Slow Turnaround Times and Delays (What to do, what to do)

[Doctor Outcome]

Hey producers, how's it going?

I need your help...*again* to help provide advice for newcomer 'Nameless'. It seems he's fallen into a 'Burmese Tiger Pit' with a performer/producer and though he's dangling on the edge, I just don't see anyway that my homegirl and I can pull him up this time as he's really in a jam.

Earlier this year (back in January) he emailed a very popular M.I.L.F. performer (who will remain nameless for the time being to avoid scrutiny) to do a small, simple custom request. The request was only a half a page with a run-time of ten minutes. The performer asked for $400.00 and Nameless paid that, so I'm thinking to myself 'Hmm. Ten minutes, half a page script for $400 bucks...should be pretty simple to put together in no time flat, right?'

Well for some reason, this performer neglected to tell Nameless what her schedule was going to be like for the next couple of months after he asked for a progress report within those two weeks. She informed him that she was going to the A.V.N. awards as a nominee and she would be traveling to two different states within that month. So Nameless was professional and patient and he waited till around close to March to contact her again. Her excuse that time was that she was the victim of a 'hack attack' and she was working on getting her stuff set-up again. Again, he patiently waited until the middle of March to contact her again.

She tells him that the performer that *she* had selected (Nameless didn't get to choose anybody, she chose the performer without letting him know about it first) who she normally performs with wasn't allowed to do fetish vids with her anymore because she was dating some guy and that she had somebody else lined up to take her place. But then this 'other girl' that she selected got 'cold feet' and abandoned the project before they could begin. So when it looked like this project wasn't going to get off of its feet, Nameless politely asked for a refund and this lady's response to him was 'Hey. I don't have your money sitting around like a bank. I've got your request, it'll get done'. (Now, I gotta be honest folks: from here, it looks like Nameless had walked into the claws of a scam-artist and that was my worst fear as he continued to tell me his story).

So he waited again until the beginning or middle of May to contact the performer again for another update and to try and suggest someone himself since this M.I.L.F. performer had been compensated ahead of time and hadn't made any real progress to create the custom he gave her. When he emailed her in regards to the custom's progress, she got him confused with another customer, asked for the script that he had sent her three times in a row in the earlier months when she lost it and then turned around and told him that she was getting the exact same girl again who got cold feet the first time and that she'd commence production in July. This didn't sit well with Nameless at all and he told her that she'd be better off choosing someone else or letting him choose as he had his doubts about this performer's reliability that the M.I.L.F. wanted to utilize. Eventually, he gave some conditions along with an ultimatum (and I think that's where Nameless kinda messed up at): complete the production within the specified time or return the funds that were given and above all else, make sure her co-star doesn't 'run off' again before production begins. The lady's response to that was: 'Hey, I can't control what other people do. It'll get done." For some reason, this lady was determined to hang onto his money but wan't very concerned with hanging onto the customer or attempting to stay on good terms with him or even stay on his good side (and Nameless' patience was wearing thin). The fact that she wasn't even apologetic for the delays is what seemed to be the real slap in the face.

So July arrived and he gave her a friendly reminder about the request. She responded and then she asked some question about the wardrobe and it sounded like she was trying to change something around that he didn't want her to change. Eventually, Nameless got fed up with her and got kinda uppity with her and she got pissed with him saying, 'Don't be an asshole when I ask a simple fucking question'.

After Nameless cooled down, he apologized for his behavior but reminded her that she was kinda picking a bad time to inquire about wardrobe requests since July had already arrived and he presumed that she was working on getting things together after their last talk in May. He's awaiting on a response from her this month but he's concerned now that the exchange between them may have really caused problems. In my personal opinion, the rift began when this lady failed to stay on point and stay on time with things.

Producers, custom clients, what should a customer do when they encounter a situation like this with a producer? I mean, Nameless gave this particular performer all the time in the world to take a stab at this custom but it looks more like she's kinda jerkin' his chain with the slow 'turnaround' time for his idea. Now don't get me wrong, performers are gonna have their bad days, it happens. But there's a lot to this situation that just doesn't make any sense:

-Like, why would she bother to take the request if she already had other plans that would prevent her from working on the custom?

-Since Nameless paid good money up front (mind you, they didn't get to go into detail much about the custom when she accepted it. She just accepted it and didn't really ask for any details), why isn't he allowed to choose the performer himself?

-Here's the biggest kicker: since it seems that this lady is extremely busy, why didn't she just refund the money and suggest another time to try again with the request? I mean, this lady has been compensated and it's like she's trying to hold onto the reward without giving back what was promised for it.

Long story short, he's trying to give this performer the benefit of the doubt but everytime he gives her an inch, she's taking two miles. So what's the best way for a customer to address an issue with delays without stepping on the producer's toes about it (even after they've been patient for so long)? I mean, six months is a long time people and that's how long it should take to build a house not do a custom request.

[viking]

Paid in full six months ago. Frequent attempts to resolve the problem. Nothing to show for the payment. Politely withholding the name of the producer/actress' in this post. Either you are not telling the whole story; or P. T. Barnum was correct and "a sucker is born every minute".

You can identify the problem producer's identity to the members of this forum. Or you can contact the Federal Trade Commission, the Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Division in her state, and the Better Business Bureau. You can use whichever approach you believe has the best chance of making an impact.

[Christina Carter]

Wow... I truly hate to see this. (and yes, I was told the inside scoop via DM) Sometimes it does take a little time to get customs done when there is more than one person involved. But wow this is a long one. I will tell you that she does have someone else doing her emails, so she may not know that her assistant is being like this with her fans. I won't tell her where I heard it from, but I will tell her it is happening. She has gone through this same thing once before and was horrified at what was being said to her fan/customer then. She is a really great girl, maybe she is just as overwhelmed as I was for a bit there.

At any rate, I am so glad you said something.

Thanks,
Christina

[GeekyPornCritic]

I have two words for your friend.

DROP HER. He needs to get a refund. If she refuses a refund, then I would advise him to file legal action.

First, always ask a producer when a custom will be filmed. Everyone I purchased a custom from has always given me a date.

There have been too many delays. I have an important question! Why hasn't she initiated contact about updates? Why is he always asking her for updates? She should keep her customers informed at all times.

Last year me and another producer were trying to get August Ames for a custom. Her agent never responded to the inquiry. The producer let me knew what happen and we quickly changed models. Good communication will lead to good results.

[Dogfish]

I'm dismayed by the number of people who think involving the authorities is a good idea. Don't do it. You're potentially fucking with somebody's life in ways you can't predict and you're putting yourself into the system as a client.

The first thing I would advise is never spend more on a custom movie than you can afford to lose if the producer you're hiring decides to run off with it. Good producers will want repeat customers and will do right by you, you'll be able to sniff the bad ones out pretty quick. Always treat your first custom movie as though it could be garbage or a grift, do a sort of a screen tester first, make sure everything is legit.

Past that if you lose your money, then say so on places like this. Spread the word and what happened and who did it. And if the money is lost then it's lost. Because of the nature of the banking industry and politicians we're not allowed to have up front, secure and direct payment systems with sex workers, even for movies*. As a result of this producers get scammed, buyers get scammed, and it's just how things are.


*I know that sounds like a tangent, but it isn't. Because bankers and politicians are puritans we all have to deal in a grey economy for this kind of product.

[heroinehunter]

I would identify the problem producer to the members of this forum as well. That way, a person looking to do a custom is safe from theft.

When my second custom request fell through, the producer I went through gave an immediate refund and a short note. That is what is expected of a decent person.

[viking]

To be clear, I was joking about contacting federal and state agencies and the Better Business Bureau in my earlier post. You were very fortunate when Christina Carter, a respected producer and performer, said that she would speak to the problem producer about your complaint. That is probably your best hope for a positive resolution to this issue. However, you should identify the problem producer to the members of this forum if Christina's intervention doesn't help.

[Doctor Outcome]

Wow... I truly hate to see this. (and yes, I was told the inside scoop via DM) Sometimes it does take a little time to get customs done when there is more than one person involved. But wow this is a long one. I will tell you that she does have someone else doing her emails, so she may not know that her assistant is being like this with her fans. I won't tell her where I heard it from, but I will tell her it is happening. She has gone through this same thing once before and was horrified at what was being said to her fan/customer then. She is a really great girl, maybe she is just as overwhelmed as I was for a bit there.

At any rate, I am so glad you said something.

Thanks,
Christina

Thank you Christina and I apologize that you had to hear about this in regards to someone that you have worked with before. As I understand that you know this individual, your talking to her will definitely help grease the wheels of productivity and decrease the tension in the situation between her and the client she's supposedly helping. I know you don't deal with 'internal' matters like this but I figure you being a well-known performer, she might be more willing to listen to you than she will me or anybody else for that matter.

Plus as he's still a novice to this sort of thing, we feel that Nameless' experience with doing custom requests should be a pleasurable and memorable experience (especially given the bad situation he had with the 'last person' he attempted to go to). He definitely wants to contribute something to the fetish industry to keep it going Christina while at the same time trying to test the limits of his own desire and imagination.

[Doctor Outcome]

Hey everyone,

I thank you all for your responses on this subject as they have all been very helpful. Now the thing of it is, Nameless doesn't wanna 'out' this particular individual just yet unless she fails to deliver what was promised and if that does happen, he's asked me to make it known to the people on the forums so nobody else becomes a 'rip-off' victim (there's entirely way too much of that going on now and that's what makes it harder for custom clients to trust anybody with their money anymore). But he believes in the 'honor and merit' system in giving someone a fair shake and since Christina has agreed to talk to this individual, he's going to let the situation play out for the rest of this month to see what happens.

After that, all bets will be off.

[Doctor Outcome]

I'm dismayed by the number of people who think involving the authorities is a good idea. Don't do it. You're potentially fucking with somebody's life in ways you can't predict and you're putting yourself into the system as a client.

The first thing I would advise is never spend more on a custom movie than you can afford to lose if the producer you're hiring decides to run off with it. Good producers will want repeat customers and will do right by you, you'll be able to sniff the bad ones out pretty quick. Always treat your first custom movie as though it could be garbage or a grift, do a sort of a screen tester first, make sure everything is legit.

Past that if you lose your money, then say so on places like this. Spread the word and what happened and who did it. And if the money is lost then it's lost. Because of the nature of the banking industry and politicians we're not allowed to have up front, secure and direct payment systems with sex workers, even for movies*. As a result of this producers get scammed, buyers get scammed, and it's just how things are.


*I know that sounds like a tangent, but it isn't. Because bankers and politicians are puritans we all have to deal in a grey economy for this kind of product.

That's the other thing Dogfish. A lot of clients like Nameless like to work in the shadow of anonymity when it comes to doing stuff like this and going to the authorities would definitely cause the customer to get red flagged as well as face a lot of unnecessary embarrassment. As you said, the fetish community is already having trouble with the banking industry because they frown on content like this.

Nameless didn't really put too much money into this current idea he's requested (just $400 bucks). While he doesn't wanna lose what he paid for, he also doesn't want this performer to be in the spotlight just yet but I told him worst case scenario, he's gonna have to allow me to make this known publicly to help others avoid becoming a victim like he currently is. I said, 'Yes, this M.I.L.F. has a large fanbase and it's probably gonna turn heads and maybe set the stage for some serious flaming (which I hope doesn't happen) but then again you have to make it known that as a customer, you got very bad service from this individual so it'll serve as a heads-up for others to not repeat the same mistake with their clients and hopefully to let the M.I.L.F. you spoke of know that they're not in a good position with you right now.'

Cause in the end, when it comes to a person's hard earned money, we're all bad sports when it comes to sharks and cheats.

[Doctor Outcome]

I have two words for your friend.

DROP HER. He needs to get a refund. If she refuses a refund, then I would advise him to file legal action.

First, always ask a producer when a custom will be filmed. Everyone I purchased a custom from has always given me a date.

There have been too many delays. I have an important question! Why hasn't she initiated contact about updates? Why is he always asking her for updates? She should keep her customers informed at all times.

Last year me and another producer were trying to get August Ames for a custom. Her agent never responded to the inquiry. The producer let me knew what happen and we quickly changed models. Good communication will lead to good results.

Nameless did all of that. He requested the refund twice (both times got denied) when she failed to stay on schedule and even worse she wouldn't allow him to request a different co-star when the first one 'copped out' and yet, she's gonna still try to utilize the same person again stating that the girl is 'new to the industry' and she needs work. My first thought on that was 'what the hell was this lady thinking trying to utilize a rookie for this idea? She's got plenty of veteran performers that she could've utilized or suggested and she wants to trust a newcomer for this request?'. Plus, since she had been paid up front, she really should've given Nameless that option to choose if he desired to.

Long story short, this performer isn't exercising good judgement on behalf of their client.

[GeekyPornCritic]

I have two words for your friend.

DROP HER. He needs to get a refund. If she refuses a refund, then I would advise him to file legal action.

First, always ask a producer when a custom will be filmed. Everyone I purchased a custom from has always given me a date.

There have been too many delays. I have an important question! Why hasn't she initiated contact about updates? Why is he always asking her for updates? She should keep her customers informed at all times.

Last year me and another producer were trying to get August Ames for a custom. Her agent never responded to the inquiry. The producer let me knew what happen and we quickly changed models. Good communication will lead to good results.

Nameless did all of that. He requested the refund twice (both times got denied) when she failed to stay on schedule and even worse she wouldn't allow him to request a different co-star when the first one 'copped out' and yet, she's gonna still try to utilize the same person again stating that the girl is 'new to the industry' and she needs work. My first thought on that was 'what the hell was this lady thinking trying to utilize a rookie for this idea? She's got plenty of veteran performers that she could've utilized or suggested and she wants to trust a newcomer for this request?'. Plus, since she had been paid up front, she really should've given Nameless that option to choose if he desired to.

Long story short, this performer isn't exercising good judgement on behalf of their client.

Why is she refusing to let him pick the co-star? Does she only work with this co-star?

I would like the option of changing the co-star if the girl is not my type or if there is an issue with the model. Do you friend find the co-star attractive? This can be an issue, but I don't know your friend to make that judgment.

[Dogfish]

I'm dismayed by the number of people who think involving the authorities is a good idea. Don't do it. You're potentially fucking with somebody's life in ways you can't predict and you're putting yourself into the system as a client.

The first thing I would advise is never spend more on a custom movie than you can afford to lose if the producer you're hiring decides to run off with it. Good producers will want repeat customers and will do right by you, you'll be able to sniff the bad ones out pretty quick. Always treat your first custom movie as though it could be garbage or a grift, do a sort of a screen tester first, make sure everything is legit.

Past that if you lose your money, then say so on places like this. Spread the word and what happened and who did it. And if the money is lost then it's lost. Because of the nature of the banking industry and politicians we're not allowed to have up front, secure and direct payment systems with sex workers, even for movies*. As a result of this producers get scammed, buyers get scammed, and it's just how things are.


*I know that sounds like a tangent, but it isn't. Because bankers and politicians are puritans we all have to deal in a grey economy for this kind of product.

That's the other thing Dogfish. A lot of clients like Nameless like to work in the shadow of anonymity when it comes to doing stuff like this and going to the authorities would definitely cause the customer to get red flagged as well as face a lot of unnecessary embarrassment. As you said, the fetish community is already having trouble with the banking industry because they frown on content like this.

Nameless didn't really put too much money into this current idea he's requested (just $400 bucks). While he doesn't wanna lose what he paid for, he also doesn't want this performer to be in the spotlight just yet but I told him worst case scenario, he's gonna have to allow me to make this known publicly to help others avoid becoming a victim like he currently is. I said, 'Yes, this M.I.L.F. has a large fanbase and it's probably gonna turn heads and maybe set the stage for some serious flaming (which I hope doesn't happen) but then again you have to make it known that as a customer, you got very bad service from this individual so it'll serve as a heads-up for others to not repeat the same mistake with their clients and hopefully to let the M.I.L.F. you spoke of know that they're not in a good position with you right now.'

Cause in the end, when it comes to a person's hard earned money, we're all bad sports when it comes to sharks and cheats.

See I've got to be honest, it doesn't sound like he's a victim, it sounds like somebody goofed. Models move around, they work on many customs at the same time, they're doing a stressful, demanding job (well actually about eight jobs bundled together) and you know what? Sometimes they fuck up, or life throws them a curveball, or emails get lost in the absurd stacks of dick pics and bullshit they get sent every day.

So I would say that before getting too up in arms, you've got to de-escalate and consider the very real likelihood which is that you're dealing with an honest mistake by somebody who is working really hard and is coming to your email in a bad mood (always assume a bad mood, answering emails is rarely any fun).

I'd suggest that your nameless pal try to settle this by getting his movie shot by the model and whoever she's next available to shoot with. And if it doesn't work out and he's not happy with the results, fair enough, don't use that producer again. With custom movies unless you're asking for a local model or you're willing to cover the costs for the shoot (which sometimes run to thousands) you probably won't get any control over who is in it.

I mean look, if she just wanted his cash, she's got it. That the lines of communication remain open suggest to me there's a fix to be had. You'd be getting the silent treatment if she'd taken the money and run. And to be honest it's not that much money to run with. I very much doubt any model would take a calculated risk with her reputation over a custom fee that wouldn't cover a month's rent.

[GeekyPornCritic]

See I've got to be honest, it doesn't sound like he's a victim, it sounds like somebody goofed. Models move around, they work on many customs at the same time, they're doing a stressful, demanding job (well actually about eight jobs bundled together) and you know what? Sometimes they fuck up, or life throws them a curveball, or emails get lost in the absurd stacks of dick pics and bullshit they get sent every day.

So I would say that before getting too up in arms, you've got to de-escalate and consider the very real likelihood which is that you're dealing with an honest mistake by somebody who is working really hard and is coming to your email in a bad mood (always assume a bad mood, answering emails is rarely any fun).

I'd suggest that your nameless pal try to settle this by getting his movie shot by the model and whoever she's next available to shoot with. And if it doesn't work out and he's not happy with the results, fair enough, don't use that producer again. With custom movies unless you're asking for a local model or you're willing to cover the costs for the shoot (which sometimes run to thousands) you probably won't get any control over who is in it.

I mean look, if she just wanted his cash, she's got it. That the lines of communication remain open suggest to me there's a fix to be had. You'd be getting the silent treatment if she'd taken the money and run. And to be honest it's not that much money to run with. I very much doubt any model would take a calculated risk with her reputation over a custom fee that wouldn't cover a month's rent.

Have you ever purchased a custom? What you're describing is not how most customs work. Some models may only work with certain models, and they let you know that before you accept their offer. Lady Frye says on her page that the only man in all of her movies will be her husbands. Fans know this information before commissioning a custom.

She (the unknown producer) should had given nameless options for the model. Would you purchase a custom with a model who is not your type? I can't speak for nameless. He may find this model attractive. I don't know.

I prefer busty pornstars and always picked one for all of my customs. I have purchased customs with two different companies, and they told me if a model was available or not. Neither company forced me to accept their favorite model. They allowed me to pick as it was my custom. Why would I want to watch a movie with a model who turns me off? Why would I pay for that product?

Finally, companies set schedule for shoots. Flaking is heavily looked down upon in the adult industry. Missing shoots will get you removed from companies lists. Producers pay cameramen, sets, photographers, directors and editors for movies. It can be extremely costly if a model does not show up.

[Dogfish]

Have you ever purchased a custom? What you're describing is not how most customs work. Some models may only work with certain models, and they let you know that before you accept their offer. Lady Frye says on her page that the only man in all of her movies will be her husbands. Fans know this information before commissioning a custom.

She (the unknown producer) should had given nameless options for the model. Would you purchase a custom with a model who is not your type? I can't speak for nameless. He may find this model attractive. I don't know.

I prefer busty pornstars and always picked one for all of my customs. I have purchased customs with two different companies, and they told me if a model was available or not. Neither company forced me to accept their favorite model. They allowed me to pick as it was my custom. Why would I want to watch a movie with a model who turns me off? Why would I pay for that product?

Finally, companies set schedule for shoots. Flaking is heavily looked down upon in the adult industry. Missing shoots will get you removed from companies lists. Producers pay cameramen, sets, photographers, directors and editors for movies. It can be extremely costly if a model does not show up.

I've purchased enough from enough different producers to know that it varies a lot. But by and large in my experience you use the models who are available and if you don't fancy those models you wait until the producer is working with somebody you do like, it's a question of timing. There is definitely no one size fits all system.

[MAV6666]

thanks all for your comments. I will talk more about a similar situation soon. giving a certain producer until their next batch update to put them on blast here.

[Doctor Outcome]

[/quote]

See I've got to be honest, it doesn't sound like he's a victim, it sounds like somebody goofed. Models move around, they work on many customs at the same time, they're doing a stressful, demanding job (well actually about eight jobs bundled together) and you know what? Sometimes they fuck up, or life throws them a curveball, or emails get lost in the absurd stacks of dick pics and bullshit they get sent every day.

So I would say that before getting too up in arms, you've got to de-escalate and consider the very real likelihood which is that you're dealing with an honest mistake by somebody who is working really hard and is coming to your email in a bad mood (always assume a bad mood, answering emails is rarely any fun).

I'd suggest that your nameless pal try to settle this by getting his movie shot by the model and whoever she's next available to shoot with. And if it doesn't work out and he's not happy with the results, fair enough, don't use that producer again. With custom movies unless you're asking for a local model or you're willing to cover the costs for the shoot (which sometimes run to thousands) you probably won't get any control over who is in it.

I mean look, if she just wanted his cash, she's got it. That the lines of communication remain open suggest to me there's a fix to be had. You'd be getting the silent treatment if she'd taken the money and run. And to be honest it's not that much money to run with. I very much doubt any model would take a calculated risk with her reputation over a custom fee that wouldn't cover a month's rent.
[/quote]

I feel ya' Dogfish. And if it was an honest goof, it's forgivable. What really bothers me on the situation is why she would take the request, keep him waiting for two weeks and then after he makes contact regarding the custom's status announce to him that she had other affairs that she was doing for the next couple of months (the A.V.N. awards and she was traveling to two other states for adult video shoots with other producers) and that she wouldn't be able to start filming until after she got back. That's where the M.I.L.F. performer really screwed up. She had other things on her plate and didn't bother to notify Nameless first before taking the idea.

That's the part that had me confused. I mean, if your schedule is gonna be full for the next couple of months you're better off canceling the request and giving the customer their money back and then trying again at a later time when you're available. All I can say is I hope she gives the custom her all after Nameless had to wait so patiently for several months or at least have some way to compensate him for the time that got lost and bad customer service he had to endure.

[Doctor Outcome]

Quick update to everyone. It seems the performer has filmed Nameless' idea and she has to edit it but apparently she's out and about (probably doing other shoots) and she said that she won't be able to edit it until she comes back from wherever she's at. So Nameless has agreed to give her a little more time to finish her affairs so she can finish the editing of his custom.

Keep your fingers crossed folks. I'm really hoping it won't take her another several months to get the editing part done for his idea. LOL!

[Heroine Addict]

Quick update to everyone. It seems the performer has filmed Nameless' idea and she has to edit it but apparently she's out and about (probably doing other shoots) and she said that she won't be able to edit it until she comes back from wherever she's at. So Nameless has agreed to give her a little more time to finish her affairs so she can finish the editing of his custom.

Keep your fingers crossed folks. I'm really hoping it won't take her another several months to get the editing part done for his idea. LOL!

I was told the exact same thing by a producer. The video never appeared. Reasoning that it would be relatively easy to create a couple of screencaps from the supposedly shot footage, I asked the producer for photos as a sign of goodwill. The photos never appeared. This was almost certainly because the video was never shot.

Now, Nameless's producer may be telling the truth. However, it would be interesting to see how that producer reacts to a simple request for evidence. She may well claim that she can't access the footage while she's touring. Which seems ridiculous in this age when anyone competently running an online content business should have cloud back-ups.

Even if we assume that the producer genuinely doesn't currently have access to the laptop/HDD containing the footage, she should - at the very least - be able to send a few sceencaps on her first day back at home. It takes a few seconds to generate a screencap. It's not Rocket Science.

[Dazzle1]

An observation from someone not in the industry.

Producers get paid up front, I am paid on commission after the service or sale.

So producers have a business and moral obligation to have open communication with their customers on delays or problems

[Doctor Outcome]

Quick update to everyone. It seems the performer has filmed Nameless' idea and she has to edit it but apparently she's out and about (probably doing other shoots) and she said that she won't be able to edit it until she comes back from wherever she's at. So Nameless has agreed to give her a little more time to finish her affairs so she can finish the editing of his custom.

Keep your fingers crossed folks. I'm really hoping it won't take her another several months to get the editing part done for his idea. LOL!

I was told the exact same thing by a producer. The video never appeared. Reasoning that it would be relatively easy to create a couple of screencaps from the supposedly shot footage, I asked the producer for photos as a sign of goodwill. The photos never appeared. This was almost certainly because the video was never shot.

Now, Nameless's producer may be telling the truth. However, it would be interesting to see how that producer reacts to a simple request for evidence. She may well claim that she can't access the footage while she's touring. Which seems ridiculous in this age when anyone competently running an online content business should have cloud back-ups.

Even if we assume that the producer genuinely doesn't currently have access to the laptop/HDD containing the footage, she should - at the very least - be able to send a few sceencaps on her first day back at home. It takes a few seconds to generate a screencap. It's not Rocket Science.

I gave him your advice to ask for a screencap. No response as of yet.

[MAV6666]

Advice I've gotten from producers on this situation:
1) payment - don't use something like paypal family&friends, especially for an unproven producer as a refund is very difficult this way. pay the extra % for insurance or use cc. don't feel shy about asking for installments as simple as half up front, half on delivery (some may accept, some may not)
2) proof of concept - it should be extremely easy to share a screenshot or "behind the scenes" cellphone photo of the production. try to ask for this ahead of time but even after the fact, this should be very easy to do for a producer. this is different than photo sets however
3) timing - try to get at least a ballpark estimation on turnaround/delivery time. In my experience with a dozen producers over the years, this has ranged from under a week to ~6 months and most of them say as much.

A preview of comments to come on this topic given my current situation.

[GeekyPornCritic]

Advice I've gotten from producers on this situation:
1) payment - don't use something like paypal family&friends, especially for an unproven producer as a refund is very difficult this way. pay the extra % for insurance or use cc. don't feel shy about asking for installments as simple as half up front, half on delivery (some may accept, some may not)
2) proof of concept - it should be extremely easy to share a screenshot or "behind the scenes" cellphone photo of the production. try to ask for this ahead of time but even after the fact, this should be very easy to do for a producer. this is different than photo sets however
3) timing - try to get at least a ballpark estimation on turnaround/delivery time. In my experience with a dozen producers over the years, this has ranged from under a week to ~6 months and most of them say as much.

A preview of comments to come on this topic given my current situation.

I've used Paypal, but only with proven producers. I recommend only buying customs from proven producers and studios. I would not contact a new studio without previewing their content's quality and experience in the genre. Always research your potential company before sending any stories or customs.

Proof of Concept is only needed if you are hiring an unproven producer. Large and popular producers would not risk their reputation by stealing from a customer.

[Doctor Outcome]

Hey everybody. I got some really, *really* bad news:

Nameless did the wait thing for his custom...again. The performer (or rather their assistant if they have one) said that they were out of town and would've been back the following week to start editing the custom that he requested and he asked for a due date also, to which they said they would be home for two days. So my first thought here is, 'okay. We're making some progress here, Nameless is finally gonna get his custom request.'

- Before that though, he politely asked for some screenshots as one person on here suggested to see if the vid was indeed done. (No response from the performer or their assistant)

-So he waited a whole week to see if they'd send a download link of the completed vid. (Again, no response)

-So for the next two or three days of the next week, he asked the performer for a due date to receive the vid. No response on their end, so he suggested a due date. The response he got from the performer was this:

"I'm in the middle of some problems right now and I'm not dealing with this right now. I need everyone to leave me alone right now."

Guys, I went ahead and told Nameless the truth: It looks like he definitely got scammed. His money is probably gone and nothing was probably ever filmed. Promises were made that didn't get kept and he had been waiting for the better part of half a year to get this request created. In my eyes, I don't think the person ever planned to do the request at all and it would be foolish for him to try and ask for anymore updates from this individual. It was heartbreaking for me to tell him that, but Nameless just responded saying, 'Yeah, I kinda figured this was a scam Doctor Outcome, but so what? It's only $425 dollars. One thing is certain though, I probably won't be commissioning this individual again anytime soon after this eight month waiting period.'

So, with that being said I'm here to warn you all about the situation: If someone using this email address
'[email protected]' claims to be the performer or the performer's assistant, do *NOT* send them any money without checking to see if it is the actual performer through twitter or something else. For those who really want to take a gamble and commission this individual for productions, find out what their schedule looks like and what their turnaround time is. Make it known that you cannot give any kind of payment until they have a 'wide open' calendar.

Personally, I think it's just a scam artist pretending to be Reagan Foxx and if it is, Miss Foxx should know about it A.S.A.P.

[GeekyPornCritic]

Nobody is pretending to be Regan Foxx. I did some quick research. The email [email protected] belongs to REGAN FOXX. The same email address is on her Twitter page. https://twitter. com/reaganfoxx_

I had to break the link in the address because someone else's name is also Regan Foxx on Twitter, and this forum's system is directing to the wrong page.

Regan Foxx is the scam artist.

[MAV6666]

Sorry to hear about nameless's situation. On the screencap request, we are assuming the "customer service" people read emails and know how to find a specific customer's clip easily, but that is not the case as other "producers" may have hard drives full of numerous unindexed clips by customer if they shot the content at at all :/

[Heroine Addict]

These scams are bad for the whole industry. The fact that several members of this community have lost large sums of money to certain producers is likely to make people wary of ordering their own customs.

Following my experience with a different producer, I have a general distrust of any transaction that doesn't have any form of security. I'm sure there must be many others who aren't ordering customs as a direct result of experiencing or reading about thieving producers.

This then becomes a problem for the honest producers too.

[Doctor Outcome]

Sorry to hear about nameless's situation. On the screencap request, we are assuming the "customer service" people read emails and know how to find a specific customer's clip easily, but my current Sumiko custom experience (13 months and waiting) is proving that is not the case as other "producers" may have hard drives full of numerous unindexed clips by customer if they shot the content at at all :/ This is my first fail in 25 customs so I'm approaching acceptance that I got hosed but it's good for us customers to know who delivers and who doesn't.

Thanks MAV. I felt bad for him myself...given the barricades that he had to deal with earlier with getting some of his ideas done, it's a shame that he had to be put in this nasty disposition (and I'm sorry that things aren't working with your custom involving Sumiko my friend).

Nameless really wants to help support the industry but after this situation, who knows if he'll even continue to try. So far, only three fetish performers (and one producer) have been willing and able to work with him to give him what he asked for. I'm really hoping this won't deter him from trying to get another custom idea made.

[Doctor Outcome]

These scams are bad for the whole industry. The fact that several members of this community have lost large sums of money to certain producers is likely to make people wary of ordering their own customs.

Following my experience with a different producer, I have a general distrust of any transaction that doesn't have any form of security. I'm sure there must be many others who aren't ordering customs as a direct result of experiencing or reading about thieving producers.

This then becomes a problem for the honest producers too.

Indeed they are Heroine Addict. That's kinda why I question why some producers hit the roof when customers try to dictate terms and prices sometimes. It doesn't make much sense to donate a lot of money to a custom request if it's not going to be delivered on time or even gets constructed the right way the customer wants it. Don't get me wrong, the fetish industry is a business and I respect that the performers and producers have to eat, but what is a customer supposed to do when their hard-earned money is spent like this and they're left out in the cold? I mean, Nameless followed all of the rules, did everything that was expected of him and with this situation it kinda feels like he got jipped for his support to the industry.

I kinda feel like this is the reason so many are turning to 'piracy' now with situations like this. While I don't condone that action, it makes a little more sense now. Customers are told not to be timewasters and to respect the time of the performers, right? So why is it when the situation gets reversed, the performer feels that they don't have to respect the time of the customer or try to make amends for the mistake that gets made on their part?

I mean, that's a good way to 'kill' a business and make it harder for those producers who want to go the distance for their clientele.

#respectthefans

[Imagineer]

Don't blame the whole orchard for biting into a bad apple.

Following all the rules starts with being a wary buyer, continues with not adding conditions after a deal is struck, and requires recognizing when you've made an error and rolling with the result as a learning experience for next time. And it sounds like that's what Nameless did -- he said it's only $425, and he won't contact that particular performer again.

The cluck-clucking about the industry seems misplaced. Producers with a solid running track record and no-nonsense client interactions have nothing to worry about.

[MAV6666]

there are always gonna be bad apples in any business and since there's no yelp for these fetish pursuits of ours, this is one, if not the best place to discuss our experiences with producers. we have to know about the good ones as well which is why I mentioned all the other producers who did amazing work for me (alex david, cali logan, torvea, etc) in the other thread on customs.

We have to know how to not behave like "timewasters" for them also: don't fan it up too much in a request; get a quote about what you're looking for and which model and then accept/pass soon after (within a week?), preferably with at least a noticeable deposit if you're moving forward. If you want to be sure about some details not in the script you will be providing, or negotiate down, I would suggest not going back/forth more than 3 times.

what do you guys think?

[Heroine Addict]

Don't blame the whole orchard for biting into a bad apple.

The apple analogy is particularly appropriate, as you don't know that the apple will be bad until you bite into it.

Following all the rules starts with being a wary buyer, continues with not adding conditions after a deal is struck, and requires recognizing when you've made an error and rolling with the result as a learning experience for next time. And it sounds like that's what Nameless did -- he said it's only $425, and he won't contact that particular performer again.

The cluck-clucking about the industry seems misplaced. Producers with a solid running track record and no-nonsense client interactions have nothing to worry about.

Part of the problem is that several of the producers who took customers' money had a previous track record of good service. So there was no way of telling that a previously reliable producer would suddenly turn bad.

We can speculate on the financial circumstances that might make someone decide that grabbing a few hundred bucks in the short term is worth the long term loss of reputation. Whatever the reasons, customers are seldom aware that a good producer is about to become a fraud or a flake.

[Imagineer]

The apple analogy is particularly appropriate, as you often DO know that the apple will be bad without biting into it. Sure, not EVERY apple, but if you are that risk-averse that you can't afford one bad apple, you should only be biting into a firm clean polished unblemished apple that you bought from a grocer with a reputation for excellent produce, and maybe only after asking folks there and folks you trust what to look for in a bad apple, and maybe only after hearing people say they JUST bought a Honeycrisp here and it was amazing and they're back for more.

It's a continuum, not a binary, and the less risk you can afford, the more smart work you need to put in. Indeed, the fundamental nature of independent producers being real human beings with lives that don't always go according to plan might make the entire prospect of ordering a custom video beyond your limit of acceptable risk. You are not buying an iPod at Best Buy.

But with established studios that have a regular cadence of custom-produced videos that they make available for public sale, especially if they also have an active social media presence that you can surf for signs of stability or shifting priorities, you can probably find a very safe bet.

Top Google result for Reagan Foxx Twitter custom video is this: "Just booked a custom video in 5 emails, all done in about 4-5 minutes. That's how it should work fellas." Store.reaganfoxx.com has a three-month gap in clip postings June-September 2017, no videos with another girl in the second half of 2017 and only one before that since the store opened. That's two red flags for Nameless's situation, before looking at how close his custom script hewed to her existing catalog, which looks pretty vanilla.

She probably shouldn't have taken the gig. They both should have recognized when it was turning sour and called it off. She's taken a hit for not issuing a refund -- but one hit probably won't and shouldn't end her clips business. And it sounds like he's wiser now.

I don't know what other frauds or flakes you're thinking about, but the custom clips business overall seems pretty robust.

[Doctor Outcome]

there are always gonna be bad apples in any business and since there's no yelp for these fetish pursuits of ours, this is one, if not the best place to discuss our experiences with producers. we have to know about the good ones as well which is why I mentioned all the other producers who did amazing work for me (alex david, cali logan, torvea, etc) in the other thread on customs.

We have to know how to not behave like "timewasters" for them also: don't fan it up too much in a request; get a quote about what you're looking for and which model and then accept/pass soon after (within a week?), preferably with at least a noticeable deposit if you're moving forward. If you want to be sure about some details not in the script you will be providing, or negotiate down, I would suggest not going back/forth more than 3 times.

what do you guys think?

That's so true. Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing for customers to talk about *bad* experiences either. It's important that producers know this so that they can avoid repeated mistakes in the future and it can serve as a learning 'grid' to other producers to not follow in the footsteps of those who provide *bad* customer service.

As far as 'timewasters' go, Nameless is not that kind of person. He doesn't waste time with introductions or anything of that nature as he's tried that in the past and it really got him nowhere. In his eyes, since cash is all that's really important in this industry this is basically the approach he tries to utilize when he gives a request now:

Shut up and Take my Money (Frye).gif (811.93 KiB) Viewed 13083 times

LOL! Okay, seriously that's not really what he says but he does have a brash approach from time to time and he only does that to let the person know upfront that he's not out to waste anybody's time. I'm trying now to help him with a much broader approach so the producer in question doesn't get the wrong idea when he requests a custom vid.

I've pretty much told him don't be an 'ass-kisser' but at the same time, don't be a 'pushover' either.

[Doctor Outcome]

Hey guys and girls,

I received an email from Nameless last night. Apparently Reagan heard about the mishap and has returned the funding to him along with a heart-felt apology. Here's the post that he gave me about it:

Cease Fire-2018-08-16-08-30-01-094.jpg (94.17 KiB) Viewed 13050 times

Apparently Reagan has and is going through some personal, private issues of an unknown nature and that's the reason why there was such a huge delay on her part, hence the lack of communication on her end. Nameless has asked me to 'cease fire' on this topic and so because of this, I'm going to grant his request and drop the subject since he has been reimbursed.

Granted, I really didn't want to get extreme on this topic, honestly I didn't, but...I had a situation similar to his in which I gave and didn't get back and I didn't want to see another fetish customer go through that same notion and endure the same frustration that I endured. But thankfully, Nameless had what was his returned to him and that gives the situation some balance again.

[viking]

I'm glad his issue was resolved to his satisfaction. He may want to send Christina Carter an email to thank her for any effort she made to help resolve the problem. I am convinced that bringing the issue to this forum was the key to its resolution. I see no reason for a producer/performer to not cancel a project and return funding when they know for more than six months that they are unable to complete the work due to personal issues. I find it a remarkable coincidence that the customer received an apology and refund shortly after the performer who contracted to make the video was identified on this forum.

[GeekyPornCritic]

Quick update to everyone. It seems the performer has filmed Nameless' idea and she has to edit it but apparently she's out and about (probably doing other shoots) and she said that she won't be able to edit it until she comes back from wherever she's at.

I have some seriously issues with Reagan Foxx. First, she tells him that she filmed it. Now she is saying she did not film it because of personal issues.

Check out her Twitter account. For someone with personal issues, she sure is able to spend two weeks in LA with her favorite companies.


I think little'ole Fox got caught in a scam, and was scared of any legal problems coming her way. Reagan's story does not make sense as I said she said in a previous report that she filmed it and needs to edit it.

[Imagineer]

Check out her Twitter account. For someone with personal issues, she sure is able to spend two weeks in LA with her favorite companies.

I think you have no idea what other people with personal issues are like.

[GeekyPornCritic]

Check out her Twitter account. For someone with personal issues, she sure is able to spend two weeks in LA with her favorite companies.

I think you have no idea what other people with personal issues are like.

If you have personal issues and cannot accept customs, then you need to say that at the start or before it drags this long. In fact she still has her email listed on Twitter for customs. She should take her email down or put a notice saying "Currently not accepting customs.".

Secondly, her "personal issues" are not preventing her from shooting porn. She just filmed a big project with Axel Braun and she shot more scenes earlier this month. So she's doing porn which means she is actually able to film Nameless's custom.

I think this is her PR page. On August 3rd, her PR page advertised ordering custom videos.
https://twitter.com/FoxxFactory

Most importantly, she told Nameless that it was filmed and needed to be edited. She refused to provide proof in photos. Which we now know it was never filmed. So what really happen?

We all have personal issues. I have never allowed any personal issues affect other people especially their money.