Beware of model makers

[tsundere onii-chan 666]

I just had a horrible experience with someone, I wish I could name them but I think it's against guidelines. They showed a fake portfolio of models they probably took off some other site, that's how they got me and now I'm in the ♥♥♥♥ cause I have to issue a chargeback from paypal. If you need any other info feel free to ask.
Moral of the story is never agree to paying all the money upfront!

[Squid]

That sucks! Keep in mind though that paying at least 50% up front is normal for most model creators (never do above that though, probably a scam as there is then no incentive for them to even finish the model). That's because it's just as bad for a legitimate model creator when no money is paid up-front, the model is worked on for a few days, and the person who commisioned decides they don't want the model anymore. It sucks you had this bad experience with commisioning and I hope you get the money back! (I used to do model commisions)

[tsundere onii-chan 666]

Originally posted by Squid:

That sucks! Keep in mind though that paying at least 50% up front is normal for most model creators (never do above that though, probably a scam as there is then no incentive for them to even finish the model). That's because it's just as bad for a legitimate model creator when no money is paid up-front, the model is worked on for a few days, and the person who commisioned decides they don't want the model anymore. It sucks you had this bad experience with commisioning and I hope you get the money back! (I used to do model commisions)

Oh I did pay the money upfront, I didn't leave him with no money but now I'm trying to get my stuff back. The model he made was very (and I mean VERY) inferior compared to the ones he showed me and it was only after I paid him that he decided to show it to me of course. I was very dumb and it was mostly my fault, I just wanna warn others from doing the same mistakes

[Vatarga]

Yeah, it can risky. Discord groups like vrctraders usually have more reputable model makers and are better monitored, but they usually charge more. I think that's where the scammers try to take advantage of others. They'll offer a lower price then vrctraders, then split

[Rosanne Faerwing]

If your going to do model stuff, what i do when im making stuff for people is stream it over discord to show what im doing while doing it, aswell as i don't do any fee's till after it is complete.

[tsundere onii-chan 666]

I just wanna add as a sidenote that he kept dodging all my questions and blocked me after a bit lol

[76561198370616820]

lol

[Azinar Elyrum]

i once saw a model someone bought (it was made from scratch.. looked terrible) for 18k$, no joke, guy had it uploaded to his account so he didnt even get to have the unity package to modify it or anything, i never met him again cause a crash gun person came through and crashed the whole server.. and i dont remember his nametag

[SHOKK♥]

Yeah paying up front is always dangerous, specially when you don't know the person.
However even paying and getting the model isn't actually worth the dollar some people pay.

A massive majority of "Model Creators" port from Deviantart and barely have an idea of how the tools they use work outside of the tutorials they follow. There's a few popular ones I can think of that do Model Commissions by "parts".
They charge outrageously and most of the Modelers that do things scratch made get buried by these practices.
It gets to the point they start taking from Japanese modelers from BowlRoll and Nico and re-selling their parts on other avatars.

It's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ mess.
Always get a second opinion before throwing money at someone you don't know, and most importantly, see if you can watch them do it live. This will expose their practices and how they go about things and truly show the effort they put in.

Combining Skeletons isn't hard, scaling meshes to fit eachother isn't hard, texture atlasing isn't hard, and taking parts from other models and putting them into one IS NOT HARD.
These people take advantage of people who don't know any better.

[Quantum]

I typically do avatars ports and rigging requests for free unless I'm the one actually modeling the thing from nothing. And Even then I'm not good at modeling it from scratch yet, I have everything down but the hands and facial features.

[Lobstersaurus]

Originally posted by SHOKK:

A massive majority of "Model Creators" port from Deviantart and barely have an idea of how the tools they use work outside of the tutorials they follow. It gets to the point they start taking from Japanese modelers from BowlRoll and Nico and re-selling their parts on other avatars.

It's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ mess.

+1

It's so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ridiculous how people are paying for VRChat avatars where they steal other peoples work. The number of times, I've been in a public room and someone is showing off the avatar they bought. And it's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ edited model some guy stole off of a Japanese site and put like a hat and glasses on and added a gun, with probably all stolen meshes.

[Azinar Elyrum]

Originally posted by Lobstersaurus:

Originally posted by SHOKK:

A massive majority of "Model Creators" port from Deviantart and barely have an idea of how the tools they use work outside of the tutorials they follow. It gets to the point they start taking from Japanese modelers from BowlRoll and Nico and re-selling their parts on other avatars.

It's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ mess.

+1

It's so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ridiculous how people are paying for VRChat avatars where they steal other peoples work. The number of times, I've been in a public room and someone is showing off the avatar they bought. And it's a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ edited model some guy stole off of a Japanese site and put like a hat and glasses on and added a gun, with probably all stolen meshes.

you can buy varients of avatars, some arent public and must be bought, i havent bought a avatar yet