Limebarb.com Lemonbrat, Barbara Staples Limebarb Failed to deliver on costume commission Chicago, Illinois

Where to begin. I contacted Barbara Staples for a cosplay commission back in January of 2011. The due date for the commission was July 1, 2011. The order was for a custom dress with boots, gloves, neckpiece and accessories, totaling $1400. I was willing to spend this much with the promise that I was going to get something that would be the best
possible end-product.

I started making payments, but was unfortunately late on the last payment before my event in July, so as
technicalities go, the fact that I did not get my order by my due date was expected. However, I did finish paying it off two weeks before my event, and was told repeatedly in emails that it was "almost done" with "just a few more details needed" and that it "would be mailed out in time for [my] event!".

Fast forward to today, eight months after I have paid off the dress, and I have yet to see anything more than a pair of unaltered shoes and some ribbons that were trim the bottom hem of the dress. Barbara has avoided showing my photographic evidence of my costume (so that I know its almost done), nor has she been able to really explain why I did not receive my costume back in July when according to her emails it was almost done.

She has given me excuse after excuse, from moving her studio to her van breaking down, which I can understand and have been overly sympathetic to these plights. But a year and half after I started making payments without more than a few pics as evidence has left a sour taste in my mouth. I am still waiting on my costume, or on a refund in full for my troubles. In
the meantime, she has been attending conventions, making costumes for herself (as evidenced on her facebook page) and selling hundreds of  pre-made items in her other store, http://lemonbrat.com.

I would not recommend Barbara Staples for a cosplay commission ever.