Beware: Aschenblute/derwolfsmantel

https://artists-beware.livejournal.com/939553.html

WHO: Aschenblute

WHERE:
http://aschenblute.deviantart.com/ deviantart
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/aschenblute/ furaffinity
Also goes by derwolfsmantel

WHAT: Collab commissions between myself and Aschenblute: they never completed their portions. I covered the full cost of refunds in art myself, leaving me out of pocket for their half - $115USD for four commissions (3 at a full price of $50 and one at $30). A 5th commission with a mutual friend was also refunded for my half. Difficulties trying to get their half of the refunds back from them throughout last year follow.

WHEN: Aschenblute and I originally posted the commission journals on our furaffinity accounts on March 31st 2015.
Asked if I should refund clients on 22nd November 2015.
Confirmed amount owed on 31st January 2016.
Numerous emails requesting payment sent July 2016-November 2016, largely without response.
Received partial payments for furniture on August 21st + Nov 12th 2016.

PROOF: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6621441/ My journal post about collab commissions. All of their related posts have since been deleted.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tdcrriy5mmx1142/artistsbeware1.png?dl=0 My email asking about issuing commission refunds + their response.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eprp8mlkq7oepgr/artistsbeware8.png?dl=0 PM with one of the commissioners involved (+ who had other commissions Asche owed) saying they had previously contacted Asche with no response. Asche never told me about this.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2fv6nh9qfob8ye4/artistsbeware2.png?dl=0 Email + response first requesting payment to cover their half of refund.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hk3shcpp9ja87at/artistsbeware3.png?dl=0 Emails from a few months later after second contact cut requesting payment.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/shvar7fscdljdvd/artistsbeware4.png?dl=0 Paypal payment for unrelated amount with Asche giving a payment schedule (no contact via email, just paypal)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y7pihv5r2561v40/artistsbeware5.png?dl=0 Emails 4 + 5 weeks after no agreed payments, their response giving a new, much longer, payment schedule
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uqc2gsxg9z9c338/artistsbeware6.png?dl=0 End of emails from last image + my most recent email

EXPLAIN:
My FA account is DoodlebugV1.
When this started, Asche was a good friend and roommate. Despite them having a backlog of commissions already, we decided to do collab commissions through a forum we were both members of at the time. The tasks we enjoyed corresponded well - I liked sketching and colouring; they liked lining and shading. We completed the first lot in addition to two adoptables without issue, except for one client who wasn’t sure about subject matter and was to get back to us. Since the first batch went well, we opened a second lot through FurAffinity and filled up the slots as of March 31st 2015. (http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6621441/) I completed the sketches for all the pieces within a couple of weeks and had sent them all to Asche for lining. We split up the money as it came in 50/50.

Half a year later, my Canadian Visa ran out and I had to move back to Australia. Without going into too much detail, my relationship with Asche also became rocky. In November 2015, due to the length of time since we’d taken the commissions (8 months) and the state of our personal relationship, I asked about giving refunds for the collab commissions since no progress had been made since my sketches. Asche approved the refund idea but didn’t help with any of the organization, and as far as I’m aware never contacted anyone themselves. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/tdcrriy5mmx1142/artistsbeware1.png?dl=0)

I responded but didn't hear from them beyond this. Worried about my own reputation, I went ahead and contacted the commissioners. I apologized and offered to cover everything myself in full. I sent the sketches and asked each client if they'd prefer a monetary refund or art by me of the same value they'd paid originally (reminder: I only saw half that money in the first place). Everyone except a mutual friend (who I refunded with my half, and they were to talk to Asche about the rest) said they'd prefer art. These were all completed within a few weeks, and I'm very appreciative to all the commissioners and the positive feedback they gave despite the wait.
Also during this contact, one commissioner told me they had previously attempted to contact Asche about this and other commissions Asche owed them. I had never been informed of this by Asche. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/eprp8mlkq7oepgr/artistsbeware8.png?dl=0)

A couple of months after everything was done (31st January 2016), I sent Asche an email listing what they owed me for covering their half of the refunds (in USD), as well as money owed for some unrelated costs (in CAD, raised here only in regards to layout of payment schedules and methods Asche used to contact me). They hadn’t done any work on the commissions but were still paid half for them. I was surprised when they actually responded. They apologised for dumping all of it on me, said they wanted to be friends, and that they would pay me back but couldn't immediately as they didn't have a job. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/2fv6nh9qfob8ye4/artistsbeware2.png?dl=0)

I replied saying ok, that I'd give them a couple of months to pay it. In the following months we became friends again, and they got a new job, but I didn't ask after the money as I knew they were moving. Asche brought it up once in a brief apology and followed by saying they should sort out refunds for other commissions taken 1-2 years prior.

A couple of months after getting their job/moving, my contact with Asche became very limited and strained again. In July, communication was cut, and I sent an email asking for the money. They didn't respond. Over the next couple of months I sent more emails with no response until I told them that if I didn't receive a response in a week I would be posting here on AB. They sent me a partial payment for the unrelated costs through paypal on August 21st 2016 with a brief note in the payment details saying that they would be paying in intervals every 2 weeks. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/hk3shcpp9ja87at/artistsbeware3.png?dl=0 + https://www.dropbox.com/s/shvar7fscdljdvd/artistsbeware4.png?dl=0)

When 4 weeks had passed since this with no further payment or contact, I sent an email asking for an update (21st Sep 2016). No reply. I sent another email a week later, and finally received an email telling me money was tight (27th Oct 2016). I requested dates for when I would be paid back. They said the remainder of the money for the unrelated costs would be settled by the end of 2016, with the full amount of their commission refund costs by the end of February 2017 (since the money for refunds is to be in USD, the currency the commissions were originally taken in, “because of the conversion rates” they would take longer). They also confirmed they would update me if this changed. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/y7pihv5r2561v40/artistsbeware5.png?dl=0)

They sent another partial payment for the unrelated costs on Nov 12 with no further communication attached. As per the second schedule they set out, the unrelated payments should currently be complete and so the payments for the art refunds started - by the first schedule the commission refunds should be long paid for. But I've received no payments or contact since, and payment for the commission refunds has yet to start a year after Asche was give the final figure.

My last attempted contact was asking for an update on Jan 13th 2017, with nothing back.