In Need of Advice

[nuclearninja.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone.

I'm not to comfortable to posting something like this (fear of reprimand from the person ine question), but at the same time, I'm getitng fed up with no response. So... here I go...

The artist in question is Ashryn.

I asked for a comission from her over 3 years ago. At the time of her accepting, she hosted personal OpenCanvas sessions to draw them (I still have the event file). I wasn't able to pay in full at that time ($25 of $35), so she only did part of the comission. Perfectly nderstandable. However, I completed the payment 2 days after the session was hosted (I have a screenshot of my Paypal records verifying the sum of the 2 payments adding to $35. The initial payment of $25 was sent on 3/23/06, and the remaining $10 on 3/25/06).

Since then... The last response I received from her was near the end of july ... of last year (7/28/07), stating she had some new concepts for it and needed references again. I replied to that message with attached references, and even done somewhat regular nudges asking how it's going (I didn't spam her every day, more like one every couple of months... and even then, it was after the july message). Haven't received any response from her... at all. I even have her AIM handle, and she's not on it much... and if she is, it's not long enough to get a response in.

She has been somewhat active according to her last online time on DA (1 week ago), and has posted an entry in her own LJ (Dated 4/24/08).

I'm really getting fed up with (as Kahn from Star Trek II put it) "Eating static." I paid for the thing in full over 2 years ago, and haven't gotten any progress updates outside of the july e-mail.

I'm not sure what to do really. I can't ask for a refund, since every e-mail I've sent seems to be unheard, and I haven't received any updates (Not even a new concept sketch).

~NN

Comments

[wingywoof.livejournal.com]

I paid Ashryn for a con badge at MFF once. She wasn't able to get it done at the con so she did a digital color badge once she got home. I received it about two months afterward.

I'd keep emailing if you're that concerned about getting something out of her. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and avoid the artist. I've had a few people I've paid and seen very little or nothing out of. If they can't or won't make good, all you can do is move on.

[notveryathletic.livejournal.com]

I've seen posts about Ashryn before unfortunately, personally when I commissioned them I didn't have any issues, but you could refer to the following posts for previous issues and what happened thereafter:

http://community.livejournal.com/artists_beware/113279.html
http://community.livejournal.com/artists_beware/101114.html
http://community.livejournal.com/artists_beware/98843.html

I believe those issues were resolved in the end, so it's worth checking how those issues were worked out and seeing if there's anything you've not tried which they did which could help?

[leswamp.livejournal.com]

Very talented artist.

However, yes. I don't know if this person takes on more than they should or if they get caught up and excited about personal projects and leave the business stuff behind but yes, they sort of had to be gently prodded..a lot..to complete my comish.

I hope it works out.

[nuclearninja.livejournal.com]

Read all 3. I obviously didn't backlog far enough... >.>

Only thing that they tried is e-mailing her and asking for progress (what I've somewhat been doing). That tends to be (for lack of a better analogy) opening a pandoras box.

Based on 2 of the 3 articles (second link doesn't count due to it being a resolution), I'm eerily reminded of a common e-mail phishing scam...

"My son needs an operation, send money to help"
"Something has came up with my son, and I need some emergency funding"
"[*insert more emergency fund requests here*]"
"Fooled you!"

And... due to the FA Note wipe... I don't have my notes from that time period... an the short IM log I have doesn't mention a price...

[nuclearninja.livejournal.com]

I knew that existed on Yahoo... but I didn't think it did on AIM. I do have her AIM handle, but I'm not sure if what you suggested will work... since I don't technically have AIM (I have trillian). The offline messaging should still go through...

As for notes... I'm not to sure, since it does involve adult content. Then again...

I'll have to try that sometime. Thanks.

[nuclearninja.livejournal.com]

I've e-mailed her 4 times arelady... and no response to any of them. Not even the reply to the mail containing the ref's.

If I have to move on, I will... was only $35... least I hope it will be if she gets back to me... >.>

[notveryathletic.livejournal.com]

Ah ok, well good luck working thing out :)

[nuclearninja.livejournal.com]

The only thing I can think of that falls into this bracket is her moving to another place.

Since then... I haven't seen much...

[alcyione.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... didn't Ashryn kind of exit the fandom altogether? That might be why she hasn't responded. Maybe she just doesn't check in on Internet stuff much these days.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

She's flounced the fandom multiple times.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I gave Ashryn money once (100 dollars) when she needed it and she promised to draw me something in return. This was years and years ago and she's whored for commissions many times during that time and heard from those people that they also never got anything. You're definitely not alone in this.

She takes money and then drops off the face of the planet, if people manage to corner her and ask about commissions she whines that the customer isn't paying her enough for the time she put into the commissions (but can't show sketches) and damn those furries she hates the fandom etc.

And the fear of reprisal is a real one since it doesn't take any effort from her, she'll just sic her fanboys on you.

It's like an angsty, less pleasant version of Starfinder.

[mistystriker.livejournal.com]

I had the same problem. I commissioned her once to do an OpenCanvas pic as an anniversary gift for an old beau. The anniversary was Aug/Sept 2006. I mailed her once when we split to get to change the character, and a few months later got an email confirming details but still haven't received anything from her.

[sci.livejournal.com]

Last I heard she'd effectively written off all outstanding commissions, and owing to computer breakage wanted commissioners to contact her so she could work on issuing refunds.
I may be wrong on the details, but will link to the entry if I can dig it up.

[sci.livejournal.com]

Found it: http://ashryn.deviantart.com/journal/15386200/
And check you're using the gmail addy, not the old icefox one.

A paying hobby is still a hobby. No fun when it gets taken seriously, and primes folk to burn out quickly.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Hobbies don't pay, when they're paid, they're jobs and a good working artist doesn't get burnt out because they don't overload themselves and they don't keep taking commissions when they still haven't cleared their list. The problems start when artists treat paid work as a hobby rather than a job.

Ashryn's journal shouts louder than anything that she made a rod for her own back really.

[sci.livejournal.com]

I guess all the artists better start charging £10/hr rates then, because it's not a job if you can't live off it.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Plenty of people have jobs they can't afford to live off of, I have friends who have two or more jobs, does lack of high enough wages make working on reception magically not a job? Paper rounds don't pay that much are they not jobs? I used to have one that paid only £3 an hour is that now not a job because I didn't get £10 an hour?

Once you accept pay for it, it's a job, end of story.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I'm happy for you that you've never had a job that you couldn't live off.

[fix-the-spade.livejournal.com]

The moment you take money for it, its not a hobby. Its a job and there's an obligation to finish it, whether you take it seriously or not.


How would you react if a mechanic didn't fix your car because "it's only my hobby" but charged you anyway?

[atateatarin.livejournal.com]

For taxation purposes, in Australia you can 'claim' a creative profession as a 'hobby' if you earn under a certain gross amount per annum from it. However, the government welfare service on the other hand considers all paid services to be jobs, regardless of whether you yourself consider it to be a hobby or not.

Government hoo-hah aside, I agree with you. The initial impetus to do the work may be as a thing of personal interest, but each paid project is its own job and there's a degree of responsibility both to yourself (by not overloading so as to burn out) and to your customers (by not treating them as just another open wallet).

[jesspark.livejournal.com]

As for notes... I'm not to sure, since it does involve adult content.

Looks like you may be SOL, then. From here (http://ashryn.deviantart.com/journal/15386200/):

"Also: anyone who commissioned adult material, please be aware that I am REFUNDING ALL PORN COMMISSIONS. I refuse to continue to do adult work for hire-- this is not negotiable, and my reasons are my own. Once again: NOT NEGOTIABLE. If you'd like to change your piece to one that is within the range of G to PG-13, email me and we'll work something out.

"As always, I DO NOT REPLY to Notes on DeviantArt. My email address is everywhere. Please stop sending notes."

[paulownia.livejournal.com]

Isn't there a way to file a dispute with Paypal for services not rendered or is there a statute of limitations?

[be-prepared.livejournal.com]

I think there is a time limit on those though.

[fix-the-spade.livejournal.com]

That carries a time limit of three months.

[calorath.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you're yet another on Ashryn's growing list of unsatisfied customers.

I've had my own fair share of disappointments when I conducted business with heryears ago. She is one of two people I would -strongly- recommend be avoided. She's an endless well of excuses.

Good luck, and I hope things work out for you. And if not, well you didn't loose that much money, at least compared to the hundreds she's managed to swindle out of other people.