Hello! Due to me receiving a few DMs asking about Skeb refunds in the past (after leaving a comment regarding the topic in the forums), I've decided to share my experience specifically in Skeb refunds. At the very least I'd direct them to this bulletin in case someone DMs me regarding the topic...! I apologize if this bulletin ends up wordy/ strange. Most if not all information I write are based on personal experience and information from the site itself.
Disclaimer: I am based in Indonesia and use an Indonesian bank issued Visa debit card. I have no experience in dealing with credit card refunds. As per the site states, "The time until your charge is refunded depends on the issuer of your card." (Source)
Q. How long does the refund take?
Typically a month. My longest refund was settled in around 40 days. After several cases of refund, I found that smaller charge amounts get refunded faster. (I do not know why, it is simply based from observation.)
Edit: Now with Skeb points added as payment method, I will add that Skeb points are immediately refunded once the transaction is cancelled (may take 10 to 20 minutes). I've also tested refunds using Kyash prepaid card (Japan issued), it was also instantly refunded (within a minute).
Q. Have you experienced refund from works that exceeded the deadline?
Yes! That's actually why I'm writing about this now.
For cases where I got my Skeb rejected (Skebjection is real and painful), the refund comes directly from Skeb. I assume they simply reversed the payment (release the charge if you use credit card) and the transaction is recorded as Refund from Skeb on my bank statement. This process normally takes a month to complete, as I wrote in my previous answer.
On 19th June 2022, my Skeb order had passed its deadline, and Skeb notified me that the charge will be refunded. Today (24th June 2022) my bank statement had been updated with Settlement from Visa. As you can see there is a big difference in the refund time! I assume this is because Skeb immediately ordered the bank to refund my money after the deadline had passed.
Spoilered due to irrelevancy, but I want to share my experience regardless:
While I'm grateful for how fast the settlement came, it's worth noting that unlike refunds, the settlement is not from the same transaction. This matters to me because I conduct my transactions in IDR. In the first case (getting Refund from Skeb), I received back every penny that I sent at the cost of longer process time. In the second case, the settlement was based on today's exchange rates. And unfortunately for me, JPY is very weak at the time of writing -- I lost 200k IDR (~13,49 USD) due to the currency conversion. Not complaining though, I know there are people who haven't even received their settlements l ma o
Edit: This also applies to orders where the artist made an error in delivery.
Q. I haven't gotten my refund in three months. How do I get in touch with Skeb?
Lengthy answer:
First of all, it is worth noting that Skeb does not have a dedicated customer support. As of June 2022, they are only 7 people working in Skeb (3 of which are programmers, 1 designer and 1 illustrator. Source). This is why contacting Skeb directly regarding refunds or disputes when the refund guarantee period haven't passed is quite futile.
Second of all, the time window of the refund guarantee has now been extended to 150 days (Source). It used to be 90 days. This is due to the update in Japanese ASCT law that took effect in 1st June 2022. (And, if you've used Skeb since, you might notice the change in order confirmation screen. If not, it was announced here. The change was also done in order to comply to the change in laws.)
As a rule of thumb, it is best to never unlink your card from the website before you complete your transactions, be it getting your Skeb delivered or waiting for your refund.
TL;DR: Skeb updated their terms in accordance to the ASCT law in Japan and will not respond to any refund inquiry unless 150 days have passed. If 150 days have passed since your order got cancelled, you can open this page and scroll down until you see "法令に基づく問い合わせの場合はこちらをクリックしてください。". Click on こちら and you will find a support email. (Or, if the page is translated, こちら will show up as 'here'.)
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On a completely unrelated note I wrote up a service review the other day but published it privately due to embarrassment lol please read it if you have time...!
Thanks for writing this! It's so hard to find info about skeb refunds. My request expired and the artist requested a resubmit, which pretty much double charged me. Wasn't a cheap comm so was wondering when I'd get the refund from the original request. Surprised it takes so long though!
Good to know about the skeb point instant refunds though! Might be something I'll use so I don't have to wait ages in case of rejection or expiration.
5 months, 16 days ago
I'm glad this bulletin is still helping people! I remember finding information for refunds were a hassle back then so I figured to just compile what I already for people who don't know where to look, haha. As expected refunds to Japan-issued card get processed a lot faster than foreign issued cards.
A note about Skeb points though while the refund is instant, buying the points itself may be a hassle depending on the region where you live. Also the fact that it has an expiry system, meaning you could risk losing your money if you don't use the points before expiry Dx There's really no risk-free payment option with Skeb...! TT
5 months, 16 days ago
As a follow-up, I surprisingly got the refund in 2-3 weeks on 2 occasions. One for a cancellation, and another for an expiration. Could be better but not nearly as bad as I had expected.
5 months, 5 days ago
I just wanted to say, thank you for posting this! It's so hard to find information on skeb refunds for expired-accepted-request situation. I've been going through the same thing and seeing this gives me hope for a decently timely refund haha (crosses fingers)
1 year, 3 months ago
Thank you for writing this and shared your experience to others. I've experienced both skebjections and it was real and painful, lmao. Also would like to share another experience in refunds due to the error on the artist' part (deliver wrong artwork to the wrong client).
Honestly, I'd rather get mine cancelled instead of getting approved and later get a refund. From my experience, it took less than a month if we get the refund from skeb. But it was a longer wait because we had waited for up to 3 months only to not get the artwork we wanted.
As for the refund due to an error, the refunded amount came to my bank account almost immediately (albeit still near a month). So yes, typically about a month for each transactions.
1 year, 10 months ago
Yeah skebjection maybe painful but it's much better than getting ghosted or approved but exceed the deadline... big agree on that one. I waited 4 months for this Skeb and ended up getting a refund *and* lost 200k (due to currency conversion), but it was a lesson learned.
Did Skeb immediately cancel your order when the artist made an error, or was that due to exceeded deadline? I assumed if the artist made a delivery error it would just be go back to 'accepted' request (since, well, they made the mistake). Sorry that happened though, it's a real bummer when we can't even get the art we wanted in the first place :pensive: and thanks for sharing too, I've included it in the bulletin! Hopefully this post can help others who are still waiting for their refund too.
1 year, 10 months ago
For the error in delivery, it's when the artist made a mistake of delivering another client's request to you (therefore doesn't match your request/your request gets mixed up with another client's). One of Skeb's rule is that "Artist does not necessarily have to deliver the same content as requested". Meaning, if the artist isn't responsible, there is possibility to just upload the same artwork to: (1) The wrong client [a mistake] (2) The real client while being paid double for only 1 artwork. Once an artwork is uploaded to a request, the artist had a maximum 48 hours if they were to reupload the art into a revised version/something else entirely.
I have experienced and witnessed this for other clients too. On my part, the artist uploaded an artwork with the text "Sorry for the mistake, please check twitter" after I had gotten someone else's artwork. But Skeb prohibited communication outside their site and picked this up immediately, resulting the % of the artist's delivery rate to lower from 100%. Skeb will also notified you that the request violates the rules alongside with an e-mail notifying you about the issue. Later, it was resolved by me requesting the artist again outside Skeb via PayPal. For others, I've saw some getting the artwork done despite the issue, with the artist delivering a rushed work before the 48 hour reupload work rule expires.
1 year, 10 months ago Edited 11:39 pm
I see, thank you for clarifying! It's my first time hearing of the 48 hours reupload time limit. Though if might add, for point "(2) The real client while being paid double for only 1 artwork"
AFAIK Skeb recently had switched to manual checking of works uploaded by creator (before that they had AI processing each uploads to ensure it was a brand new work), and while I agree that irresponsible creators can use this rule as loophole to deliver unfinished products/ different quality than portfolio/ completely different art than requested, I think it would be impossible to deliver the exact same artwork for two requests, as it will get picked up by the system either way (unless I've misunderstood your point?)
I actually saw the mix up when it happened on your end (the artist delivering another client's artwork/ delivered twice for two different requests) so was personally curious to know what actually happened behind the scenes
1 year, 10 months ago
I see! I've encountered this issue on an artist I followed a few days ago, but a few hours later they reupload with a completely different artwork. So maybe the artist was notified about that :o
Regarding the 48 hours reupload rule, I actually know from the artist I mentioned. They made a tweet after the accident and mentioned they were shocked knowing that they needed to get the work done in 48 hours maximum.
1 year, 10 months ago Edited 3:35 am