How rude!

[dunaerin.livejournal.com]

In relation to:

http://community.livejournal.com/artists_beware/96779.html

I recently commented on a journal entry on the journal gibbet, noticing a fairly recent post and thinking 'hey, well, she's obviously alive...', and mentioned my commission, asking if she was planning on finishing it, and if not, I'd like a full refund.

She deleted me from her livejournal.

This kind of avoidance is really kind of well... rude, for one. If she owed me an art trade, I'd be less inclined to try and keep up with it, but I paid money for this. Wasted money that could have been put towards art by a more reliable and deserving artist.

I guess I'd just like to say to anyone who gets put to her emo tirade of 'oh I'm soooo poor' etc etc does not commission her, because you'll be hard pressed to get your money's worth, and she'll avoid you like the plague.

Comments

[tentaclejen.livejournal.com]

I have been fighting a similar battle with astra_valyesky for a refund from a paid-up-front-in-full commission that I placed with her nearly three years ago. Sadly, I don't think that there is much we can do to get our money back. I even went so far as to apply for mail fraud, but never heard anything back. She doesn't even answer my e-mails anymore.

It isn't so much about the money (although I am a college student and that money could have gone towards books or gas...) but the principle is...mind blowing.

I hope that your situation works out for you in the end.

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

Wish I had anything to suggest :/. It just blows my mind that people would do things like this. 'IRL', if you have a job and don't do it, you'd be kicked to the curb in short order in most cases. Makes me wish really hard for an internet version of that. Like, karma shall take away your art abilities for a year! Or something.

[ultraviolet.livejournal.com]

While i empathize with people who are poor or have a hard time with money... she deleted you from her lj? Thats avoidance and totally uncalled for. She should talk to you and at least come to some kind of agreement.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

That's a big fat "FUCK YOU" if I ever saw one. Rude, like you say.

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

LOL!!! Omg I'm sorry youre going through this shit especially since its involving a commission, not a trade, but this is so hilariously classic.

Deleted you from her live journal...hoooo boy. We have a winner here.

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

actually from the looks of it it seems she deleted the contents her whole LJ.

Based on previous events it LOOKS like she's getting ready to pull the whole "im not a girl im a teenage boy and my name is such and such, what are you talking about?" thing again, since she tends to do that right beforehand.

Argh. Lame. :C

[obliviousally.livejournal.com]

Nah, full userinfo says there's still entries. She just friendslocked everything.

[dunaerin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but it was there when I went to it and it was directly after I mentioned it to her. So it remains lame in my book because she could have at least responded to me.

[evlclosetvortex.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[knifesmile.livejournal.com]

The *what*?

I want to know the details before I start building a gigantic Do Not Go Over There reminder/fortress.

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

Basically, when she first came onto the internet scene she was in the TLK fandom and was a girl. Then she pretty much purged her online identity and up cropped this man in his late 20's who went by 04, Orange04, Aaron Acre, Gibbet, etc...

then she purged her journal and this person became a 15 or so year old boy, picking up the "story" of their life like nothing had changed.

Then this entity disappeared after yet ANOTHER purge, and up cropped this young lady that she is currently.

Awhile ago during the whole "man phase" I knew several people who were privy to the knowledge that she was actually 27 and a female.

So basically she constantly changes her online identity but keeps the name and fursonas, but the human behind it is different everytime. Sort of like a phoenix personality...she destroys "herself" and rises up anew.

Its really lame and has alienated a lot of her commissioners, friends, and fans, myself included. I don't wish to associate with someone who refuses to be honest.

[knifesmile.livejournal.com]

Huh. I wonder if it is basic dishonesty or a seriously unstable sense of self and/or identity. Sounds like something a borderline with a keyboard would do -- make up someone to be that sounds appealing and then switch as soon as it stops being satisfying/interesting.

Fuckin scheisty shit.

Now I'm real curious what's behind all that, goddamnit. Must get that do-not-study-people-on-LJ reminder tattooed on my hands or something...

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

Actually according to what she's told numerous people its because she doesn't like people knowing shes a girl because they'll treat her differently, especially if they find out she's pretty.

[calorath.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's why I don't pay anyone upfront anymore. My track record for payment and fair payment speaks for itself.

Much harder to get ripped off this way. The most I'm ever out is a promised commission.

[knifesmile.livejournal.com]

If that were really the case wouldn't she use consistently male personas? Or does it being another-female-persona rather than really her make it reassuring enough to stand? PHukt. Thanks for the info bite. Gonna chew on that for a while.

[theredwolf.livejournal.com]

In the same respect though, alot of artists have been burnt that way. foalanredwolf told me she would pay me in a "week or so" after I finished a commission, and started on the second for her.

That was almost 6 months ago. And she refuses to answer my e-mails. :(

[calorath.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know, it's a touchy thing. But I can't presume to be a standard for everyone. I simply speak for myself these days.

Besides, I like supporting the artists. I just dislike being hosed in a busniess transaction.

[chmarr.livejournal.com]

Sounds like someone should set up an escrow service, or something :)

* Commissioner and artist discuss what should be done, and they both send information to the escrow service within the service's guidelines
* Commissioner sends money to the escrow service
* Artist does work, sends work to commissioner
* Escrow service sends money to the artist.

Of course, there's still the issue of the artist proving the work is being sent, and that the work followed the original agreement, but I'm assuming that whoever runs the service knows what kinds of proof is required, and what should be specified in the agreement.

Getting the right stuff down in writing, in the agreement, I'm sure is half the problem. The other half is ensuring that payment crosses over delivery properly :)

Now... who could we find that both artists and commissioners would trust?

[calorath.livejournal.com]

I think perhaps that's a little much for furry art. Home owners insurance maybe... but for commissions... overkill.

Besides, no one would do it for free

[chmarr.livejournal.com]

Well, it would all depend on how badly someone wanted to see most of the grief between artists and comissioners stopped :)

[calorath.livejournal.com]

for only a 5% cut... right?

because nothing's free.

[chmarr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, like, I take a 5% for running VCL ;)