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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to refuse this sale?

163 replies

CharliesSister · 02/04/2017 13:27

I run a small business making bridal hair accessories.
I've been contacted to create a headpiece that matches this woman's bouquet, and she needs it by next weekend. (Rush orders for weddings are astonishingly common, but thats a whole other thread!)

She asks for a quote, which I provide. In retrospect, I massively under-quoted as I wasn't thinking straight, but obviously can't go back on that now, but I'm already losing out when you factor in the time taken to make the piece (I quoted £21 and its at least 3 hours + work, I'm an idiot).

I set up a custom order for her (Etsy) but she's refusing the pay for the piece, or a deposit, until she's seen photos of the finished item, in case she doesn't like it. I can kind of see where she is coming from but I can't really afford to spend hours designing and making something without at least a deposit to barely cover the material costs.

AIBU?

She's getting very stressed as her wedding is next weekend and I feel really guilty as she's saying this is spoiling her big day.

OP posts:

Olympiathequeen · 02/04/2017 14:46

I've got an etsy page and ask for a deposit as they are custom items. Yanbu to cover the cost of your materials and I think you are being very generous at that.

JonesyAndTheSalad · 02/04/2017 14:48

I agree with someone who suggests that for 21 she could go to Claires! Cheek! You should be charging more OP!

ScouseQueen · 02/04/2017 14:48

Exactly. I've just paid 30 quid extra to get a fast track passport done sticky. I can imagine what the passport office would say if I asked for it cheaper because it was stressing me out and I really needed it! There's a well established principle that if you want something fast/at the last minute you may well have to pay more.

Viviennemary · 02/04/2017 14:50

Just say no. That's not how your business works. She'll be lucky that anybody will do the work with such a short deadline. She sounds a total pain. I think she'll find every way to avoid paying. Steer clear.

Madwoman5 · 02/04/2017 14:52

See ya, byeeee, thanks for the order but I am going to have to decline. At this price I am on less than minimum wage. Best of luck for the wedding.

LindyHemming · 02/04/2017 14:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aeroflotgirl · 02/04/2017 15:04

I'd tell her no, that is not how you work.

ForTheSakeOfFuck · 02/04/2017 15:04

Nope nope nope. Having had a small business and done something almost exactly like this in a rush at the last minute, and then bent over backwards when the person wanted to see the goods first, we got stiffed to the tune of a few hundred pounds. Not world ending but really fucking annoying, especially since it wasn't enough to be worth taking legal action over, but still enough to sting us. If I ever catch up with you and your beautiful brass house nameplate, I will scratch the shit out of it, you dirty thieving fucker.

Anyway, her failure to plan is not your emergency. It's hers. And it remains hers. Politely decline due to time constraints/higher-priority orders/alien abduction/whatever. Get the hell out of it and run for the hills already. It's not worth the money or the stress. Let her play bridezilla with someone else.

unicorn5629 · 02/04/2017 16:07

Another vote for the perfect get out due to undercharging. She sounds like she's got a major case of the bridezilla unreasonables!

ThePinkOcelot · 02/04/2017 20:47

God some people. Dd has everything sorted for her prom and that's 23 June. Plus her hair piece was £68. Tell her to go jump!

FriendshipBraclet · 03/04/2017 08:22

OP did you tell her to do one?

Original poster

CharliesSister · 03/04/2017 14:27

She very reluctantly paid me the deposit but now is hounding me over getting it finished today. She messaged me at 10am asking whether I had photos for her yet. It's Monday! I wasn't even at the studio yet

She doesn't like the first photo I have shown her and seems to be asking me to create something that I've never made before, in a completely different style to all of the things in my store so if this continues I'm just going to have to refund her as I don't have the time, energy or resources to be experimenting with hair accessories beyond my usual style. A certainly not for £20. (totally my fault).

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 03/04/2017 14:29

Refund her now, this minute before wasting any more of your time. It'll also give her maximum time to find someone else to hound. Or get herself down to Clair's Accessories...

TheWitTank · 03/04/2017 14:38

Just refund her. Do it before you get a a million more texts saying she hates this and that and wants to change things and add things and wants it yesterday. Oh, and then brutally slates you on social media. Back out. Its not worth it.

expatinscotland · 03/04/2017 14:43

Stop being so damn ridiculous and refund her now. Why are you waiting for 'if this continues'? Get rid or you reap what you sow.

Stormtreader · 03/04/2017 14:46

Yup, refund her. £21 is not worth half as much hassle as you've already had.

SquinkiesRule · 03/04/2017 14:58

Refund her deposit, tell her poor planning on her part doesn't constitute and emergency on yours.
She is one of those people who will bitch moan and complain no matter what you come up with, save yourself the trouble and a day of working with something that will be rejected and she'll want her money back anyway.
Refund and tell her sorry I feel you will be better served elsewhere.

TheMysteriousJackelope · 03/04/2017 15:03

Refund her the money now. Tell her that unfortunately you are not experienced in making the style that she wants and her best option is to find someone more suitable as you are likely to run out of time before you can give her what she wants. Do it now so she has time to find someone. This is ridiculous.

Megatherium · 03/04/2017 15:09

You do have a slight problem now in that, having taken a deposit, you have an enforceable contract which you can't easily just cancel: in theory at least she could claim against you for any increased costs caused by having to go elsewhere on an even more last minute basis.

However, if she's radically changing the specifications so that it's not what you quoted for, you would be justified in cancelling - but you need to make it clear NOW that if that is what she is doing she will either have to pay much more or look elsewhere.

MrsXx4 · 03/04/2017 15:09

Yeah, refund her! don't waste your time. There is no need to be so rude and demanding at the end of the day you are doing her such a huge favour - if she has left it this late then that's her fault and she should be happy that anyone has the time to help her and fit her in amongst their other orders etc!

Don't feel bad OP! you've done all you can don't let her stress you out! stupid bridezilla! x

WatchingFromTheWings · 03/04/2017 15:11

legally you can refuse can't you?

Yup. Seller can say 'sorry I've messed up the price it's £x, are you still interested?' Even if it had been paid for seller could offer a refund or ask for the difference. It's not been made or posted out yet.

lazytuesday · 03/04/2017 15:12

YANBU at all

Lunde · 03/04/2017 15:18

I think it was a mistake to accept her deposit

However since you have done that I would make the piece you quoted for and if she rejects it then either:

say you are unable to to the revised order - saying that you don't feel you can make what she wants given the time pressure or
reopen the price negotiations as she now wants something different that you didn't include in the original costing (and you have wasted your materials making something she has rejected). Quote a high price that she won't accept

ForTheSakeOfFuck · 03/04/2017 15:26

Refund refund refund. Life is too short for this, and you and your time are worth more than this. Come on OP. Get up the courage. You can do it.

EarlGreyT · 03/04/2017 15:31

YANBU at all.

Just refund her.

This is not going to end well. She sounds totally unreasonable and I think she's going to be dissatisfied whatever you do, so you may as well put a stop to it now rather than after you've wasted more time and stress on trying to please her when she'll probably still be dissatisfied.

Her time frame is ridiculous-wanting it done immediately. I'd be telling her that a lack of organisation on her part doesn't constitute an emergency on yours.

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