Beware: ShadowTheFox2

https://artists-beware.livejournal.com/902185.html

WHO: Commissioner https://twitter.com/ShadowTheFox2 / http://www.twitter.com/ADshadowfox “Shadow”

WHERE: Google Docs form & Messages exchanged via email & twitter DMs

WHAT: Digital ¾ soft shaded badge, single sided printed, laminated & shipped 1st class usps, plus a rush fee to be bumped to the front of my queue
WHEN: November 2015

PROOF: Story and Screen caps provided in chronological order after the break. It is a unique case of eCheck failure via paypal even though the invoice was clearly marked in paypal as Paid... Yet it wasn't when I cross referenced it with my active balance.

11/4/2015
- Shadow submitted a commission via my google docs form here http://fox.ci/z8HybCy https://www.dropbox.com/s/onevhf1lbbeqqpf/1.png?dl=0
- I Emailed him back his forms details https://www.dropbox.com/s/9m3nbli32xrhe9f/2.png?dl=0
- I sent an initial invoice https://www.dropbox.com/s/owut0bpvhbsy1x1/3.png?dl=0
- He asks on twitter DMs to put his as priority https://www.dropbox.com/s/01o5z0zccdr9a8g/4.png?dl=0 So I up the cost in the invoice to include my rush fee https://www.dropbox.com/s/utlz4h30csfr6f0/5.png?dl=0
- And he says he paid it, and I inform him I got an echeck https://www.dropbox.com/s/oj7nxc0cs53d1jr/6.png?dl=0
*This is the First Red flag I should have listened to when he says “Most payments go through but they get canceled later on”
- E check email from paypal https://www.dropbox.com/s/3oq1ui70ps9jjbz/7.png?dl=0

11/6/2015
- I received a notice in payment delay via paypal via the echeck https://www.dropbox.com/s/n7yrrghzy0lw7ga/8.png?dl=0
- I inform him of this notice in DMs https://www.dropbox.com/s/0bhh3emigw4a53s/9.png?dl=0

About here is where in the middle of screen capping the conversations in twitter DMs today (3/25/2016) and writing up this beware he suddenly removed his name and profile image once I inform him today on 3/25 that I will be writing this beware. He is now a black circle as a profile image with only “.” As a name. Removing the Shadow @RMFC name he once had.

11/16/2015 – 11/18/2015
- I ask him to tell me what the payment reflects as on his end as I never received a payment canceled or confirmed from paypal. He tells me via twitter it showed as paid on his side so I began the work. https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3u5a0b5016ml5k/10.png?dl=0
- I checked the invoice link and trusted the paypal invoice stating it was paid when it was in fact not. ** https://www.dropbox.com/s/su3mzv1mif2xnhk/Invoice shown as paid.png?dl=0
**This is an issue and I explain later why*
- I show him many wips via DMs and I completed the work and shipped it to him https://www.dropbox.com/s/ni90k2hze8g0osg/11.png?dl=0
- He confirms that the invoice shows as Paid on paypal but when he speaks to his bank they had actually canceled the payment due to no funds. We both agree we are both at fault on this issue https://www.dropbox.com/s/g7que2i1p1pq2h6/12.png?dl=0 However he does promise me he is no con man and will sort funds out soon.
- This is next confirmed later by me physically checking my "Activity with Balance" in paypals detailed transaction log: I had actually never received funds. And Paypal never emailed me a second time stating it was ultimately never sent by his bank after the 1st email of “Delay in eCheck payment” on 11/6 https://www.dropbox.com/s/751a981pkbcjl43/Transaction not actually paid for.png?dl=0
I Should have verified this from the start when he said it was paid for but I trusted the invoice even though it was incorrect. From now on I have always confirmed payment was received by checking the detailed log with the active balance for reassurance.

11/25/2015 The customer received the badge. He also tells me he is trying to sell things on ebay https://www.dropbox.com/s/gddbc9ku58o0mv1/13.png?dl=0
11/30/2015 Now his “sister” DMs me randomly telling me a sob story about how Shadow feels so bad but is trying to get funds together. I acknowledge her and tell the customer not to be stressed. He tells me he is having a rough time and I do empathize https://www.dropbox.com/s/8e4avq8p4df9b8k/14.png?dl=0

12/6/2015 He used my art that he didn’t pay for and filled out a Fursuit form to a maker: https://www.dropbox.com/s/orxjlq29ge0asmm/12 6 Suit quote.png?dl=0
12/7/2015 He is still using the unpaid image as a profile image. I remind him not to until he has paid for it. Also commenting on peoples posts how he would pay $100 for things but when confronted says “It was a joke” https://www.dropbox.com/s/pice1tnq7yhrck9/15.png?dl=0  And https://www.dropbox.com/s/lg0dl9uo4i2lfmi/6MWZGRu_.jpg?dl=0
12/12-12/18/2015 On the 12th I ask for an update and he says he wants to mail the badge back. I explain that will not work. I do not hear back from him until the 14th when I confront him for using the art again as an icon after I told him a week ago not to. Says he will have the funds by that coming Tuesday. That day comes and goes and I don’t hear anything. This is when I warn him I will file an Artists Beware https://www.dropbox.com/s/d3u72vfp7g48s8q/16.png?dl=0

1/31/2016 I ask for updates in DMs and I am emailed back, more false promises and stories. He has a signature that he is actually in Job Corps https://www.dropbox.com/s/fbtdq2ha7glsx7y/17.png?dl=0 Further proving he has some kind of job er go income.
2/6 He says he will file his W-2 and pay me. I do not reply to him. See previous screen shot.
3/25 I catch him using the art, again (this time I took a screen shot before confronting him via DMs) He tells me his foster mom demanded all his return. I give him one last ultimatum May 1st to pay me or have an Artists Beware written up. I then see all the things I then list below ranging from 3/1-3/21 from him using the art over and over again and change my mind to submit the beware on Monday. The very last thing he says is to “Just put it up.” https://www.dropbox.com/s/n7jtwfzupuoztje/18.png?dl=0
Browsing through his timeline and notice he is using the art again and again that is still unpaid for:

3/1 Role playing again using the art I told him months ago to cease using it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8jxbawfbav95l6q/23.png?dl=0
3/21 Using the art again https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ewreoinsshpfg4/21.png?dl=0
3/21 Also using the art attempting to get more art https://www.dropbox.com/s/age5ozi129cx6la/19.png?dl=0
Still continues to use the art in other places online besides twitter as well https://www.dropbox.com/s/pmgdoes5lv3hx7k/Steam screenshot.png?dl=0

Im done with the excuses. I will see to it that this was a unique case due to the fact that the paypal invoice was marked as paid even when it clearly, once I checked my account with balance history, was not. I have NEVER had an issue with Paypal invoices being marked as paid before and this case was very unusual. I even contacted Paypal them seves over the phone to express my concern over this issue being very unclear as a seller. From the start I felt very rushed by the customer, played and now used. I do not recommend anyone ever working with him again. He has had 5 months and still continues to use the unpaid for art that I completed.

EXPLAIN: Tl;Dr: I’ve been strung along since November 2015 for a rushed badge that when we both thought it was paid, I come to find out it was not. Customer confirms it was paid and then says, after speaking with his bank, that it was not. I confirm this only after viewing the details transaction log in my paypal, and contacting paypal over the phone myself, to reveal and confirm that the invoice stating it was paid, come to find out it was actually not. Was given excuse after excuse and the client still continued to use the unpaid art, even going as far as using it as a reference to try and get free art from other artists. I’ve let this slide long enough. He hasn’t paid me and I don’t foresee him ever paying me. I held off on writing an AB for this long as the $41.25 for the badge was clearly not worth this headache plus the time dealing with him over and over again trying to be paid for work I already did and now having to write out this beware. It is a unique case in the fact that the Invoice clearly states it was PAID, but proper precautions were not taken by checking my detailed log to verify this. Since then, I have never accecpted echecks due to paypals faulty system in marking invoices as paid even after banks decline a transaction. Do not waste your time with this individuals business proposals. I will update this AB entry should he ever decide to pay me for my time.