Artist Beware: LoserDoge/Demonic-Fag

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

WHO: LoserDoge on DA, Demonic-Fag on FA, lozerdoge on tumblr

WHERE: They seem to do most of their commissions through LoserDoge on DA

WHAT: $8 for a digital flatcolor, and a digital 'journal doll'

WHEN: First note sent + replied to on April 25th 2014, payment sent same day, first sign of trouble May 3rd

PROOF: 1st Note, Payment Date, Personal Work Since Payment, Proof of Personal Work Date, 2nd Note, 3rd Note, 1st Submission Date, 4th Note, Dispute Date

EXPLAIN: I found LoserDoge on DA and had a little extra money, so I decided to commission them. I sent the first note on April 25th which was quickly replied to, and I sent the payment the same day.

I waited around through the week waiting for my commission, while watching them draw and post a lot of personal artwork. I sent my second note on May 3rd to ask why they hadn't worked on either of my commissions yet. They said that they would be gone for the weekend and that they might work on my commissions the next week, saying they were "just a very slow worker". This set off alarm bells for me, considering they obviously weren't slow when it came to drawing for themselves.
(The passive-aggressive comment was me offering to make them free minecraft skins if they finished my commissions, since they posted a journal looking for them. I realized after I posted it how it could have come off, and as seen in the note, promptly apologized.)

I waited for the next week and continued to see them post personal artwork. It was the end of the week they said they'd be working on them, and I was feeling extremely uncomfortable watching them post multiple submissions for themselves every day after they told me they were a slow worker. I sent my third note on May 8th stating this fact, and warning that if both weren't finished that weekend, I'd be sending in a claim.

Finally, after giving warning, they finished ONE of my commissions on May 9th. I had asked for both to be finished by/before the weekend, but gave them the benefit of the doubt. I waited another week, and sent my last note on May 15th.

I would never have had an issue if they had given me a different reason for being slow, or if they had been posting commission work, but 90% of what they had been posting after I had paid them was personal work. They posted multiple flatcolors and other types of works within the same day, so they could have easily finished both of my commissions in a day.
Here is a link to a screenshot showing all of the personal artwork they did between me paying them and the submission date: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ltcr6whxvdncs5c/PersonalWorkSincePayment.PNG
And proof of personal work date: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s95efs4p203uyku/ProofOfPersonalDate.PNG

With no response but continuing activity on their DeviantArt account, I sent in a paypal dispute. I had escalated it to a claim a week or so later after receiving no response there, either. They never responded to the dispute/claim or my last note, and the claim closes tomorrow.

Comments

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

First, the artist shouldn't have ignored you all this time. Nothing excuses them for ignoring you.

Second, I think you were being incredibly impatient. Once payment is received an artist doesn't drop their entire life to devote themselves to your commission. One week in an they're already getting passive aggressive comments on their journal? Yeesh.

Lastly, not only are you getting your money back for the unfinished commission, which is fine, but you're also getting your money back for what they did complete. Did you ask for a refund for the remaining piece? =\

MOD COMMENT

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Oops, apparently while my comment went through it appears your post has an error displaying on dark layouts. Take your post, select it all and copy, and ctrl + shift + v back into the same window under plain text to fix the highlighting error.

[wickedstarz.livejournal.com]

I was about to say the same thing than you did..
You should have been more patient with the artist.

[tylociraptor.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this. It's disconcerting that the op has gone through and pointed out every single drawing that was uploaded and wasn't for them.

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

I realize that I was impatient, but there is a difference between doing things IRL and simply ignoring your commissioners to draw your own stuff. As I keep saying, I wouldn't have had a problem with seeing them doing more commission work, but every day it was personal stuff.

When I originally wrote the comment on their journal, I had good intentions. It's only after I posted it that I realized how it would have come off, and I promptly apologized.

And yes, that is still no excuse for them to ignore me. I gave them time to respond, and they never did, and still haven't.

I asked a friend about them and later found evidence that this being extremely slow/ignoring commissioners was common-place for them, among other things, which was the reason I came here.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Then why not ask for a refund for what wasn't completed, rather than essentially stealing from them? Did the claim go through?

[wickedstarz.livejournal.com]

First, artist are allowed to post personal work even when having commissions
Second, you were very impatient toward the artist, and be passive aggressive towards them will just stress them more or have your piece rushed.

Ignoring you was not a good approach but I would have been scared to write you back after those notes/comments..

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

It hasn't gone through yet, but they had/have until today to respond, and they still haven't said a word to me.

If they had responded to the claim, I would have accepted only taking back what they hadn't finished, but they neither responded to my notes or to the claim.

[punkspacewafers.livejournal.com]

If the claim went through and you got a full refund, it would do you well to send the artist payment for the commission he did finish.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

One last question as I'm genuinely curious. Would you send back what has been completed rather than keeping what they've already earned?

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

Only if they were to apologize to me/to actually respond to me.

I personally removed the favorite and deleted where I had uploaded the first commission on my FA. I don't want to be involved with them anymore, for this reason and from what else I've found on them.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Personal feelings shouldn't come into play here. They did half of the agreed upon work. You're taking everything back. These are things that often get people here as bewarees.

[tylociraptor.livejournal.com]

Okay, so you're a thief, good to know! Blacklisted like woah.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

"This set off alarm bells for me, considering they obviously weren't slow when it came to drawing for themselves."

Drawing for yourself is very different from drawing for customers. Compare it to cooking; if you cook something for yourself and it didn't come out quite right, you shrug and eat it anyway. When someone pays you to cook for them it had better be good!

It's not at all unusual for an artist to need some time to "ramp up to" getting started on a commission and barely a month has passed since you paid and it's already an A_B post and a Paypal dispute? Yikes.

I don't know if I'd ever do business with the artist in question, if only because I'm leery of "3dgy" people who refer to themselves by slurs, but I'm definitely not doing business with you O_o

I'd be super stressed if someone jumped the gun like you did, and less-than-minimum-wage, which commissions often are, is just not worth such a demanding customer. And I say this even though I have turned around commissions to customer satisfaction within a single day O_o

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

I will give them the amount that they actually finished, but I won't be using the piece I'm paying them for.

And people keep saying personal feelings shouldn't come into play, but is it wrong to be upset about bad customer service?

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

Thank you, seeing as I've decided to repay them for what they finished.

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

Which I've decided I am doing, despite not thinking they deserve it.

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

Everything circled was personal artwork, not just "drawings that weren't for me".

I realize I was impatient but I can't go back and change that now, and the fact that they've since ignored me completely is the reason this post is here.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Oh no, it's absolutely not wrong to be upset about poor customer service. That's what warning others about your experience does. At least it warns others of a non-responsive artist. Honestly, this transaction could have easily been fixed if she just said "sorry can't work with you" and sent you a refund. If she felt you were being too pushy, that would have been the correct thing to do rather than completely stonewall you.

It's just not good to say "well I'm mad so I'm keeping what she did complete". Nothing excuses that lack of response, but you don't want a black mark against yourself, you know?

[tylociraptor.livejournal.com]

you've just said that "only if they apologize", so I'm going on what you have said.

[wickedstarz.livejournal.com]

Even if you don't use the piece, they still made that piece, and used their time to make it.. Iwhat you are doing is wrong.. Sorry for being blunt

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

I should have, but I wasn't because I felt ignored from the beginning. None the less, I can't go back and be more patient, but I will if I commission anyone else.

I'll also be double-checking anyone else I decide to commission, since I never checked this particular artist, and they have a number of past problems. Just none posted here until now.

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

No, I don't. That's why I changed my mind.

If they had responded to me, unless they were extremely rude themselves, I would have been considerably more understanding. I was impatient, but I was feeling ignored. I can't help but wonder if they would have ever done the first one without my nagging.

As I said, I will do to be more patient. I just know I'd feel wrong if I were to draw personal stuff for a whole week without touching any commissions I'd get.

[orangemonsterco.livejournal.com]

According to their DA they're 15. I would suggest that in the future that you only deal with persons 18 and older. This will save a huge headache and technically any purchase made to a minor is not legally binding.

[zielomizu.livejournal.com]

I actually changed my mind, if you continue reading, I will be refunding them for what they finished.

Despite the impatience I had and the... I guess the anger/frustration I felt/feel, my mind can be swayed, and I'm considerably more understanding than that would lead to believe.

I had a rough month then, too. All manner of hell broke loose. So that had effect on a number of my actions, and I will be taking it all as a learning experience.