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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Artist bill is nearly twice what I was quoted!

242 replies

krustykittens · 28/03/2019 13:01

Hi all, I have commissioned stuff from an artist in the past whose work I really like. I tell her what I am after, she quotes me a price, sometimes the bill is £5 or £10 higher because of materials but no problem. I commissioned something from her for my daughter's birthday (my daughter knows she is getting it). She quoted me a price and has just come back to me today. The work is done, she bit a bit more work into it than we agreed, the final price is now nearly DOUBLE the quote! I don't want to offend her, I would like to be able to commission from her again, but I do feel really a bit pissed off that the price has increased so much! I was going to offer to pay the difference in another month as I have the original price set aside but no more. But the truth is, I don't want to pay nearly double the quote and feel she shouldn't have put work in that wasn't agreed - or have come back to me if she felt the original quote wasn't going to be enough BEFORE she did the work. What would you guys say? I was thinking of some thing like, "The work is stunning, as usual, but a lot more than I had budgeted for, based on the quote. Can we come to some arrangement?" and leave the ball in her court?

OP posts:

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 28/03/2019 14:15

I would expect her to supply the piece for the quoted price. I wouldn't expect my DD to be disappointed because the artist decided to do something different to what you asked for and at twice the cost. I'd fully expect her to suck up the extra time she wasted. If you were feeling generous you could offer to cover the cost of materials but you should not feel obliged to - this is on her.
I would not be talking in terms of not completing the sale - you are entitled to the work you commissioned at the price agreed.

NotWhatWhat · 28/03/2019 14:19

She is taking the piss. I’d say that you don’t want to pay and leave it up to her to negotiate. It’s worse than ‘unprofessional’ it’s outright dishonest. She is trying it on with you.

Pinkcar21 · 28/03/2019 14:21

If she was doing something that she knew would be more expensive, she should have consulted you before she even started the embroidery. It’s unprofessional and rude. Your response sounds fine but definitely ask her why. Also liked someone else’s suggestion of paying a little over the quote but nowhere near double.

Tudorblue · 28/03/2019 14:22

I am an artist and would never even think to do this! If it took longer than expected/ more materials I would suck the cost up myself.

melj1213 · 28/03/2019 14:22

This artist is taking you for a ride - you cannot just add unwanted and unrequested extras to a commission and charge the customer for them after the fact!

I would send her a factual and professional message saying you either want the item you commissioned at the price quoted; she will have to suck up the extra cost for the extra work and sell you the item at the quoted price or lose the sale. Put the ball in her court.

Dear

Thank you for getting back to me with the final piece, its beautiful and over and above what I asked for.

However, the price you originally quoted was ££, and that is the price I commissioned my item at. I am not in a position to pay the new price of ££££ you have asked, as it is double the amount I had budgeted.

I appreciate all of the extra hours/work/detail that have gone into the piece but I did not ask for them in my original quoted commission nor was I consulted prior to the work being done. If I had been, then I could have told you that I could not afford the extras and told you not to include them.

As you know this is intended as a gift so therefore I am willing to pay the original agreed ££ quoted price for the item you have already created. Equally I am willing to pay the original agreed ££ quoted price for you to create the item with the specifications I explicitly commissioned without the added embellishments and for you to sell this current creation on to another customer.

If either of those options are not acceptable then unfortunately I will have to withdraw from our agreement and will not be purchasing the finished product as I have not been been provided with the item I asked, and was quoted, for and have no intention of paying double the agreed upon quote for something I did not ask for.

I hope to hear from you soon regarding your decision.

krustykittens

Original poster

krustykittens · 28/03/2019 14:23

Hi all, I have sent her an email basically saying that I have set aside only enough money for the work that was originally quoted - I simply do not have the extra and won't be paying for work done that was not agreed, no matter how lovely, so please advise how she suggests we resolve this situation. Tbh, I am never using her again because after reading all your replies I can't believe this is anything other than sneaky upselling, which pisses me off. I have always used her for gifts etc in the past as her work was affordable! I have commissioned from her twice or bought pre-made pieces online and never had a problem. I will just have to wait and see what she says. I now a few of you are dying to see it (I would be too!) but I don't want to start a bun fight online and I am trying to keep this as annoymous as possible.

OP posts:

RomanyQueen1 · 28/03/2019 14:35

There's a difference between a quote and an estimate.
If it's a quote you pay that amount only. An estimate you fix a percentage difference you are prepared to pay above the estimate.

MissConductUS · 28/03/2019 14:35

She offered you the goods for a specific price and you accepted the offer. That's a legal contract, and easily enforceable as you have it in email.

I agree that it was a sneaky upsell and that you are under no obligation to pay for the extra, not agreed to work.

We just had our roof replaced. If the builder came to us and said We noticed that the siding on this wall was rubbish so we replaced it and it raised the cost of the job we'd tell him thanks for the free siding.

itswinetime · 28/03/2019 14:36

I know your being the bigger person and all which is very grown up of you but I'd settle for seeing work like it if that's an option just saying

RedDogsBeg · 28/03/2019 14:38

Do not pay the increased price for this work, do not even offer to pay any more than the agreed quoted price.

Send them an e-mail stating quite clearly that:

You did not ask for any extra work to be done on the piece.
The artist took it upon herself/himself to do extra work on the piece.
The extra work and subsequent extra cost was not discussed with you nor agreed by you prior to it being done.
You are not liable to pay anything over and above the original quoted price.

As nice as the work may be you cannot allow yourself to be taken advantage of like this. The artist has already been softening you up with little 'extras' and now has hit you with a massive increase because they think they can get away with it - don't let them, it's appallingly unprofessional behaviour.

BumbleBeee69 · 28/03/2019 14:38

well done OP, you have done the right thing challenging her artistic add ons

Coyoacan · 28/03/2019 14:40

Well done, OP.

I am a prosaic translator but when I give a quote and accept a job that turns out to be more difficult than I imagined, I take it on the chin.

Bringbackthestripes · 28/03/2019 14:40

I can’t wait to hear what she replies! I wonder if she is on MN?

eggsandwich · 28/03/2019 14:41

As soon as she realised the price increase she should of contacted you to tell you and give you the option of continuing with the purchase, but to be honest to miss quote at more than double the original quote she really should know her stuff and not be that far away from what she quoted to begin with.

Original poster

krustykittens · 28/03/2019 14:43

itswinetime you are a silver-tongued devil but I am not falling for it!

Bringbackthestripes Oh God, I hope not! I don't want a row, I really don't!

OP posts:

M3lon · 28/03/2019 14:44

Hope you can get a good final deal...somebody in the country needs too!

Smelborp · 28/03/2019 14:46

Good for you OP. I hope you get a sensible reply. Have you paid any upfront costs?

Original poster

krustykittens · 28/03/2019 14:48

m3LON

Smelborp No, we didn't, thank goodness! It will hoepfully be more incentive to settle this amicably. I am perfectly happy for her to re-start the commission, within budget, if she wants to sell the more detailed piece to some one else.

OP posts:

HingleMcCringleberry · 28/03/2019 14:49

I am a prosaic translator.

Don't be so modest Coyoacan, I'm sure you're an exceptional translator. We believe in you!

ReapersHowler · 28/03/2019 14:56

Any revisions need to be agreed upon between the customer and artist before they happen. Minor revisions should be free but massive changes made at the customers request need to be paid for.

You didn't request the changes so the onus isn't on you to pay. You stated clearly what you wanted and if she chose to make those changes she needs to absorb the costs.

RedDogsBeg · 28/03/2019 15:05

I cross posted with you OP, well done your message says exactly what it should. Don't back down, you are not the one at fault here and don't get sucked into 'being nice', this is a business transaction.

Dying to know the response.

You say you won't use them again, quite rightly, and do inform them of that.

Artist ought to reflect on the old sales adage that a dissatisfied customer tells between 9-15 people about their experience, quite a loss of potential customers.

BumbleBeee69 · 28/03/2019 15:05

tbf I'm curious about the work now too

MadameButterface · 28/03/2019 15:08

you've done the right thing op

normally I'm on the side of the artist or maker as often times people have no idea how much work goes into things - I knit and crochet and make jewellery on the side and sometimes do craft fairs and I know I and other makers often here 'yeah but I can buy a pair of earrings/handbag/t shirt in primark for £x' and we allll always sit there thinking 'go do that then basicface mctightarse', or you get people saying 'can you make me one of those if I buy you the wool' like they're doing you a massive favour and you're like errrrrr that took 20 hours, so no.....

THAT SAID, the artist/maker community has so many people hustling in it, most of whom are absolutely brilliant and whose work is underpriced and underrated and they all are trying to get a bite of a quite small cherry. so anyone who dicks about and takes the piss changing quotes and trying this sort of shit on has absolutely no business being a part of it. the people I know are beyond thrilled to get commissions and want to do the best job they can. word of mouth is EVERYTHING and a good reputation is priceless. I'm sure she'll come back to you with a workable solution :)

Lovemusic33 · 28/03/2019 15:30

I think she’s being cheeky. You didn’t ask for the extra work, she added it because she thought it would look nice.

I also make a product that’s handmade, I give a price before I make it, sometimes it might take longer than I thought, sometimes it turns out better than I thought it would but I don’t ask for more money, usually people will offer a little extra if they are really pleased with it but I always stick to my original price.

trulybadlydeeply · 28/03/2019 15:31

That's ridiculous - imagine getting decorators in to paint your sitting room while you are away. You agree the price, the colours etc. You then return a week later and discover that they have also replaced the carpet with a new one, because they thought it would look better, and are now charging you double what you were quoted. No-one would put up with that, however lovely the new carpet looks, so pleased don't put up with it from this artist. If she felt that the embroidery would be a good idea, then she should have contacted you, explained why, and given you a revised quote, then waited for your instruction.

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