I was going to submit the patterns I was already supposed to have published to them… maybe I’ll just try Knitty instead…