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Sunday 20 January 2013

Could this be the downfall ...

This post is all my opinion and my thoughts - I'm not asking that you think the same as I do, but I just want to get my thoughts and experience out there.

So Vogue, we all know the name, we know the blog, we know the graphics - and they look good, there's no doubt about it!
But what's it like behind the scenes, being involved? Well it's not as great as it seems.

Before last Autumn, almost anyone could be a model, all you had to do was apply and wait to see if you were chosen - there were a few rules, i.e. not changing your face - fair enough, I get that, it's annoying when you book someone and then they change your face.
I got accepted and had one feature, many people were accepted and had a feature or two, and to be honest this system worked well and all was well in the Vogue-o-sphere.
Then the Vogue ozone layer fell a little - the opening of Vogue Model House. Now to be a model in Vogue magazine, you had to be a model here, and for that, you needed SD's, a minimum of 500 to be precise (500 for 6 months and 900 for 1 year). The rules and regulations were still the same as before.

So I got the 1 year contract, I was happy to pay 900 SD's and get my monthly feature in Vogue, to me it would be worth it, 900 SD's for 12 features, I hadn't been hired by anyone else and there were no other places looking for models at that time, my friends thought this too, and so Khol also signed up on a 6 month contract.

After that the Vogue scene became rather quiet. By the end of 2012 there had been only 1 more issue, we'd only had one feature and our contracts were well underway - currently another issue has been released, I was featured, but Khol wasn't - and her contract was almost finished so she decided to quit on mutual terms, it didn't look hopeful that there would be any more features of her, and there was no sign of a refund - paying 500SD's for one feature, I'll let you decide for yourselves if that is fair.

To be honest the whole idea of Vogue is kinda running down the drain for me at this point. In the last issue a graphic designer was hired to do some work, they firstly messed up with some of the credits on the pages, and then these pages were removed making the issue shorter! It just didn't have the same sparkle that previous issues had when it was all jelinna's work. And I think quite a few readers noted this and left comments to say so.

At this point I was already on the fence about staying, it wasn't the same magazine that I paid to be featured in. Then came another interesting blow - a co-owner has been hired. I know this girl reasonably well, and she's barely been on the blogging scene that long - it really doesn't make sense to me or to the people who I've discussed it with. 

So for me, this is the beginning of the end. 
It's also added onto the other little niggles there's been with it - namely communication. Which became so stressful, even asking a simple question was difficult, and caused more trouble than it was worth.

I asked jelinna, with a 1 year contract how many photos should I expect to get, the reply was 10-12, on my calculations, keeping with 1 issue every 2 months, I'd need to be featured twice in each issue - realistically not going to happen. So yesterday I decided to quit Vogue. 

Some of you may gasp and say "Throw away this opportunity?!?!" but I would be rather blunt with you and tell you it's not worth it, it's a virtual magazine, it literally means nothing in RL.
"But you paid 900 SD's!!!" you exclaim next, and this is where it gets interesting. I paid up, on these rules:
I completely understand them, and totally get the final sentence: "For violation of the rules you will be excluded from the agency and you will not get SD back" This makes perfect sense, and is completely acceptable.
But I didn't break the rules, I followed them to the 'T', so surely I could get a partial refund? I think it's reasonable to ask for a partial refund (I would never expect full, I did get 2 photos from the contract), half would seen right to me. 
So I asked this when I said I would like to quit Vogue:
To me this is fairly reasonable, I've explained why I'd like to leave and why I think I'm entitled to a partial refund - it's not like I've said "I'm quitting, refund me now!", and the response I get:
Apparently I should have known when I signed up that I wouldn't want to stay with Vogue for a full year, it's all my fault apparently, and because I couldn't predict what I'd be thinking now, well, I don't get a single SD back. To me and the friends I've discussed it with, this isn't fair. As I said in my message, it could be seen as a rip off - and this is exactly what I think now, and nothing will change my mind.
Jelinna is ripping people off because she can make graphics and has a bit of fame, and it's not fair to the Stardoll Public! 

I wanted to make this post now to help people see that paying money (albeit virtual money) for a feature is absolutely not on, particularly when you can go to any other SD magazine and get a feature for free, there are many good and up-and-coming magazines which don't ask for anything - Haute, Flare, Elle ... the list goes on! So I want to put the word out there to you people desperate for a magazine feature - don't part your SD's for it, because if you have any doubts after taking the contract, your SD's will be long gone, and these days on Stardoll money is tight for most of us with these rising prices {there will probably be a post soon about that!}


Sorry for the rant, and that it's not about fashion or style, but to me it's an important matter!

23 comments:

  1. I can't believe she didn't even achknowledge my leave, I'm just so annoyed that I only got 1 feature with 500sd.

    Jelinna is a blunt, anti social person and I am glad I'm no longer affiliated with her!

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  2. i usually try to stay civilised when it comes to dealing with imbeciles like jelinna but i refuse to take a step back in this situation, and instead i will take one forward. i am fully confident in saying that jelinna is greedy, malicious, unfair, conceited lunatic and she should be shackled up in the deepest depths of an insane asylum.

    WHO in their right mind asks for 900 stardollars in return for a couple of graphics in a remotely popular magazine? i agree that her graphics are of an above professional standard but its incredibly rude of her to expect people to even pay that amount, the saddest thing is; they did. i don't blame people for coughing up the cash though, with the amount of shit in the starplaza, what else would you spend your $$$ on?

    it's funny because jelinna has cheated herself on the fact that SHE has not kept to her original promise after demanding her applicants ensure they do. now its backfiring and she's making up poor as shit excuses as to why she can't pay back.

    she probably spent all the dirty cash she made on her overpriced ugly weaves, or maybe she used it to pay for a graphic designer and all this time the wool has been over our eyes as we suspect jelinna to be the mastermind behind these beautiful creations, when in fact it could be a middle aged professional from tokyo, or even a 16 year old boy from england *cough*

    i suppose what i'm trying to say is power has gone to jelinna's head. she's quite possibly the most powerful bitch in the game, sitting on her fortune and spitting with laughter at those whom she ranks lower in her personal hierarchy. she has transformed from a girl with a spectacular idea into a cyborg of no emotion except greed. she is a corporate machine, a weapon of mass destruction, but at the end of the day she is russian, so what did we expect?

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    1. I agree with most of what you said but it's not very nice to insult a whole nation. I know russian people who are very kind.

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    2. Actually, that was really unkind. If Chritina is not so kind to you, it can' ttell you anything wrong about the whole country. And, don't forget, that it is the biggest country in the world! So, please, be careful with your words!

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    3. @_StarHelen_; i'm not "insulting" a whole nation, ask anybody what russia is known for and they will either say funny hates or nuclear weaponry.

      @Sofushka999: i don't care if it's unkind, it's honest. what gives if russia is the biggest country? are all the russians going to target me or something? im prepared for nuclear war, i have my diamond encrusted helmet at the ready.

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    4. I totally agree with Jack.

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    5. I'm Russian. At my place there lives a bear or the Amur tiger. I drink vodka every day.
      Hey Jack, what label you still will hang up on Russians?
      Ah, in the middle of my shed there is a nuclear reactor. *^^*

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  3. I never really wanted to model for Vouge. You can't work with any other agencies when you're a model for jelinna's magazine. If Vouge models had more freedom (and were for free), then I'd sign up. But for now I don't even consider that option.

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  4. I remember the day when I saw jelinna announce that models had to pay for becoming Vogue Models and I thought to myself: "Who is ever going to give so much?"

    But she makes very beautiful graphics and being in SD Vogue sure brings fame to your vitual life, which I believe all of us, little or much, want. So people fell for it.

    At the back of my mind I knew something was going to happen as when you ask for so much, there will always be mistakes made and of course people who will fight for their rights (let's say as it's all a virtual game but still, the sds are real money too)

    I just hope that she will have the dignity to give a partial refund to the models that didn't get what they paid for.

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  5. I am very happy that you did this post. I for a while have been considering paying the 500sd's. I am happy that you have shown me that even though they are great graphics there is probably not much point me spending so much money on it. Thank you!

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  6. I mean, Christina's graphics are okay, but they aren't nearly as good as someone like Nika's graphics. The only think I'd say she accelerates in is hair, other than that, have you seen her collarbones? They are only one layer, and just pretty much a line with a dip in the middle of it. Also, in other news, I think her graphics have plummeted rather than risen, if you know what I mean.

    As for money, I don't think its worth it. I'd rather pay an agency that costs money for multiple jobs, other than having your face used in only one magazine. I don't think its fair to take advantage of someone's money for just a few graphics.

    What you asked of Christina is reasonable. There's no reason why you shouldn't get a partial refund. Since its been six months, which is the duration of the first contract, which was 500sd, I think you should get 400sd back (amount left from the second contract).

    I think this is just a good lesson for those whom are wondering what to spend their money with.

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  8. There is no doubt Christina is an EXTREMELY powerful player on Stardoll right now.

    I also agree with Lindsey, the past two releases of Vogue have gone downhill and are quite disappointing.

    Her skills are extraordinary though. The fact she has been able to make players pay up to 500-900sd to get featured in a few graphics or pay 100sd for an advertisement on her blog is completely crazy.

    I definitely think she should give you a partial refund.

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  10. Christina's graphics are incredible, and because of this she has become one of stardoll's most powerful players who can get and do anything they want when they want.

    But however the fact that she could actually get players to pay 500-900sd to be featured in her graphics is incredibly crazy! I think if you are paying that much she should give you a partial refund.

    I would never pay 500-900sd for my minute of fame, so others should be warned about what they are getting too, and what happens when that novelty wears out.

    I think something should be done about this, but with the power she has on stardoll there is little chance of what could be done. Thankyou for raising the topic.

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  11. Personally, I think you should stay on the contract until it expires, then be guaranteed a refund, as she will not have featured you as much as she promised. But she did go one step too far this time.

    lj xxx

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    Replies
    1. I agree, finish the contract to try to get as much value for you money as possible.

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  12. Anyone who paid 900 stardollars for this was foolish to begin with. You got what you paid for. Just saying.

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  13. I would never pay for that much not in virtual or in real. But if you heard National Anthem by Lana del Rey it says "Money is the anthem of success" or "Money is the reason we exist" wich is true because of her magazine Vouge and her amazing graphics but the fact is jelinna is like a greedy buisness women who's going to use all those stardollars on clothes and hairdesigns because people cant get a refund of your sd you worked hard or payed.

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  14. Jelinna is irresponsible :/ I wait in a the end this 'contract'

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  15. it would be only fair of her to give you the money back since on the regulations there were no such thing as *you won't get your money back* therefore the reasonable thing to do would refund it. I have clearly lost all respect I had for the maker of that kind of contract. 900 stardollars are way too much for a virtual magazine anyways

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  16. To be honest, I thought it was crazy that she was asking for 500sds and 900sds for contracts. I wanted to be an Exclusive Model but I definitely wasn't going to pay all of that for features in a virtual magazine (even if she was really going to feature me 12 times). However, I think she should give refund to anyone who quits, because -as someone else already said- there is nothing in the contract that says she won't give a refund if she is the one who doesn't keep her word.

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  17. When I saw that Christina opened that modeling house, I was a little happy because I though I will have more chances to get in if I pay. I don't know, I just considered VOGUE one of the best magazines than, so I payed 900sd to become a model but I was featured only once so far and this is the graphic: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FSS2BKxJLjE/UJJ6m47depI/AAAAAAAAAqc/q_gszno6N4M/s1600/vogue-magazine-september-issue-2012-%237-V.Beauty-model-conectt3-by-jelinna.png

    She only edited the doll's face and draw the hair. That's all and I payed 900sd.
    To be honest, I regret it now and only now I see what a fool I was :L
    Idk, maybe she will feature me again..

    Oh and when I talked to her a few time ago, she told me she decided to make one issue every two months so it could be more longer and better but idk this is my opinion but it wasn't better then any other issues of her :/

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