Sanity check please - was I 'devaluing her art' or is this seller a headcase?

Nope, it doesn't benefit them in any way, they do it because they're ignorant as to how tax works in other countries (and often their own).

Sometimes it's because they think that if anything goes wrong and its missing or damaged, that they'll claim back the price marked on it but they won't, they'll (potentially) get back what they sold it for. Or we could all go around selling things for a tenner and when the postal service trash it, claiming their worth 5 million quid.

Do I agree with this? No. Am I surprised though? Also no.

I’m abroad and ordered stuff from a huge M&S clothing sale to be shipped to me thinking okay, that’ll be fine. Except M&S put the full price, not the sale price I’d paid, on customs. Maybe it was a single mistake, or maybe this is standard practice, but the customs cost absolutely sucked. I also have no idea if, here, we can get a refund if what we paid doesn’t match the listed custom amount. I’m definitely going to look into it though, because it feels like there have been several times shippers have put the full price when I’ve paid the sale price.

I agree with a PP that it's rare an artist isn't totally bonkers in one way or another. I also agree with the saying 'you can't argue with crazy' but would feel I had a responsibility to warn other buyers...
I'd write a review praising the beauty of the art (presumably you do really like it as you bought it?) ending with a brief, unemotive and factual "FYI for overseas buyers: the value stated for customs will be the original price before any discounts are applied, not the actual amount paid".

The value in art is in the creation, not the sale.

If an artist wants to be commercial - i.e. have someone else provide them with the resources to feed and clothe them in exchange for their art - they need to develop something that other people are prepared to work hours and hours in paid employment (that the artist is too precious consider would otherwise have to do themselves) in exchange for. Since the buyer only gets the object and not the satisfaction and personal fulfillment of making the art, it is hardly surprising that art is rarely worth as much to others as it is to the artist.

The artist you found, OP has a very inflated idea of their self worth and a sense of entitlement to other people’s hard work.

Ones very first economics lesson always includes the definition is that the value of a product is the price paid for it.

”I like this $ number to be written on it” means jack shit. One might almost say that she defrauded you in the third person (should that ever be a concept).

Yes it’s crazy to purposefully cause extra custom charges and she sounds like she has a God complex. Definitely leave a review in this case; she has been really unprofessional in her mistake and then in how she has handled your query/complaint.

For those posting out of UK there shouldn’t be VAT charged leaving the UK; VAT is only charged on products imported to or sold within the UK. Other countries tend to have between 17-23% import tax usually applicable above a certain value.

USA is about $800 before the recipient gets charged import tax for example. The high customs charges previous posters are talking about are often a handling/admin fee charged by the courier of around £15 which when added to any smaller import tax due soon racks up the amounts.

Totally mad. Maybe she ships from a small post office and is showing off about the sale price 😆

Why does she even care? Customs tax doesn't go to her right?

Anyway try not to buy from woe is me struggling artist types (even if you really like their stuff) because the lack of professionalism feeds into their customer service too. Most artists struggle but those who run their business professionally won't centre their online existence around pitiful posts

@funnybunny2 i have caught myself doing that. it's a fine line especially at christmas when there is a possibility of things getting lost or stolen.
mailing 4 pairs of pj's Canadian value $80 (which is a lie since no where can you find adult pj's for $20) and the vat is 40gbp (yes that is what i mailed at christmas) i only claimed the price was $20 cad but obviously the government officials thought different. but i wanted some money back in case it didn't make it.

Playing devils advocate, is it possible she put the higher (non-sale) figure/value of the artwork on the paperwork in case it got lost in transit and she needed to claim on the postal insurance?

Even if that was the case, she's clearly a prat and it's a shame because she's lost a loyal customer/fan

on a somewhat but not quite related topic mailing stuff to the uk from canada using canada post is a problem.
i mail stuff to my dd occasionally (when absolutely necessary) my latest experience was returning clothing she left behind after a visit (pj's in the wash several pairs of socks). i claimed $0 worth clearly wrote i was returning used items left while visiting. the uk side decided the value on pj's and socks meant 20 gbp vat fees.
she needed to pay 40+ gbp on christmas gifts i sent and another 40+ on christmas gifts her brother sent. and the gifts were tiny and she was miffed as certainly not worth the fees.
i'm sorry about the artwork hard feelings etc. but the way the uk charges vat doesn't sit well with me right now (yes still harboring hard feelings from christmas).

Unfortunately, there are plenty of them who are precious about their art and otherwise batshit.

😂🤣🤣 now THAT is escalation done properly 😂

Your description sounds like my relative who create things, but seems to get infrequent fights with people online, then of course the woe is me posts to social media, everyone is jealous of her and her work, etc, etc. 😂

I would likely try to sell the art or gift to someone and get that bad energy out of your house.

I Quoted wrong post 🙄

Headcase. She chose to discount it because no one wants to buy it at over-inflated, pie in the sky prices. Leave a truthful review saying seller is hostile and caused you to pay £££ is customs charges by listing the item at higher price than paid.

She says she doesn't make the rules, that she just abides by them, and that she's never paid import fees on anything but the value of the product.

She does not abide by the rules. The value of the goods for duty purposes is the amount paid - the actual value - not some notional 'value'. Sadly from what she's written any attempt to put her straight would be banging your head against the wall. But if you still have the invoice (price paid) and the packaging with the Customs declaration on it and the inflated amount, I'd hang on to them. You don't know where this might go next and if she really starts on you on SM having the evidence would be very useful.

Her original error could have been down to ignorance or ego, or a bit of both. Costly for you, but people make mistakes.

Her responses are mental though. What an unnecessary escalation, painting herself as a victim.

Please tell us her instagram page!!!

If you have a receipt from her, or a payment confirmation, could you get your money back in part from the Customs?

Bonkers.

Leave a review saying you would have bought more of her work if she hadn't stiffed you with the customs charges.

Explain that customs charges are based on orice paid, not what someone feels their item is worth. If the charges were based on what the artist felt their piece was worth, what's to stop them saying $100,000,000 on the declararion?

I've never been one of those posters who asks for extra detail for no other purpose than to be nosy, but I find myself really invested in this and really want to know who it is! 😂

I really can't be doing with creatives who are mega precious about 'their art' and think the world revolves around it. Please leave that honest review. Then feed back on how it's received!

I can only think that it's an ego thing for her. She can't bring herself to declare that her creation failed to sell at her original price.

You make an excellent point about the review though, but that said, it's well documented that Picasso was a complete cunt.

Ducking carrying on like she's Van Gogh.

Burn it and video it. Tell her you see that as art and if she kicks off she's devaluing your art.

Mad cracked cow.

The messages read like a misunderstanding to me. I think she genuinely believes you're supposed to put the "value" rather than selling price, so she thinks you're asking her to state the selling price fraudulently.

She's still clearly confused and ott and talking rubbish, though!

I'd send her evidence that the selling price is what's required by law, if that's possible.