Commission marked as unstarted after 8 months, among ~140 other commissions.

[spiney199.livejournal.com]

WHO: rachVerity

Where:

1. FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/rachverity/


2. Trello List: https://trello.com/b/kDddOtiK/commissions-list

What:
  I commissioned them for an opening of an six character orgy commission that I requested to be made into a SFW group thing: http://imageshack.com/a/img540/5302/j1XVmB.png

In their comment they state it will take up to a month. After I sent payment I messaged them with the details and references of my characters.

When: Payment was sent on the 24th of July on the day that I asked for the commission in the previous picture. After that point, there was no contact from them about any updates, yet they continued to pile on the commissions. After they opened up a trello to show the status of each commission, I found mine still left uncheck.

Proof:
As outline above I sent the details soon afterwards:
http://imageshack.com/a/img538/2711/5MPAvC.png

Here is the paypal payment: http://imageshack.com/a/img903/2149/65t3G1.png

Explain:
After that point I send them this note over FA asking if anything had been done on the commission, and if not, asking for a refund: http://imageshack.com/a/img673/4466/bSG2KN.png

Their reply, explaining that I would have to go on a refund waiting list, explaining that they hadn't openened commissions in ages, and more: http://imageshack.com/a/img661/9673/F7uI12.png

Extra: A journal two days prior showing an opening of commissions: http://imageshack.com/a/img537/1746/LKp4Xo.png

My reply, which may or may not have been a bit heated explaining how ludicrous the notion of a refund waiting list is: http://imageshack.com/a/img912/597/1OWp27.png

And their reply implying things I did not say and of course, more: http://imageshack.com/a/img540/8864/KrxmJT.png

As of writing this, A: I haven't replied to their last note; B: There are 144 uncompleted commissions on their Trello list.

I have commissioned rachVerity before this, and recieved my product a little after they said it would be delivered. On that premonition I decided it would be safe to commision the artist again. I have attempted to communicate with them, with conditions of a refund, to which they respond with absurd notions of a refund waiting list. Upon telling them this, they going into a flurry of excuses and accussations.

EDIT: Well I certainly didn't expect this to blow up the way it did. The artist has since given me a full refund, after I asked to make sure it wasn't payment from someone else's commission.

This A_B is certainly going to stay up as a testament to what the artist needs to fix. I highly reccomend they don't take aboard any new commissions, and individually contact each customer they owe to see if they want to keep their commission. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

Comments

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

"I think what I'm doing is working for me."
144 commissions in backlog, and an inability to offer a refund when asked doesn't constitute as "working" in my book.

"FA artists aren't made of money."
No, we're not, but handling your business and being able to provide refunds in a timely manner is a part of doing well in this business. Just because we're in a niche market doesn't mean you get to just toss your customers aside and pile on commissions forever and ever.

Sigh.

I hope you get your refund sometime soon. It's been a while since I've seen such a monstrous backlog.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

I am trying to handle my business. im semi new to this and last year i went over the top and took on too much i am doing the best i can regardless of what people think to get all the refunds and all the art to people. While putting out quiet litteraly the bare minnimum of art i need to survive. Im by no means perfect and ive apologized multiple times to people in journals and via notes and such. But with people continuing to ask for refunds im paying them as fast as i can. Some of my replies to people are yes a bit over the top. Im a speak then think kind of person its a bad flaw xD i know this. I just have had to reply to the same not so many times that it just gets to me. And you are right i am a professional as far as the meaning goes. I really am trying to get my stuff in check and get back to a good working point. But its just taking time. All i can do is my best and at some point i know i will have everything fixed.

[ariellynn.livejournal.com]

"People need to stop treating artists on fa as professionals and understand that were (sic) just us sat (sic) behind our computers trying to make a living."

Ummmm.... isn't a person trying to make a living by selling his/her art a professional & to be treated as such?

This person doesn't seem to have a very good grasp on how to do business. That's very unfortunate for you & anyone else who has commissioned him/her.

(All of this, obviously, is based on the mindset that what the artist typed wasn't, yet another, typographical error of some sort.)

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

Yeah i know we are professionals as far as the meaning goes. I shouldnt have said that i just have a mouth that moves faster than my brain. I have a habit of saying things i dont mean but what i do matters and i honestly am working to get everything fixed for everyone. I messed up big time last year and well now i have to deal with the consequences. It wont stop me doing my best to fix everything though ^_^

MOD NOTICE

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

Screening this comment for the NSFW image links.

Feel free to repost after properly tagging ALL adult materials.

Confirmation

[stolf.livejournal.com]

I can confirm this and add to it.

I purchased nearly $1000 in art totally 26 commissions. After nearly 5 months, I had only gotten one commission (a 2 month late halloween piece) and an icon. I Still currently had 1 reference sheet, 8 page comic, one 10-character soft shade, ten 6-character soft shades, 5 2-character soft shades, one 3-character cell shades, and 5 icons left.

After some talk and annoyance with her system, I was warned that any more contact/complaints would lead into a block from her page. After nearly another month, I sent a calmly worded request for a WIP on the 10-character new years eve party piece that was already nearing 20 days into the new year. This sent her over the edge and I was told that all of my commissions where being canceled. She still charged me for the art done (horribly late) and I was told I would get $800 refunded to me.

It has been over a month. I have requested a time for refund, but was told I would not get a date and any more questions about it would result in an FA complaint about harassment and be blocked from future contact.

I am sticking my neck out wide at the moment... This may lead me to never see my money again...

And, sadly, this is only the tail end of the miles of BS I have gone through...

Re: Confirmation

[anuvia.livejournal.com]

I just want to chime in and say that you should really make your own beware entry. With someone owing you $1000 in art, they are in no position to be making rules about blocking you for asking where the products you paid for are.

[the-spiner.livejournal.com]

http://i.imgur.com/TgCFCtC.png

How did I miss this? This explains quite a lot.

[intj-reflection.livejournal.com]

Well, yes it does.

[the-spiner.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I feel your pain. I'm one of the ones listed on her Trello, and I've kept quiet for far too long. I could add my own beware about her, but I feel since this is relevant, I'll add onto here until a mod decides otherwise.

I started commissioning Rach back in late 2013 and had no problems up until early last year.

I had commissioned her a three character piece, which I then asked for changes on shortly after commissioning it by changing two of the characters. Unfortunately, the requested changes weren't followed through on. As an apology, she offered a discounted commission, which I took her up on. This was in late March of '14.

Now, at this point, she wasn't so backlogged on commissions as much, so I thought it wouldn't be long for it, maybe a month at most. Maybe two. By mid August I had followed up on it because I hadn't seen or heard of any progress. After being told it would be delivered in a week, because she had forgotten about it for so long, it was given almost a month later.

This is what I had asked for:
* Small bunny on her knees, between the bull's legs, and deepthroating him, all the way to the crotch.
* Her eyes wide and staring up at him, cum spurting from her mouth and nose
* Collar around the bunny's neck, attached leash being held in the bull's hand
* The bunny's arms bound behind her back with ropework, straight downwards like withhttp://spokewench.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/12237713652shibari.jpg (NSFW)
* Background with the two characters around a campfire or maybe in a tribal hut or cave, with the bull sitting on something for the bunny to be between his legs

This is what I was given:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14548792/ (NSFW)

On top of that, this was the URL for the image:
http://d.facdn.net/art/rachverity/1410892683/1410892683.rachverity_new-york-straight-men-benito-and-sean-dominican-big-cock-amateur-gay-porn-10.png (NSFW)

The base reference image was saved into the file, which gives the impression that it may have been traced over. I say may - I can't say if Rach did or not, but it certainly gives that impression that she did. Which, even if she didn't trace, it really doesn't look good for her.

So, needless to say, I wasn't satisfied, and asked for a redo of the image. First time I've had to, I still feel bad about it, but I paid for a service and didn't get what I paid for.

In late October I followed up on a redo of the commission - her Trello wasn't produced at this time, and so her backlog wasn't quite known, but she promised to get it done ASAP.

(I have to break up the post because it's too large.)

[the-spiner.livejournal.com]

(Con't)

By December, I hadn't heard anything again. I tried to push for an ultimatum, a refund or a deadline after advice, so I sent the following message:
"Last we spoke back in October you were going through the Halloween commissions and you were churning them out as a priority, now it's December and the Christmas ones are being put ahead first. I like you as an artist Rach, and I've tried to be pretty patient, but I feel like it's time to make a decision - set a deadline or offer a refund. At this point it's been 9 months since the commission was made, rapidly approaching 10 months, and have seen or heard of no further progress being made since the original, and incorrect, image was posted in September.


I'm sorry it's come to this, but as a commissioner I do feel kind of cheated by it all."

To which she responded with the following:
"I havnt cheated anyone o.0 i finished the halloween commissions then i moved home. My pc was packed up. And i have a few fixes i have to do. But you are not the only person noting asking about commissions and fixes. Im sorry you feel cheated even though i work hard and upload almost daily to make people feel cheated isnt my intention. Im going as fast as humanly possible for everyone im sorry it isnt fast enough. I wasnt cheating anyone and i wasnt fixing it i was totaly repainting it. Thats more than alot of artists would do. But im sorry you feel that i cheated you. I will get the new art to you just after christmas as i have around 15 christmas commissions to do and not to long to get them all done.
I get notes off of commissioners daily asking about art and wondering if im even working on anything. I upload so much art and i mean it isnt fast work they each take hours of my time. For instance the piece im currently working on right now i have been painting since i got up this morning and its now nearly midnight. I dont cheat people i just try to get everything to everyone thats asking while trying to upset as little amount of people as possible."
And then a journal went up straight afterwards: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6336616/

So I was told that she'd get to this commission after Christmas. It's now March. Again. I've once again heard or have seen no progress. And according to her Trello, she hasn't even started.

I've given up on any refund and receiving my work.

I feel bad, I liked working with her, but I only have so much patience, ya know?

(frozen) Side note to the Original Poster

[stolf.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to let you know.

Rach's Trello is done in a way where the commissioner is listed, not the commission itself. Each person listed can have multiple commissions with her.

I had 27 and only 2 or 3 entries in Trello.

Best guess: The art que is more in the 250+ area

(frozen) Re: Side note to the Original Poster

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

ACTUALY you liar. the commission is listed all commissions are listed there not just a persons name IF you click there name you get ALL the art they are owed UNLESS i have not yet received there info yet. But you are just a liar and a troublemaker stolf. Nothing more than that.

[sapphistscot.livejournal.com]

I really don't understand how someone can owe an $800 refund and act like they're the victim. It wasn't an interest-free loan with no terms and conditions, it was payment for services which have not been rendered.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

I'm not replying to anymore people after you because you guys dont know the entire story and you go only off of what is posted here. AB is a damaging site for people and dosent really give a fair look on the entire picture. you only see what one person posts and then others post agaisnt it. But i will make a few things clear. I have not said im the victim if you take only five minutes to read a thread or visit my page and read my journals you will see i have made it clear that i messed up alot especialy last year and i absolutely deserve to be here on AB not once said i was a victim i just said that some people are not as much a victim as they appear. And yes alot of people are throwing the unprofessional card around and i can't argue agaisnt that either. Simple matter is i messed up and im trying to fix it and so far ive been doing well at it. my list has been shrinking at a fairly good pace and im paying off my refunds i owed. I knew there would e refunds when i chose to make my list public and i came out about how much i messed up and apologized to people multiple times. But none of you guys know any of that side you only see what is here wich is mostly one sided after this message i will nolonger be comming to this site. If you mneed to know more you can note me on my a not here where everything is one sided or atleast mostly one sided. Im a person i mess up and make mistakes im sorry that it has happened but hell atleast im here replying to people and not hiding and im working as hard as i can to fix everything. Im not running away from my problems.

[weirdmisty.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a mess. Definitely unprofessional.

[ramthedragon.livejournal.com]

It is pretty mind boggling that someone has a backlog of 144 pictures, but there is also the issue of spending money for work not done, since there has to be a waiting list for refunds.

I understand how and why it happened but it's absolutely not acceptable or professional in the least.

[itsamellama.livejournal.com]

(I hope it's okay to comment about this in general? In case any other artists have any problems with backlogs too. I've been in a 'eep, took on too much work' hole a lot too and always look for ways to manage it so it doesn't get out of control.)

Goodness. And I thought a commission per day was a full backlog! Unless these are no larger than 1inx1in or 2inx2in, 144 art commissions for a BACKLOG is simply too much, and at that point an artist should COMPLETELY STOP taking in new work. Taking on new work to pay for bills or refunds is... not really doing anything to stop the problem, but adding to it and it becomes this endless cycle.

A better way to do a backlog is to have a very specific timeframe for certain times of commissions, plus extra time for "s*** happens" (ex. emergencies, etc.) How many can an artist reasonably finish in a day? Then max out the slots and leave it at that number -- no taking on new work until the whole thing is clear (or 'finish one, take on a new one', but only cycle through 3-10 comms at a time, maybe?)

I hope the artist resolves these issues ASAP.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

okay said i wasnt gunna reply to anymore but yours came up just as i was about to go. And your's isnt just a one sided unprofessional blah lah comment wich i appreciate. :) And i agree with you. God i wish i hadnt messed up i hate my list but i have been working on it and unfortunatly i cant stop putting out work because i live with my kids and i have to pay my side of the rent and my internet for wich without i cant do any work for anyone. However i have more art getting finished than i am putting out new. Not ideal but realisticly its the best option for me as anyone that sees this realisticly can understand i cant just stop. I dont live with parents i am one and i have to pay my way. Unfortunatly i dont have a second rl job so this is my job litteraly and it eats up 90% of my time. But i do agree with you completely. All i can say is im doing the best i can and im trying to keep to a system of finishing more art than i put out for sale. I already only put out the very bare minnimum. Alot less than i use to by far. I really just want to get it completely finished or down to maybe 5 or 6 and i also really want to pay off my refunds. I dont blame anyone for putting me here at all i do deserve to be up here. It isnt going to stop me doing what im doing and continuing to try and fix everything. Im not a scoundrel or a bad person xD Just very dumb and messed up a few times. But i will fix it.

[mortymaxwell.livejournal.com]

Wow. What a train wreck. This is one of the most unprofessional things I've seen posted on AB in a long time. The giant owed artwork list is disgusting and so is this artist's bad attitude. I really dislike how she snaps at people and then blocks her customer when they want a refund. Shame on her.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

You don't know me and if you read half of these comments you wouldnt say that. This comment is so not needed. Also where are you getting the info from that i lock people that ask for refunds? Can i see proof of this? because i have not blocked anyone i owe a refund to at all so please dont post things that just arnt true :L or atleast take five minutes to read before posting things. I do snap at people that much is true and i apolgize for that in other comments here and on my page. However if you are just here to make nasty comments then go ahead i cant stop you.

[adzuki.livejournal.com]

This is really not looking good for the artist.

I think the best thing to do, rachverity, is to stop responding to people. Right now. Disable notifications of comments for this and stay away for at least 24 hours. Figure out a game plan.

But step away from LJ and anywhere else things are getting stirred up.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

You are absolutely right. Alot of my replies here are due to hot headedness because its never nice reading bad things about yorself im in defensive mode right now but honestly the best thing to do is walk away from this for now. Besides i have work to do and this is eating in to that. Not sure what LJ is though o.0

[cat-flower.livejournal.com]

...Yeah 144 images is a lot no matter how you slice it, but the thing that really sticks out to me is the fact that a 6 character image was agreed to be done for only $80. That's ridiculously undercharging for this artist's skill level, even without any background or shading or any sort of bells or whistles. No wonder so many people were willing to commission the artist, because the prices were almost literally a steal, and with that many customers lining up, it's guaranteed that the majority of artists would burn out. Fast.

I'm not excusing the artist by any means, because even a third of that backlog is way, way too much at once. I can't add anything that hasn't already been said, and OP I hope you and the artist can solve this as amicably as possible.

P.S. If the artist is still around to check up on this entry, being posted here isn't the be-all-end-all to your career. When situations get resolved, it reflects a lot better than continuing to ignore the problem. Plenty of people make mistakes, and you sound fairly young so that goes doubly so. Learn from this experience, and do whatever you can to prevent it from happening in the future.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, $80 for six characters? Noooo. Even at my lowest prices I'd not have charged that little. Hey Rach, if you're still around, when you get large orders like that never be afraid to charge full price per character. Set a limit for you basic prices (like$50 first char, $25 a second), and then bounce to full price over an amount. For the sake of your sanity. Plus it encourages buyers to make it worth your time to ask for a huge image.

[sleetfury.livejournal.com]

Jesus, I'm never doing business with this artist. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'll leave it to a beware well warranted.

[chaossal.livejournal.com]

Rach you need to set up a schedule, work monday-friday 8 hours every work day. Spend 3 days working on old commissions and 2 days working on new commissions. Have weekends and holidays off.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

I do try to stick to a schedule as best i can but i am going to try harder. All i can do is prove to people that.

[kelen.livejournal.com]

I'm with the majority here. The artist is digging their own grave, and only making it worse for the comments here.

You are putting yourself in a very, very bad light.

If you really mean to do well by these people..

DO THE ART. Stop wasting time here, stop taking more commissions until your work load is clear, and //do the work//.

This is your fault, not your clients. You can claim victim all you like, but you aren't one. This is your own mistake. It's on you alone.

Stop spending the money before you do the art. Yes, this is going to make living more difficult, but clearly you are not responsible with your work load, so need to take steps to better yourself. What you are doing is very illegal to boot. Keep that in mind. You can be taken to court for this, and every time you post it's one more mark against you. :(

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

I want to argue agaisnt this but honestly alot of you are right. Some comments i dont agree with at all from people but i can't argue agaisnt you im just very sorry everything got to where it is. And i am going to work my butt off to get everything done for everyone.

[jane vakarian (from livejournal.com)]

I...can't believe what I just read.
Honestly, there need to be big changes in attitude. It's not even the art now.

[saniika.livejournal.com]

I really hope the artist will sit down and work of hte backlog instead of wasting more time on comments, trying to argue. What a mess...

[tesa wilson (from livejournal.com)]

My mate got a piece of us together for the Holidays and my ears were completely wrong. They obviously didn't follow my ref as they are about twice as long as they should be. We requested it be fixed back in December and told that it would get done soon. Messaged them again in January and we were told that their partner forgot to put us on the list. We are now the second to last on their trello list and the fix has not been done. It's really frustrating, especially with the amount of money spent on the piece. And on top of that, the quality was crap compared to the other pieces they have done. I was/am very disappointing and will never commission them and neither will my mate now.

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

Do you have some links to the art and the references? It just helps a lot for people to see it then just being told.

[staple-gunner.livejournal.com]

what a beware indeed wow

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

Holy cannoli Batman.

OP, I'm sorry you had to deal with this. I really hope the artist can take some of the advice given in this post to turn things around. It's a terrible situation, to be sure, and it will take time and a lot of work to fix. It won't be fun, but at this point, you need to just forget 'fun' and make things right. Perhaps once that inexcusable backlog is taken care of, the artist will be able to reexamine their decision to take commissions. Not everyone is cut out for that line of work and it's nothing shameful if you're not. But if they do want to give it a second shot, they will need very strict guidelines in place for themselves so things like this never happen again.

[rachverity.livejournal.com]

I have already paid the OP back in full this thread just hasnt been updated as resolved.

[lumaberry.livejournal.com]

WHOA.

First off.. "People need to stop treating artists on fa as professionals.."

No.. Don't speak for all FA artists. I would never treat or talk to my clients the way she has. This is a disgrace. And 200 in her backlog? How does one make this "mistake" I don't even get it.

I hope more people speak up and A_B this artist. More people need to know what an unprofessional amateur artist she is before they do ANY business with her.

I truly hope you and the other people waiting for refunds actually get your money back. :\

[christina schandorph (from livejournal.com)]

Hi there. Long time lurker, first time commenting.

That was a complete mess to read through, but I'm seeing some good advice being given and the artist taking it all in, so hopefully they will eventually catch up to their backlog.

Sorry you had to deal with all this mess OP. And best luck and wishes to the artist with catching up to their backlog :)

[liptonfa.livejournal.com]

I also bought some YCHs and commissions from Rachverity.

First:

I bought the upper left one at 7th November 2014.
NSFW! https://www.furaffinity.net/view/14943942/
The picture was done at 3rd January 2015, which was quite fast.
Finished picture, NSFW https://www.furaffinity.net/view/15378065/
I mentioned at the 5th January that the Nipple piercings are missing, now is already the 4th march and still no fixes. JUST nipple piercings are missing, I mean that is 5 min of work.

Second:

WereFox, Teckly and me bought the left one at the 11th August 2014.
Kinda NSFW https://www.furaffinity.net/view/14237740/
The picture was done at 19th December 2014.
Finished picture, NSFW https://www.furaffinity.net/view/15261014/
(Also random style changes... first one NSFW https://www.furaffinity.net/view/14943539/ and ours NSFW https://www.furaffinity.net/view/15261014/)
She was missing my nipple piercings, Jess eye tattoo, the purple at jess tail and some white at WereFox fingers.
She fixed the things at February 13th 2015, but she still misses the purple for Jess tail, now is the 4th March and nothing happens, again just 5 min of work

Also WereFox and Teckly got these shouts

"rachVerity
Posted: February 13th, 2015 03:29 PM

Fixed this for you teckly ^_^ sorry for the wait on it. Ive been busy lately with the patreon stuff and some rl derps. http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15261014/?nocache=1423833918"

And I got this shout ...

"rachVerity
Posted: February 13th, 2015 03:25 PM

fixed http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15261014
please do not reply back to me. You can go through my partner if you need to ask any questions."

She has problems with me because I'm a friend of Stolf and we both asked for updates about commissions and sort.

I canceled a 50$ commission from some point last year, I'm in the refund list below stolf (800$) so I will see the money in probably like 6 months <.<

The Note from her mate and manager, I asked about the refund and fixes.

"RE: Status Updates : Rach
Sent By: UnbeatableRave to Lipton On: February 24th, 2015 12:33

Hihi!
The refunds going in order on the list.
You are below Stolf on there so you will receive it once he is paid off.
I'm sorry but I can't give you an exact time as Rach handles the refunds.
She only stated that you are below Stolf and will have your refund after his is sorted.
Now she did say that commissions are priority and she works on fixes when she chooses to.
Hopefully this is helpful as this is the only information I can provide for you.
Thank you for contacting me!
Enjoy your day.

-Purp"

After I got all my fixes and refunds, she will block me and Stolf. She is already deleting every comment we do at her page or at a picture from her. I don't want any problems, I just want my fixes and my refund and I'm gone! I will never do business with her again. But I really hope she can resolve the problems she actually has, she stucks in a circle and it's not that easy.

[yuki-fox-demon.livejournal.com]

"she works on fixes when she chooses to." Wow. I get that commissions are important to do right now, but dang. I'm not an artist, but I feel like a mistake (and a simple one at that) should be fixed as quick as possible.