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Submission Rules

Failure to follow these rules will result in your beware being rejected.  The only exemptions allowed are clearly indicated.

Please note:  All staff members of Artists Beware are volunteers.  Approval of your post can take anywhere from a day to a week. 

We have a zero tolerance policy for cursing or threats against our staff.

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Do you accept posts on minors?

No, as of September of 2022 we do not accept posts on minors.  Please report minors taking transactions to the payment processors they are using if they are not delivering work.

 

1. We only accept submissions about commissions over $20, art trades, or other related sales.  Submitters must be directly involved with the transaction.

We accept:

1. Undelivered commissions over $20, Patreon rewards, or crowdfunding rewards.
   1. Exemption:  We will consider commissions under $20 on a case by case basis, leaving room for individuals who show a pattern of non-delivery.
2. Fraudulent chargebacks.
3. Threats or abusive behavior directed at you during your transaction.
4. Someone pretending to be you to take commissions/  Someone using your art to take commissions.
5. If someone has traced your art for sale, or you received a commission that was traced.
   1. Moderator note:  For bewarees that remove the work without fighting the submitter, and it appears to be their first and only infraction, we will allow the bewaree to clean up their act.  The post on them will go into storage, but if any further tracing of commissions is found, then the post will go live as soon as we are notified.
6. If someone has sold your adoptables, or you received an adoptable that was stolen or sold twice.
   1. You must currently own the adoptable in question.
7. Reclaimed adoptables with no refund to buyer.
8. Someone selling original species without permission.
9. Someone commissioning art of your character without your consent.
10. A commission you received was not the same quality as advertised.
    1. This covers clients who receive an image that was either fully or partially AI generated when they believed they would be receiving 100% original work.

Moderator note:  For all items listed here you must attempt to resolve the issue with the person first.  We should not be the first place you turn to in lieu of speaking to the bewaree.  We reserve the right to reject bewares that are unresolvable.

We do not accept:

1. Posts that do not contain an exchange of money, goods, or services will be rejected.
   1. No general callout posts concerning, but not limited to:
      1. What someone draws, writes, or the kind of fiction they consume.
      2. Someone reposting art when they're not trying to make money off of it.  (Use the host site's DMCA process!)
      3. What someone says or does outside of a transaction.
   2. No group warning posts.
      1. If you have a legitimate set of transactions please submit individual posts.
   3. No proxy/ third party posts.
   4. No personal fights.
   5. No transactions involving virtual currency that cannot be converted to fiat.  (Flight Rising gems, Neopoints, ect.)
   6. Transactions where "services" surrounding AI image generation are unpaid.  We only help artists rendering art services.
2. "Character Theft", "Adoptable Theft", "Art Theft", "Species Theft" posts where we have to judge how similar one creation is to the other.
3. Bewares concerning undelivered "free raffles".
4. Issues with donations.
5. An artist declining to do a commission or refunding a commission.
6. Posts that try and upload cub porn, loli, or shota to Artists Beware.  Either don't upload the images in question or censor them entirely.
7. Posts in which the transaction has been completed/ finished for over a year.

Exemption:  Adults/ guardians posting on behalf of a minor.

Exemption:  Translators posting on behalf of someone who does not speak English.

 

2.  All Submissions based solely on non-delivery and no other issues must wait a minimum of 3 - 4 months.

Exemption:  If the artist promised a specific deadline such as a Holiday commission.  Admission will be handled by moderator discretion.

1. 3 months if the artist is non-responsive while still being active.
2. 4 months for all other non-delivery only items.
3. Items that take a while to finish such as fursuits or very large projects may be asked to return at a later date.

 

3.  Bewares are to be written in a professional manner without hostile language or excessive cursing.

1. No homophobic, racist, transphobic language. Intentional misgendering is not allowed.
2. Keep your bewares short and to the point.
3. Creative writing, roleplaying or meandering make your beware hard to follow.
4. In some extreme cases, we may ask for you to rewrite your post if it is difficult to understand.

 

4. All claims must provide proof. Submitted caps must have dates and usernames visible.

If you claim the artist or client said x, y, z, but you only submitted proof for z then we will reject your beware for full proof. Bewares without proof will be automatically rejected.

1. No copy and pasted text.
2. We will not permit packs or anything that requires our readers download something.
3. Tight crops that remove dates and usernames will be declined.  We do not accept anonymous posts.
   1. We will have you replace caps that have "fuzzy date" format.
4. Remove caps that are just chatting or irrelevant to your transaction.
5. Proof that is not in English should have English translations or summaries visible.  

Good:  

Bad:  

For issues of quality the following is needed for proof.

1. Proof of what was shown as an example for the level of work you were getting.
2. Proof of your original agreement.
3. Your completed commission.

 

5. Censor all personal information in both your screencaps and the body of your text.

You may not submit:

1. Home addresses/ PO Boxes
2. Phone numbers
3. Real life names
4. Email addresses that are not publicly available at the time of posting.
5. What they buy or attend when they owe you a refund.
6. Their personal or medical issues.
7. We may not accept communication leaked from locked accounts, and will review submitted proof on a case by case basis. A person's private space is their business.

We will not make you censor your own information, but it is a good idea to do so.

Exemption: If they started the transaction / do business under their real name, you are permitted to post their real name.

 

6. External links will be declined.

External bewares:  Submissions that are simply "here is my link to my beware on (external site) will be declined.  Please post your information to us.

ZIP folders, dropboxes, imgur collections, drive folders of proof, ect.:  Users are required to utilize our internal image system.  If you've made a mistake and an image shows up twice, a moderator will clean it up upon review.

• Youtube videos that show problems with physical items may be declined if the damage is difficult to see.  Provide images.
• Video bewares are not accepted as of 04.15.2023.  If your submission cannot be summarized in easy to read caps, then we will not be accepting it.

 

7.  Your post will not be deleted.  Even if it's resolved.

Exemption:  If the bewaree can prove that the basis of a post has been fabricated, then we will work with them.  If this is the case, then please fill out a ticket.

• Posts are marked as resolved when the Submitter tells us it's resolved.
• If the Submitter doesn't respond to attempts for resolution, or they have not acknowledged resolution, the Bewaree may contact one (1) Administrator.

 

8.  Concerning undelivered refunds:

• We do not honor blanket "no refunds ever" clauses.  If the client's work is not completed, then they are owed for work not done.
• We do not honor "no refunds" clauses that require the client to wait beyond 180 days before they can request one.  (This is unenforceable anyway.)
• We do not honor "no refunds" if the artist sees the client has asked for a refund, but they finish the art anyway to claim there's nothing to refund.
• We handle what amount is due to be refunded if the artist cancels on a case by case basis, though generally we uphold the artist's right to cancel and issue a refund for work not done.
• We do honor non-refundable deposits.  We understand that some builders or costume makers may opt to send purchased materials to a client in lieu of a refund of the deposit, but we do not require it.
• We honor "kill fees" so long as it's been made clear before the transaction starts that there is a kill fee.

 

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Outline

The following is an outline that we require all bewares follow.

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1. Original agreement with proof.
   1. What did you originally agree to?
   2. What references did you deliver if quality is an issue?
2. Proof of payment censored properly.
   1. If Paypal cap isn't available, include the individual acknowledging they owe you.
3. Any relevant correspondence.  This is where updates, WIPs go, if emails have gone unanswered, ect.  
4. The issue you are reporting on, and your attempts to resolve it.

 

The following items are Excellent beware examples:

Beware 1 | Beware 2 | Beware 3 | Beware 4

 

Thank you for taking the time to review our guidelines. Please note that moderators may edit your post to meet them before publicly posting your beware. To submit your beware, click on +create, and select a category in "Artists Beware".

 

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I've submitted my beware, now what?

Two or more members of staff will review your post for accuracy.  Please have notifications for messages on.  Failure to respond to a moderator message after 72 hours will result in your post being removed from the queue.  You are welcome to repost at any time.