artists_beware | Artist/Builder Beware!!!

EXPLAIN: Ok, so what had happened here was I commissioned Poprock back in December for some crow wings. I was having a different builder make a head for me, so I thought it’d be a good idea to make a collaboration of multiple builders for a partial suit. Poprock was saying, at the time, that she was really desperate for commissions, so I thought I could help her out by hiring her. I was talking with her on Second Life about the commission I had in mind, and even modeling it after a different builders design. When I asked for a price quote, she said that it would cost me $125, which I thought was a reasonable price. Afterwards, I asked Poprock how long it would take to make them, and she said that it would only take a couple of months to do. So, from there I sent her a duct tape dummy of my arm, and an envelope containing the down payment for my wings. ($50) In about 2 weeks she began working on the wings and had a livestream video of her working on the wings. In a couple of days she sent me a picture of the progress of the wings. They looked pretty rough so I hoped that they’d look better over time, and in all honesty I was just happy that I was getting the commission made. Periodically, I would check in to see if any progress was made on the wings. At first I was asking once a week because I was really excited having this commission done. Poprock told me, whenever I asked, that no progress had been made on them since the livestream video. I started asking less often because I wanted to give her some space and not put any pressure on her.

A month passes and I ask about the progress of my wings. She again says that no progress has been made. When the next month passes, she asks on Facebook for some money so that she could buy something. Out of generosity, I gave her that money and we both agreed that it would be put towards paying off my wings. ($35) I was hoping that by paying her a little more to what I owed, that it would motivate her to work on my wings. To my disappointment, another month passes and zero progress has been made. Yet again, she asks for money for another thing (which I don’t know what it was) so I gladly obliged and paid her the remainder of the money on my wings. ($40) Of course I was hoping that some progress was made on my wings by now...she tells me that barely anything had been done. I was remaining patient as possible with her because I knew that if I said the wrong thing, she’d probably get mad at me and take even longer on making them. It’s around April 2011 this time, and I ask her if she could give me a deadline on when the wings might be finished. At first she tells me that she’ll have them done by the end of the month. As April came to a close, I asked if she was almost done, and Poprock told me that only one wing was done, but I would have to wait a bit longer. Also, to state, there were multiple times when she was guilt tripping me by explaining why the wings were taking so long, and she even offered me a full refund in May because she was feeling really upset about some stuff. Being a nice guy, I told her that I was willing to wait for the wings instead. (I fell for her guilt trip)

Eventually, she told me that the new deadline would be at Anthrocon 2011. Even as the days drew closer to Anthrocon, I still asked if any progress had been made on the wings. She dodged the question by saying they’d be done by Anthrocon. So, Anthrocon arrives and I eagerly wait to finally pick up my wings at Poprock’s booth. When I get there, she tells me that they aren’t done. She goes on to say that she has a bunch of commissions in progress, that she was booked until Christmas, and that she’d fit my wing commission “in there, somewhere”. In other words, it wasn’t a priority to her. Let it be noted that she constantly was asking for more commissions as each month went by, while my wings remained untouched. Nearly a month after Anthrocon goes by and I asked if she had done anything with my wings. Wonder of wonders, nothing had been done at all. So, what did I do? I spent 2 hours online talking to her trying to motivate her to work on my wings and other people’s commissions. She agreed to that, and I was glad that some progress was about to be made. One more month goes by, and I ask...she tells me nothing’s been done.

In this 8 month timespan, only one wing was finished and the other one hadn’t even been started on. At this point, my patience ran thin and I had to ask for a refund. She was highly confused by this and didn’t understand why. I explained to her that I was tired of waiting for them. Poprock flips out on me and begins asking all of these questions of why I didn’t say anything. I told her that I was trying to be a nice guy, but in all honesty, I was being too lenient with her. So she tells me that she’s only going to give me 30% back of what I paid once she sells the wings to someone else. First off, how many crows are out there who have the exact same arm size as me, and want the wings? Secondly, only 30%?! I paid her to do a service and she didn’t provide the service at all!

Eventually, I found out that she’s been manipulating other furs as well. Apparently, all of the commissions she was asking people to take from her, were just excuses so she could take the money from them and run off with it. There have been multiple reports from people who commissioned her, where they’ve been waiting up to two years for a commission. Not only that, some people didn’t even get a refund or any kind of update from her. She would often get pissed at them when they asked for an update and she would even go as far as to block them from all form of contact. 14 other people have reported cases similar to mine. In addition to that, some people who actually got the commissions from her were highly disappointed. One of the suits she made at a con even fell apart. The stitching was bad and it couldn’t even hold itself up for a second.

Sorry that this is so long, but all of this had to be explained in explicit detail so I could warn others of this horrible experience I had with this builder. I really worked hard to try and be her friend, but she was just using me the entire time. On one final note, I found out from a friend that Poprock was taking about me behind my back at Otakon and she told him that I hadn’t paid for my wings in full and that I was being extremely rude to her and pressuring her for the wings. Both of these statements are completely false! So that’s my experience here. Please, PLEASE, beware of her!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

flarveon.livejournal.com

Cut please.

"I have had my name dragged in the mud, users have been blocked, people go around and were spreading rumors that another builder supposedly had to fix multiple suits from me, that I have tons of supposed commissions I have run off with.

Hmm, I only have sold ONE fullsuit, a very few pieces and I always make sure to talk with the commissioners before, during, and after the creation.
Due to that, many commissioners have become good friends, and I let them know they have a free 1 year warranty if anything is to happen to their product.

Also, no one ever says WHO it is I supposedly ran off with's money. And I make posts EVERYWHERE asking these claimed people to contact me. FOR MONTHS. Not a single person has come into contact with me so I now see them as "fake" people that a competitor furuit "maker" has made up to slander and spread libel about me."

She is true here, as a good friend of hers online, I have seen her sell one fullsuit fursuit, and multiple parts, all with happy endings and if they have a problem, they almost always come back for their fix ups.

I have also heard these rumours, but not a single customer name in them. As someone who is about to commission Poprock, I believe her more than I believe the OP. Now I know "you're being biased". Well I am, the rumours are most definitely false, even I have tried to track these apparent 'upset customers' and getting fursuits fixed by other makers, and turned up empty.

Poprocks had alot of attacks on facebook and has even had to remake her account more than once due to flamers and reporters there :/ Not to mention her medical issues as of late months that took alot of money out of her pocket.

OP, life does get in the way, maybe it would pay to research more?

Also, i'll try and get screenshots for my own claims here, her illnesses, happy customers and trying to find the apparent 'upset customers'.

From:

oceandezignz.livejournal.com

kerstin_orion has already asked the OP to cut the journal. No one else needed to after she did so. In cases of approval but in need of cut - please look for the first comment. It will be a moderator of this comm with that same request. We do this so that you do not have to, and to prevent 5+ other people doing it at the same time.

From:

flarveon.livejournal.com

Half of my sentence there is actually cut off XD I was asking if it could be cut at all XD That's all, thanks for that :)

From:

omadaun.livejournal.com

Poprock flags people who disagree with her or ask for money back and then blocks the so the can't dispute it.

Oh and for others out there, what more proof do you need from Aves to prove what she is doing?

From:

flarveon.livejournal.com

She flags them when they attack her, like her facebook page which was attacked and reported to the point where she needed to create a new one.

I think proof is necessary for these 'claims' in the OP's post, as well as the apparent rumours. You can't go around name-calling and bagging out someones work like that without reason or proof of what's gone wrong.

I have never seen someone ask for money back on a project where she hasn't willingly agreed to it, paying it back in payments. I even see her work on current projects through her livestream.

From:

omadaun.livejournal.com

No she flags them because she is a troll or she is trying to make it so they can't speak the truth and warn others. She is dishonest to the core and there is quite a few people that have asked for money back but of course she removes their post, then blocks them or if she get more than a few requests for their money back she goes into hiding and come on with another account.

From:

poprock-grey.livejournal.com

No, I rarely flag them, usually just block them and be on with my life.
You can speak this claimed "truth" all you want, but without proof on both sides, there is just a lot of drama mongering and BS.

I have only had Aves ask for his money back.

As for coming back with another account, it is because I have hordes of other people reporting me for no reason other than hearsay. Again, without this supposed evidence, you have no grounds. Please get pure, unedited screenshots.

If there are so many people claiming that I did that, then you should be able to get some sort of screenshots, right?

From:

omadaun.livejournal.com

Bull I've seen countless people complain what you did to their suits and then later see you block their comments so no one thinks anyone has anything bad to say and when a large enought group complains you run off and create a new account. Oh and trust me I have proof.

From:

poprock-grey.livejournal.com

Then please stop typing and post it.

From:

omadaun.livejournal.com

I have posted them. But they are in places you won't find them to flag them.

From:

poprock-grey.livejournal.com

Without this proof you claim to have, you just look silly.

Again, I blocked you to stop your harassment, with this is obviously all you are trying to do now. MODs? Can you screen his posts or let him know to stop making drama?

From:

omadaun.livejournal.com

The proof is there so I don't look silly at all oh and I never harrassed you.

From:

poprock-grey.livejournal.com

You need to porvide proof to your claims.

And you are harassing me now. I'll not be responding to your posts any longer. Just know I do not appreciate you coming in here and drama mongering.
Other posters are more than welcome to post and I will respond though.

From:

kayla-la.livejournal.com

Either relinquish your proof or stop talking about it. Feel free to make a fresh comment with links to screenshots and things, but if all you're going to do is claim you have it and the not share it, don't bother.

Freezing this here because it's just going in stupid wanky circles.

From:

spiffystuff.livejournal.com

I have never seen someone ask for money back on a project where she hasn't willingly agreed to it, paying it back in payments.

... I see this project *right here* where she said the commissioner could only get 30% refund or wait another unknown amount on a "couple month" project that's half done at 8 months.