"Artists Beware"

 Who: Tigsie (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/tigsie)

Where: Furry Weekend Atlanta 2011 - Artist Alley

What: I commissioned a traditional-colored badge and a Pokemon-themed water-color ACEO card. Paid IN FULL with cash, and given a hand-written receipt (ACEO card was done on separate receipt, and beside the matter at hand).

When: Furry Weekend Atlanta 2011 (March 19th, 2011) - May 25th, 2011

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SCREENSHOTS: 
pics.livejournal.com/yujoben/pic/0000h21h NOTES AND COMMENTS
pics.livejournal.com/yujoben/pic/0000fb4f RECEIPT

References Given:
www.furaffinity.net/view/4872393/
www.furaffinity.net/view/5089389/

Finished Badge:
pics.livejournal.com/yujoben/pic/0000gchy

EDIT: I understand that my messages seemed bitchy. They certainly were not meant that way until she made me pay the fees on paypal for her mistake. I can understand her deducting money for the work done if I cancelled for my own reasons, but it was HER fault, she didn't follow the references and ignored all tips I gave her when I commissioned her originally. Also, because a lot of people seem to be missing this tidbit of info, I paid IN CASH, full $30, so if she was offering me a full refund, there is no reason to stick me with fees.

Please remember the problem here that I'm trying to point out is not centered on her inability to follow references, but her horrible customer service because of bad communication and forcing me to lose money (no matter how big or small the amount) when I am not getting anything from it (for those that say I have the scan of the badge- it is tiny, and I don't want it to begin with).

It was her idea first to refund me, not mine, and when I told her I wanted it fixed she offered me two other options which did not appeal. Options are meant to be CHOSEN, so don't hate me because I picked one in the end. The first option was for me to wait another few months while she went on vacation, and I really was afraid of dealing with this whole situation again. It is very nerve-wracking to just be completely snubbed by a person you have paid money to for a service. The other option was a tracing (whether it looked professional or not), and she planned on doing a rush job in a couple of days before leaving on yet another vacation, and I don't want something rushed and uncared for. So, I took the refund in the end.

Any of you who are tight on money as it is and splurged on ONE thing for yourself at a convention would expect it done right. I was forward with her, and treated her the way I want my commissioners to treat me. I hate it when someone says anything along the lines of "Um...well...it's really neat... There's just a couple details off...but it's fine. I like it!" If done enough, I become upset with them and just tell them to inform me straight-up what I need to fix, because I WILL do my best to correct it. To sum this up, I didn't think of her as a lesser person, an underling, or an art slave. I think being blunt with people is a high form of respect. Anything less, I feel I am doing the person wrong.

EDIT (2/09/2012):
Tigsie has surprisingly refunded the amount, and I am pretty surprised that she remembered after all of this.

With all of this past us, I do wish to apologize to everyone and especially her. I was a grade-a dick, but I had my reasons. Also, at the time I was pretty new to LJ and was replying to a lot of folks that weren't even talking to me.

 WHO: This post is about Dust-Bite on DeviantART. 

WHERE: http://dust-bite.deviantart.com/

WHAT: It was a $16 digital commission picture. 

WHEN: I first asked for a commission on December 13th. She agreed and I sent the payment over that day. Since then, I'd sent maybe two more messages, one in January and one in March asking about progress and if a refund was needed. I also sent updated reference sheets incase she hadn't started work yet. The last time I contacted her was April 20th. She hasn't responded past the first day when she accepted my c

PROOF: Here is a screen cap from the first time we spoke about the commission. She agreed and I sent the money over. I don't have a paypal screen cap cause I didn't know I would need one and Paypal only keeps information for 3 months. This is a screen cap of the last time I messaged her, which was in April. I don't have the other two messages, but she hadn't responded to me in any message since the beginning. Not even about refunding. I've been REALLY patient, but I went to check out her commission "list" and I'm not even on it. 
**EDIT** I downloaded my paypal history (something I hadn't tried before) and found the payment and ID number. 

EXPLAIN: In the beginning, December, I had asked her for some digital art that priced up to $16. Neither of us considered it too challenging since it was one of her lesser commissions offered. She was quick to get back to me, and we agreed on the price and I sent the money over that night. I was super excited to have commissioned Dust-Bite because I'd always liked her art! I don't think she's a bad person but it's not acceptable to leave someone who has paid you, hanging. She hasn't been absent from DeviantArt either, because she's been posting a lot of art since December. And on DeviantArt, as some of you may know, you can see if another artist has read a note you sent them. She read my previous notes, but has yet to read the one I sent in April. I don't know if she's having money problems and can't afford a refund, but she can definitely finish my commissions since they weren't challenging and she's been more than able to post loads of art. 

**UPDATE** on June 8th, I was contacted and given my commission. I'm marking this down as lack of communication on my part versus a busy deviant.