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  • Artist Beware - Graviilean / MiaU


    RyverWren
    • Who: Graviilean (DA, TH) / MiaU124 (DA) / Miamatsuno (Twitter)
      Where: graviilean.deviantart.com
      When: 11/05/2016
      What: Commission



    Message added by Eden

    The final stash album was removed, and the artist's last journal was added instead.

    Please note that visiting the twitter handle is NSFW.

    Incident 1: November 2016

    In November 2016 I commissioned Graviilean for a fullbody traditional piece (digital copy only - the physical copy was for her school Portfolio). Around January 2017 I sent a note requesting an update. Graviilean apologized and offered a free sketch, explaining that she forgot to scan the original before mailing it. I asked for updates on either piece around every 3 months - until October 2017 when Graviilean asked me to accept a refund for the order, stating she had never done the extra sketch and didn't know if she would get back the portfolio.

    Incident 1 Proof: https://sta.sh/2kna8yk4e4i?edit=1

    Incident 2: March 22, 2018

    I ordered a fullbody digital commission and paid $70. On June 14, 2018 I received a notice of a refund (no other contact from the artist until this point). The artist did comment with a reason afterwards (illness/emergency). 

    Incident 2 Proof: https://sta.sh/26b16j5xup8?edit=1

    Incident 3 and 4: July 5, 2018 and September 13, 2018

    I ordered a fullbody digital commission and paid $70. For those wondering, I tried again because I decided to chalk up the first two experiences as bad luck and bad timing respectively. I had also messaged her prior to ordering to be sure she would actually do the commission. At the time of ordering, Graviilean stated it would take about 3 weeks due to character complexity. I had no problem with the wait. I received a rough pose sketch on July 26. While waiting, Graviilean opened some headshot sketch commissions and I ordreed 2 ($40) because it seemed she was getting through them quickly. In October, Graviilean posted some journals explaining that she could not work on anything digitally** and needed to raise $2,000 for a new tablet and refunding old commissions. I was upset so I commented, and I will make no excuses for my rude tone at that time.

    Graviilean assured me that my commissions would be done by the end of October. November 4, 2018, after Graviilean ignored my notes requesting an update, I posted a PSA about her continuing poor performance, including proof of her opening commissions to refund older commissions she never did, along with posting statuses for new commissions/asking to raise large ($400+) amounts between the commission journals.

    Two days after posting the PSA, Graviilean found out and messaged me "How will I sell commissions to refund you now?" I offered her another solution, to draw my commissions traditionally (she claimed to have broken her tablet). November 18, 2018 I offered (requested) that Graviilean finish my commissions traditionally since digital was out of the question. I informed her I would file a chargeback December 31st if I had not received either the art or a refund. December 30, 2018 (a day early due to a family trip for New Years, where I would be without internet access) I opened the chargeback. Graviilean left a final status message stating she was abandoning her account and encouraging those who could to chargeback, as she had no interest in dealing with it. She refused to communicate with me through Paypal and forced me to wait the full length of time for Paypal to close the case.

    ** Special note - during my PSA updates, it was brought to my attention that Graviilean had a side account Graviinator (DA) and Facebook where she was posting digital art during the months she stated she had no way to draw digitally, along with opening commissions through that account. Proof of this - https://sta.sh/2twj39et8et?edit=1

    Incident 3 and 4 Proof: https://sta.sh/2s2oveupup9?edit=1

    Graviilean Status and Journal Posts (offering comms to refund comms) Proof: https://sta.sh/2z1vtwgq09d?edit=1

    Graviilean final "Go ahead and chargeback" status: https://www.deviantart.com/graviilean/status/15992687

    Summary / End Notes:

    Beginning in November 2016, I have attempted to commission Graviilean (DA) 4 times. My orders have been "done but lost", refunded due to "illness/emergency", and finally just simply not finished. I had to file a chargeback as Graviilean would not give me specific dates for the refund on my final 2 orders ($70 fullbody and $40 for 2 busts). In a final Status update on DA, Graviilean stated she was abandoning the name/account permanently and would move on to "better things". She stated those that could, should file a chargeback.

    She has moved accounts to https://miau124.deviantart.com (DA) / MiaU (FB) / MiaMatsuno (Twitter) (WARNING: NSFW Twitter account) and opened up new commissions and posted digital artwork (during the time she stated she could not use her tablet)

    MiaU / Graviilean + Graviilean final status- Proof: https://sta.sh/0dvuzxgi1kp

    https://sta.sh/01798pttiofh

    (In case it is unclear from her art style, several of the "fake screenshots" are posted on her Graviinator (DA) side account and now on MiaU124, along with the same character name and bio)




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    I'm glad you finally decided to post this here, their actions are completely unprofessional, scamming many people out of money and then in the end trying to pin the blame on you for giving good advice how to fix their mess when instead they decided to just run away with the money.

     

    It absolutely boils my blood.

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    Glad to see this posted here at last, especially because this artist has clearly not learned their lesson (that final status post is as unrepentant and manipulative as they come) and likely never will. They remain "at large," so to speak, and anyone thinking to commission them in the future runs a ridiculously high risk of being scammed.

    I wonder if it's necessary to add their FurAffinity page/username as well to the beware? Just in case they migrate business there.

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    @TythiusI'm afraid I don't have any information on her FA account (if she has one). I don't have one, and I don't know how to navigate the site to search for her. 

    If I do come across further accounts I will update to the best of my ability. 

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