Starfinder/-Star-/Astray/Kannos (Again)

[kesslan.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a shame I didn't know about this place, or this artists reputation prior. Counting the recent entry by Murdercrow on the 8th in this very community the presently outstanding, prepaid value of artwork that I'm aware of that Star owes people is $550 USD split between 3 individuals (This would include Mudercrow's $30 con badge and the commissions owed to myself and another party).

I'm presently asking anyone who is owed art by Star that they have actually paid for contact me on FurAffinity here: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/kesslan/

Please provide a simple note of the following:
-The amount you paid up front
-The date the payment was made and when the artwork was to be due by
-If you are willing to allow me to post this information and what specifics you will allow to be publicly posted.
-If you have records of notes, IMs, PMs or any other communication with the artist in question.

If need be I fully intend to look at the options available in regards to legal action, but I would much prefer negotiating either a refund to all those owed, or failing that having Star own up to all her outstanding, prepaid commissions.

Doubly so considering this artist is constantly accepting new commissions, and doing said new commissions before doing her outstanding ones. Everyone goes through hard times, hell I spent a year and a half on the street myself. That's not an excuse to treat people the way this artist has, and I for one don't intend to idly sit by.

EDIT:
Update: I've since been contacted on FA by at least one other individual bringing the total of outstanding work/prints etc to $708 USD that goes back as far as 2006. I must note however that my own issues do not date back anywhere near as far.

1 Issue resolved: Oustanding total is now 678

Edit Nov 26/2010:
So all the issues that I'm aware of were resolved save mine so far. Friend of mine who commissioned her got a drawing, though not the one he was supposed to have. He decided however to just cut his losses and accept what he got, and by all means that's his choice.

The only thing I've seen so far out of her in regards to mine was an extremely crude sketch that Arinmal had pointed me towards. The layout would actually be pretty good if she finished it in the degree of quality she puts into even half her work. All said and done, I honestly wish I'd given the money to a more worthy artist such as Strype who was very good to work with (And cost me less to boot)

Comments

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

"Everyone goes through hard times, hell I spent a year and a half on the street myself. That's not an excuse to treat people the way this artist has, and I for one don't intend to idly sit by." the worst part is theres almost always something going on with her =/
I hope something can be done for you guys. This is seriously not cool that shes continuing to do this :(

[ashleyvsdestiny.livejournal.com]

Geez Kesslan, it's like you get screwed trying to get almost every furry thing you buy online. I feel kinda sad for you. Did you ever actually work out that fursuit thing, BTW?

[spiffystuff.livejournal.com]

I am curious, if you'd be willing to answer
When did you commission her? Was it after she supposedly started taking payment /after/ finishing a commission, or has she abandoned that model?

Also, Kannos? This a new pseudonym of Starfinder's?

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Kannos appears to be her Inkbunny moniker.

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

Astray is her new FA username, but Kannos is the new character/fursona she's going by now. Well, not "new", it's an old character, she's just resurrected it.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Good luck with it, hopefully if more people are prepared to take action over artists like star who have woefully bad business practises, it might become less common for cases like star to actually happen.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

It was just a matter of time before someone got annoyed enough with Star to get their money back.

I am interested to see how many people come out of the wood work.

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

She's been 'in a financial hole' the entire time I've known of her, which is going on 5 years at least. Yet she can buy wolfdog puppies and expensive photography equipment. She's a liar, sorry.

[thejeweledhorn.livejournal.com]

She took a commission from me several months ago, and I was really excited to get it. However, she never gave me a total so I never paid. The first time I noted her about it she said she had the drawing done, but was taking a little while to post. I never heard back from her after that, though I sent her several notes on her old (and later, new) account saying I would still be glad to pay, sorry if I had offended somehow. I found out later she has a bad reputation.

Anyway, since I never actually paid, I never felt like I should make a fuss. But I do think it's a shame. Her art's really nice.

[coyote-feathers.livejournal.com]

I think this is a really good idea. Good luck, I hope you (and everyone else) gets their money back.

Although I can't help but wonder how long it'll be before she just reinvents herself again with a new murrsona and the cycle starts all over again. It's upsetting.

[werewolfofwater.livejournal.com]

Well, so much for her changing her ways. I guess she only fed this com that BS because she got caught. Not a huge surprise though.

[westly-roanoke.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've known of her longer, and she's constantly 'in the financial hole'

her house is always up for foreclosure, her dad steals all her money...etc, etc...

Yet she gets shitloads of expensive photography equipment, cars, wolfdogs, computers, printing shit, t-shirt presses, tablets...etc, etc...

[kitefeathers.livejournal.com]

The sad thing is that no matter what is done to get the warnings about Starfinder, they're will always be some new/nieve folks who jump on the chance to commission her, thats what she feeds on.

Seux was banned from FA, and she's not even half as bad as Star, I sorta wish Star would be banned, it would really help cut the amount of peoples money she can run away with. DA is another matter though. v__v

And to the people that defend Star, why are you defending her? Is it /really/ that hard just to finish the commissions she's taken money for?

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

yep, its a new name she goes under. Probably partly in hope to unassociate her with the bad rep she has under the name "starfinder" and "star". Her persona is even male, I believe.

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

this.

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

Eh honestly dude, at this point id have to agree. Especially with the name changes on FA, not everyone knows her rep and falls in a trap when commissioning her. Its not fair :(

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

more specifically as thorn said, "Astray" on FA.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Seux was banned from FA for non commission reasons. At this point, the most that I think would happen to Star is that she'd be under admin watch. Two artists that kept taking money and running are under administrative watch, while another is only permanently banned because she kept ban evading.

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

In her defense I don't think she picked up a new fursona to escape the commitments of her old one, since she made it absolutely no secret that she was changing to a new account and left links redirecting people.

[sekhmet.livejournal.com]

I did say probably.

[spiffystuff.livejournal.com]

My understanding was Starfinder WAS banned from FA (mostly for tracing without citing refs) but slipped back on as -Star- and no one's bothered to ban her again for whatever reason.

[wereguitar.livejournal.com]

Well in some of her FA Journals people who call her 'Star' have received responses from her strictly telling them to not refer to as that alias at ALL anymore. Seems suspicious even if we'll never know the true reason why the name was changed. Personally I find the timing interesting. If she was trying to throw the trolls off her trail it won't work because everyone knows her art.

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

Ahh hm that's different then. :/

[wereguitar.livejournal.com]

Yup, she was about to file for bankrupcy for the second time when I dealt with her back in 2004. Her Dad steals her money? I thought he was the one who bought her that VW?

[wereguitar.livejournal.com]

I dont think she was banned, I think she wanted to create a new account due to trolls.