BEWARE: Darius Koopa/ DMK

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

WHO: Darius Koopa/DMK

WHERE: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/dmk / http://www.furaffinity.net/user/dariuskoopa

WHAT: Art Trade

WHEN: Nov. 6, 2011


EXPLAIN: I posted a journal opening up art trades ( http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2885835/ ) and DMK was one of the people who commented. We exchanged info on what we wanted (I do not have those initial notes any longer) and I finished my half a few days later (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6830293/ ). I wasn't working at the time and so I could churn out my
art rather quickly. I did not expect him to do the same.

Two months later, I hadn't seen or heard about our trade, so I sent hom a quick note:
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/dmk1.png

He said he had been busy and I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

The following month, still not having heard anything, I shot him another note (I seem to have deleted the one I initially sent) : http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/DMK2.jpg

Again, he said his life was hectic. I was moving at the time and understood. The link is a ref sheet.

I would send him a note once a month over the next several months:
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/DMK3.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/dmk4.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/DMK5.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/dmk6.jpg


He did not respond to this last note, though he read it within an hour or so of my sending it. I waited a month to send the next one. I was annoyed with his excuses and realizing I would most likely not see the art owed, I got a tad bit snippy: http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/dMK7.jpg

He offered to email me his sketch. I'm not really sure why I insisted on him uploading it instead. I just felt it would be a bad idea if he had my email.

I went out of town a few days later and when I returned, he still had not posted the sketch. I sent him another note, to which he read and ignored.: http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Jandan_2009/dmk8.jpg

I admit, I was probably too snippy in that last note. But being polite wasn't working and I was asking a direct question in which I wanted a direct yes or no answer.

After the second note or so, I did start watching him (to which he watched me in return) . He is very active in his journals, opening up commissions and doing live streams. I understand people need money to live (sad but true) so I didn't want to be too insensitive. Yes, we had a transaction of art instead of money, but art from someone else doesn't pay your bills. I understand that. I just felt I was getting the run around with him and the feeling I would never get the art I was owed.


EDIT 7/20: He finished his half and sent me the link today. It's been uploaded to his page. He did apologize in both the note and the artist comments.

Comments

[sintocat.livejournal.com]

I would suggest possibly making another email and asking him to send the sketch to that if he's not comfortable posting it. You did get a bit snippy at the end there, but I understand you were getting impatient.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of creating a new email. Derp on me. I'll try that now. Thanks.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

I had the same issue with him last year over an badge trade from IFC 2010.
I had completed my half at the con as it was before AA opened up and I didn't have much to do.

It took him over a year to get his half of our trade. This was after several promises of "I'll give it to a mutual friend" and never seeing it. I had forgotten about it til before LAST iFC and didn't see him til towards the end of the con.
He claimed it was finished but wouldn't mail it. He wouldn't even take a SASE AT MY OWN EXPENSE and taking a chance.
Very odd.

In the end, at the threat of an A_B entry I got my art at the deadline of Halloween last year.

He begged me not to upload it. I would theorize it wasn't his best work and in the end, I could care less about the art... it's the principal of the thing.


I would suggest that you make him aware of this post, as it's not the first nor likely the last time he will do it. The threat in my case was enough to receive my owed work.
I wish you the best.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

I sent him an alternate email as well as let him know he was posted here. He said he couldn't email/post the sketch/image due to not having the internet and that he was moving. *shrug*

[copper-curls.livejournal.com]

Hang on a moment... if he doesn't have internet access, how did he respond to you? If he could respond to tell you he couldn't send it, he could just as easily have attached the sketch or posted it up. I call shenanigans.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

He said he was on his phone.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Even if he's on his phone; If my PC doesn't have internet but my phone does? I could just draw it on the PC, then plug my phone into the PC and put the picture on that and mail it via my phone.

It's not brain surgery.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

To be fair, he could be using a phone that doesn't allow him to do that. I know mine doesn't.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I dunno, he can visit FurAffinity but not send mail? Especially if he uses something like Gmail or something else that has a web-based service, I'm skeptical.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

My GF has an iPhone and I can and have logged into FA with it. It makes responding to comments difficult, but it can be done.

I have to say, I feel hypocritical defending him (sorta) after posting him here ^^;

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Your GF can send e-mail from her iPhone.
If she has images on her PC, she can connect her phone to the computer and put the images on her phone, then mail them out.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

Even if it's not a mac?

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

Yes. I have a PC and all my mobile Apple products connect just fine.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

Yes, apple products interact just fine with windows. Ipods have been doing it for years. :p

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Yep, had two iPhones and have always had PC, works fine.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

That's what everyone is telling me, haha. I guess it makes sense since iPods work fine. Its not anything I would have thought of; maybe he didn't either. That's assuming he has the art, like he said.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

Concurred but many people can access their email from alternative tech devices.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

:( I am sorry he is giving you additional difficulties. Just wait it out.
Off topic but I love the icon you are using.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

lol I've been getting comments about it lately. I recently got back into watching Foamy so I drew myself up an icon. =D

[wyngaed.livejournal.com]

In my personal experience with trades I sometimes take a very long time to do my half, but I always let people know that ahead of time if they want to trade with me. I also never ignore people, I'd just say "Sorry, haven't gotten to it yet!" To me, trades are on a more private/personal level, so you work on them when you'd work on personal art, not like a commission which takes priority. But that is just me.

Anyway, babbling to say, I might be able to understand where this guy was coming from with taking so long, but him ignoring your notes is just flat out rude. :\ I hope this post helps get his attention so you get your half of the trade soon!

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's the guy with the horrible TOS.
Art trades don't pay the bills, but if he doesn't have time to do it, he shouldn't have accepted. It's that easy.

[pinkpuppybelly.livejournal.com]

Yes, this.

[shinmaxwell.livejournal.com]

Agreed

[china-kitty.livejournal.com]

I second this.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[mikaufoxy.livejournal.com]

Agreed!

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I should have checked into who I was doing the trade with. I'm partly to blame for the situation I suppose. I didn't realize at the time what kind of history he had. It was around the time I sent him the first note that I found out about his point system and after 5, no art for you.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

You know what, lesson learned on your end. Not everyone will think to go research a person they are trading with on A_B. Heck, some poor artists probably aren't on here when they should be!

IMHO his 5 point system is crap, it's too vague and honestly is ridiculous.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

I agree. If a customer is being difficult, drop and refund, if they've paid. Because of his point system, I'm sure I won't see the art. I just wanted an answer from him.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

Pretty much yeah.
Keep what the work is worth, refund the rest and give them their art... send them on their merry way.

To some people, "harassment" is an inquiry as to where their product is.

I understand artists have lives and things happen, but that being said... if you are trying to run a legitimate business or at least be kosher in your practices you will have a decent turn around time and meet your deadlines. Major corps don't bail on people like some fur artists I have seen do.
It's really sickening and ruins business for the rest of us who try to be decent.

[mikaufoxy.livejournal.com]

Agreed, and it's also the reason why I haven't commissioned him, and most likely never will.

But then again, his TOS doesn't seem to exist anymore, so I'm guessing the journal posted had been taken down for some reason.

[alpharaye.livejournal.com]

I don't blame you.

[marus-puppy.livejournal.com]

I believe last time he was posted about here, the community made such an uproar about that specific part of his TOS that he made a journal about "fixing it." Maybe he just didn't get around to doing it yet.

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

Seems the TOS has been deleted. What was wrong with it?

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

He had a five point system. If you bother him in any way, it was a strike. Get five points and you lost both your art and the cash you paid for it.

[lackoflollies.livejournal.com]

Every time he and I meet (He lives in Wisconsin, so I see him at LAFF meets, Midwest cons [IFC, MFf, FCN, etc]) He ALWAYS asks me to do a trade. I keep telling him no because I have an outstanding commission owed list (Which isn't a lie, I have a huge list i'm slowly trying to work through right now) and seeing this i'm not sure I ever will.. Sorry Darius.

[mikaufoxy.livejournal.com]

I've also noticed an increase of game activity on his end as of late...

[plasm1d.livejournal.com]

FINALLY. He has one of the most horrible business ethic I have EVER seen. I could go on and on about him. He also baited my boyfriend into buying his stuff by using SOMEONE ELSE's sketchbook. He was alarmed at the difference in quality when he saw his online FA gallery.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

He also baited my boyfriend into buying his stuff by using SOMEONE ELSE's sketchbook.

W.. what? That's worth a beware on its own. Holy crap. That's just plain deceptive.

[tropicalblaze.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. I don't understand why anyone would think using someone else's work to promote themselves is a great idea.

Did your boyfriend end up getting what he paid for at least

[duke-n89.livejournal.com]

Yeeeea, here's another guy who's lost his money to this guy. I met him on F-List about a year ago and he suckered me in to buying two reference sheets and a picture, all for 145 bucks and to this day, I haven't gotten anything other than two very, very rough sketches from him.

I did ask him for a refund of one of the pics couple months back, said that I would give him all the time he needed with the reference sheets as long as he'd pay me the 45 bucks I paid for the stand along picture. What I did get back was a message where he said he would pay me when he had the money to do so, but of course I haven't seen any of that money, even tho the guy has obviously had money on himself since he has been going to cons and been buying commissions.

I do think he does have the skill to draw good pics, but it's too bad he uses his time scamming people rather than actually using that time to draw. Well that or then just roleplaying or gaming around, trying to avoid work.

The guy seems to; as well, post an emo journal to FA every couple months or so, saying he's sorry, but nothing changes and he's back to his ways the next day already.

I wouldn't probably mind this all AS much, if it weren't for his damn "Fur Family and Friends" that I've ran into, who keep defending his actions and trying to justify them, even tho the guy is way beyond the point of that.

Re: Money not sent

[dergish.livejournal.com]

This comment is being screened because it contains personal information not relevant to the beware.

You will still be able to see your comment. Please do not delete it.