The best way to find out is to contact the artist and ask them for permission. Sometimes people are willing to let you use their models if they get their name in the credits even if the license says otherwise.
I do not understand why cgt does not promote this enough? There needs to be better collaboration between buyers and artists otherwise fear kicks in and that is bad for both sides. Buyers don't know what they are buying or how the rules work or who to contact and the sellers don't see as many sales because of this too.
You want people with money to know how to buy stuff. That is why Amazon, Target Walmart and so many other stores do so well. People know exactly what the rules are, what they are buying and how to get it. Everything is super easy and hassle free.
They just bring their wallets or credit cards paypal and then start shopping. If our buyers are asking questions like this it means the rules are not clear enough or explained well enough. Before someone downloads a Free model a screen should pop up asking them to contact the user to ask specifics regarding the product they are purchasing or freeloading.
This would stop all kinds of misunderstandings happening. People would be able to ask the makers what their model specs are and if they would work for them. Most of the time people buy stuff and then have to return it or complain about it because they did not know what they were buying but all this could end with a few clicks and asking the maker about their product.
In the real world business is all about direct communication between buyers and customer service reps or store owners... I do not understand this whole millennial way of doing things.
It is so cheap and impersonal. There has to be a way to establish better communication I mean these days people are having to put up signs inside offices, Churches and Temples telling people not to play their Pokemon or other videogames in there... I mean what is up with people?
Where has the respect between people gone?
Again it happens online too because no basic rules of common sense and basic communication are being established.
People are giving away industry level standard models, fully lit rendered rigged etc... I mean there should be limitations on things like that. Buyers don't need a fully finished model to see the quality of it, it is enough to see the renders and then download the basic mesh into the scene to see if it runs properly.