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http://www.oldgoatgaming.com/

A friend of mine has had more then $1300 stolen from him by this painting company, and I just wanted to get the word out about it. He did a couple small projects with them back in 2011, and was pleased with their work so decided to hire them for a larger project. He paid them to acquire the models and put money down on the painting, back in late 2011. In early 2012 he heard word from them that they would compensate him battlefoam trays for the delay that had already occured, and that was the last contact he has had from them. He's attempted to contact them as recently as a week ago, and still nothing. It's been 16 months since he paid them, and there as been no replies from them for about 10 months.

So be warned if you have current projects with them, or were planning on using them.

Thanks for the heads up!
Hope it works out for your bud.
It may take forever, but sometimes this is best way to get the word out.

Apparently word of this already got back to him, and he's returning the models that he purchased with the money. Though it seems he was pretty upset about me posting this.

Sounds like he needed a kick in the pants. What's the point of having a community if you can't raise issues like this?

Your post was pretty much strictly information. I'm glad it worked out, but it is a shame that it had to work out like this. Old Goat would be well served to address the issue publicly instead of getting riled up about it.

He shouldn't be screwing around with people's money. 16 months... ridiculous.

djones520 wrote:
Apparently word of this already got back to him, and he's returning the models that he purchased with the money. Though it seems he was pretty upset about me posting this.

I dropped the guy an email, with the link to this thread, saying it could be bad for his business. Sorry if you got some abuse.

I have way to much time on my hands, consequently, think of me as your gaming watchdog!

The first two painted sample pics on the site, the solo Grey Knight and Ultra Marines army are both straight rips from the GW site. Bit random, but stood out to me.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

djones520 wrote:
Apparently word of this already got back to him, and he's returning the models that he purchased with the money. Though it seems he was pretty upset about me posting this.

I dropped the guy an email, with the link to this thread, saying it could be bad for his business. Sorry if you got some abuse.

I have way to much time on my hands, consequently, think of me as your gaming watchdog!

I didn't directly, but thank you for that. It got him to contact my friend about the "status" of his stuff.

So did they even paint one figure yet in the army?

 BrookM wrote:
The first two painted sample pics on the site, the solo Grey Knight and Ultra Marines army are both straight rips from the GW site. Bit random, but stood out to me.

That same picture of the GK is in the "portfolio" section of their website, implying it's their own creation.

Edit: As is the Ultramarines army.

What was related to me was that the owner of the company was having a hard time completing such a large project. There was two forces, and he had just about finished with the larger one (so he says) as of yesterday. He does have some pictures from back in 2011 posted on his website of the Dark Eldar that he was working on for my friend. He offered various reasons (personal opinion, excuses) for why it's taken so long, but I wasn't told that he offered any reason for the lack of contact with his customer.

I'm not seeing the pics in question. Have they been removed?

Thanks for posting this OP. It would be nice if more people would go public with their good and bad experiences.

 Chronepsis wrote:
I'm not seeing the pics in question. Have they been removed?

Thanks for posting this OP. It would be nice if more people would go public with their good and bad experiences.

Yes, those pictures are removed now.

Just reading these posts make me wonder about using small, one man, painting company's. Seems like some of them can be a little 'greedy', taking on jobs that they just can't finish in such small, self imposed, timeframes.
If you are going to start charging for your painting services then you have to be realistic. Don't tell your client that you can finish a 2k pt WoC army in 3 weeks, then halfway through take another clients order for a 3k pt Eldar army painted to a show standard in 3 weeks.... I know it's important for independent businesses like this to get a good reputation, but that is not going to happen if you promise what you simply can't deliver.

 sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
Just reading these posts make me wonder about using small, one man, painting company's. Seems like some of them can be a little 'greedy', taking on jobs that they just can't finish in such small, self imposed, timeframes.
If you are going to start charging for your painting services then you have to be realistic. Don't tell your client that you can finish a 2k pt WoC army in 3 weeks, then halfway through take another clients order for a 3k pt Eldar army painted to a show standard in 3 weeks.... I know it's important for independent businesses like this to get a good reputation, but that is not going to happen if you promise what you simply can't deliver.

I think painting services are too frightened to give realistic time scales sometimes, and they do bite off more than they can chew.

As always communication is the key as well as being able to just let some projects go.

These kinds of stories keep dudes like me from using -any- smaller painting service, and it hurts them all. This embodies everything I fear about these shops; getting money taken or overpaying, taking FOREVER, not communicating.

I hope everything comes out satisfactorily for your pal, and I commend his patience. I'd have been on the warpath 8 months ago.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

 sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
Just reading these posts make me wonder about using small, one man, painting company's. Seems like some of them can be a little 'greedy', taking on jobs that they just can't finish in such small, self imposed, timeframes.
If you are going to start charging for your painting services then you have to be realistic. Don't tell your client that you can finish a 2k pt WoC army in 3 weeks, then halfway through take another clients order for a 3k pt Eldar army painted to a show standard in 3 weeks.... I know it's important for independent businesses like this to get a good reputation, but that is not going to happen if you promise what you simply can't deliver.

I think painting services are too frightened to give realistic time scales sometimes, and they do bite off more than they can chew.

As always communication is the key as well as being able to just let some projects go.

They could take a cue from tailors and seamstresses. They always get multiple projects and have to give a timeline of how long the items will take and when to expect them done. A friend of mine is the head of the local college theater's costuming dept. and the workload she does in a month, and gets done, is scarey...but she always gets it done even if it means working till midnight.

Or, they can always do the Chief Eng. Scotty method and take the time it would take, and add two hours/day to it.

 lucasbuffalo wrote:

 BrookM wrote:
The first two painted sample pics on the site, the solo Grey Knight and Ultra Marines army are both straight rips from the GW site. Bit random, but stood out to me.

That same picture of the GK is in the "portfolio" section of their website, implying it's their own creation.

Edit: As is the Ultramarines army.

This, as well as the fact that he's apparently watching this thread and NOT commenting (because he has now removed the pics in response) bothers me... a lot.

I would never use a service that acts in this manner... not that there really could be a plausible explanation for using stock pics as examples of your own work.

 Zygrot24 wrote:
These kinds of stories keep dudes like me from using -any- smaller painting service, and it hurts them all. This embodies everything I fear about these shops; getting money taken or overpaying, taking FOREVER, not communicating.

I hope everything comes out satisfactorily for your pal, and I commend his patience. I'd have been on the warpath 8 months ago.

Do your homework, and you should be fine. There are a number of small painting services with excellent reputations. Some are our advertisers over on Bartertown, and there are a number here, as well.

You've just got to take the time to do it right.


Eric

 RiTides wrote:

 lucasbuffalo wrote:

 BrookM wrote:
The first two painted sample pics on the site, the solo Grey Knight and Ultra Marines army are both straight rips from the GW site. Bit random, but stood out to me.

That same picture of the GK is in the "portfolio" section of their website, implying it's their own creation.

Edit: As is the Ultramarines army.

This, as well as the fact that he's apparently watching this thread and NOT commenting (because he has now removed the pics in response) bothers me... a lot.

I would never use a service that acts in this manner... not that there really could be a plausible explanation for using stock pics as examples of your own work.

It's down right Mandelbaumian behavior!

 alarmingrick wrote:

 RiTides wrote:

 lucasbuffalo wrote:

 BrookM wrote:
The first two painted sample pics on the site, the solo Grey Knight and Ultra Marines army are both straight rips from the GW site. Bit random, but stood out to me.

That same picture of the GK is in the "portfolio" section of their website, implying it's their own creation.

Edit: As is the Ultramarines army.

This, as well as the fact that he's apparently watching this thread and NOT commenting (because he has now removed the pics in response) bothers me... a lot.

I would never use a service that acts in this manner... not that there really could be a plausible explanation for using stock pics as examples of your own work.

It's down right Mandelbaumian behavior!

You've just coined a phrase now. Using that all the time for skeevy practices online. Excellent.

 alarmingrick wrote:
It's down right Mandelbaumian behavior!

Well played sir

this makes me sad to hear as a small scale painter - the 1 man go, but honestly that guy sounds like a jerk. For the commissions i have done, i always make sure my costumer knows what is happening.