Annoyed about a prize won at summer fayre

[AmIAHypocritic]

I won a discount voucher at a silent auction at the school fayre in the summer (late June ish).
Due to having to go into the school for the contact details of the company and me working every school day I didn't get the details till the end of term. The summer was busy and it wasn't until September that I finally contacted the company.

To make this easier I'll write it as a timeline, and just in brief (the product itself is pretty much irrelevant to the actual issue)

6th sept-
first contact made by phone call by myself, we agree to me emailing correspondence due to indepth description required (photos made it easier). Email sent later that evening.

25th sept-
I email to ask how this is coming along as on the call he said he'd send me a mock up so I'd waited a while thinking he needed a reasonable time to achieve this.

26th sept-
response from company, 'sorry didn't see the prior email will sort mock up out now'
I response immediately

7th October-
I email to ask for an update

9th October-
'sorry been dealing with large contract, will sort now. Can book in for one day next week assuming mock up okay?'
I respond same day, great thanks, can we do the following week instead?

23rd oct-
response from company asking is price okay?
I respond immediately, yes great, when can we book in?

6th nov-
So today I've emailed to say can we book in for next week.

I'm getting rather fed up, surely it shouldn't take this long to arrange mock ups for decals on a car, if it wasn't for the discount (£30) that i won, I'd have given up long ago.
The head teacher no longer is at the school so I cannot have a word with her to maybe prompt her partner and I'm kinda stuck as to what I can do, do I just give up?
It only cost me £6, and I do not begrudge the school that money, so I would not wish for that back or anything like that, but am I just wasting my time?

Ah- you're totally correct. However I would have written off €6 long ago. My time, efforts and stress levels have costs too.

Do you really really want the product or just getting it because you won it. Unless I really wanted it I would just give up.

Yes you are wasting your time. Just give up on it as it is not worth the effort. I am still waiting for the arrival of a sack of potatoes I won in a cub scout raffle in 1978.

I really want it, it was a product I was looking into and would have cost an arm and a leg else where. His prices are 2/3 times cheaper than another company which is why I've been patient. I'm in the urgent need to sort it, and as it's just been emails to and throw it's not been much effort, but it's now dragged on long enough that I'm not sure what to do. If I can finally pin him down I'll save myself about £150

*im in no urgent need

So you are still going to have to pay for the finished item (minus the £30 discount)?
I would not trust this company with my business. If that is how they treat you before the order is placed properly, how will they treat you after they have your order?
Unless you really need the item I would give up on them, and tell them exactly why they have lost the contract.

Just stick with it and gently prompt him. I have a similar business and have done charity giveaways and at that price/for free you do need to prioritise the 'real' customers as a business owner and it will be put to the back of the pile so to speak. Just hang in there and try and wheedle a set date out of him!

I will still pay for the finished item as I have chosen to go over an above the prize. The prize was a £30 product or £30 off an order. Timing just seemed so perfect, as I was already looking for said product.
Another company quoted me £250, he quote me £90, so £60 after discount of prize. (I believe he is a one man company, so no over head as such, unlike all the other company's, which is why I assume he is so much cheaper)

It's a good point about customer care though, and I did wonder if his prices are so cheap is it because his product is also.

What is the product?

That seems like a weirdly big price difference tbh.

Car graphics- stripes and a Union Jack roof etc.
The other company I found are midway in price.

I don't know anything about the price of them but I would be wary.

He's hard to pin down, completely disorganised and much cheaper than his competitors even without the discount.

Sometimes it's worth paying more for peace of mind!

What area are you in am I? I have a brilliant graphics guy in staffs who has fine a few bits on my fiat 500.
I call him up with idea,I have a reply within 24 hours then a computer graphic mock up emailed to me within a few days.

I'd be very very wary of someone as flaky as your current man.