"Artists Beware"

WHO: derptile (old DA), voice-cracked (now-abandoned DA), datpug (new DA)

WHERE: http://derptile.deviantart.com/ (previous account that we started doing business on), http://voice-cracked.deviantart.com/ (now abandoned account)
http://datpug.deviantart.com/ (new account)

WHAT: a chibi commission

WHEN: commission was initiated on November 7th, 2015 (paid for the next day)

PROOF: notes depicting the agreement to take on my commission - http://i.imgur.com/Xxv6A22.png , http://i.imgur.com/BccgtH9.png

the paypal statement of my payment - http://i.imgur.com/8rlGOtS.png

EXPLAIN: I commissioned DA user Derptile for a chibi back in November of 2015. I realize now that I probably should have not specified "no deadline", though I thought the commission would have been completed in a reasonable amount of time.

I waited a good while before contacting her again as I know the holidays can be really busy for everyone and I was going through a really rough patch myself. I sent her a note on her new account in February asking about my commission but the note was never responded to. - http://i.imgur.com/8ToR3JD.png

I sent her a note again in March and got a response. - http://imgur.com/gZlc4Xh She told me my commission was already done but she gets really nervous when it comes time to post a commission. I have extreme anxiety myself, so I expressed that I understood and would be okay to wait a bit. - http://imgur.com/0rQQZsi

During the rest of the week, I realized I had said "extremely" patient (I tend to be overly accommodating to the point of it being a detriment to myself, which I've been trying to work on) so I decided to give her another poke which I never received a reply to. - http://i.imgur.com/FgQDC6G.png

I sent a more direct note on April 7th letting her know that she had until the 1st of May to send me my commission or else I'd file a chargeback. She responded two days later saying she will "finish up now", which, I assume, means she had lied to me about my commission being completed. Still, I tried to be friendly and thanked her for a response. - http://i.imgur.com/O4ak4m1.png / http://i.imgur.com/oOQ4BnS.png

In the meantime, she opened up for commissions again on her new account on April 20th with a very strange addition to the journal at the very bottom. She says that taking on commissions is not about the money but the community and that her commissioners need to have patience because she "see(s) them as friends instead of watchers". - link to the journal http://voice-cracked.deviantart.com/journal/Paypal-Commission-Info-30-and-below-604151056 / screenshots just in case the journal is deleted after this is posted http://i.imgur.com/B4q1mDN.png & http://i.imgur.com/FEDzosy.png

Since she included this statement "My entire heart and soul is expressed within the work I put into, and the moment my commissioners take that oath to have patience, I expect that they keep their word", I'm assuming she may be vaguely talking about me, but since I don't have proof, it's pure speculation.

I waited but decided to send a note on April 25th asking for a refund. The final day I can make a chargeback on this transaction is May 7th so I decided to give her until the 5th to refund me herself before I file the chargeback. - http://i.imgur.com/vaFq0XR.png I never recieved a reply to this note but it has been read. - http://i.imgur.com/GCrWcik.png

Since asking for a refund she has entered a contest on a forum on April 29th and was able to complete the art in less than a week - http://i.imgur.com/H2AnNd3.png which she posted to her deviantart - http://voice-cracked.deviantart.com/art/Everyday-life-with-the-Scholar-and-the-Paladin-606914092

I have opened a dispute on my payment on Paypal today (May 4th) as I believe I will not get my art or my refund. I intend to escalate it to a claim soon but I thought I'd give them some time to respond on Paypal first.

I am very disappointed to say the least. Just be careful giving your money to this artist.


EDIT: Just wanted to clarify that I have escalated it to a claim after submitting this entry!
2nd EDIT: My chargeback went through without a hitch and the money has been returned to my paypal!

3rd EDIT (June 17th): Honestly thought this was over but, there's been a journal made - http://voice-cracked.deviantart.com/journal/I-m-most-definitely-just-an-idiot-615888454 (just in case things are deleted - http://imgur.com/a/RTZvn READS BOTTOM TO TOP, sorry about that!)

4th EDIT: Just wanted to add her new DA since she changed accounts after this post went live.