advice on fursuit commissioning

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

I feel bad for posting this because the maker gave me such a sweet discount (only $720 instead of $800 and something) but honestly...this is taking too long and really annoying me. this is the first fullsuit ive ever commissioned, a few makers previously turned me down because im so small and they were scared of messing it up. she on the other hand was happy to take on the challenge.
i commissioned her for a suit of my cat whom i love very much <3 that made her even more eager to take the commission on. so we agreed on a deadline, before halloween. i reminded her and asked for WIP shots. she just said what she finished and that she couldnt take a pic of it
later on after halloween she sends a note telling me that she just started and guess what? the DTD and shoes get lost in the mail, though i sent it about two months before though she earlier said it had arrived.
not terribly long after she posts a journal that shes bored, i reply and she gives me her number, and we talk for a while. she starts gushing over my suit saying shes working on it right now etc.
a few days after that she posts a journal saying apparently her dog destroyed the head beyond repair and its gonna take her much longer to finish it.
i keep asking her for wip pics but she never gives them to me x.x

what should i think from this? should i demand a refund or something?

okay, the maker is ludicrousy on FA and DA. http://www.furaffinity.net/user/ludicrousy/ she kinda nuked her journals -.- so i cant show you the one where she claimed the dog destroyed my commission along with her own suit and a few more.
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/furensicsstudios/ is her 'company' account

[edit] I had spoken to her recently and she sent me a WIP pic and im expecting my suit to be completed in less than a month ^^ ill let everyone know when its here and what condition its in etc in a new entry.

Comments

[banrai.livejournal.com]

So what I understand to have happened is this:
The artist agreed to have it finished by Halloween.
She doesn't start it until Halloween, because the items you were meant to send her didn't arrive.

To me, for this part at least, you are at fault. Deliver Confirmation is, at most, an extra dollar or two. Why wouldn't you get that - especially for something that the artist clearly needs to proceed on your suit? Maybe the holdup was because she didn't have it.

You talk to her, she talks about working on the suit.
Later, she posts that something happened to the head and she's going to have to start over.

Well, you can't very well prove that she has been working on it. But, at the same time, like I said above - the failure for the items she needed to arrive isn't her fault and could be the reason for the holdup.

Another thing that would be helpful here would be specific dates. Did you send the DTD/shoes only a month before the deadline? Because that's an awful short amount of time to be able to finish a huge project like a fursuit, even for someone that's used to making them.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

ahh i didnt word it right and missed some words.

i mailed it about three months ahead of time i believe? i remember it being a week or so after i paid the first payment.

the problem is that i told her when i mailed it and she never checked or notified me when it didnt arrive. she has a PO box so im guessing she hadnt bothered to check till halloween

[banrai.livejournal.com]

Well, once again the fact that you didn't get Delivery Confirmation on the package puts the ball into your court. Did you not try to contact her between the time of mailing and the time that you were told it didn't come?

I have to say, it also seems strange to me that other makers wouldn't work on your suit because you're 'too small'. I've never heard of anything like that, and I've seen some pretty tiny (both height and weight) people with suits. Or did you mean age? Because I know a lot of makers simply won't take commissions from people under 18 for legal reasons.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

it was mailed back because she never went to pick it up apparently. though she told me not too long after i said i mailed it that shed received it, apparently she never opened it and it turned out to be something else.

im 4'9, a few people on deviantart turned me down saying i was too small and it would end up looking terrible and they didnt want to do it etc.

[spiffystuff.livejournal.com]

If she told you the items arrived, and then used them being missing as a reason to not even start on the suit until it was supposed to be done... yeah I'd ask for a refund now. This isn't going anywhere good.
I'm confused though it sounds like you got the items back? Wouldn't that be a heads up?

(edited, got my wires crossed the first time)

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

the items were returned to me and i was told that she never went to pick them up

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

and i apologize for not adding this stuff till later, i was looking back at my notes to confirm what had happened.

[merystic.livejournal.com]

Even so, a responsible fursuit maker should check in after a couple of weeks posing the question, "Hey, I still haven't received the DTD yet and I have a deadline, have you sent it yet or should I assume it's been lost in the mail?" It sounds like they didn't contact the OP except to make claims that they had been working on it anyway (somehow) without any pictures to back that up. Not saying that delivery confirmation isn't important for things like this, it is; just saying that the responsibility to check back in if it never showed up also rests with the fursuit maker, whose job it was to still honor the deadline and speak up if something the OP was responsible for was preventing that.

[fatkraken.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree, if you send something and the maker doesn't tell you it hasn't arrived, you are going to assume it's all fine, especially if it;s near the deadline

Also, getting lost in the post is relatively uncommon (in the uk it's under 1% I think, dunno about your country), so anyone using this as an excuse raises a HUGE red flag.

[merystic.livejournal.com]

If I were you, I would contact the seller and try to pin down some concrete terms: a new solid deadline and a statement that you'd like a refund if the new deadline isn't met (at least a partial refund if they can prove they've done any work or bought any supplies). Ask why they can't provide picture evidence of what's being worked on and state that you feel it necessary to not only prove her claims of work but also to assure the suit looks the way you want. Don't be mean, just politely state your dissatisfaction and firmly state your terms. Ask them -exactly- what they need from you (another DTD, any further measurements, etc.) in order to finish this in a timely manner, and get it to them ASAP with delivery confirmation this time so that any future fault for delays won't rest on you.

That's what I'd do, anyway. Just my $.02. Sounds like it's been a pain thus far. Hope it gets resolved for ya.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

i sent in a new dtd which she said shed gotten i just hope this time she checked.

thanks though ill talk to her. its just hard because she never answers notes.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

LOL she used "the dog ate my homework" excuse? I would be asking for a refund the minute somebody said something that ridiculous to me. Even if her dog DID destroy it, WTF is it doing where her dog could get to it?

[growly.livejournal.com]

I agree, that sends up a huge warning flag to me. It sounds like they are just fishing for more time and haven't started anything yet. The lack of photos supports this theory.
Even if the "dog ate it" story is correct, I agree, it's really bad on her she let that happen.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

Yeah it sounds really fishy. I have an 11 month old lab and as much as I love her, I know she can be an idiot, so I don't leave things that she might find interesting down where she can get to them. I mean she's a dog, it's not that hard to outsmart her. Pick up your crap.

I do have to say, this is the first time I've ever heard the "my dog ate it" excuse applied to commissioned art of any kind. Hahaha.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Second time that I've seen it myself; Jesskitt used it as an excuse once.

[silverfalln.livejournal.com]

Oh God, I remember that.

I did have a dog wanting to go out while I was working on my tauren suit, and came back to a cat playing with some of the fur scraps. It was about 3 inches square, so I threw it in the catnip bucket, gave it back to her, and she didn't bother me for a few hours.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

Oh my word. If there's two people willing to stoop that low, there must surely be more... D:

[fatkraken.livejournal.com]

unless it's not two (JK has created a new identity...)

[uozlulu.livejournal.com]

This is what I was going to post. The lack of WIP shot willingness, missed deadline, and lame excuse (or possibly mismanagement of goods) all scream that it's time to ask for a refund.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

edited with name and link

[ocelotish]

I wonder if the small size is giving her more trouble than she bargained for. Now I know nothing about sewing, but if everyone's saying "This will be difficult" and one person takes it on as a new challenge, and takes a while it may be more challenging than they thought.

I'm not saying it makes it right, I just thought it might be important to consider in determining your next move.

[borderdog.livejournal.com]

I don't see how a smaller size would be any more difficult to do than a very large size.. I'm pretty small and I've worked on suits that were like twice the size of me.
If you're a fursuit maker you should be used to working with a range of sizes.

[ocelotish]

As I said, I really don't know anything about sewing. The only thing I was basing it on was the other costumers saying it would be difficult. If other costumers have said it would be difficult (according to the OP's post) and I don't have experience to the contrary... why doubt people presumably skilled in the area?

Your experience might be different, but as I said, I was just basing it on the information I had.

[gypsywitch.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why smaller=more difficult.. maybe that's because I'm small and that's what I started with..

At any rate.. I think without any progress shots at all and 'the dog ate it' excuse, I would start being a bit more upfront about "I need proof you're doing anything at all, or I want a refund so I can go to someone else."

Though I am going to agree about getting delivery confirmation when possible.

IMO, even if she's having a harder time with it than she expected to, she should at least be truthful about that and not keep you guessing.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

yeah i commented on her journal about that since she never answers notes.

yeah DX didnt think of it

[borderdog.livejournal.com]

Ask for a photo of the destroyed head to prove her story.

[fatkraken.livejournal.com]

Could we get a name please? I thought the point of this community was as a warning to people looking to commission specific artists. Even if it works out in the end, missing a deadline that much with SUCH poor communication is still worthy of a callout.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

ill put the name on the entry x.x

[veeveedesu.livejournal.com]

This happen to my friend, actually.
He commissioned her for a fursuit during Califur of last year (of June) and she had told him it would be done by Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving rolled around, he had informed me that it would be done by Christmas. No luck either...

Occasionally I asked him when his suit would come in. He informs me that Ludicrousy hasn't been replying to his notes and what not, and had not shown him any work in progressed pictures. She had later informed him that his suit would be done before Califur of this year. He found out from another commissioner that Kawl's suits were falling apart and was sent back to Kawl for repairs. At this point of time, my friend demanded a refund from Kawl of his original $200, I believe.

From what I had heard from him, she was going to keep the fur and shoes (he'd given her the shoes, mind you) and what other materials she had bought with his %20 down payment, which she had said was non-refundable. I had told him that it was his money she had bought the materials with, he should be getting them, not her. I haven't asked him about it since then, but I'll ask if he can post here with screenshots if he has them and his own experiences. I'm not sure if he's gotten a refund or the materials yet.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

well to be honest about the refund thing, she had said that its non refundable beforehand im guessing since she told me that. she shouldnt have to give a refund if she said that 8x or the materials if she hadnt stated that she would

actually right now her communication got waaay better and she sent me progress pics via text so ill be editing this ^^;

my guess is that she just took too many commissions or something DX

[veeveedesu.livejournal.com]

I understood that too, that nonrefundable is not something you would be able to get back. But she also agreed to having his suit done by before Thanksgiving, then puts it off to having it done by the next Califur (an entire year later until he commissioned her).

Another reason why I suggested he asked her for the materials back is that she was planning on keeping them for another suit. This was his money she used to buy the materials. I would probably not even mentioned this to him if it were for the fact that Kawl had just been so unprofessional with him.

I'm glad she's giving him the materials and shipping them back, but I have to agree, Kawl took too much on her plate.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

well thats the general idea honestly. if you already have the materials when a commission is canceled you hold them for when you need them next.

tbh i cant say much for her being unprofessional other then her works being late since shes a friend of mine so shes not all businessy by me 8U

HOWDY NEIGHBORS

[alex rahimpour (from livejournal.com)]

Yes, I'm the "friend" Vi was talking about. Now if know how to get pics uploaded onto here or something, I would absolutely love to send some screenshots and such. That isn't my only problem though. I would be ever so grateful if I knew WHAT to post here.

I got one thats in general over the whole "refund" thing


EDIT: nevermind! I decided to stop being derpy and just use Image Shack :D
http://img151.imageshack.us/i/goodz.jpg/

Re: HOWDY NEIGHBORS

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

well honestly you should post an entry for yourself here. at the moment me and her talked about this and im expecting my suit in less than a month. she showed me progress pictures and such.

so yeah non refundable means non refundable. tbh you're lucky she was nice enough to say she was gonna ship the materials since most makers dont do anything.

A wake-up call

[ludicrousy.livejournal.com]

I, as the artist, would like to post here with the following.

I'm just starting out, and there's a lot for me to learn. No one has hand held me or shown me the proper way to do much of anything- so what I know is from experience- which I certainly need more of. Sadly, I was not equip with the knowledge or experience to take on as many project as I did. And that was my own fault.

I struggled with a lot of personal problems this last year. August-December being the worst for me. Of course, I never brought it up with anyone as I'm a very... Stubborn- I guess. I keep to myself in that regard. So rather than giving my commissioners the heads up that, "Hey, your Fursuit maker is getting held up by some personal problems." I just slipped away for a few months. Which, looking back, was awful! I just disappeared with people's cash and their beloved characters without letting them in on what was going on. I didn't have much Internet access (or even the heart to roll out of bed) and communication slipped away.

I took so much on my plate with the excitement of a new business and adventure- but as a full time student, I shouldn't have taken on as much as I did. I should have kept communications open. I should have done a lot differently. But the fact of the matter is- I can't change what happened.

But I can change what WILL happen.

After sending a personal apology to each of my commissioners, I sat down and completely revised my business tactics and policies. I got re-situated with new workspace (I had to move it all a few months ago,) purchase new crates and totes for everything (though it set me back significantly- I couldn't risk my dogs sneaking into the studio again.) I began getting some help for my personal life and hired an assistant to help out with clean up and work.

I realize how I acted and held myself tended to be inconsistent and unprofessional. No amount of "I'm sorry" can take that back or fix it. But what can is showing the fandom I can change and grow as an artist, and as a person. I'm still learning, and I thank each commissioner for being patient with me and my troubles. I'm really blessed to have dealt with such level-headed people.

I'm really sorry for the frustrations I've caused. I aim to improve in my business tactics, suit quality, and even as a human being. I don't want any of this to ever happen again. I got off on a bad foot, but I think I can take my next step on a good one. There's no excuse for what has happened, and I am at fault. But from now on I want to go above and beyond the call of duty.

This post was really a wake-up call for me. So thank you to those of you who posted, thank you to my commissioners, and thank you to change.

Things are looking up!
-ludicrousy

(P.S. As for all issues regarding PO boxes- my post office had been sending a majority of my mail to a different PO box within the same building. Even when I went to check, they weren't there. However, this problem has been resolved and there has not been an issue since.)

Re: A wake-up call

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

thank you hun once again, im sorry for this ;A;

Re: A wake-up call

[clockmagic.livejournal.com]

Well I guess things have been resolved?

Re: A wake-up call

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

not resolved till i get my fursuit, but doing good so far.