[identity profile] baronvonjackal.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] artists_beware
WHO: Fossil The Undead Artist (aka Fossil)

WHERE: Mostly talked in emails. His FA is: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/fossil

WHAT: 4 commissions; the exact amount was removed from evidence for privacy

WHEN: Started September 26th 2012 and continued on until now

MY SIDE OF THE ISSUE:

I had been a longtime supporter and friend to Fossil and well over time I finally was able to commission him first a tattoo for my wife at FurFright and then finally some artwork. Things had been going along smoothly until Hurricane Sandy hit. After this point it seemed things hit the fan for him which was understandable at the time. I had paid in full for four commissions and over time talked to him about it, but mostly was worried about him and seeing if he was alright; then he dropped off the grid. Below are two Dropbox Links that show proof of agreement and then payment:
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/tjit34og1tuophr/Payment%20discussion.png?dl=0
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/a4pnnbjwh6aq2ce/Payment%20Confirmation.png?dl=0

At this point I naturally did what any friend would do and waited patiently and he did come back for a moment or two and told me things were bad, but getting better. He finally finishes one of the four commissions and had even began work on the second one as far as inking goes with the third already being sketched out too. So I was confident at this point things were finally on the right track. The following links show multiple contacts and finally the first image sent and date it was sent:
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/4o0w4l7diatazns/Feb%205th%202013%20checkin.png?dl=0
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/o6w9v2ro6dqo74x/Feb%2018th%20to%20March%2029th%202014%20checkin.png?dl=0
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/vjls76jrrlqvhxn/April%2017th%202014%20Checkin.png?dl=0
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/h8g03szw81gvvj4/May%2014th%20Checkin%20and%20FIRST%20picture%20received.png?dl=0

Next, after two months, he contacts me out of the blue with progress showing two more images. One being completed with the third being sketched out:
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/jbhrpgfbifw6ofi/July%2021st%20and%20SECOND%20image%20with%20THIRD%20sketch.png?dl=0

He falls off the grid again; this time for good. I go to another con and asked my contacts if they had seen him and come to find out that he had moved to another state and then dropped off the grid to get some affairs in order. Now I had been in contact with him via email up to this point as well and would get the occasional "Still Alive" messages until I tried to email him again to check in on how things had progressed after he had moved, not about my art, but his own situations. This is when I found out he had deleted his email account and I received the lovely return email saying the address is no longer valid. Next shows the email confirming that his email is no longer valid:
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/hy2rlzdk3u2bjgd/Email%20Failure.png?dl=0

Moving forward I had heard and saw he was working with Crowchild as an artist for High Tail Hall and figured that he had dropped out of that part as well given how much of a hermit Fossil had become, but after today, I have recently found out he is still indeed working with the HTH project and completely disregarded anyone else even if they paid $XXX for a set of commissions. Finally below is the screenshot on FA of Crowchild confirming that Fossil is still working with them:
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/9ddfuob2um2qf4r/Fossil%20still%20at%20HTH.png?dl=0

Two years have come and gone now; now I am not sure what to do or how to go about it because we all know how Paypal has such a small window of reporting and charging back one's account. So I guess this message is to warn others about what happened as well as getting some advice of how to tackle the sum of money, albeit not a full refund as he has finished one image and worked on two others, and how to get anything from him even if it ends up being a message of "Hey I can't do it; sorry".

Also for clarification; there will be some areas that have been removed. This was done to insure the anonymous side of a third person that was involved with this in which I was getting two images as a gift for.

Date: 2015-01-04 06:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thegentilcat.livejournal.com
I'm sorry you're going through all that.

Unfortunately, you're not the only one who seems to have been stiffed by him. How long has he been promising updates on that Cherri DVD project of his - something that had been funded by countless fans - and has failed to provide the updates every time he makes a post about it? (and even those have come to a stop).

If he's going out of his way to avoid contact, and it's far too late to request even a partial refund though Paypal; as much as it sucks, you may just have to write it up as a loss.

Date: 2015-01-04 07:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dustmeat.livejournal.com
Was that the Kickstarter he did for the Cherri DVD?

Date: 2015-01-04 10:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fiawol.livejournal.com
He hasn't forgotten about you yet, the last update on his Furaffinity gallery (4 months ago) includes you in his list of commissions (x3, inking), but I see your shout there from a month ago is still unanswered. Unfortunately, the last artwork he uploaded there was the Cherri DVD project from 2 years ago, which apparently people are still waiting for. Your best bet (in addition to continued contact attempts through his gallery) may be keeping an eye out on convention guest/dealer lists, see if he pops up on one as attending, and try to get in touch with him in person yourself, or through a friend going to that convention (if you can't attend it yourself).

Date: 2015-01-05 02:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tylociraptor.livejournal.com
I know you are probably trying to be helpful, but a customer should NOT have to go to such absurd lengths as attending a convention or seeking a friend attending the same convention to contact an artist. Especially not when contact has been primarily through online means such as email.

I'm sure he hasn't forgotten about the OP, but I'm also pretty sure he has no intention of doing good by any of his customers or supporters (in terms of his DVD) considering the amount of disrespect he's shown by not even returning emails or updating anyone.

Date: 2015-01-05 03:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fiawol.livejournal.com
I agree, those are only the lengths you go to for people actively avoiding those who have commissioned them. As long as the artist is still trying to make money, there is still a chance to contact them (either online or in person). Once they pull down their websites and stop attending conventions, you pretty much have to write off that commission. :-(

Date: 2015-01-05 03:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tylociraptor.livejournal.com
At this point, I'd say litigation is the only option, screw chasing after him.

Profile

artists_beware: (Default)
Commissioner & Artist, Warning & Kudos Community

December 2017

S M T W T F S
      12
3456789
10 11 1213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31      

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Apr. 15th, 2026 05:58 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios