False Contests: KuroKitten87

[wintersnowolf.livejournal.com]

First off I am NOT a LJ user much, so please bear with me as I try to post here to A_B appropriately!

WHO: KuroKitten87: Other Affiliate names: kurokedel/coyabbit/coyandkuro

WHERE: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/kurokitten87

WHAT: Contest for a Traditional Wedding art piece with promised Cash Prizes

WHEN: April 28th, 2010

PROOF: 
#1. The initial Contest entry journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1369985/ Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azMBKC 
#2. Her asking me directly in a note: http://flic.kr/p/azKH3i 

#3. Contest Ending Soon Journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1483748/ Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azKdHF

I have 5 entries so far and I was really really hopping to see more....
#4. The "Contest Winners Soon" Journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1641663/ Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azJXnR

#5. My Contest Entry: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3936996/
#6. Noting me that I Won: #1 Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azK89a #2. http://flic.kr/p/azK8dv

#7. Announcement of winners: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1642572/ (I won first) Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azMMru 
#8. Their Replies to my Private notes: Her Reply- http://flic.kr/p/azJZvF And His Reply- http://flic.kr/p/azMEdN
#9. Payed me for a set of Icons: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5078603/ 
#10. Additional Contest #2: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2001990/ Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azMBNA
#11. Additional Contest #3: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2525493/ Screen Shot: http://flic.kr/p/azMBRS 

EXPLAIN: 

Over a year ago I entered in a contest Hosted by KuroKitten87 to draw a picture of her and her mate' Coyabbit and it be 'Wedding themed'. Being nice, I opted to enter. She was offering cash prizes, after all. [See Links #1, #2, #3, #4]

Alas, I had given trust in both of them with the understanding I had to mail the entry in before June 26th for it to count in the contest. So yes, I know this was stupid and the wrong thing to do. Its called Instilling Trust, something I quickly, sadly learned not to do in the furry fandom. So, I mailed the piece out of the goodness in my heart knowing:If I win, I will get paid. [See Links #5, #6, #7] Lo and Behold, I win! Hurray!

So, Having pestered them both a few times hare and there via shouts (nicely of course) several months later, I had decided enough waiting, and sent them this PM to all four accounts I know they own. I had also contacted the other 2 winners who said they have received the same thing: Nothing, for their winning contest entries. Written below is my letter to all their accounts-

Date: October 17th, 2011

I dont have to really say anything:

I won, I mailed you art, and I have YET to receive any payout.

As does the other 2 winners

Yet you have hosted 2 more contests I see.

I am wondering whats up with that. Until you pay, you do not have my consent to repost the art I made and you should do the right thing: Pay up or mail that piece back.

I am sending this note to every account that is connected to you and your husband. If nothing is replied to, opened or this issue is not addressed or resolved at all within a reasonable time frame, action will be taken.

They both replied. [See Link #8]

Her Reply- http://flic.kr/p/azJZvF

And His Reply- http://flic.kr/p/azMEdN

I had addressed them both back and had informed them they both had one week to resolve the issue at hand. Its been that time, and I had informed them both already, if nothing had been done, I would go public. I have not been paid, I have not received a tracking number for said payment and frankly, I gave them over a year. And additional week plus a warning was fair enough.

Not to mention! I Know, FOR A FACT their paypal works. Why? Because they PAID ME for a set of icons. [See Link #9] So no more beating around the bush and procrastination on my end. Here's the story and their admission to guilt for not paying me.
ALSO: They had hosted 2 ADDITIONAL CONTESTS. Even after their 'Wedding themed' one and STILL NO ONE HAD BEEN PAID [See Links #10, #11]

So why make a big stink over this you may ask?

Well: I wasted my time; they stole the art basically; have procrastinated enough; and they have not done the right thing yet:
Pay me (and the other winners), or MAIL THE WEDDING ART BACK I MADE AND SENT YOU.
SIMPLE AS THAT.

Hence why I have become very wary about anymore "contests"

Bellow are all four accounts listed I know that have ties to "KuroKitten87"

KuroKitten87: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/kurokitten87/
Her Husband: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/coyabbit 
Kuros new account: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/kurokedel
Their Joint account http://www.furaffinity.net/user/coyandkuro 

Last thing I have to say to them is this:

How disgusting. You lie, give false non-existent prizes, collect the art and NEVER pay the winners. And, on top of that all, you probably have my piece of art hanging somewhere, look at it everyday, and: How do you look at it and feel good knowing you have stolen from someone?

All in all be WARY of KuroKitten and her false "contests" Period.

#1 EDIT: Additional Images
Last Note I sent her about the contest: http://flic.kr/p/azSmjW 
After that, I hear nothing until: http://flic.kr/p/azSmmN 

I complete her commission in a timely manner, and she states "also I know its been a while since you won the contest.... but I should have enough to send the money next pay day after this^^"

The ball was left in her court. 

Since posting this journal I have received a note saying: http://flic.kr/p/azSzxb

FYI as per Link #1, prize winner of 1st place she claimed would receive "$100 or $75 Depending on how much I have when I come home" From the beginning I have "instilled trust" in a complete stranger. I will keep this post updated with the end outcome of this incident.

#2 EDIT: Additional Images, Again (Probably not *too* important)

Re-reading through more of my note mountain, I see she had inquired about obtaining an Iron Artist slot of mine.

Here, she admits to Having the picture, and her husband "put the wedding pic you did on the wall in the livingroom beside his desk.... as soon as he got ahold of it^^"
Image: http://flic.kr/p/azT5gq 
This was also the last note I ever heard about wanting in my Iron Artist. No transaction of payment nor art was delivered.

#3 EDIT: Additional Images; Shipped my piece to a P.O. Box

Again, just more information: http://flic.kr/p/aAmsb5 
Just to show you, that she took enough initiative to go to the P.O. box she pays to rent (Name, box number, city and zip withheld) to pick up the art I mailed her in May of 2010, but cant go back when she lived there, to mail me a payment back out when I was informed I won. Relevant.

#4 EDIT: Tracking Number Update 

As of 11-1-11, 9:30 EST AM, the tracking number she had given to me seems to have successfully been dropped off at the post office and has an expected delivery date of Tomorrow Nov 2nd. Image:  http://flic.kr/p/aAT77H

#5 EDIT: Issue Resolved

11-2-11 When I got home this afternoon I was pleasantly surprised at the package at my door. Kuro delivered and here is the picture proof: http://flic.kr/p/aBgR9Z

(Proof: Western Union M.O. cashed : http://t.co/v3GSTDI ) 

The hand written note included says what it says and I will say this in conclusion: This all could have been avoided Kuro, by being responsible on your end. I too am sorry it resulted in this, but remember that Actions speak louder than words. Thank you for finally holding up your end.

Admins, please tag this post and the new post as Resolved, thanks in advanced.

Comments

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised to see her here again. We were pretty good friends before, saw her posted here and tried to get her to resolve things, but I guess that didn't work out at all.

It's very disappointing.

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

I actually dont look at the pic every day. I really dont look at it much at all.

I wish you would have at least waited until you recieved your money before you posted this because you said that you would give me at least 2 more weeks to send the money. but like I said on FA your money was sent out today so you will get it next week. Then this will be resolved. For good. I will also send the art back, because I dont really want it anymore. Not after all of this and unless you look at my website when its up you wont ever hear from me again on here or on FA.

Im sorry that people get busy and things happen that they cant control. Because honostly I HAVE been that busy.

but if you really think that I am trying to scam people then by all means think what you want, but Coy had nothing to do with it. It was all my doing. SO he doesnt need to be here.

[pocket-entropy.livejournal.com]

I gotta be honest; while reading the notes Wintersnowolf posted I notice that you mention being busy a lot for various reasons, and they're coming off as excuses. What I would recommend is to set aside some scheduled time each week to sit down and finish work for people and/or pay them. A year and change is really too long of a time to have kept someone waiting, and I think managing your time a little better will really benefit you in the long run.

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

Well, Kuro posted a journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2857610/

Kuro, you know you're making excuses. You have shouts on one of your pages by an artist asking for the payment of icons she did recently for you, only a few days ago I believe. This does show you've been spending money on things that aren't necessary.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

I don't see how being busy is anything to do with it. Paying someone what you owe isn't exactly very time consuming, and considering you've had over a year to do so this excuse is extremely flimsy.

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

A year is way too long to keep someone waiting for payment. While you think you aren't trying to scam people, it comes off as if you are because it took you so long to finally send out the money owed. I get busy too but I still have time to sit down and take care of business when it needs to be taken care of.

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

No actually I am NOT making excuses. If you will notice that was done a month ago. As she states. We had a huge city wide internet outage so I wasnt able to even go over to my parents house to get online to let her know what had happened. But she knows now. And that has been taken care of, but thats not even what this is about. I honostly havent been using any money on anything other then that one thing.

But I have to bring something up on this and I dont really care if I get flamed on it or not to be honest. But if she is as worried about it as she said she is, why didnt she contact me more about it then ONCE out of an entire year?

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

I wonder if she has time to pay her bills or does she give excuses to the utility companies that she was too busy to pay? It definitely seems shady that she waited a year to pay you for your winning art work and it's hard to believe that she was so busy she couldn't take five minutes to send you your payment through PayPal or mail it on her way to work or to run errands.

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

Maybe she thought you would still pay her and she was going on faith. Who knows? I know that if you owed me money and you didn't pay me I would contact you once a week until you paid me. However, you can blame her if you want but you were the one who didn't hold up your end of the deal. You are at fault and you should have paid her in a timely manner. Don't make excuses, it doesn't look good at all.

[felonykat.livejournal.com]

Heh yeah this is why I do not enter contests unless I've known the person to come through with things, know them well. Even then you cannot be sure. They even poked you to enter lol and were so busy to not only pay (over a year come on now :P) but even announcing the winners was taking too much of their time...

I hope you do receive the money and sorry to hear that this happened to you. Sometimes people promise things they don't have or cannot actually give. No one is THAT busy to take so long on handing over awards.

[collie-fluff.livejournal.com]

We're all busy. We all have lives. Most people tend to honor their promises and do set aside time to make sure that their promises are met.

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

Actually if you REALLY must know. No I dont make excuses when I pay my bills because have the time I dont have the money to pay them. I know that I havent sent the money til now, but when it comes to paying my bills thats not really any of your business now is it?

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

In your journal you state that you did have the money, but necessities came first. But it shows you've been commissioning, which is not at all important.

I actually agree, the OP should have bugged you more about it and earlier on. That doesn't mean the beware isn't warranted though. Someone shouldn't have to poke you about something you owe them. I'd be pretty miffed if an artist didn't do a commission for me because I never asked about it and it's not because they forgot.

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

I was making a point. However, it went over your head. As a person who created a contest and promised to pay money to the winner, it is still your responsibility to make sure all winners are paid when you say you will pay them. Businesses do not want to wait for their payment and if someone owed you money, you would want to collect it. Again, you were the one at fault. Take responsibility for your actions and maybe you can salvage what little of your reputation you have left.

[deejthistle.livejournal.com]

"Then this will be resolved. For good. I will also send the art back, because I dont really want it anymore. Not after all of this and unless you look at my website when its up you wont ever hear from me again on here or on FA."

Going to be honest, as well, from a third party standpoint. This comes off as flouncy and an attempt to guilt trip the OP for expecting his/her prize. It would reflect better if you simply apologized, paid, and discarded the art if you no longer want it / find it unpleasant.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Definitely someone I'd never enter a contest for, or work with. Yeesh. And the excuses above aren't helping the matter - you don't promise a cash prize for contest winnings then simply "get busy". You pay it before you do another contest.

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

Yes but I havent really been doing much of that. The majority of the people on the list I havent paid so no commissions as of yet. only one. and that list hasnt been updated in over a month. so yeah. but thats not the point either. Point is her money has been sent along with the art. I sent it out today and she will get it next week.

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

I havent hosted any more contests. I had an IDEA for one, but never went through with it.

[collie-fluff.livejournal.com]

Man, I loved when I tried to explain that I was too busy to pay the power company. They told me that they were too busy to leave my electricity turned on.

Fun times.

[vellacraptor.livejournal.com]

The bit about "The only place you may see me is on my own website that I have IF you can find it" irks me. What about other people she might have transactions with and the other prize winners?

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

I DID. The money and art was sent back today like I told her. But MY point still stands. She should have contacted me about it instead of waiting over a year to say anything about it. Not ONCE until a week ago was anything said about it in an ENTIRE year.

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

LOL!

[kurokitten87.livejournal.com]

I dont owe anyone else money.

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

She does seem to owe other people, judging from comments. So I dunno what's gonna be up with that.

[copper-season.livejournal.com]

Why should she have to contact you when it's your responsibility to pay her? You have no point and no ground to stand on. You owed the money. You did not pay her when you said you would. Therefore, you are at fault, not her.