Beware: Xhybora

Summary:
In December of 2017, I paid the artist $110 to create a single character, colored animation loop. A rough work-in-progress was shown in January of 2019, but the artist has ignored contact since then and still has not delivered a finished product. 
 

Timeline:

12/01/2017: Xhybora contacted me via note on Furaffinity, asking if I would be interested in commissioning an animation from them. [1]
 

12/03/2017: We moved our conversation to Discord, where we discussed the particulars of what would be made and how much it would cost. The final agreement was that it would be a single character, colored, looping animation for the price of $110. [2] [3] [4]
Later that day they sent me a PayPal invoice, which I paid, and was confirmed to have been so by them. (I have the transaction info if needed, I just didn’t include a screenshot because it was under the artist’s real life full name) [5]
 

04/16/2018: The artist messaged me through Discord that they would be providing a progress update soon. [6]

06/21/2018: Concerned that it had been 6 months without any proper update, I contacted the artist asking for a progress update. The artist responded assuring me I would get an update the next day. [7]

06/23/2018: Two days later, I messaged them asking about the update they had promised. I received no response. [8]

07/27/2018: A month later, I asked more forcefully, this time specifically asking for a WIP. [9]

08/02/2018: The artist said they would be going on a trip, but would provide a WIP as soon as they get back, claiming to have already started animating the commission. [9]

09/03/2018: After another month of radio silence, I asked again about the WIP they had promised. [9]

01/07/2019: After seeing a Twitter thread of several other people claiming to have commissioned Xhybora and never gotten a finished product, I delivered an ultimatum to the artist on Discord: Either provide me with a WIP or refund what I had paid. The artist responded that same day asking to talk. [10]

They sent two rough WIPs [11], and I apologized for doubting them. The artist then admitted that the Twitter thread was true and that there were others who had been left hanging like I had, but the artist assured me that they were working to make things right with all of us. [12]

03/27/2019: The artist contacted me via Discord saying that the animation would be finished in 2 weeks, but inquired if I would like more added to it. I told them I didn’t have the money to do so and they said ok. [13] [14]

This would be the last I ever heard from the artist. I have tried messaging them on discord but have gotten no replies. I noted them on FurAffinity but have gotten no reply. I left shouts on their FurAffinity page, that have been removed by the artist, after which they blocked me on the site. [15]