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  • Beware: jdmarsh


    glorida217
    • Who: jdmarsh #9151 (discord username)
      Where: Discord
      https://www.deviantart.com/jdmarsh/
      https://www.furaffinity.net/user/jdmarsh/
      When: 04/10/2022
      What: Commission



    In April I was asked to create artwork of two marvel characters dancing at prom, for $40, originally it was going to be $45 dollars but because I had known them from a previous server for months I trusted him enough to give him a discount. I hadn't done many commissions so because I wasn't very busy I finished it in about 4 days. This guy had pinged the second server we were on together every day asking how their day was and what they were doing, because it had few people in it, it was okay. Knowing he answered and dmed me frequently made me trust him to answer back in our dms. He was on Discord almost everyday so it was unlikely for him to not answer. When I told him I finished the commission he said that he was used to artists taking months to finish so he didn't have the money ready. I understood, and waited 4 more days while continuing to edit and revise the commission. 

    Two more weeks pass, and he still cannot pay for the commission. I still understood that bills needed to be paid and continued to wait. After nearly a month and a half after I finished the commission, I still hadn't been paid. I asked him for a security deposit and he said he's been broke for the past two weeks. I was starting to get really frustrated. If he couldn't pay for the commission, I told him he could always back out and I'd delete the artwork. You need to understand that we had been talking for a while and even though I did not know him in real life, I trusted him to eventually pay it.

    He kept making excuses and saying he's broke until the next paycheck. It had been many, many weeks at that point where he must've been paid from a paycheck. Still, I kept trying to take the professional route and waited more.

    It's July 19th, almost 3 months since we last had contact. He has ghosted me entirely, I've pinged him in other servers, asked his friends if there was a family emergency and still no reply. I needed the money because of my chronic illness, I'm in pain every single day and he knew that, yet consisted to ghost me. This is my last resort. I hope nobody ever has to go through this with this guy ever again. I can't even say this is the worst experience I've had this month, because of how many times I've been in the hospital.

    Beware jdmarsh. 

    P.S. Going through these messages to get screenshots make this even worse because I'm now seeing that he did say he was going to pay half at the start and pay the rest upon completion and then PLAYED DUMB AFTER I ASKED HIM TO FOLLOW THROUGH. Also the flag behind my avatar used to be the lesbian flag then currently is the queer flag.

     

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    Edited by rikki
    edited cap order. added dA and FA page




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    • Administrator

    I'm sorry that you had to learn the hard way that this is why a lot of us charge upfront.  But also this client saying they're broke from the get go would have been a red flag to not even work with them.

    If you prefer to be pay upon completion there are a number of escrow services out there that require the client to pay up front and you get paid when the piece is delivered.

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    On the off chance I'd ever agree to paying once finished, I think it would be best to take a deposit/percent of the full price and before starting and have the rest paid upon completion. This way if someone does ghost you won't be out completely 🙂 I'm sorry they did this to you. They had no right to string you along for a commission if they were allegedly broke. Better luck to you and your clients in the future

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    If I were you, I would just repurpose the drawing entirely. You could probably remove all the original characteristics and sell it as a YCH or a base. As a base, I'd sell it for $15 a piece on something like Gumroad (all it'd take is 3 purchases to reclaim your money) and as a YCH, I'd sell it for $20-$25 per character slot ($45 for both characters) or higher if it comes with a background or other custom elements. It would really spite the "commissioner" and give you your money back

    For all it's worth, I'm sorry you had to go through this. I agree with the others that it would've been best to ask for half upfront and half after it's completed. If the thought of asking for money upfront seems intimidating to you, I'd recommend only showing them a small thumbnail of the initial sketch and then asking for money before working on changes or continuing otherwise. That way, it'd be a lot easier to repurpose it if they refuse to pay and you wouldn't lose too much time.

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