Beware: Starfinder/-Star-/Astray/Kannos

[murdercrow.livejournal.com]

During FC 2009, I commissioned Star/Astray for a 30 dollar badge commission. It was the last day, so she said she would send it out to me in a few weeks. Since my partner Evolus had commissioned her on the first and had finished it during the con, I figured I could trust her.

It is now nearly a year and a half since then and I have yet to receive the badge that I paid 30 dollars for. Worse yet, she's completed OTHER commissions, done various artwork, and refused to respond to my (polite) notes until I threatened to post here, whereupon she bitched at me for requesting either my badge or a refund, saying that she was in terrible financial conditions right now, and according to her, hadn't received the character sheet to begin with. I figured that it might've been a glitch with the notes, so I resent the character sheet, and waited. And waited. And waited.

I'm sick of waiting. I ordered a basic badge going on two years ago, and I've watched her completely ignore me, do other people's work, bitch at me when I resorted to the only way I knew how to get her to actually COMMUNICATE with me, and then proceed to ignore me again when I showed the slightest bit of compassion.

I want either a refund or my badge, and at this point I think it's fair to say that the badge should be equivalent to her photorealistic work, considering I paid her up-front and haven't gotten diddly in return.

As for everybody else, beware. She's a great artist, but commissions with her are hit or miss, and if it's miss you will NEVER get your art.

EDIT/UPDATE: I sent her a PM on the 9th, and it has yet to be read. Considering she last posted a journal entry yesterday, I'm pretty much certain that I'm being ignored.

Again.

Advice, anybody? In the last PM I sent her, I didn't mention this post at all, hoping that she would put two and two together and get off her duff. It appears I was naive, however. I'm thinking of sending her another PM mentioning this article and asking (again) for my badge or my money. Either way, I've pretty much had it with her.

2nd Update: 5 days and no response while she's been active, and has also read my PM. I got sick of waiting and sent her another PM, this time mentioning this article. Think I should bring up this ordeal with con staff if she ignores THIS, too? =\

Look, I'm going to be blunt. I posted an article on AB about this experience. I really don't appreciate that you've got 30 bucks that I paid to you in good faith, and nearly two years later I haven't even seen a sketch, much less actually held the badge I commissioned from you in my hands.

I would very much like to post a resolved article, but rest assured that I'm tired of being completely ignored while you work on other projects.

Please respond as soon as possible.

Thank you,

-Eccitaze

Oh, and during all this, she's set up an InkBunny account under yet ANOTHER name, which I've added to the title.

I'm incredibly frustrated right now. All I want is the fucking badge I paid for. I've been nothing but polite and civil, refraining from insults even while I warned her that I would post here if she didn't respond, and I've been walked over and ignored.

Comments

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

Unchanged, then. I honestly thought she had, for a moment.

[chronidu.livejournal.com]

Sadly I have to second this.

Hope this pushes star to give the OP their dues... otherwise this just sounds like the same old starfinder from years back :/

[chronidu.livejournal.com]

Curious, OP, Do you have screenshots of your note conversations? It may help us see if she did 'overreact and bitch' at you, just so we can be sure everything on your side was also polite.

Regardless, 2 years for a badge is certainly ridiculous, especially without contact.

[chronidu.livejournal.com]

Also a note on the "I think it's fair to say that the badge should be equivalent to her photorealistic work"

Commissions don't work like that. Although she has made you wait an obscene amount of time, that does not entitle you for more than you paid, and I could easily see how such a train of thought could make an artist turn sour fast.

If anything your entitled to the work you paid for/refund and a damn good apology :[

[wereguitar.livejournal.com]

Because of past complaints I thought that she had a public list of who she owes artwork to that was updated as the work was completed? However I don't know where it is anymore, or if it was just temporary after the last huge A_B article I saw about her.

[nauro-chan.livejournal.com]

She told me that she kept it private to protect clients even though she would later post the art. And I had to email her to ask if I were on the list.

[chaimeleon.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, why were you not paying upon completion, like all of her current commissioners?

[pyroro.livejournal.com]

Usually if you get a badge at a con you pay up front... unfortunately the exact same thing happened to me long before I knew this community existed. It took over 2 years to get my badge and a full commission plus countless times of sending references as they mysteriously were always "lost". She may have great art..but I'll never commission her again after what I went through.. I understand the OP's frustration. It took a friend of mine who is close to her to actually get my art. When I got it I was very unsatisfied... didn't look like my character at all.

[alaitallon.livejournal.com]

You know, and I was just starting to think maybe she'd finally learned and changed her ways, but this here makes me thankful I didn't bank any amount of money on that.

Not surprised.

[freudian-lisp.livejournal.com]

This makes me a little dissapointed.

I'm not very involved with Starfinder, but some part of me hoped she'd managed to change, if only to prove the saying "nobody changes" wrong.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

*sigh* And just as it was looking like she'd finally grown up and got her act together. I'm sorry to hear about your problems, hopefully she sees this and finally gives you what you paid for.

(frozen)

[genkigami.livejournal.com]

I recently did a search on how many posts about Starfinder we have. We have like.... over 5. All from different people.

I'm sorry you got gypped, but then again I've learned not to take any of her "I'M SORRY I'LL DO EVERYTHING" promises seriously. I'm not at all surprised she hasn't changed.

(frozen)

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you know this, but the term "gypped" is technically a racial slur, it's derivative of the term "gypsy". I just thought you should be aware that some people might consider it offensive given it's origins.

[jinoki.livejournal.com]

Really not surprised to be honest. :/ She's had so many issues in the past that working with her is like playing Russian roulette.

Requesting a small clarification

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

The con was in 2009, and it's 2010... It's not even a year and a half (that's another month away), and you say "going on two years"... Was this at 2009 or 2008?

Re: Requesting a small clarification

[murdercrow.livejournal.com]

The con I commissioned her at was in January 2009, and it is now June 2010. I'd be doubly pissed if I'd commissioned her in 2008, lol. =p

[pinkpuppybelly.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't understand why people continue to commission artwork from her :/

[mpd-84.livejournal.com]

she draws pretty things and keeps changing her name...

[danzadragon.livejournal.com]

Typical, artists using financial issues as an excuse.

Grow the fuck up and learn some money management.

Fffffff

[vaekke.livejournal.com]

why is anyone still commissioning her

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Because people don't do enough research into artists prior to commissioning and because her work is very prettily rendered. She's got patience I'd grant her that, it's a shame she doesn't spend some of it on the important basics.

[blackswan666.livejournal.com]

Somehow this doesn't surprise me. A friend of mine commissioned a badge from her at FC 2006... and the only thing she's gotten is excuses and empty promises.

[ducttapeninja.livejournal.com]

Wait a minute wait a minute what.

She hasn't gotten anything since 2006? That's insane! I'm so sorry for your friend, man. :(

[trianine.livejournal.com]

This is still happening? Should we just petition a ban on FA?

[silverfalln.livejournal.com]

She's been banned. I thought it was permanent.

[bigbluefox.livejournal.com]

Starfinder or whatever her name is right now ALWAYS is in a critical financial situation. Or so she claims. She always bitches and yells at people, especially furries, impatient scum that isn't even patient enough to wait at least 3 years for a commission to be finished. She always finds the time to do more recent commissions or artwork while her to-do list remains idle and untouched. This also implies that she likes to take new commissions before finishing already paid ones, which then get moved to the end of the waiting list.

Commissioning her is like hit or miss. And telling from countless postings I've seen, it's more likely miss than hit.

All the things you say are nothing new, and I'm sorry to hear that you're in the same situation now. In my case, I waited nearly three years. And it was quite a bit of money I tossed at her.




Then again, I'm just a furry, an impatient scumbag that insists on having a commission done in an appropriate amount of time, with proper proportions and anatomy rather than receiving a traced copy of a photo featuring an anthro critter that looks like his spine broke....

[rahni.livejournal.com]

I had wondered how you felt about that commission...

[natmea.livejournal.com]

I never understood how she has the money to buy her expensive ass cameras and get dogs that cost a million dollars to keep and what not.

And with her reputation how does she manage to get commissions? Seriously? People need a warning on them so commissioners don't get art from scammers like her.

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

I wonder the same thing.

[myenia.livejournal.com]

I hate to hear that because it seemed like she was completely back on the horse. I see her get tons of commissions done, and as far as online goes, only take payments after.

[myenia.livejournal.com]

To add- It is very dissapointing to hear how she responded to the mistake. However, if this is her first complaint since the big issue, and its just a badge...it was wrong of her, but I wouldn't be screaming that she's still just as bad as ever. Just slipped up. The bigger complaint I'd see here is her not bending over backwards to mend the problem.

[dirtiran.livejournal.com]

Ive spoken with her, and I suggest sending a fresh note to the Astray account detailing the commission owed and the situation. She doesn’t check the Star account for notes as far as I know.
If you HAVE sent one to the Astray one, i'd send again anyway :)

[murdercrow.livejournal.com]

I sent her another note to the Astray account. I quote, and will provide screencap on request: "Hey, just sending a quick inquiry as to the status of my badge. If you forgot, then I commissioned you for a badge during FC 2009, for my fursona, whose character sheet can be found here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3064361/

I would like to get it ASAP."

[indi-jackal.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, unfortunately I'm having some trouble with Star myself. I commissioned a 35$ full body sketch from her back in february, when she was doing her AIRLINE SKETCHES thing. She was really cordial about taking the commission, and taking my money, haha. Surprisingly, she DID the commission, in a timely manner too, and uploaded a small version of the sketch in a collage of the commissions she had taken in that group. I noted her about paying her and she was very upfront and attentive, and offered to send a hi-rez version of the sketch to my email if I would give it to her. I gave her the payment, and my email, expecting the sketch in my mailbox, nothing happened. I've sent her two notes in the past few months about it and have gotten no replies. I also paid extra to have the sketch sent to me directly through the mail. She posted a journal about going to the post office and mailing out the sketches and when I inquired about mine she assured that she had sent it out. It's been almost six months and nothing. In my notes I asked if she had indeed sent the sketch out, thinking maybe it had gotten lost in the mail, but she hasn't replied to any of my inquiries so I'm figuring I'm SOL here. I should've probably known better then to commission Star, but like alot of people here, I figured she had gotten better about her commissions. Unfortunately I was very wrong. :(

[trianine.livejournal.com]

I really don't understand why this specifically should keep happening. If the artwork is finished, what is so hard about emailing the whole thing? It's even less excusable than not sending it in the mail!

I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with this also.

[jurann.livejournal.com]

Oh look, it's been about 6 months since the last huge StarFinder post here, I guess it's been due for the next round. =) *sets his clock to it* I'm surprised anyone else might be surprised by this turn of events, we're talking about who is likely the second most posted artist on A_B here. See you all on the next StarFinder thread in another 6 months! =D

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, is she free to post auctions on Furbuy despite her poor reputation?

Yep, I have been waiting since 2006!

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

Heh I have you beat! From FC2006! My BF (at the time) paid for a Badge for my alien puppy Moonbeam. Neither of us ever got it. She has told me many time on AIM "I'll get it to you" etc and still nothing.

At this point I would take a nice sketch of my character Diadexxus (she knows this, we have talked in MANY occasions and still nothing)

From my LJ and FA:
STARFINDER - Badge for Moonbeam (Igor Paid at FC06?) Talked to me, you said it would be done in January. (its now JUNE!)

I have practically given up. Should I?
-J

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

As a moderator here, I wanted to warn you Starfinder has held people's art hostage before to try to get them to take artist_beware entries about her down. She might very well try to demand you remove this post to get your art, or even just after you get your art. This is not allowed. Past history is important to keep this comm worthwhile, and removing posts can get you banned, especially if you don't bother to contact any of us about it first.

Don't let her bully you. Good luck getting your stuff. I'm another person who had kind of hoped she had changed, even if I'm not personally a fan of her stuff and thus wouldn't ever buy it.

Just a follow up - AIM

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

After sending her a note on FA, and AIM. She got a hold of me on AIM this evening:

Diadexxus: http://community.livejournal.com/artists_beware/333643.html?view=10357579#t10357579 should probably read...

canonphotowolf: why should I read it? I have my own problems, had a rocky past 7 months.

Diadexxus: welp.... You have been paid, so you should still do commissions... right?

Diadexxus: I would "REALLY" like my sketch from you, just to get it off my plate.. but if you would rather return my money.. thats fine as well.

She has not said anything since.

Re: Just a follow up - AIM

[wereguitar.livejournal.com]

Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away, Star!

[theredwolf.livejournal.com]

After recent drama with her myself, this is why I cut ties with her. I'm not surprised she's still ripping people off. Way to go Star. :\