AluminemSiren

[kaliamberscale.livejournal.com]

WHO: Aluminemsiren, a.k.a. Orion

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

WHAT:  One $25 character bust

WHEN: October 27th - Present

PROOF:  I don't think this needs much explaining.  Artist was commissioned in late October.  I didn't bug them about the commission until months had already passed.  Bugged them 2 or 3 more times between December 2011 and May of this year.  One of my emails even went ignored completely (probably because they were getting hounded by so many disgruntled commissioners).  May 12th, 2012 I requested a refund.  The email was read but never replied to.  I then sent another email asking for a refund, this time with more "srs bzns" verbiage.

I was told I would have to wait until Friday May 18th and will receive only a partial refund because the sketch had already been done. It is now 3 days after the 18th and my Paypal account is still at $0.  Aluminum, if you're reading this... I understand it's your business and you make the rules, but at this point in the game, a partial refund is only adding insult to injury.

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o605/kalipython/AS01.jpg

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o605/kalipython/as02.jpg

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o605/kalipython/as03.jpg

EXPLAIN: Not much else to tell here.  The screenshots speak for themselves.  *shrug* 

EDIT: I have received a full refund in my paypal account from the artist.  Aluminum, I sincerely thank you for refunding me and I hope you are able to get your commission queue under control.  Good luck and thanks again.

Comments

[aluminemsiren.livejournal.com]

It didn't take six months to give them the sketch, they were given it in less than a month since the commission began. I dug my own grave by taking on way too many commissions at once, so I work on all them a little at a time.

I know I've been very unprofessional concerning this specific group of commissions, but by no means do I not intend to do them. I might seem like a bad guy because of all this, but my intentions are good and I'm not planning on ripping off my commissioners.

I'm only human. I've been pretty detached from the art scene because of this last month. I've been emotionally drained from a recent breakup, and financially unstable. I'm not trying to use this as an excuse by any means, only wanting others to know they haven't been forgotten. Yes, and I know, I have very bad communication.

[kadaria.livejournal.com]

>I might seem like a bad guy because of all this, but my intentions are good and I'm not planning on ripping off my commissioners.<

I think you are missing the point of this beware against you. You see, when you have bad business practices such as spending commission money before work is finished, failing to contact them, thinking that a sketch after months of waiting is "good enough" with a partial refund then you are being the bad guy.

If this was anywhere but "the art world" you would have been fired because you failed to show up for work or even call in.
Since you admit to being financially unstable, I would take this as a benevolent warning instead of trying to come up with excuses for why you have been unreachable. My suggestion would be to find a job that is not commission or art based and make enough money to pay your customers back.
Not everyone is cut out for commissioned work and if you find that you cannot even keep up with communication (the basis of good customer service) perhaps you should only do art as a hobby.

[aluminemsiren.livejournal.com]

I don't live off of commission money. I have an actual job, I work 6 days a week most of the time. My last paycheck pretty much all went into my summer semester of college and other payments. And I'm very well considering not taking commissions for a long time after I finish these and any current ones.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

If real life is making you too busy to work on Commissions, you should not be taking them. Your real life isn't your customers' problem, so the amount you work is irrelevant in this situation.

I understand that you may need the extra money, but maybe it should be in some other field where you can keep up.

Only giving a partial refund is fine, but for future reference you should probably state it in your TOS, so customers aren't surprised or outraged when this happens.

I know, I work the same way. If it's in your TOS, at least if the customer is surprised about only getting a percentage of their money back, it'll be their own fault for not reading your rules.

[aluminemsiren.livejournal.com]

I never said it was their problem. I'm one person. I'm not an organization, nor am I a company. If something happens, there may be a delay. I wasn't a busy person when I took this commission, but then I got an actual job. Artists have lives, too. Under your logic, you're saying that even if I'm in the hospital coughing up a lung, I should stop and do my commissions. It's a risk every commissioner takes, and ALL artists go through their own problems. So, I have to disagree with you. It happens to everyone.

Regardless, this person -is- going to get their refund.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

uhh no. If you are taking money for your art then it IS a job. You should take it as a second job, not as something that could be put off. You were still paid for a service and you must provide it just as you do at your first job.

[kwolf13.livejournal.com]

Well, the whole "hospital" comment is blowing it out of proportions a little. Think of it this way. "If the excuse wouldn't fly in a real job, then it won't fly for a job like this, either". And obviously, if you're in the hospital sick, then that's an exception. Common sense would tell you that.

And having delays is fine, but you have to COMMUNICATE. The majority of artists are one person like yourself. And they still take the time to let their commissioners know what's going on. There's nothing wrong with delays, it's when you ignore/neglect to communicate this and leave customers in the dark for a long time, is when it's a problem. And ignoring personal messages from your customers.

If it's an emergency, then obviously you can't and it's understandable, and when you can let every one know what's going on, then of course people will be understanding. But as far as I can see, nothing that caused your delay or lack of communication was an emergency and therefore could have been told to your customers in due time.