Beware: Shizuworks/Chevi

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

WHO: Shizuworks/Shizuki/Chevi (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shizuworks/) (http://chevi.deviantart.com/) I think she has other abandoned accounts on FA, but I can't remember them. As an addendum, is it possible to request modification of her tag here to include her "Shizuworks" pen name? I feel like that might have been a reason why I never saw bewares against her, especially since that's her commission account.

WHERE: The commission offers were advertised on FA, but business was done via email.

WHAT: Two of her plush icons, a derp sheet, and a waist-up drawing and a chibi of an adoptable purchased from her.

WHEN: The derp sheet was requested May 24, 2012 and the plush icons were requested on August 12, 2012. The adoptable and the extras that came with it were purchased December 19, 2012.

PROOF + EXPLAIN: In May, Chevi offered a derp sheet commission, which I quickly jumped on. (http://oi40.tinypic.com/2ew1e77.jpg) She said to give her a month to get to them, which I was okay with, but a month passed and I received nothing. I decided to wait a little while longer, assuming that she had been incredibly busy and she often made journals about her woes concerning bills and moving and such. Come August, she offered plush icons, which I have been completely in love with, so I purchased two. (http://oi44.tinypic.com/313q1r5.jpg)

Months passed and she made several journals about being down on her luck, so I decided not to bother her about how my commissions were doing, but in November, I had recently updated a few of my characters, so I asked her if my commission could reflect on the recent changes. (http://oi40.tinypic.com/155nypy.jpg) She responded promptly and said it'd be okay.

In December, she had an adoptable auction (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9489675/) and I bought out one of the adoptables. It was a ladder sort of deal, so with the adoptable came a chibi and a shot of the character from the waist-up. (http://oi39.tinypic.com/2a686z5.jpg) (http://oi42.tinypic.com/2lsgsja.jpg) I have not seen any progress of any of these commissions and even asked her how the commissions were going on June 16th. (http://oi42.tinypic.com/2lctffm.jpg)

She has straight up said that she's no longer taking commissions (http://oi40.tinypic.com/2ui80t4.jpg), but in order to refund some customers, she takes other commissions to replace them. But recently, I saw a journal on her deviantART where she said she was taking brand new commissions. I wish I had screencapped it before she deleted it, but I when I saw it, I felt insulted. I have been waiting a year for art that she said would have been done in a month and I felt like this was an artist I could trust after I had given her business multiple times. I hate that I let myself constantly think, "This girl is just really down on her luck." I did not know that she has so many customers still waiting after years for their work. It's not fair that she jumped ship from FA, where all her waiting customers were and on to DA to garner new interest.

I emailed her on the 8th (http://oi43.tinypic.com/347ehbo.jpg) asking for a hard deadline. She has agreed to it, and she said she will have my commissions complete by September 15th. I'm hoping she keeps true to her word. If she does not meet it, I will pursue a refund. It's something I would regret doing because I desperately want those plush icons.

Chevi has amazing, adorable art, but I would completely advise against doing business with her. It's not worth it to wait more than a year for art, especially when she told me it would have been done in a month.

Comments

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Well, she hasn't entirely left FA actually. She's been recently making journals on the name Shizuworks, asking for donations and commissions for bills (phone, and school loans). She had a double-image adoptable up for sale but that is now deleted.

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, I hope you get your pictures soon. Unfortunately you are among a huge list of folks she owes work to.

Edit - I would take the refund, by the way. Since she's offering it, I would just flat out take it.

[sresla.livejournal.com]

I'm with Neo. I have an outstanding commission right now that's going on almost a year and if the person offered me a refund I'd jump on it. As good as anyone's art is, if they are uncommunicative and do not stick to deadlines, they are not the person you want to give your money to. You may still be waiting for your art six months down the line (not to say you won't be waiting for your money too, but given the choice of one or the other...)

There are many, many artists of equal caliber who will provide you with updates and deliver you art in a timely manner. These are the people you want to deal with and support.

[kairi-koitra.livejournal.com]

I just got the line works from her for a commission that was placed in the summer of 2011. All I can tell you is to keep emailing her and riding her because otherwise she just ignores you. She also had a post up recently on da about opening for commissions but not anthro ones and she expected to have a her da commissions done by aug 25. There was no mention what so ever of her fa commissions.

I feel your frustrations I do

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

As far as I can tell, she's never mentioned her FA backlog on DA. She tries to keep the name "Chevi" and "Shizuki" pretty separate. I'm not sure if it's to avoid commissions she owes, or just to build up her rep all over again under her real name.

But I can also attest, she did just have a journal about commissions and money-pandering.

In fact, she uploaded an AD on DA recently right here and has yet to remove it - http://forum.deviantart.com/jobs/services/1886788/ (I am screen capping this)

[blackheart.livejournal.com]

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shizuki/ too. I don't know any others but that's one of her old ones (now abandoned).

Take the refund! Though! The only reason I got owed art from her was by posting that she had outstanding commissions on a post like this one. Hopefully she'll complete at least a portion of her radically overdue commissions upon spotting this.

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

It's a real shame that artists only step up their game when they see bewares against them. :/

[mwalimu.livejournal.com]

I know something about the Shizuki who has the account at http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shizuki/ and I'm fairly certain it's not the same person.

[mwalimu.livejournal.com]

Oops, my bad. Please disregard my comment; I was thinking of someone else with a very similar username

[intj-reflection.livejournal.com]

I was pretty sure that at one point the http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shizuki/ had a note in their About Me section redirecting to the http://www.furaffinity.net/user/chevi/ account, but that was long enough ago that perhaps the account changed hands? I know people have been selling/buying unused accounts lately.

[intj-reflection.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand apparently I'm not awake to be posting because the other reply to your comment was from you, too. All of the derps I am having. Apologies for superfluous ramble.

[0acorn0.livejournal.com]

Selling/buying accounts is against FA's AUP. In fact, they changed it sometime in the past year where you can't even give away accounts anymore without admin knowledge.

[intj-reflection.livejournal.com]

Good to know. I'll have to double check the dates on those transactions I found out about. o.o

[0acorn0.livejournal.com]

Selling and buying has always been against the rules. It's only giving them away for free that's changed.

[dannyazazel.livejournal.com]

I'd honestly wait till the deadline since it's already been set and there is a chance you'll get the art. I really hope she starts going through that backlog of hers, it's got to be insane by now because I doubt she stuck to her word of "not taking anymore commissions".

I'm sorry you've had to deal with this Vex.

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had already agreed to the deadline before I posted the beware and don't really want to turn back around and say that I'd just rather take the money back at this point. From what I've observed and heard, she doesn't really get her engine running until someone raises their voices.

I'm willing to wait until the deadline, but the least I can do until then is make sure other people make sure to steer clear of her services unless they have the patience of a saint.

[ethelune.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think you and I got signed up for a derp sheet around the same time. I contacted her a few months back, asking if I could trade the sheet for something else. (Though I mentioned I would have preferred a refund at that point, she had a pretty strict "no refunds" policy, so my hopes weren't high.) She was polite and understanding, offering a refund if someone would take the slot. Though it took a reminder, the money was sent a week or two after the slot was claimed.

While my financial situation was the primary reason I accepted the refund, I was also a bit irked by her decision to leave FA earlier in the year. After the number of times she had asked for donations - including a rather large donation drive to give her time for personal work - I was shocked that she would walk away from the folks who had supported her in her (many) times of need. It just left me with a lot less patience, honestly. :/

[kairi-koitra.livejournal.com]

Problem is she never has left fa. She runs back to it the moment she is out of funds or something comes up. I can't be irked at her for leaving until she uh actually leaves. I wish she would have given my bf and I the option of a refund after the amount of time and stress we put into getting the art from her. I've never had to hound an artist like this. It's aggravating beyond belief

[ethelune.livejournal.com]

I unwatched her after I got my refund, so I haven't been keeping track. For me, the intent to leave (what with the number of outstanding commissioners and folks paying her rent through donations each month) was enough.

I'm sorry you had to hound her, though! I'm lucky that she was polite enough to offer a refund in my case, as is the OP.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, seconding the comment about her not leaving FA. She never actually -did-. She had plans to of course, by removing "Shizuki" then abandoning "Chevi", but left "Shizuworks" up for a reason - and I believe it's to come back and make emergency funds when she needs to.

I know it's moot, but you could have demanded a refund despite her shoddy "Tos". The "no refunds" thing is actually illegal and could have gotten her into some hot water. (She removed it after some older AB posts) It amazes me what customers will go along with, because they think a TOS is the final word. And it's gross that any freelancer would ever PUT that in their TOS to begin with.

But I understand your frustration, the whole charade of "I'm leaving foreeeverrrr!" was really irritating for her customers, because it looked like she was packing up and leaving everyone in the dust. I am so glad you got your refund though.

[ethelune.livejournal.com]

As am I! I'm really not a confrontational person, so I would have likely waited a year or more for the art than try to forcibly pursue a refund. I'm thankful the transaction was completed without too much stress.

Also, as mentioned above, the intent was more important to me than whether or not she actually left (and I had a suspicion her bills would keep her there). I just found it distasteful that, after relying on customers (and, more importantly, the kindness of donors) to pay her rent, she would turn around and say "This place is giving me too much stress, so I'm taking my art elsewhere."

[lackoflollies.livejournal.com]

Mm... this is a little disheartening. I ended up grabbing one of her chibi slots I don't even know how long ago (4 months or so?) with a September completion. So while i'm not worried about it -yet-, I am somewhat concerned now.

[intj-reflection.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry that you've gone through all of this, but thank you for making this report. There are far too many people who still refuse to despite the amount of time they've been waiting for their work. x.x

Update

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

Chevi contacted me today, saying she was sick and could not meet the deadline (which would be tomorrow). She gave me the option of waiting till the middle of the week or taking a refund. I'm taking the refund and she says I should have it by the end of the month at the latest.

Update #2

[vexinglyyours.livejournal.com]

Chevi refunded me for the adoptable and its extras as well as the derp sheet after she got customers to find interest in them. No one had yet found interest in replacing the plush icons, so she asked if I still wanted them. I said yes, and they were done in 8 hours. I waited a year for something she got to me in just a few hours.

The work was nice as usual, but not worth the year-long wait. This is just really disappointing because this was an artist whose style I loved and I gave her a lot of business in the past.

This can be considered resolved, but I still would not recommend her to anyone. If you are currently a customer of hers and waiting for a long time, please talk to her, because it seems like she won't do work unless there's a fire underneath her at this point.

Re: Update #2

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

I will update the tags! Thank you for the update.