James

Ultimately it's their right to block whoever they want, and choose not to do business with whoever they want. I don't see it as unnecessary personally.

8 hours ago, BaronVonClop said:

Awesome, thanks for the quick response!

I'm honestly surprised to hear that! I've commissioned in the range of 30 artists and I've never encountered even one that gives two quality versions, let alone barring me from showing anyone the good quality version (with the exception of in person, I guess? Only "uploading" is banned). Two versions with the same resolution, but one has a watermark for public upload, sure, understandable. Maybe I just commission lax people, but I was baffled when reading that, and even more confused now that I'm hearing it's fairly common! But fair enough; if this is common outside of my circle, I won't push it.

Yeah, now that I'm reading it back I realize I worded that poorly. I know that when commissioning things the copyright remains in the hands of the artist, no concern there. My confusion was more that every other time I've seen the partial refund clause, it has included the bit about the commissioner being allowed to use the unfinished art. But fair enough, your explanation is solid.

Regardless, that all makes perfect sense to me. Against the logical side of me, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and will wait another week to see if there's any progress, then probably follow your advice and just file the claim and write out the beware if nothing comes up. Thank you for the honest advice!

I'd personally consider it a bit overkill to hand over something drastically lower res, but I'm assuming it's to prevent someone from swiping the image and printing it.  I'm assuming they're not handling you something pixellated to the end of the world and back, and it's just... way tiny right?  If it is full of JPG pixels and weird, then I'd call that an oddity.  I work in 3000 x 4000 pixels and will hand over 900 x 1200 for uploading to FurAffinity.

I'll just go ahead and address them as bullet points:

• That's not necessarily wrong, but you're still within your right to cancel as per Paypal.
• There's nothing wrong with this on the surface.  It really comes down to how they're applying this rush fee.  Like if everyone is in indefinite limbo until you pay the rush fee, then it's unethical.  If the rush fee is paid, and the artist works on your piece on what would otherwise be off hours to get it done sooner then that's fine.
• Red flag.  All artists should have public queues.
• Nothing wrong with this.  Distribution rights are held by the artist, and many folks ask the high res remain private.

For the refunds section:

• That's a no, and unenforceable as per Paypal.
• That's also a no, and unenforceable as per Paypal.
• No, the art isn't "yours".  You do not own any of the copyrights, nor are they transferred by default in a commission.  However in the terms of this fandom is generally understood that if the client cancels they get a partial refund and get to "keep" the art for personal use.  Maybe this part of their ToS is worded weird, but I would interpret this as you aren't allowed to take it to another artist for completion, aka it's not "yours" in a copyright sense.
• That's their prerogative, and there's nothing inherently wrong with carrying a blacklist.  I personally blacklist individuals I see being rude to other artists.  (If they're rude to someone else, they'll likely be rude to me too.)  However, the lack of a definite break down of how partial refunds are dished out is also a red flag.

Your question is something only a moderator can answer when we are looking at your post in queue with all of the proof.

If nothing has been done so far simply file the claim (not dispute) and move on before you lose your money.

I believe it's ok to use the Friends and Family option in this instance. Normally Paypal will take action against an account that abuses the option to avoid fees, but the artist isn't asking you to do so.

Personally I've sent tips in this manner.  It's too bad that Paypal doesn't have the option to let you tip on an invoice after the fact.

I purchased an icon from Dewdlepies on 01.30.19, and received the finished item the next day.  He was swift, showed me progress reports throughout the day, and delivered an amazing icon.  I can't recommend him enough to get work done.

I commissioned OgnevkaFenella (https://ognevkafenella.artstation.com/) on 04.21.19 for a portrait commission and a full color two character commission.  She was pleasant and prompt to work with, and I received my finished commissions today, 04.29.19.

Her work is absolutely lovely, and her turn around time is lightning fast.  I highly recommend her.

For your first question:  Were the triangle fur pieces clearly visible on the given references?  If no, then you are within your rights to charge for an edit.  If yes, then the error should be fixed without charge as it is artist error.

The edit price is fair, especially if you do not work in a manner that lends itself to easy editing.  (Every little thing I do is on a separate layer for ease of edits.  It can be very resource intensive on some computers.)

As for other folks editing your work you are within your rights to decline edits, and even file a DMCA against unauthorized edits.  The latter is a burn the bridge scenario.  Personally, I do not allow edits unless the edits themselves are clearly identified.  If they do a poor job, then that's your name that is associated with it.

Edit:  After a bit of digging (sorry!) it appears that Pokemon does have two triangle spikes as part of their default design.  If you're unfamiliar with later gen Pokemon, then it's understandable that it may have come off as a stylistic choice.  If it were me I would fix it free of charge given it's part of the default design.

Artists Beware Moderator Code of Conduct

The Duties of a Moderator

All moderators listed on the Staff Page fall into one or more of these categories. Below are the ranks for moderators and what their duties are:

Queue Mods - Review incoming bewares for adherence to the Submission Guidelines. Queue mods may opt out of being Comment Mods.

Comment Mods - Watch the comments and forums for inappropriate activity.  Review incoming comments on bewares. Comment mods always double as Queue Mods.

Administrators - Work both comments and the queue. Handle back end and technical work on the website.  Are responsible for direction of all other moderator categories. Official owners of Artists Beware.

Special Moderator Categories

The following moderators are special ranks and do not field general user questions:

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Other Staff Categories

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Artists Beware opens for Helpers on our Twitter account at a rate of $16.50 USD/hr.  We hire in 3 hour shifts.

Code of Conduct

Artists Beware has volunteer staff. Due to the nature of the community we ask that all moderators adhere to the following Code of Conduct.

1.  Moderators are to remain professional and polite even when users are not.

We will not tolerate name-calling, cursing, or repeated snarking.

2.  What happens in the queue and direct user communication stays private.  Always.

We are privy to medical, personal, and private social information sometimes.  Leaking of this information to the public will result in an immediate dismissal.

3.  Moderators are to be in good business standing with the community.

Moderators are not exempt from bewares.  We understand that life happens, and a singular beware is not an automatic dismissal.  Yet, if poor business behavior becomes a consistent issue we will ask the moderator step down.

4.  Moderators should be able to handle disagreements with fellow moderators gracefully.

Sometimes a beware will not be cut and dry, and will need extensive discussion.  Mods who are out-voted must handle themselves with grace.

5.  Moderators are expected to be unbiased when moderating the queue.

There will be a time when the bewaree in queue is a friend or someone close.  A beware will never be rejected on the basis that the bewaree is a friend, family member, or partner.  If a moderator finds they can't be unbiased, they may sit out discussion on the beware without penalty.

Moderators may speak their personal opinions on bewares granted they follow Item 1.

6.  A moderator's outside behavior should foster trust in the community.

Artists Beware submissions can have sensitive information. Our users put a lot of trust into team members. Moderators who hold racist, transphobic, and/ or homophobic views are not a good fit for the team and will be let go.

• Positive reviews no longer require a mod to make a thread.
• The Rules for Commenting have been updated to clarify that comments also have to be constructive.
• Trainee Mod role has been added.
• General Reviews Forum has been deleted as the purpose of the forum was unclear.  Do users want a place where they can curate general, neither entirely good nor entirely bad reviews on artists and clients?

Howdy!

This is not a question the community at large is equipped to answer.  This is something best left to members of the Queue Mod team only when your beware is submitted with all of the supporting information we require.  If it feels like a valid case, we will approve your post.  If not we will send you a rejection notice.  If you have further questions feel free to contact one (1) Moderator from our Staff page.

Positive reviews for dinoPharaoh!

Positive reviews for Skdaffle.

Positive reviews for @vampbyte on Twitter!

Howdy! This kind of question can't be answered by our community members, and is best left for staff. We can't give you a determination if something will pass thr queue without seeing the full transaction. However, this sounds like it would fit best in the Artist Caution category. Please review the submission guidelines for what would need to be censored, and a submission link is available at the bottom of the page.

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The goal for these rules is to keep Artists Beware constructive, impartial, and a valuable resource for the community.  Bewarees should feel welcome to participate without feeling like they are about to jump into a proverbial shark tank.

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• No name calling.
• No unnecessary hostility.
• Non-business related issues is off-topic.  (Aka we don't want to hear about a bewaree's personal drama.)
• Comments that are simply "I won't buy from this person" or "beware on both OP and artist" that do not add value to the beware's comments may not be approved.
• Transphobic, Homophobic, and Racist language will result in an immediate ban.
• Well wishes such as "I hope this gets resolved, OP!" are ok, but please see the "dogpiling" section on using the like feature.

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• Financial situations.
• What someone is spending their money on.
• Personal disputes.
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3.  Dogpiling will be handled at moderator discretion.

Do not wait for moderators to steer the comments back in the right direction.  If you see multiple comments sharing the same sentiment as you, please use the like feature instead.

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If a user expresses that they do not want X or Y in relation to their transaction please do not force the issue.

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• All comments are manually approved, so do not chastise other commenters.
• If a post needs the tags updated, feel free to PM us!
• If you discover alternate aliases, you are welcome to drop them into the comments but ensure it's absolutely 100% the same person or it will be hidden.  No "similar styles".  Same email address.  Same art.  Same characters or it's not a 100% confirmation.

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• (At the moment our external email is down.  If you would like to use email instead please contact celestinaketiza at gmail for the time being.)

2.  When responding to a Rejection Notice rude or abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

• We will give you clear instructions on what to include if we need a resubmission.  The items in your rejection notice are not up for debate.  Resubmission explaining why you are not following some or all of the instructions will result in another rejection.
• If we are outright rejecting your post, then we will outline clearly the conditions in which you may resubmit.  If there are none, then your rejection is final.
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• Contacting us to argue about why action against your account was wrong will not reverse the final decision.
• Contacting a different moderator to argue your case will not result in the decision being revoked.

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1.  Polite reminders are not official action against accounts. 

If your comment was not posted, but you didn't receive an official warning notice then you aren't in trouble!  We're just trying to keep bewares and forum comments streamlined, on topic, and constructive.

2.  Official warning notices come from the built-in warning system.

They are clearly visible on your Profile Page.  After three (3) official warnings a user will be banned.

3.  Temporary bans vs. permanent bans.

• A temporary ban may be issued at moderator discretion if a user is becoming too heated in a beware or forum post.  They are not part of a permanent strike against a user's account, and the user is welcome to return and comment with a clean slate. We need you to take a breather!
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• Deactivation will lock your account.
• We will reverse a deactivation once.

Moderator Code of Conduct Violations

All moderators are to adhere to the Moderator Code of Conduct.  In the event a moderator is violating these rules please contact one (1) Administrator.

Positive reviews for Pornography.

Howdy! Sorry for not dropping back in sooner. We discussed this internally, and would greatly prefer to keep AB strictly professional. 

Howdy! Currently there are no plans to add something like this as we would like to keep a professional tone. Ranting / venting is probably left to personal spaces. If you need advice on how to handle a situation or how you could have done things better for next time the Advice Forum is what you're looking for.

Yea I'm not sending direct cash to anyone. The same protections they cited also ensure no one's running off with my money.

Positive reviews for Cheetah-GT!

@Alex Wright

This is something that can be added, but would have to be manually added to posts already on the site. Given that we are already a strained volunteer group is no guarantee that we can get to old posts and do them in a timely manner or at all.

I wouldn't work with any of these people.

I have an accountant and pay state taxes to the comptroller's office.  No one ever has required the personal information of my clients.  I submit a total for the quarter and it's done.  Furthermore storage of client PII outside of Paypal requires them to legally have a privacy disclosure.  AB has one because we store email addresses.

I also do commercial items and have a relationship with a fellow Texas operated shop. Now that I did need some contact information so I could fill out copyright transfer paperwork for them.

Positive reviews for aviivix!

Positive reviews for Nut-Case.