BEWARE: Nefur-Studios

[sevendiscovery.livejournal.com]

WHO: NEFUR-STUDIOS on FA/DA/Weasyl

WHERE: Either http://www.furaffinity.net/user/NEFUR-STUDIOS/ or http://nefur-studios.deviantart.com

WHAT: Full Color w/ background digital drawing of my character.

WHEN: October 21st

PROOF:

1: Original Post about Commissions:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/Original_zps67f46558.png



2: Comments I made with Nefur's responses on the Original Post:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/opcomments_zps5d738ff8.png

3: Note stating they were a little sick and it could be a delay in completion:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/sicknote_zpse5010621.png

4: Piece has started and will be completed "next week":
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/started_zps0b9301ad.png

5: Checking in with Nefur note:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/checkingin_zps197ccbc9.png

6: Shout on her page to contact me:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/shout_zps14aadae3.png

7: Message to a friend:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/contactingfriend_zps478bcdc8.png

8: Another of Nefur's commissioners reaches out to me:
http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/comments_zps96c95483.png

EXPLAIN: October I came across an artist who was doing some wonderful artwork and noticed they had a piece in their gallery that said “Emergency Comms [3 slots] OPEN full detail 10-25$” and I was SHOCKED. The artwork was STUNNING regardless if they were doing emergency ones or “full price” I wanted to commission Nefur!! So I posted on the piece that I’d take one where they promptly responded with a note asking for the details (reference images 1-2) where we worked out the price and I promptly paid! (Fast pay makes fast friends in my book!)

Now on that same day they mentioned that they were a little sick, and that it might be a bit before they get to me and I was MORE than happy to wait their recovery and for my turn! Im quite a patient person within reason. (reference images 3)

Well they messaged me on the 23rd stating that they started my piece and I would have it by the end of the next week! Goodness fast turn around. So I patiently waited for my commission and didn’t message them regarding this piece in hopes that I’d be seeing it the following week. (reference image 4)

Well November rolled through and no communication. I thought oh well maybe something came up! So I waited. December is now rolling through and two weeks ago (Dec 11) I shot her a Note on FA asking if she was ok and that I hadn’t heard from her in a while. (reference image 5)

With no response a week later I posted a shout on her page, asking her to please contact me!(reference image 6)

Still no response so I reached out to a friend on her profile asking if she was ok. Her friend told me she was fine, dealing with some troubles and away visiting family. Well I post on her DA because it appears it’s the only place she’s active for her to PLEASE contact me. I’m past my PayPal dispute/refund period, and I'm out of communication with my artist despite seeing activity on her Deviantart account. (reference image 7)

Its since been 3 weeks since my last attempt to contact Nefur with no response from her. I did however get a response to my shout on her Deviantart page from another person who commissioned Nefur LONG before I had who is also suffering from non contact from this artist. (reference image 8)

I have since contacted Nefur on DA/FA about either giving me my finished piece or a full refund to which, no surprise, I havent yet received a response. This is my last hope in getting my art or my money. If I can't even get those I'd more than anything just like to warn other commissioners to be cautious of this artist as it seems they are a scam, and will more than likely take your money and avoid you. *sigh* The commission wasnt for very much money but for me thats money I could be spending on an honest artist who would actually produce a finished piece.

EDIT 1: adding the page break so I dont take up the entire front page of A_B

EDIT 2: the artist is now in contact with me again! Just got a note after a few months of trying to contact them!

http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/finally_zpsb65a3eeb.png

hopefully we see some progress!!


EDIT 3: Nefur posted a rather.. upsetting journal which I feel was indirectly... directed at me. They explained how they didnt intend for it to appear they ran off with peoples money, they dont trace, and that apparently I've pushed them to attempt suicide (kind of freaking out like holy crap i didnt mean for it to go that far!! what do i do!?!? i feel so bad now guys oh my gosh!)

I responded to the journal because I felt MY side of the story should be shared as well. In fear of my comment/journal being deleted I screenshotted the whole thing.

I asked for a refund for fear of A: not seeing the art or B: it being traced and I'm 100% against owning stolen art.

http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/Sev_Discovery/umwhat_zps463af5c6.png

Edit 4: its been a week (1-22-2015 today) since Nefur has stated that they were working on my piece. Have yet to receive anything, updates, notes, anything. low hopes are low.

Edit 5: its now February 3rd and I have yet to get anything, a response, a note, art, a refund.. anything from Nefur. Left a shout on their page. losing hope. *sad panda*

Comments

Mod Comment

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Howdy!

It looks like your post needs an LJ cut. Here's how to make one:
http://www.livejournal.com/support/faq/75.html

Thanks!

Re: Mod Comment

[sevendiscovery.livejournal.com]

sorry about that! should be fixed thanks so much!

[greatparakeet.livejournal.com]

My guess is that this isn't a real artist and more of a scammer that traces and steals art. If they knew how much time it really took to churn out a full colored image, they wouldn't be charging such rediculously low prices. They filled their gallery with "examples" and used emergency commissions omg!!11 as an excuse to steal money from people, at least that what it looks like to me.



Definitely worth a beware!

EDIT: I did find some finished commissions, taking a second glace at their gallery, but yuck, traced art everywhere.

[ramthedragon.livejournal.com]

Wow, that just makes it worse!

[greatparakeet.livejournal.com]

Yeahh, I think OP and the other guys that got ripped off are better off asking for a refund.

Not saying tracing is bad with my initial comment, it can be a wonderful learning tool, but to make money off of art and photographs that don't belong to you is just so sleazy and gross.

[dragontripmon.livejournal.com]

Speaking of which a journal was posted from the artist.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6422958/

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the "I've been discovered so let me guilt trip people about it" maneuver.

Well then. Hopefully the OP gets their art.

[sevendiscovery.livejournal.com]

i feel SO bad about their journal though. I didnt intend to push someone so hard to take such drastic actions.. like holy crow i dont really know what to say to that. I posted my side of the story to her journal post in fear of my name being slandered as a bad commissioner/person but gosh.. I'm at a complete loss.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Don't feel bad about speaking out. You can't anticipate how people are going to react. You did nothing wrong.

[kattotang.livejournal.com]

Like Celestinaketzia said, don't feel bad. What they're doing is highly manipulative. They're the one who did wrong, not you, and if getting caught has actually stressed them out that much, it's still not your fault nor your responsibility.

[dragontripmon.livejournal.com]

Also the fact that your beware reveled a lot of very bad things about what this artist is doing especially with the tracing for comissions. It's really not your fault at all.

[eli-daggertooth.livejournal.com]

Its not your fault, you did good, bringing this up to people. Its honestly the artist's own fault, they will need to find a way to deal with it themselves.

With the amount of traced work there is in their gallery, its going to be extremely difficult to redeem themselves, the denying of it when there is proof makes it even worse for them too.

[greatparakeet.livejournal.com]

Ah, I take back my first comment where I initially called them a scammer, it was a pretty mean assumption, my bad yo. However, I'm pretty sure that most of their gallery is still traced, and they are tracing for commissions as well. I took a very quick glance at their gallery and have already found a few that match up perfectly with the source art when overlayed:

Proof 1 (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46534462/Evidence/proof1.png)
Proof 2 (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46534462/Evidence/proof2.png)
Proof 3 (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/46534462/Evidence/proof3.png) (Credit to ramthedragon for finding that one)

My suggestion still stands, however. Those that have commissioned this artist are better off getting refunded rather than waiting for art that may possibly be traced. The fact that they outright deny their tracing when the evidence is literally the second photo in a google image search is quite sad.

If they are really depressed and this situation is stressing them out, I would strongly recommend that they refund what they owe and take a break for a while to collect themselves and get the help that they need before it gets worse. I wish them all the best, and I hope they learn from this whole experience later on down the road.

[dragontripmon.livejournal.com]

Wow that is not even heavy referencing or eyeballing the majority of all of these are traces plus the artist is not even citing sources.

Im surprised she managed to get away with this on DA even.

[greatparakeet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought it was pretty scummy that they didn't cite their sources, but someone guilty and trying to hide the fact that they are tracing for profit isn't going to of course.

But DA pretty much doesn't care about tracing anymore, they said so themselves at one point. Probably out of laziness and the sheer amount that gets uploaded every day, it's too much to deal with.

[fauxlacine.livejournal.com]

I commissioned this artist in April 2014 and it took several months of back and forth notes to receive anything. In the end it did not really follow the reference I gave but I wrote it off since I paid so little in the first place. I would definitely be wary. Very little activity and endless excuses, surprised they are still around to be honest!

[eikthyrnir.livejournal.com]

Welp :| guess I better go poke them about my commissions

[silia-hollow.livejournal.com]

I received a polite note from someone else dealing with this artist.
Upon looking at the evidence I was given, I am 98% sure the art I paid for is a trace.
As for the overlay I am providing, I held shift to make sure that the size ratio remained the same.

Commissioned Piece: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14181979/
"traced image": http://stock.tobinphoto.com/photos/0001-0754.jpg
Over-lay: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v146o18fkruy8qp/possibletrace.png?dl=0

The overlay is at 50% opacity.

I would greatly appreciate corrections if I am in the wrong. I am messaging this artist over refund possibilities because I do not want traced art. They also were really upset over me reposting to my side account, where I keep all the art I paid for (with full credit and link back to the artist I paid).

[dragontripmon.livejournal.com]

Actually about that there's a journal the artist posted yesterday that i've linked just now which does concern me with namely the last paragraph.

[fangwoof.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I hope you get a refund after this whole fiasco. Waiting such a long time to start on a commission is one thing, but completely tracing photos and selling it for profit is just plain wrong.