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  • Artists Beware

    The namesake database. Submissions are categorized by "Bewares" and "Cautions".
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    Kaiju

    Caution: TeaEel

    By Kaiju, in Artist Cautions,

    Who: TeaEel
    Where: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/teaeel/
    When: 10/21/2020
    What: Other (Explain Below)



    Two days prior to the incident I made the starting bid on an adopt put up by TeaEel, the Hundred-Eyed Mermaid Adopt. I was the only bidder, and so I won the auction at $50. When I received the invoice, it was for $53, and not the agreed upon $50. I questioned them about this, and came to find out that they were attempting to pass the cost of the PayPal processing fees off on me by up charging me above and beyond the agreed upon amount. When I objected to this, they claimed it was in the rules of the auction. I went back and reread the rules, and could see nothing of the sort, nor could anyone I showed it to. I pointed out nowhere in the rules of the auction did it say that I would be charged for the PayPal fees or anything extra other than the agreed upon price, and they insisted it was there without actually directly referencing it, saying it was their right as an artist to set the rules as they saw fit and if I did not follow through and pay it then I would be banned for violating their rules. Shortly after, they blocked me, erased the original auction post, and resubmitted it with the added text urging people to read the rules. The only thing I can see in hindsight that might be what they are talking about is one line that says "Commission is on buyer", but I can't imagine anyone looking at that and thinking it meant they were agreeing to be up charged. I am unable to provide a screenshot of my original winning bid as by the time I had gotten home they deleted the original post and resubmitted it (I was on mobile for the conversation), but they confirmed my original price and the up charge through messages. The screenshot of the invoice shows the date as the 22nd instead of the 21st, to my knowledge this is because they are much further ahead of me in time zone and invoices I believe match the date of the sender.
     


    fairykay
    Who: phvtes / gobuwin
    Where: https://www.deviantart.com/phvtes
    https://twitter.com/Phvtes
    https://twitter.com/gobuwin
    When: 09/26/2019
    What: Commission

    Resolved
    Hey guys. This is my first time writing a beware, so I hope I did everything correctly.
    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/0KOcf6w.png
    I contacted phvtes (now gobuwin) on DeviantArt on 9/16/19 with my information to get a pixel tag slot from the emergency commissions they were having. They replied 2 days later to accept the commission and said they would have a WIP done the same day or next at the latest. I let them know after I sent the payment.
    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/IF4So9m.png
    Things started to take a turn for the worse at this time. After not hearing from them with the WIP, I messaged on 10/8/19. I didn't receive a response. I messaged again on 10/16/19. I didn't receive a response until 10/20/19 when they sent a group apology to all of the people that had commissioned them that were also waiting for a response. I replied, a bit frustrated at the lack of communication after their tablet broke, but we agreed on continuing the transaction under the condition that it would not happen again. They cited mental health problems and offered a free painted headshot for the trouble, which I also never received.
    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/JKI7u7f.png
    I received the first WIP on 11/1/19 and replied with a request for a small edit on her ears. I received another WIP on 11/7/19 that was further along. Everything looked great. Unfortunately, this is the last WIP I ever received.
    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/UkLFc0T.png
    From here on out, none of the notes I sent were read or replied to. I asked for the status of my commission again on 11/24/19 and finally on 12/2/19.
    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/KRrjDvF.png
    Unfortunately, as I made the mistake of sending as "friends and family" on Paypal, I was unable to file a chargeback. Instead, I was forced to go through my credit card company to receive a refund.
    Screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/Qd3pnpa.png
     
    schaulvre
    Who: Desmond_The_Demon
    Where: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/desmondthedemon/
    When: 09/08/2020
    What: Other (Explain Below)



    We got scammed by someone named Desmond_The_Demon.
    On September 8th, this person wanted to buy one of our adoptables, so we sent the form. When the form was completed, we told that person about the price for all of that additionals which were listed, so next, we processed with the invoice. On the Paypal it said that 'invoice isn't paid' but was viewed, when that person states that they paid. We tried to see what was happening with it - we got the answer that this person was paying with the bank account using the Paypal, so we thought it will need some time to transfer the money from bank to the Paypal - so we trusted that person (we're always helping our customers as much as it possible) and we were preparing the files for them.

    On September 9th - we said that the payment didn't come to our Paypal account and they stated that the money was taken out of their bank, so we thought that Paypal is doing something weird and we were still waiting for the payment. On this day we asked for the screenshot too, we needed the proof that the payment was sent and we wanted to know if the Paypal really need that much time to transfer the money - they answered, that they see if they can cancel the payment and they will show the screenshot after that. After writing that, this person disappeared until the next day.  

    So next day (September 10th), the person said that they tried to resend the payment but the Paypal said "not able to send" and dissapeared again until the next day.
    We asked if the money returned to their account hoping that everything's okay. That person said the money returned back to their account (I didn't knew that the money could get back into the account so quickly, in 12 hours or something like that - it was suspicious too and we still didn't get the screenshot of the transaction). We thought if they can pay directly (without invoice), so we gave this person our Paypal e-mail for that, waiting for the results. So, they said that they'll try to pay directly and disappeared again. (I could say that they disappeared forever because they never wrote back, also we saw when they removed watch from our account).

    On 12th and 13th was weekend so we thought that we'll wait for this person to come back til the Monday.

    On Monday (14th) - still, no answer, the message is still unopened and their account was still inactive (like they're hiding from us).
    Finally, we gave them last day to write back and on 15th we saw that there was recent activity from that person's account, so we sent a note about that the time for the payment is over and the adopt is available to buy for someone else. We wasted a week trying to help that one person with the payment (which was probably fake and unpaid from the beginning, because they didn't show the proof that they paid for it) and we prepared all the files. We gave them a chance, because we thought they were really planning to pay for what they wanted to buy from us.
    SCREENSHOTS FROM THE CONVERSATION: 


    [proxy has been censored out by staff.  please remember that bewares are only to focus on your transaction.]

    That person is targeting YCH and adoptables (probably from 70$ and above but idk), trying to blame on Paypal that the payment didn't come to the seller and waiting if the seller will give them the product, because "it's paid" when in fact - it's not paid. There's no proof that it's paid - when you ask for the payment confirmation (just a little screenshot!), that person starts backing away and avoiding the messages.
    So, please, watch out for that person - we hope that no one more get scammed confronting with this person. Take care!
    UPDATE: I found that they wanted to scam next two people. If you can, please, re-share that or just tell people about it and when that person wants to buy something from you - block them, because they will never pay for that thing.
    Vindictiive
    Who: Hyperiontrash
    Where: furaffinity.net/user/hyperiontrash
    furaffinity.net/user/kammymau
    When: 12/30/2019
    What: Commission
    NSFW Content Resolved
    I bought 2 adopts from Hyperiontrash december of 2019. Via discord we had a conversation that if i paid her an additional $70 usd i would get nsfw and SFW full refs of both designs. After payment was sent for both, i received one, this beware is about the second set. we corresponded only on discord the last 9 months. Payment proof:  So I approached Hyperion and agreed to pay for both refs as seen here

     
     
    I received the first ref and the first promise of "sometime next week"

     
    After 3 months of no wip, no contact, i reached out again after seeing a journal that she couldnt work because of her computer (while still not being listed on her queue): and then after a further 3 months (at this point we are at 6 months wait time I reached out again, as i was still not on her queue and no wips had been sent or contact made) i was told she was "almost done"

    I waited another 3 months and reached out again. was told she would be done "in the next 2 weeks"

     
    I waited a further 25 days and reached out a final time, this time suggesting a refund. I was told she cant refund me.

     
    It is now as of posting october 15th, she has still not sent a single WIP, nor the final product, however on october 14th she has created 6 adopts from sketch - to final product and received total bids as of this writing of over 500 dollars, 300 of which has been paid to my knowledge and during a conversation on her server on the 14th the following exchange took place:

     
    all adopts finished yesterday are grouped here:
     
     
     
    at this point i simply no longer believe i will get the refs i paid for. as that is the case I felt it best I leave this beware for the community before attempting to issue a chargeback with paypal, or that possibly i may get the references, though at this point as i have been unable to use the design for a year i no longer want it the way it is so i would rather have the money so i can pay someone else to do the reference with changes.
    Romanticponydream
    Who: Computer_Garden/ Cubert (Artist)
    Where: https://twitter.com/Computer_Garden
    https://twitter.com/cartoonsquish
    https://cubert.tumblr.com
    When: 07/06/2020
    What: Commission

    Resolved
    Hello Everyone

    I am very sad to write this and I have decided to sit on the issue for a few days. However I have decided that others could benefit to know my experience. 

    I originally commissioned twitter user Computer_Garden (Who will be referred to as Cubert) July 6th 2020. They have a unique commission type called a ko-fi baby which is basically a simple mascot design based off your twitter profile. The method of buying this commission was a setting on their ko-fi. I sent a DM on July 6th letting them know I had purchased one and what profile I wanted the commission based off. The next day July 7th they responded letting me know they have received payment and info.

    I messaged Cubert again on July 29th with no response. I did again on August 19th and they finally responded. I completely understand how mental health issues can get in the way and I understood the pandemic has also took its toll on many artists. So I told them I understood and continued to wait.

    Before I DMed them again asking for a refund on Oct 1st 2020 I noticed that during this time Cubert was posting a lot of personal art. I understand and encourage artists to do personal art in between commissions. However as a commissioner I couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated and ignored when  I would scroll on my time line and see personal art with out hearing a word about when my commission would be completed. In a small way I did feel a little disrespected.

    I decided on Oct 1st 2020 that I have waited long enough and I wanted to get a refund. This is something I did not want to do. However I was feeling anxious about the situation and I just wanted it to be over.
     
    The response I got made me feel awful and upset. The message was dripping with passive aggressive tones and it made me feel awful. I felt like I was being treated as an annoyance rather then a commissioner. I understand their points.  The word is a dark place right now and my mental health has also been effected. However with no TOS or queue to refer to in terms of completion time I was left in the dark and due to my own anxiety issues I was worried I would lose my money.

    I understand the commission type is unique and can take a lot of time. However if someone spends 5$ or 500$ on a commission it should still be treated with respect. Just because a commission price is low does not mean the commissioner can be pushed aside. I did try to reach out multiple times and did not receive any concrete updates with out asking. I did receive my refund. But I was made to feel like I did something wrong for simply asking for it.
     
    Our conversation is attached. All the dates are there. However it does not end with the refund.
     
    After I asked for a refund they made a tweet saying they will start working on the other ko-fi baby commissions. On the same day I asked for a refund.

    They then started posting all the other ko-fi baby commissions. Which confused me because in our DMs they told me they take quite a while....
     
    I find this concerning. You should not need to have someone ask for a refund to have you work on commissions. If I did not ask for a refund I wonder when these commissions would be completed.  I was also really hurt. I very much wanted this commission type and seeing them pump them out this quickly after telling me they take a long time made me feel very disrespected. And I also felt bad for the other commissioners because who knows when their commission would be done if I stayed silent.


    Cubert is a wonderful artist and has a unique style that brought me joy. However I felt like my concerns were not considered and that I was made to be a villain when all I wanted was information  about this art.

    I do wish them the best. Thank you for your time.









    Sadismancer

    Beware: Serathus

    By Sadismancer, in Artist Bewares,

    Who: Serathus
    Where: http://deviantart.com/serathus
    When: 01/16/2016
    What: Commission



    Commissioned user Serathus at Deviantart back in 2016. Prior to this the person took two years to complete a commission. With a lack of clarity I commissioned them again and have only had a sketch since. I have sent them emails and notes on Deviantart, all of which have been ignored and said user has posted artwork since my notes.
    More proof can be provided if necessary. Names are edited out obviously as this was done via email for the last commission. Prior commissions were done over Deviantart. 
    My old username was Katrica, real name edited out (K---) then I swapped to Shayochism and now Sadismancer. Any reference to those usernames is still me.




     

    dominator50
    Who: iSindaj
    Where: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/sindaj/
    When: 08/16/2018
    What: Commission
    NSFW Content

    I had paid for a 5 Stage TF Sequence about 2 years ago for Sindaj to do with my OC. At first it was being worked on and about three of the stages were finished, but then after that, it was delay after delay after delay. On top of that, the artist would try to compensate financial losses in their life by trying to make adoptables and the like instead of focusing on the waiting list of commissioners, even giving priority to those that would donate to them on Ko-Fi to do doodles for. At this point I gave up on trying to ask for any refunds from them.










    Retro
    Who: iRoxyKun/PrinceKetchum
    Where: https://iroxykun.weebly.com/
    https://toyhou.se/iRoxykun
    https://toyhou.se/princeketchum
    https://twitter.com/iRoxykun
    https://www.furaffinity.net/user/iroxykun
    https://www.instagram.com/iroxykun/
    https://www.deviantart.com/iroxykun
    When: 07/20/2020
    What: Commission



    I commissioned iRoxyKun for a $40 chibi image on 7/20/2020, following a trade (iRoxyKun had offered art for a character on my Toyhouse, and had completed the trade quickly). After discussing the commission details and providing references, I paid iRoxyKun $40 that day. At this time, they stated that their current turnaround time was 2-4 weeks. (Image 1)
    On 8/19/2020, I noted iRoxyKun on Toyhouse, as I had not received any communications or updates since payment. They responded within two minutes, stating that they had not been feeling well, and had not begun work on my commission.
    On 9/4/2020, over five weeks from my purchase, I began to look at their other accounts to see if they were alright. I found that they had decided to discontinue doing any commission work and were going to finish their current queue. Seeing as my piece had not been started, I contacted them to offer opening a refund, as I thought this would relieve them of more work. A few hours later, iRoxyKun responded, refusing a refund due to a lack of funds. (Image 2)
    I gave iRoxyKun an ultimatum: deliver a response, plan, or sketch within two weeks, or I would begin the chargeback process with PayPal. Though iRoxyKun read my note on Toyhouse, they did not offer a response. Wanting to find information on what was going on, I went to their art Twitter. Here I found that on 8/9/2020, they were offering commissions for FFXIV items. On 8/20/2020. they opened for three $25 sketches. During the duration of 7/20/2020 to 9/11/2020, I had not received any work, or any indication that my piece would be finished.
    On 9/11/2020, I sent a final notice: if iRoxyKun did not communicate with me by the afternoon of 9/12/2020, I would issue a charge back. I had initially offered a two week deadline, but iRoxyKun had never responded to my asking for a plan of action or progress on the piece. The night of 9/11/2020, they issued my money back, along with the attached note. (Images 3 and 4).
    I have received the amount I paid back in full, however I would advise against working with this artist, due to a lack of professional communication, lack of respect for deadlines, and their actions in taking on more and more work on top of their current queue.
    (Please note that due to the newest-at-top message format of Toyhouse, these images read bottom to top, except for Image 4)




    RottenSkye
    Who: Blix / Fuzzworks
    Where: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/fuzzworks
    https://twitter.com/Fuzz_Works
    When: 08/25/2018
    What: Commission
    NSFW Content

    August 25, 2018 I commissioned Blix/Fuzzworks for a custom dildo of my design. I paid them $100 to start it; $70 for a 3D computer model and $30 for the clay.  They paid another artist the $70 to throw together the 3D model of the dildo. I never received those files. He quickly started to 3D print the dildo. Then he started sanding and priming it for dipping in a mold maker. He told me on September 19, 2018 that he'll need another payment installation to buy the silicones. I told him "okay".   Then he offered me a business proposition with my design.   The last I heard anything from him was February 11, 2019.    

    I know he is active. He is producing fursuits. My buddy is waiting on eye molds from him, and he spoke with them on telegram.

    September 7, 2020,  I asked if I could just have the sculpt he made. I can find someone else to finish it. I just don't want him having my design in his possession. I'm getting worried that he's going to sell my design. That really upsets me. I worked hard on that design.  
     
     
     

    MattUmby
    Who: SparkleUnidog
    Where: http://furaffinity.net/user/sparkle-dog
    When: 05/05/2018
    What: Commission

    Resolved
    In 2018, I approached Sparkles about getting a fursuit commission from her. For various reasons, this fell through, but I did ask if she made custom plushes instead. She seemed to be excited at the idea and we quickly set to work planning it out. 
     

    On May 5th, 2018, satisfied that what we'd planned was something we were both happy with, I sent Sparkles £200 to cover the entire cost of the commission. I was told I would get regular updates on the commission progress, but that it would take a few months to finish.


    Over the course of the next year, I would ask about the progress of the plush, and was told she'd had difficulties finding materials, and that she had a lot of commissions to work throigh and was working through her backlog slowly. We didn't only discuss the commission, as we were friends, and at this point in time I wasn't particularly concerned.

     

    On March 19th, I finally heard back from her in regards to the plush - I was next in line to be finished after another she was working on. I was told work would begin in the next month or so.

    I heard practically nothing about the plush after this, until I reached out between August 31st 2019 and October 10th 2019. She finally responded on October 28th to apologise for the delay. I offered the possibility of a partial refund, but she seemed to prefer trying to finish the plush, though she didn't rule a refund out.


    In January of 2020, my housing situation took a turn and I ended up having to ask Sparkles if she could refund me asap to help me out in the interrim. She agreed, and said she'd get it together in the next few weeks - but I never received anything.

    By April, my housing situation was a lot better, and I let her know the refund was no longer as urgent. However, I continued to ask her about the status of getring the funds together. For a while, she left my messages unread, including an FA note, though she finally responded on July 6th 2020, apologised and told me she'd lost my messages in the midst of her telegram being busy. I wss told the refund would be sorted out in the next few weeks.

    As of writing, this was the last day I received any correspondece from Sparkles.
    I continued messaging her about the refund, and shd has left my messages unread since then.

    in the end, I told her that all I wanted was closure - that I figured I would not see this money again, and that I just wanted to have her tell me as much. I have heard  nothing back from her.

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