No no, don't expose or u will suffer the unbearable punishment that I had.

Oki doki!

The punishment was 24hrs mute, couldn't do anything

i dont think you are allowed to call out by name but get a moderator to confirm if you can

Ok wont mention!

you can alleviate it but making a deal with artist beforehand that you dont pay in full before you have a gurantee that they are doing it

like pay nothing or a small amount before they start and then pay half at most when they do and the rest when they are closer to finishing
that way if its a honest artist they cant really complain though they may because they dont want to be scammed either and might see it as the atempt but it prevents you from being scammed the full amount while also paying them for doing the work as its done

Yeah that's usually how I do it.
Or at least have a sketch approved before final payment, that way you got "something" from it even if you are scammed.

I have indeed been scammed, but i think it was mostly due to me being to kind as the artist at the time was going through a rough patch. This mind you was... perhaps 7 years ago? honestly i've lost track, but to this day i still think about it, as i was friends with the artist at the time and just wanted to support them, but get some neat art in return. They are now quite big and i think it would be somewhat bad for their reputation if i asked about it.

Ouch that sucks :/ Its kind of the same story with the artist i commissioned. Constantly complaining about money issues yet still take son commissions and such X.x

I'm sorry that happen to you, there are some artist like that. It's true that everyone got things to do in life and there is other things to make sure if he/she is going to keep on their own words of the commission. Especially, when it waiting for the for 7 or 9 months without reply back to me or find something which you need to find the answer to prove the point. Luckily, that artist send me the pic of it when I notice something that ain't right and never again to put up on this craziness. And go to the artist that is very value to take commission very seriously. That the one I always go to the most.

I found an artist who most of the time only made adopts (actually drew them, wasn't just the whole 'here's a templace' stuff), they were open for requested OCs and such. Had asked by their rates to commission a character a while back (at this point about four years).

I sent the cash as was the rules (y'know. standard with commissions) and said in a week i'd get a sketch. Yeah... never heard from them again.

As for exposing them. The mods prefer to protect pieces of shit who scam, so if you try to "name and shame" them, the mods will get on your ass, it's a rule on the site, even though the only people at this point is protects is the scammers and other shitty people.

I understand that feeling. I'm waiting for a piece that has a similar time frame yet they're always doing new commissions, streams and giveaways. Every time I ask it's a new excuse.

If you have the evidence, compile it and drop it in https://artistsbeware.info/ ?

I seem to have pretty horrific luck commissioning artists. No matter how much care I take and how much research I do into artist's track records and how reliable they seem, somehow I pick artists to commission that screw me over, and often, seemingly only me.

Of the last 5 artists I've commissioned, 3 different ones demand the money in full up front and their track records show they're trustworthy. Often the artists will take my commission as part of a batch, as per their normal way of working. The others in the batch get done on time, but mine either isn't started or gets stuck in the early stages. They generally ask for more time (which I give them) and they set their new expected completion dates. And then fail to meet them. This cycle repeats for about 6 months, which is when I usually run out of patience.

Finally after 6 months (which is usually many times longer than originally promised) and multiple failed extended deadlines of their own choosing with no progress, I get fed up and demand a refund. Most of them have the gall to refuse or insist they will only give me a partial refund because "they already started".

Since I don't like 'adoptables' or YCHs which is most of what artists seem to do, combined with previous history, it's unlikely I'll commission another artist again.

I've been burned by someone as well. This person is a former friend of mine, too. They mentioned that they had an interest in foreign money. Being the good friend I am, I went looking on ebay for foreign money, and bought about 30 USD worth of foreign money. I then sent it to them as a trade for them, even though it's more technically a commission, because I paid them money. It just wasn't US Money. Anyway, I NEVER got their end of the "trade" and I have accepted that I never will. Haven't spoken to them since November of 2017.