archive:2015 Beware: RenX/ renxart/ rnzzz

https://artists-beware.livejournal.com/884272.html

WHO: RenX (http://renxart.tumblr.com/ (NSFW)) aka Rnzzz (http://rnzzz.tumblr.com/ (NSFW) , http://rnzzz.deviantart.com/ (NSFW))

WHERE: http://www.hentai-foundry.com/user/RenX/profile (NSFW)

WHAT: 2 Commissions. Traditional art.

WHEN: Initial conversation and payment for both commissions during the beginning of April 2015.

PROOF: The artist's mother tongue was Spanish so I contacted them in that for all our e-mail conversations. Here's (1) Me telling them when I can send the payment. And (2) Me the next day telling him I sent it.

EXPLAIN: I started commissioning RenX in February last year. For the first couple of commissions he (and it is a he despite the profile) got things done on time and we had no problems. Starting from November 2014 I paid them for one drawing and it took them two months to get it done. In February this year I paid them for another commission again and, like last time, it took them nearly two months to finish the drawing. Still, I didn't think much of it in either case since I've dealt with multiple artists and I know sometimes they run into personal issues where they don't have time.

The actual problems began in April this year. I asked RenX if he had time to do two commissions for me and he said yes, so I sent him the details for both and said I'd be paying him in a week. Within a few days he answered with a very rough sketch of one of the commissions and remained quick to answer until I sent the payment of $240 a week later.
After the payment his answers completely stopped and he started ignoring my e-mails. I never got the sketch for the second commission either, which according to him he had already done. After over three weeks without an answer (I had sent him three e-mails in the meantime) RenX answers back in mid-May saying that he was busy and he'd have them done soon. Two more weeks pass with no answer and I finally send them one asking if I can get a refund. He answers back a few days later saying it's not possible because they no longer have money in their Paypal account, but that they'll do my commissions in June. [Proof] [Proof]

June comes and goes with RenX not contacting me and only answering to the second e-mail I send at the end of the month, says he's too busy and hasn't had time to do anything. I answer them and for the rest of June and July I receive absolutely nothing. I didn't even waste any time sending them another e-mail until August since I knew it would be pointless. [Proof]

In August I decide to check this site and see RenX still doing commissions like normal and advertising his services despite the fact that he has done nothing I paid him to. I finally decide to send him another e-mail mentioning this and they answer the same day saying, for the millionth time, that they have been too busy to do anything. I answer and once again they completely vanish until I send another e-mail at the end of August, which he answered at the beginning of September, telling the same old tale and saying that if he didn't do the commissions within a month he'd give me my money back. [Proof] I ask him when he can do the first commission and naturally, they do nothing and start ignoring my e-mails again.  Around September I also checked his profile and noticed some people also wondering where their commissions were. I contacted one of them who told me they managed to get a refund through Paypal's Dispute system, unfortunately that wouldn't work for me since I had let too much time pass already. I was also in touch with another person who never got their commission completed either.

In October, rather than e-mailing RenX I decide to post in his Hentai Foundry profile and he answers by e-mail the same day saying he had problems with his e-mails and that I should send him the commission details again. I ask for a refund again and he refuses. I send him the details for the drawings again to see if he'll get them done this time. On the same day I also notice he erased the comment I left on his profile alongside the others of two or three different people asking where their commissions were. Surprisingly, I actually get a sketch three days later and for a moment I think I'll get them done already. However, that's short lived and RenX vanishes completely again for the rest of the month. He sure spends a lot of time in his profile advertising discounts (and even in the Hentai Foundry forums (NSFW)) and mentioning he's open for more commissions, though! [Proof]

Finally, in mid-November, after a month with no answer, I decide to post in RenX's profile again. My message is quickly erased and he blocks me from commenting [Proof] (NSFW). He e-mails me moments after repeating the same speech where they have been too busy. At this point I tell them again to give me a refund despite knowing nothing will happen and to no one's surprise he hasn't answered ever since.

I don't know what's going on with them, but after 8 months there's no excuse for their behaviour. I posted this on the Hentai Foundry forums (NSFW) and I hope more people see it here and don't waste their time and money commissioning this person. He's all about reputation and stopping people from exposing him, the moment the latter happens he's quick to appear, delete any messages, block people and vanish again.

Update, January 10th, 2016: I mentioned this some days ago in the comments but I reckon I should post it here instead - I contacted Paypal last week and they told me an investigation wouldn't be possible since it had been too long since the transaction. However, they did say they might begin one if they receive more complaints related to RenX.

As of today, RenX still hasn't contacted me ever since the e-mail he sent in mid-November (11th of November, to be precise) that I mention in my entry. They're still taking and posting commissions, however.