THE CHASER SITUATION 7-2-03
THIS IS A LONG STORY, BUT I NEED YOUR HELP...I'm talking to you, friends.
There is a code of ethics that comes into play when an freelance artist ships out a portfolio to a perspective client upon request of the client to be. The company requesting the portfolio is supposed to make sure they return it to you safely, and in a timley fashion.
PLEASE, any of you reading this, stand by me, help me on this!!!!
I am in the most krunked up situation with one of my sets of portfolios. Dig this frustrating perdicament:
My book(s) (portfolio- mine consists of 2 leather bound books, with tear sheets, worth in total around $450.00) was getting looked at by an ad agency in midtown NYC when I got a call from a record label/ entertainment corporation called LEVEL 25 Entertainment Inc., wanting to look at my book for possible album cover work. The contact being a guy named CHASER.
The ad agency in midtown finished with my book and wanted to messenger my book back to me, so instead, I just had them messenger it to the entertainment company, to save me a trip. I'm out in Long Island (at the time).
The messenger service guy called me that afternoon and told me that he was on the floor at the address of the company and that the there was no CHASER there. I told him to try going back later. The next day the messenger called me again and said the same thing, I told him to just return it to the Ad agency in Midtown and I was sorry about the inconvienence.
A few days later I called the Ad Agency and apologized and told them I would come pick up my book. The art director who I was dealing with originally was out sick, and her assistant said it must be in her office so to call back in two days when she would be back to work.
Two days later I called back and got the art director, she checked the records for me, and the messenger service noted that it had been delivered, that CHASER signed for it on the 3rd floor, the day after I spoke with the messenger service last.
Huh, well that's cool, so they got it afterall I thought to myself. Apologized, said good-bye and hung up.
So a week went by, probably enough time for them to have looked it over, so Icalled Chaser at Level 26, and the phone was disconnected. I called a few days later and now it's like a dental office or something? So I go all the way down there, to the address, and there is no sign of Level 25 Entertainment anywhere on the 3rd floor....They have vanished. And Chaser's cell number is turned off!
I called the ad agency back and got the number for the messenger service they used. I then called the messenger service and they explained that a Chaser signed for it on so and so day, on the 3rd floor. I asked if they new what room number, and they said, " It just says here 3rd floor"
By now Ifelt like I was on a wild goose chase.
I called Chaser's cell a few days later and surprisingly it was back on so Ileft a message for him to call me back, explaining that I have been calling for a week, and went down to their office and it's not there anymore and I need those books back, and for him to call me immediatly. I never got a call back.
So then Ihad my manager call his cell, instead of leaving a message, my manager typed his number in so it sent a numerical page. Chaser called my manager back not knowing who it was, and my manager explained that he will pay for the Fed-ex, if he would just send it back to him immediatly. Chaser agreed, "No problem."
My manager called Chaser back the next day, and his call is forwarded to a computerized operator, not even Chaser's voice mail this time, and no way to leave a message or page.
I called Chaser from a different line because I figured he knows my other phone number so he's probably been screening my calls, and sure enough he answers. I told him I need those portfolios back, and to give me his address, I will be in the city and I will just stop by wherever he is and pick them up. He tells me he Fed-Ex'd them to my manager already a week ago. I asked him if I could get the tracking number on it, and he said "No problem, it's at his house, he'd be there in 20 minutes and he'd call me back on the number I called him at with the info."
2 days later, still no call back.
I called him again from the other number and now I get the computerized operator...no option to leave a message. This guy is a fricken slime ball!
So a few more weeks go by, I get my female friend (who is a voice over actress) to act as my assistant, and to call him from her home line in Brooklyn. He answers and she tells him that she's my assistant and that she needs his address so she can send him an envelope, with a second envelope enclosed within that envelope with the correct postage affixed for the weight of my portfolios, so he could just drop my portfolios in there and send them back to me, no judgements, I just want the books back.
He tells her he already sent it Fed-Ex weeks ago. She asks for the tracking number, he tells her "he'll be home in 20 minutes, it's at his house, call him back in 20."
She calls him back 30 minutes later, This story is tedious, I know!!!! Almost there.
He says he's not at his house yet, and isn't sure when he will make it back there because he got sidetracked or something. She tells him she will call back in the morning....WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY.
She called him back, today, and guess what???? She got the computerized operator!
I called him 20 minutes ago from a different number and got his voice mail, meaning, yes the slimeball is blocking her calls now too.
So what do I do? I don't know if Chaser is even this guy's real name, considering it's in the hip-hop world, I'm sure it's just a pen name. I don't know where he is located, I don't know if his business still exists. I'm at my wit's end here.
If you have any advice, please let me in on it.
I think the best thing would be for everyone who reads this post, and I beg of you, please, please, please, to sometime over the Holiday, call Chaser on his cell 555-623-7360 leave a message as one of my assistants from Respect Management, he's got all their numbers blocked so this will totally throw him off. Use a fake name, it will never get traced back to you.
Screw with this guy's head. Tell him I need that book back, and what he is doing as a potential client goes against the client/ artist code of ethics. "He can get "black listed" for this type of shit"
I'm looking for the tracking number (if one even exists, which I doubt),
or his address, or both. If there really is a tracking number, then what is this guy's problem in giving it to me? It would be off his hands and I'd be taking this up with Fed ex. UNGH- FRUSTRATING-
Trust me, if one of you asked the same of me I would do it in a second, what this man is doing is wrong, and he should be made aware of that. If it takes FUCKING UP HIS HOLIDAY, then so be it.
Thank you very, very, much.
Just another day in the life of an Art Juggernaut.
-Cojo