Well,you are lucky you got his attention.Like you I paid the deposit after been promised a delivery date by both Tims.I even committed to my clients that I will be using the said puppet but was disappointed and have a not so great time trying to pacify my clients.
No apologies and still have to wait more than a year like everybody else.
Maybe his policy has changed. You should give him a chance and let us know how it turned out

Aussie,
Best advice I can give you, have Tim send you a email stating explicitly that the figure being ordered will be delivered by such and such date. Should it not be delivered by said date, state the penalty such as a reduction in price or free shipping. Should there be further delays beyond 30 days, further pentaly. This needs to be spelled out so it's not a he said, you said. This should not be a problem for someone who truly wants to deliver and IMPROVE his customer relationship.

This is part of what Tim wrote in his email when I asked him to have it completed by December



I hope he will honour this.

There are many great figure makers that create beautiful puppets, are responsive to their customers needs, have super smooth and usable mechanics, keep their word, deliver on time and treat people with curtesy and respect. Check out Mike Palma at Ventriloquist Workshop. His figures were a hit at VentHaven and he is very accessible and know how to build a figure from the persective of a performer becuase he is one.

I have also had a similar expereince with Tim as several other people here on this thread. A year after the deposit was made I cancled my order when the puppet wasn't even nearly complete even though the figure was promised in 4 months.

Since then I've bought and sold many of his figures from other people and have not kept any of them. These figures are simply not with the mistreatment and aggravation.

As someone who makes a living educating entrepreneurs on how to get more business, I feel that people who do not treat their customers with respect, honor their commitments and simple do what they say they are going to do should not be in business. They don't deserve it. They give all entrepreneurs a bad name and reputation. It's unprofessional and disgusting.

I have had the same problems with Monsterpuppets.com
More than 2 years ago I paid for a puppet. A year ago he would be ''almost finished'' . Today I still have no puppet, no money back...not even an apologie or reaction!

So my advice: don't do bussiness with Monsterpuppets.com!!

Having liaised with Tim a couple more times yesterday I decided to go with one of his "in stock" figures which he will be painting and wigging according to my character specifications.

Once I decided which figure I would take Tim stated in his last email to me yesterday

A message from Figuremaker Tim Selberg,

First off, to those of you who have appreciated my work and contribution to the art of Ventriloquism these many, many, years - I'm grateful for your patronage and enjoyment of Selberg Figures.

I do not generally take time to participate in threads such as this - regardless of what or whom the topic - especially when they are as vitriolic as many that have been displayed here. Frankly, there seems to be an inordinate amount of negativity and a self righteous attitude that has caused me to lose a measure of respect for some of you, I'm sorry to say. It is somewhat disheartening to see that, after 40 years of successfully perfecting and honing our exceptional Figures for satisfied clients ranging from amateurs to celebrities, and film studios to aficionados/collectors, and galleries the world over, some would like nothing better than an opportunity to try to tear down another's accomplishments through the wonders of cyber media; an all too frequent and troubling aspect of human nature, it would seem.

While it is tempting to list in detail herein the countless hours that are spent in the office managing (and looking after some of you specifically) the many quotations, sketches, order changes, cancellations, slow, late, or non payments, I will refrain. Though precious time is taken away from the workshop itself in dealing with sometimes petty issues
- it is often these same people who are typically first to complain as to why their Figure is taking so long - and would surely make for a salacious posting, this is not my style or purpose in Figuremaking. At times, however, this would seem nearly enough to make one question the merits of even operating a business of this type at all.

Although I am personally devoted to integrity, I'll point out that my own work has been routinely borrowed from, deconstructed; and outright attempts to illegally copy it are clearly evident. No matter. Bottom line is Selberg Studios' Figures are unmistakable and will remain so. I have always sought to expand and innovate the art of Figuremaking since I began in this work, and the reputation I have built over time speaks for itself and needs no defense. In addition to the artistry involved, the sheer commitment required in the exacting calculations and engineering principles needed to create my characters is also unknown to most.

Now to address the timeline issue as regards Ben's Figure Order. The fact is, a 12 week timeline for this specific Figure was never given by me. Ben did not ask for a timeline on this Order prior to placing it. Then - within the course of 24 hours - the order had already been cancelled before I'd read or had an opportunity to even respond to the question! This primarily as a result of the negative rhetoric generated inappropriately on this blog.

Regardless, this seems to have been cleared up positively - as has been noted on the Magic Café already - and I look forward to shortly adding Ben to the list of satisfied owner/recipients of Selberg Figures.

While I will be the first to tell you that creating our detailed Figures does take a great deal of time and painstaking work, my over-arching concern has always been that each finished Figure meet the meticulous standards I've set before it leaves my studio. My discerning customers know this, and do not expect less, and we build each figure with the knowledge that it will outlive all of us and likely be passed down to future generations. Though it is always our goal to achieve this outcome in as timely a manner as possible, this process can sometimes take longer than we would like or project. I am more than willing to admit that, of the many hats I must wear, office manager and master of scheduling may not be at the forefront of my skill set and sometimes takes a back seat to the artistic endeavors. That said, I am also working continually to add competent people to my staff to lessen build times; we have been making definite strides currently to speed delivery and a backlog of work is being cleared up at this time.

I'm always striving to improve my business model and and do not shirk constructive critique. Although I too am human, it's been my aim to accommodate as many of my clients' needs and requests as possible. I further ask that my clients, current and future, direct questions regarding Orders for my work to me personally. There is no one who can better provide information about my policies and craftsmanship than me, as I have indeed originated them.

Please check out Selberg Studios' recent additions to our new website: http://www.selbergstudios.com. We've recently added information regarding Signature Series Figures (our first with Mr. Jimmy Nelson) and other exciting new characters and developments are in the works. We will also be hosting an appreciation celebration for Selberg Studios' clients this fall!

This is posted over at WorldVents, dated TODAY...

Help me contact Tim Selberg

I ordered a vent figure from Tim Selberg in Jan. 2012. My credit card was charged the full amount in May. Unfortunately, I have not received my figure yet and Mr. Selberg does not respond to my emails. I am not really trying to rush his artistry. I just want to know the status of my order. He did not respond to the email sent in June, nor the one I sent in July. I sent another one at the beginning of August and it came back as undeliverable because the recipient's mail box is too full.

At any rate, if any of you knows how to contact Mr. Selberg, please let him know that his mailbox is full and the this customer would like a response.
Thank you,

Can anyone help this person?

I just saw that on list and immediately thought of this thread.

Fair is fair, the message posted on worldvents about not hearing from Selberg was posted here, so this follow-up message on worldvents should be posted too;

"I recently posted asking for help in getting in touch with Tim Selberg regarding an order I have placed with him. I received messages from many of you, for which I am grateful.
More to the point, Tim Selberg himself contacted me in a gracious email. Our communication snafu has been resolved.
I might add that among the comments that I received from you, my fellow vents, the overwhelming consensus was that Tim's figures are worth waiting for.
I am looking forward to receiving my new figure fairly soon and will report when that occurs.
I just want to thank both Tim and all those on this list for being part of the solution."

Dave, just saw that, and was going to post it and something along the line; have to post the positive along with the negative.

It's all about communication. Goes a long way to resolve issues.

I'm glad it's all working out for everyone. According to Tim he's shipping out a few orders this week including to the Netherlands and Wanlu's order.

Tim will be painting and wigging my figure this week and so he's still on schedule as well for delivery to me within the next couple of weeks.

I haven't been in this section of the Café for awhile and came across this post. Although I am primarily a professional Magician I do a brief vent act in my shows and have been doing so for over 25 years, gotta say I am surprised about what I am hearing about the snail like and non chalant business practices of Selberg - his rep in the vent field was always tops.

In my field of magic I have encountered similar dealings when I ordered a custom prop, paid for in advance and a year later never even heard from them! When I placed a call, no apologies - were indignant and offered a refund. Not the way to do business, bring back the old days when people took pride in their business.

In the vent field I am referring to Howie Olson, a true gentleman! I purchased several figures from him over 25 years ago - one I have constantly used for over these 25 years in literally thousands of shows - he is great, lightweight and NO problems.

Below is a clip of me and my pal 'Randy' from 1986 - I just used him yesterday in two shows!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj11niw2kXM&feature=plcp



Howie was pleasant to talk to, kept his promise and delivery date, made *** good figures as you can clearly see and they last a LONG time! I will others would have the same attitude.

Just my two cents!


Chuck Caputo

http://www.freewebs.com/caputocollection/

Probably the wrong place but I have an as new Tater that I might be tempted to part with. Immediate delivery!

I'm a little worried. I've paid in full and not heard anything despite sending emails

Just received an email. He's finishing up painting MJ.

Good for you. Don't forget to let us know when you receive it...

And better yet, give us a glimpse.

I will guys

I think there is something we should remember, when we order a figure or puppet that is being made for us. To the buyer this is the most import thing on their mind, it's probably the most amount of money they have evr spent on a puppet but for the figure maker, it's just another job, one of the things they make day in and day out! So to you, you want to know how every step is progressing but hopefully the maker is just getting on with the job.
I understand that it's frustrating, I had the same thoughts when I had Snot The Dragon made, But trust the guy in charge. My Dragon was well out of shedule but worth every penny.
On saying all that I still think that emails should be answered. Just don't send one every day or even every week!