FA+
Shop
Thieves on FurAffinity
15 years ago
If there's one thing I've learned about the furry fandom, is that everyone can be real douchebags and to put it simple: bastards. And that goes for everyone. 'Guests', fans and artists. They act like they have good intentions but in the end they show their true nature. And what you see is something rotten.
I learned it the hard way. You have a favorite artist, the art he makes is not only amazing, but everything from shadowing to anatomy is just perfect. Then you start to exchange words with him, they evolves to discussions, and in the end you have a person you can talk with. Everything from art to movies and landscapes.
So... In 2005 I was stupid enough to donate $125 to him through his webpage. There and then it seemed like a good idea. And he was in a financial crisis for the moment. Yes, I know I only have my own stupidity to blame. Then three months later (november) he said he should sell a big bunch of his sketchbooks. As a big fan of his works (not only porn and mature art, but everything), we agreed that I could buy it all for $400. I transferred $410 to him via Paypal, the ekstra ten bucks was for some bags of M&M's.
First I got messages that he was about to ship the stuff to me. That was ok. But it seemed like he never got around to do it. Then the typical excuses started to come. In the end he just ignored me. And no, I didn't harass him. You won't get any way by acting childish and nauseous towards persons, and that gives them a nice excuse to ignore you. When you start to harass then it means you've lost.
This is 5 years ago, and I know I'll never get what I payed for.
Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. $535 down the drain. People like this person.. It's these ones who ruins the trust many people tries to gain on the net. Being honest and trustworthy is a dying thing when it comes to the internet, and it's sad. I'm still angry at myself for believing in this person.
He have an account here on FA, I also have his full name and real live photographs of him. And I have to admit that I've been tempted to reveal him. Post everything, make a big wall of shame, but what does that make me? It will drag me down on his level, maybe further down. It's a bitter and loathsome thing to do and it will not get you any further. It will not help you, becuse it will somehow backfire and then you are the bad guy harassing a poor artist, and his clan of asskissers will be all over you like angry fireants.
You may wonder why I write this. Yes, why do I write this? First of all as a warning to all of you to be careful with your money and trust. The person you talk with may be nice on the web, but you know nothing of him in real life. Secondly to blow off some steam.
I'm also curious if any of you have been in this situation. What did you do to solve it (if you managed to solve it at all), and how is the best way to just let go of the irritation? It's like a thorn in my foot. I'm not sure who's I'm most angry at; me or him.
Thieves, they ruin your day.
Edit: He's been tagged in the Livejournal group 'Artists Beware'. Click here!
I learned it the hard way. You have a favorite artist, the art he makes is not only amazing, but everything from shadowing to anatomy is just perfect. Then you start to exchange words with him, they evolves to discussions, and in the end you have a person you can talk with. Everything from art to movies and landscapes.
So... In 2005 I was stupid enough to donate $125 to him through his webpage. There and then it seemed like a good idea. And he was in a financial crisis for the moment. Yes, I know I only have my own stupidity to blame. Then three months later (november) he said he should sell a big bunch of his sketchbooks. As a big fan of his works (not only porn and mature art, but everything), we agreed that I could buy it all for $400. I transferred $410 to him via Paypal, the ekstra ten bucks was for some bags of M&M's.
First I got messages that he was about to ship the stuff to me. That was ok. But it seemed like he never got around to do it. Then the typical excuses started to come. In the end he just ignored me. And no, I didn't harass him. You won't get any way by acting childish and nauseous towards persons, and that gives them a nice excuse to ignore you. When you start to harass then it means you've lost.
This is 5 years ago, and I know I'll never get what I payed for.
Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. $535 down the drain. People like this person.. It's these ones who ruins the trust many people tries to gain on the net. Being honest and trustworthy is a dying thing when it comes to the internet, and it's sad. I'm still angry at myself for believing in this person.
He have an account here on FA, I also have his full name and real live photographs of him. And I have to admit that I've been tempted to reveal him. Post everything, make a big wall of shame, but what does that make me? It will drag me down on his level, maybe further down. It's a bitter and loathsome thing to do and it will not get you any further. It will not help you, becuse it will somehow backfire and then you are the bad guy harassing a poor artist, and his clan of asskissers will be all over you like angry fireants.
You may wonder why I write this. Yes, why do I write this? First of all as a warning to all of you to be careful with your money and trust. The person you talk with may be nice on the web, but you know nothing of him in real life. Secondly to blow off some steam.
I'm also curious if any of you have been in this situation. What did you do to solve it (if you managed to solve it at all), and how is the best way to just let go of the irritation? It's like a thorn in my foot. I'm not sure who's I'm most angry at; me or him.
Thieves, they ruin your day.
Edit: He's been tagged in the Livejournal group 'Artists Beware'. Click here!
Manipulators. I fucking hate these people.
I don't get how someone can take your hard-earned money for a commission or something, then just act like nothing happened. It's also sad to see popular artists do these things. Have some dignity, people.
People like this have the traits of sociopaths. They have zero empathy and have no problems ripping people off. They know what's right and wrong, but they lack the thing which prevents them from choosing the wrong thing as easy as choosing the right thing. You know it's wrong to deliver a sucker punch to the head of an old woman and then snatch her purse. You are capable to do it and you can do it if you want, but something is stopping you. Your own voice and reason. It is this whay they lack. It's pretty sad, really.
Btw.. I head Dreagoneer used the money on cactuses. :p
Psh! You think that's bad? I heard he buys noting but fancy cars and gold-plated toilets.
But I suppose with this journal, you can give him/her it's last chance to send you what is owed.
I posted his information up on a livejournal place a while ago to warn other artists. It's a group which revolves around alerting people against artists who rip off their customers.
However, if nothing else, you could reveal the artist in question, if only to serve as a warning to others. As long as you're not sitting there going "DURR <artist> IS A BIG STUPID MORON AND HE'S A SCAMMER EVERYONE FLAME HIM LOLOL" (which you're not), then you'll be fine.
Bullshit happens. I'm glad you can see that. I wish more people would. If the money was more important to you, I'm assuming you would have legal options here. Hell, take the dude to court if it meant that much. If it doesn't matter, then take the hit, act responsibly about it, and come off as the bigger man.
It's really a shame this happened, but what can you say that hasn't already been said? Way to handle this like an adult. Seriously.
The money is gone, I have realized it. I just look at it as a bad investment. We make many bad investments during our lifetime. Expensive clothes you only wear once, a gaming console that is fun the first week then you ignore it, paying for dinner on a date and then your date just runs away with someone else, etc. But some bad investments takes longer time to get out of the system than others. :)
What prevented me from revealing him in the past was the fear of not getting the stuff. Like "you told on me, now you're not getting it at all". But now it's a lost cause, and I got nothing to loose.
I'll think it over and see what I decides to do. ;)
Not surprised.
Naah, hmmm, it can be difficult to get some kind of retribution done without becoming an douche oneself... But still, he has your money, and that is going to suck for a long time.
Hope it all works out :(
Sometimes you get real stupid and learn the hard way. But the lesson also ruin for future exchanges and payments with other artists and such because of the negative experience you had earlier. It's like a Seinfeld episode; one person does something stupid and it effects the events of all the others in the end.
Just out of interest, could you note me the LJ post you made about this artist?
Internet can transform you into a really cynical person in a short time. People you think are ok turns out to be the biggest hacks you've ever encountered.
And it doesn't lack of horror stories when it comes to the furry fandom in general, it's like a Mecca for dirty scoundrels.
Pity that posting never amounted to much, but at least people can look for that tag and be warned.
I lost all interest in discussing with him after he pulled the "victim card". It's when people are all out of arguments and get stuck because of their own ignorant meanings they pull out that card, because they are too stubborn to realize they have lost. And in my book using a card like that is a proof that the person isn't mature enough for this kind of discussions.
Trying to gain sympathy in a discussion is the same as crying for your mom when you don't get what you want. Either stick to the case and back off when you see you're loosing, or don't get involved at all.
People like him ruins discussions. I wonder if he would be just as tough if it was a discussion in a room where you were in direct contact with the others.
Yes, that victim mentality is pitiable.
So...
I've got a sketch book, wanna buy it? I hear you're in the market...?
I know that feeling of wanting to give everything to an artist that you like :< For me it would be more painful not the money that I had lost, but the fact that my idol was a huge douche >:<
thanks for sharing this story.
For every good person there's at least ten who tries to leech on that said person. No wonder many lose their belief in humanity.
The insult was the worst, like having a jester laughing at you miles away and there's nothing you can do about it. Guess this is one of the main reasons for why the 'Furry Fandom' can't have nice things.
Even if he/she is good what he/she does, she obviously is a chicken shit who's done it before, don't fret for too long. Those people will get what's coming to them.
Threaten them with that, and if they give you some crap about, "Oh it's not like it was malicious." Let em' know you have the ability to make sure no one else gets taken advantage of by them.
In hindsight, I know that I was to blame for a lot. Especially for being so naive. Even so, it still creeps up on me sometimes out of the blue and ruins my day. More so since I'm certain he's never spared it a thought after.
Seems like the days where you could trust people and don't worry about getting a dagger in your back is over. The human race have become more cynical, more egoistic, more ignorant and less empathic. And it's people like us who have to pay. Many just gives up trying to be trustworthy and nice and just gives a fuck, becomes one of the masses where greed and own gain comes first over all.
You sounds like a person with a big heart. I hope you don't will end up in a situation like this again. You're one experience richer when it comes to this, so you may be more aware and sceptical towards people in the future? It saddens me that it's the good guys that have to pay while the leeching sociopaths are the ones who leaves with the jackpot. But you should know that even if there's few of them, there are still people out there that consist of the old caliber. :)
Sorry to hear about that mate