Beware: Squidribs/Iprie

https://artists-beware.livejournal.com/937930.html

Subject: Artist Beware - Squidribs
Current Mood: sleepy
Picture Keyword: pic#125110774
Picture Keyword: pic#125110774
Text: WHO: Iprie/Squidribs
Where: http://iprie.deviantart.com/
https://twitter.com/squid_ribs/with_replies
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/squidribs/
http://toyhou.se/SquidRibs

What:
Late Nov 2013/Early Dec 2013 - Waist-Up and Chibi Commissions

Proof: http://imgur.com/Z5E0zhL
http://imgur.com/bc5viHX

Explain: In November 2013, Iprie hosted an adopt auction with tiers for extra art if the bids went high enough. I won the bid at $42 and paid an extra amount to get the second tier, thus ensuring I got both waist-up and chibi artworks. Payment was sent (http://imgur.com/EjveVMH ) and I gave information on the characters I wished to be drawn. Months passed by and in April 2014, I decided to get in contact with Iprie again to check on the status of my commissions.
http://imgur.com/8A2CH1a They apologized for the delay and some more months passed by before I contacted them once more. http://imgur.com/B93R1ZY There was no reply so I bumped again a month after. http://imgur.com/BFUIv5A They had remained fairly active in this time span with personal artwork and favorites, along with buying commissions.

As 2015 came by, I was growing very concerned with the lack of communication and response from Iprie. I noticed that others were concerned as well. Growing further worried from this finding, I eventually confronted Iprie, now known as Squidribs, in March 2015 via Twitter and email. The artist responded and apologized. http://imgur.com/vnv5jYd They promised to refund me and finish the art. The refund was received, and wips were sent along. Unfortunately, there was no further contact from either of us. As possibly noticed from my previous bewares, I went silent in the past during this time period due to dealing with improving my health situation. That is my fault. The artist however, did not contact me again, and also did not respond to my note that I sent in January 2016. http://imgur.com/F3tsTQL

There was no reply, so I had sort of given up, when to my surprise, I found Squidribs actively posting on Toyhouse in May 2016. I reached out to them, and they again apologized for the lack of communication and art, explaining they had a downward spiral in their health and promised to try and finish the artwork this time. http://imgur.com/yX3I6Gp Toyhouse was agreed to be the place where we would contact one another, so I bumped up the note and asked for updates in June with no reply. Due to that, I bumped again in early July and received an apology for the delay in receiving artwork. http://imgur.com/cliUWku http://imgur.com/c4yrdiN
Three months passed by and I got in contact with Squidribs again to check on the art and engage in some unrelated chitchat. http://imgur.com/03Y8GHI The note was read, but there was no reply. I sent another bump afterward, and that one was unread and not replied to as well. http://imgur.com/HtudeHu

During this time, the artist was very active on Twitter, and remains so. I have tried to reach out to them on the platform as well during August and September. http://imgur.com/K1zQyJa http://imgur.com/AvRVqsc At one point, I was tweeting to Squidribs while they were actively tweeting on Twitter, and yet they did not reply to me. Squidribs was also quite active on Toyhouse during this time period, inquiring after people's adopts and showing up in threads. http://imgur.com/LttWJAB http://imgur.com/GmHP8Rt http://imgur.com/VDtFvpA Squidribs was also designing various characters and seemingly considering doing gift art for some people. http://imgur.com/7mrx7zL The artist did not get in contact with me however, and at this point, realizing that they did not intend to finish their work, I posted an informative PSA to the community. It was to make aware of this particular artist's services concerning owed work. Afterward, I tried to note them again and received a response. http://imgur.com/tXcf82H They apologized once more for leaving owed work uncompleted and promised to keep in touch. As can be seen in the link, this went well for a couple weeks, with me checking in every nine or so days and receiving a small wip of the chibi. At one point, I was even noted by the artist to inform me they were suffering from the flu. This initiative was promising.

Unfortunately, it has been several weeks now, and while they have been active on Twitter and log into Toyhouse, they have not been in contact with me. I have sent them a note about a week or so ago, and it remains unread still. As such, I feel this warrants a beware, as it appears that Squidribs does not intend to complete owed work and will continue avoiding and running away from their responsibilities.

To Summarize:
-Commissioned artist for waist-up and chibi in Nov/Dec 2013
-Communication was highly sparse, and entirely initiated by me except in one case, with artist often apologizing for lack of updates through long stretches of time
-Confronted via email and gained brief contact, but lost it again, which was both our fault
-Regained contact on Toyhouse but eventually lost communication again due to what appeared to be avoidance from the artist
-Wrote a PSA for the community to inform people and confronted the artist again, receiving yet another apologetic reply
-After the promising contact, I am seemingly being avoided again, which has led me to realize that Squidribs will not be completing the artwork and is providing empty promises.

Thank you for your time, everyone.