Edward Gulane :: Negative Art-Buying Experiences

Bad eBay Experience - Keith Champagne

Artists: Doug Mahnke (Penciller) , Keith Champagne (Inker)

3 Comments - 988 Views - 0 Like

Bad eBay Experience - Keith Champagne Comic Art

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Bad eBay Experience - Keith Champagne

Artwork Details

Title:	Bad eBay Experience - Keith Champagne
Artist:	Doug Mahnke (Penciller)
Artist:	Keith Champagne (Inker)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	988
Likes on CAF:	0 1
Comments:	3
Added to Site:	11/18/2013
Comic Art Archive:

Description

I am grateful to the men and women in the industry who produce the comic books that I enjoy. One of the ways that I've shown my appreciation, and one that has a direct financial impact, has been to buy art in the form of original pages and commissions. I am happy to report that my interactions have generally been positive. The one involving this page was one of the few exceptions.

I'd won this on eBay as part of a 4-page lot of bluelined Mahnke pages from inker Keith Champagne (eBay ID: keithchamp) on March 2012. After sending payment, I asked that he hold the pages so that I could bid on his future auctions and thereby save on shipping. He was responsive at that time, readily agreeing and assuring me that he had put the art safely away for me. It was a different matter, though, when I did want the art shipped. It took many unanswered emails over several months and a long-distance call to learn that 2 of the pages couldn't be found and may have been sold. I told him that it would be ok for him to substitute other GL pages for the missing ones. He did not take me up on my offer but promised, as compensation for "the hassle and drawing things out this far", to refund the purchase price within a week and to send me the remaining pair of pages anyway. That would have been a generous gesture, and one which I appreciated at the time. But a promise not backed by action is nothing. It took more follow-ups and 2 more months before he returned my money, in December 2012. No art was ever sent.

The lesson from this for me is that I should not have let the 45-day eBay/PayPal dispute period lapse. Without the ability to leave negative feedback or to file a dispute, I had no leverage.

I've heard worse stories - of collectors waiting many years for promised art. At least, I eventually got a refund, right? But even so, I remain angry over this episode. While I was a fan, I was also a customer who'd entered into a business transaction in good faith. If he wasn't able to deliver on his end, why make me wait months for an explanation? Why not just return my money without any hassle? And why promise art in apology and then send nothing? Is this any way for a comics professional to behave?

UPDATE (May 2015): Keith has sent me a page from "Katana" that I did not pay for. There was no note but I will interpret that as his apology for this incident.

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About the Owner

	Edward Gulane
Joined:	October 2007
Last Login:	July 2025
Country:	CANADA
On CAF:	Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Marvelman Excelsior
Member Since 2011

Posted on 11/18/2013

I'm absolutely in agreement - it's no way for a trader of any sort to behave! As a comic art fan who went through something similar recently, I see this as a valuable lesson: always use the dispute and feedback process on ebay, otherwise the few untrustworthy people out there will take advantage, and that sucks. Whether compensated or not, it's horrible to have that protracted waiting time for nothing.

Brian Norton
Member Since 2006

Posted on 11/19/2013

sorry to hear this, I have delt with Keith alot in the past and never had a problem with him. this really is a surprise. I too have had a bad dealing with another artist that dragged out a long time. it really was a bummer because I had other pieces done by that artist and it turned me off from using that person again. live and learn I guess.

Edward Gulane
Member Since 2007

Posted on 11/19/2013

Brian Norton wrote:

sorry to hear this, I have dealt with Keith a lot in the past and never had a problem with him. this really is a surprise. I too have had a bad dealing with another artist that dragged out a long time. it really was a bummer because I had other pieces done by that artist and it turned me off from using that person again. live and learn I guess.

I felt confident in dealing with Keith, too, Brian, as he is a known name in the industry. I have recently learned via his column (since he hasn't answered an email in almost year) on Bleeding Cool (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/09/30/champagne-supernova-getting-out-of-the-kitchen/) that he had gone into the restaurant business. It's a tale of woe ("my partner in the biz had a problem with booze and Oxycontin") but doesn't excuse his behavior, in my opinion.

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