I need advice... (solved...sort of)

[kium.livejournal.com]

 I want advice on if I should make a full A_B post on it including her name and such. I'm not mad at her, I don't hate her but I'm a little upset about the whole situation. 

9 months ago I won a contest for a fursuit partial. We talked for a while about some details and some time later she contacted me saying she got some money back from school (about $3000) and claimed she could add more to the partial like feetpaws, fan inside, moving jaw etc. She said that she might take some time to get started on it because of her landlord but said she could work on it in a school studio and needed a balaclava. I was a bit happy and understood the delay and sent her balaclava, some white fur needed for that character, my hand outline for the paws and foam. (the shipping was about $50 since she lives so far away and I paid for the supplies so I put my own money into this). She said the fur and foam was no good. I even donated her a little bit of some money to help out since she said she was having money problems. (after 3k she was given?)

So some time later she went to a convention in her own suit. Apparently while she was there she was approached by several people to buy a fursuit commission. She accepted them, one was a bull (who was brown, just like my character which was the leftover color from her own suit that she was going to use to make mine). She noted me about this and said she is using some of that brown fur on the bull commission instead of mine because it paid her and it was a bigger priority even though we had been talking about it for some time.This is what she said:

"Hey there Kium, how's it going? I just wanted to give you a little update on my current fursuit situation.. 

I attended RF and got a couple suit commissions while there. I'm going to be making a bull character, and it happens to have dark brown accents.

This means that I'm going to have to use most of my brown fur for the suit...

Unfortunately this means I may not be able to continue your suit for a while, and if I do I probably will only be able to make the head. 

I hope you understand... It's not that I don't want to make it for you, I really do, it's just that I have to give paying customers priority. 

I didn't expect to be getting commissions, it came as a huge surprise. "

It's not like I was getting his completely free, I gave her supplies and money so I was a little upset. She said the bull is a bigger priority because he gave her a $600 downpayment even though he came up out of the blue at the convention. I understand why she wanted to do his, but reducing MY fursuit was a little weird. I even asked if he gave you a $600 down payment wouldn't that be enough to pay for the fur and stuff?  I asked her and she replied:

"Yes, the $600 down payment will be paying for most of the supplies. You make a good point. But I was wanting to use the fur that I already have because it's convenient. Most of the down payment is going to go towards foam, horns, eyes, pants, shoes etc. 

For your head I will have to buy more foam because the foam you sent is much too thin. "

because its more convenient....I thought this was weird...If she needed more money to make his wouldn't it make more sense to give him a higher quote? She mentioned some money problems but she kept accepting more fursuit commissions, there's about five total in her queue and then I noticed I wasn't even ON her list. I asked her why and she said that she thought it would be weird since it technically was a commission list and I wasn't a commission. I just shrugged and said okay. 

Some time passed and I haven't heard anything about the suit. in fact, I haven't seen ANYONE's suit progress, only WIP pictures of her own personal suit. (keep in mind, she already had a personal suit and then she just made another personal suit for herself before the commissions after she claimed she had money problems....?) 

She's uploaded some journals saying that she has been having troubles with landlords and ex-roomates and having problems finding places to stay. I wish I could ask about what's going on with my suit but I don't want to be rude and ask her right now since she's having such a hard time with her living situation...

I don't know exactly what to do. I'm not angry at her but it doesn't seem like the best ethics with all the things she's done. Should I wait to later when her living problems clear up and THEN ask? help?

EDIT:

I sent her a note asking her about everything. She was a little taken back and even start to yell at me. She said she was "meaning" to email me and said that she thought I understood that she wasn't continuing the partial and would compensate. how would I know if she didn't ACTUALLY email me? I don't have ESP or whatever. So we agreed on a compensation. Since she's having money issues I agreed that art would be fine. So it's pretty much resolved, though she tried to throw it back at me and say that I should be GRATEFUL that she's making me free art (even though she had already promised me this partial) . I kind of wanted to yell at her but I just wanted the argument to end so I said okay. 

Comments

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

You won a contest - was it something you paid to enter? Did she send back the materials which she claimed were no good? You've already (started to) pay her, with materials and money, so how is out-of-the-blue-moo a higher priority, especially since she's using materials she'd already earmarked for you? Have you asked her why you're not listed on her queue?

[syrusb.livejournal.com]

This is kind of tough.

If she's having that much of an issue with time, supplies, motivation, whatever, maybe you can ask to back out of the transaction. Ask for a refund and/or return of the supplies you sent? Maybe exchange the prize for something else, if she has premade merchandise?

I understand it was from a contest and no time line was given as to when your piece(s) would be completed. You may have to just be patient, make sure you keep in touch with her. Perhaps you can work out some kind of schedule or deadline for completion or refund? Try opening a dialog with your concerns and let her know you want to work something out.

The thing that bothers me most, if she already had materials set aside for you it's not right for them to be used on another's project. All the excuses about problems just compound the time issue.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Uh, it's kind of not "free art" if you paid for the materials and postage. If it's a contest that doesn't stipulate what you are and aren't supposed to pay for, then she owes you for what you're out shipping imo.

[claytronic.livejournal.com]

This. OP basically paid $50 and material for art.

[claytronic.livejournal.com]

Is the art she's giving you valued at/more than the $50 you spent shipping materials to her?

[megumi-kitten.livejournal.com]

This.

[kerstin-orion.livejournal.com]

Glad you could come to an arrangement. Please do keep us posted on whether she follows through with your agreement!

[weirdmisty.livejournal.com]

Please do post a full beware for this person. This is really inappropriate behavior (especially since she copped an attitude about being grateful even though she OWES you this to keep a promise) and I think there are a lot of people who would be interested in knowing who to avoid.

[synviver.livejournal.com]

Seconding this.

[marus-puppy.livejournal.com]

I personally think she should send you back the materials that "weren't good enough" for your suit. You gave them to her to be used on her project and if she's not going to do it at all, she's not entitled to keep them to potentially be used on anything else. IMO.

[ljmydayaway.livejournal.com]

This. Make sure you get these materials back! I don't care if she's hard on money, if they were "no good", then she should still have them. :C

[pariahsdream.livejournal.com]

Contests are weird (and usually not very satisfying) so this may not work- but if she put up prizes, she needs to compensate for the value of the prize and actually she either needs to ship back your 'inferior' supplies or compensate for those as well.

Also when your transaction is finished, wash your hands of them and possibly write a beware. They are not acting professionally or with courtesy to your, especially as you took time to participate in their contest in the first place.

[zaulankris.livejournal.com]

I think I know who this is and yes, I think you should post a beware no matter what. I like the artist on a personal level, but I notice they make the same mistakes a lot and they need a wake-up call. A lot of people are already disappointed, they need to take this more seriously if they want to succeed.

[familliaraver.livejournal.com]

I think I know too

[xenafox.livejournal.com]

Please write a beware. This is not someone I'd like to stumble across x.x

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

Please write a beware on this person, also please do NOT mark this resolved until you either get refunded or art is paid back to you in full. This attitude is atrocious and should be known so other people can avoid this situation with them in the future.

[enter-data-here.livejournal.com]

Seconding this.

[stripedpony.livejournal.com]

Also keep us up to date on whether or not she actually does the art for you. IMO She owes you the supplies back or money equalling the supplies/shipping AND art. If someone decides to hold a contest they better be willing and able to fulfill their agreement to give out the prize. She should have told the bull he would have to wait until your suit was done. Moral over money is the way to build a reputation as a business person.

[familliaraver.livejournal.com]

+1 on everything here. I don't think it's uncommon for someone to get posted here for legitimate problems and try to sweet talk their way out of it. It's not resolved unless they finish your suit or at the very least reimburse what you sent them, even if it was the wrong thing. Dollars to donuts you aren't the only one out in the cold with this person or the future commissioners who will have to deal with the same thing you are going through.

Have you seen any WIP at all of your suit?

[linksage.livejournal.com]

What kind of contest was it? An art contest? Or something where you just posted on a journal or something and got drawn out of a hat?

If you gave her art of some kind to win this contest, she's also scamming you out of that. Otherwise, I agree with everything everyone else has already mentioned. You should get those materials back if she's not going to go through with it.

I'd like to know who this individual is, as well.

[ikirouta-fox.livejournal.com]

Sounds that this person is a young, beginning fursuit artist... She doesn´t really know how commissions work and how to treat customers. She needs a wake-up call. Her behaviour is very unprofessional and I´m afraid that her paid commissioners will have problems with her as well. Please post a full beware of her. I really want to know who she is. Her behaviour alone is enough to earn a full beware even if you didn´t lose much money.

Don´t just swallow her talk about how difficult her life is. We have seen these stories before. She just seems irresponsible to me and constant whining about how difficult her life is is a major red flag. Try to get a refund from her as fast as possible and then move on. She probably won´t finish your suit, at least not in timely manner. It´s not clear from your post that how much you spent on this in total in money and supplies but try to get most refunded. I wouldn´t continue this transaction.

Sorry for my English.

[frostfoot.livejournal.com]

I am seconding everyone else. A full beware needs to be written. :/

[mgsfriedchicken.livejournal.com]

Post a beware. She sounds like bad news.

[hadrienus.livejournal.com]

Agreeing with everyone else to post a full beware on them - if she treats people like this, she's definitely someone I'd want to avoid, lest the same thing happen again!

[marblestheskunk.livejournal.com]

I know who this is and I'd post a beware.
People need to quit having contests, especially when it involves spamming your watchers with their journals [which this one did cause I entered] and actually deliver what they said!

[familliaraver.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling they aren't going to finish the beware but I have a sneaking suspicion this won't be the end of her on A_B

[mactonight.livejournal.com]

Echoing what everyone else said; a full beware would be nice. Her attitude sounds atrocious.

She should have finished your fursuit before accepting commissions, or make a wait list or something.

[mialattia.livejournal.com]

Your edit makes me think that you should demand monetary compensation for your materials and shipping, not art. She got free stuff from you and she is being extremely rude-- as far as I'm concerned, dealing with her in any capacity will just lead to the same problems (but with 2D art instead of 3D).

Mod Post

[kerstin-orion.livejournal.com]

This is not the correct way to make a beware on someone. Please go here: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/profile and click "Post" on the top-right of the screen.

Then, format your post using our report guidelines found here: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/432731.html

I am screening your comment as it is a separate beware and unrelated to this post.