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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:

Motoko · 28/03/2019 15:32

The mistake you made, was agreeing to pay all the previous increases. She presumably knows this is a special present for your daughter, and as you'd previously paid the increases, thought she could push it, and you'd just suck it up, because you don't want to disappoint your daughter.

I'm glad you're not going to pay any more (and I wouldn't even pay another tenner), and that you're not going to buy any more from her. What she's done is really underhand, and gives creatives a bad name. It's hard enough for creatives to sell their work as it is (like MadamButterface said above) without people being ripped off by unscrupulous makers like her putting people off.

MacavityTheDentistsCat · 28/03/2019 15:37

Do you think it's possible that someone else has meanwhile seen the work and offered her substantially more for it than her quote? Maybe the doubling in the price to you is actually her way of putting you off buying it so that she can sell it to them instead? Not acceptable but it might go some way towards explaining the ridiculous price hike.

Prequelle · 28/03/2019 15:38

Oof how can she have the cheek to double it

NWQM · 28/03/2019 15:42

I'm struggling to move on from my jaw dropping that she just charged double...did she say anything at all when sending the invoice?

FinallytheneedforaNC · 28/03/2019 15:44

Hi Krusty

I've had this once and regularly commission pieces. I called and asked why the price jump and why she didn't feel it was significant enough to call and discuss the options + additional price associated with each. I was only willing to pay an additional 10% of the original price agreed but compromised at 20%. That said, I was also prepared to walk away (given that £££ does not grow on trees). She also learnt a valuable lesson to speak to clients when projects are likely to run over budget and really discuss options and potential price increases.

Don't feel guilty, we all have budgets to stick to. Then again, I'm generally impatient with poor communication!

Jaxhog · 28/03/2019 15:45

You've done the right thing Op. She gave you a quote, not an estimate. A quote is a fixed price for an agreed outcome/product. She can't ask for more just because she did extra off her own back. Artists are notorious for this.

Original poster

krustykittens · 28/03/2019 15:45

She has just got back to me! The more elaborate piece is going to be sold to some one else and she has said she will make a simpler one for my daughter at the price we agreed! Phew! Another two month wait for my DD but we will get there eventually.

NWQM No, she just said, a did some extra work which has put the price up a bit. And then I saw the invoice and had palpitations!

OP posts:

Puzzledandpissedoff · 28/03/2019 15:47

You've done the right thing in asking for her ideas on how to resolve this and you're almost certainly right that she's trying to upsell you ... you've willingly paid "a bit extra" before and now she thinks she can ramp it up because you won't want to disappoint your DD

As a PP said, she'd be wise to handle this well so she keeps you as a client and avoids a bad rep if/when others find out

NWQM · 28/03/2019 15:47

If it's commissioned though isn't there a uniqueness too? That's not a great sentence but hopefully you know what I mean.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 28/03/2019 15:48

Cross posted with you, OP - glad she's seen sense, though sorry your DD will have to wait longer

Hopefully it'll be worth it

RedDogsBeg · 28/03/2019 15:49

Still shoddy of her expecting you just to pay for it in the first place. Check the new piece carefully just in case she unpicks the extra work and tries to fob it off on you.

What was her justification for doing extra work you never requested or agreed to? Did she apologise?

Auntieaunt · 28/03/2019 15:49

@krustykittens when was it meant to be finished by? I hope she's not expecting you to wait another 2 months. To be honest, if it was me I'd say thank you and take your business somewhere else due to her being a CF (plenty more talented artists out there)

Prequelle · 28/03/2019 15:49

I wouldn't wait for a new piece tbh. She's wasted months of your time.

Prequelle · 28/03/2019 15:50

You having to wait another two months because of her cheekiness isn't acceptable. She should swallow the difference.

RockinHippy · 28/03/2019 15:56

She is still bang out if Order, she should be selling that piece at the agreed price, she chose to do the extra work p, not you. The fact she has a buyer lined up stinks, she's probably shown it on Facebook or something & someone has offered her more money. That is no way to treat a loyal customer. I would not do business with her at all, she's an unreliable feckwit & it's people like this that get creatives a bad name.

Get yourself over to the arts/craft pages & see if you can find someone else who can do the work for you. This woman has took the pee & does not deserve your business

keepingbees · 28/03/2019 15:56

I agree you've waited quite a long time for this, I wouldn't be hanging around months for another from her. Months is quite a long timescale too. Can't you find another artist

dustarr73 · 28/03/2019 15:56

She has just got back to me! The more elaborate piece is going to be sold to some one else and she has said she will make a simpler one for my daughter at the price we agreed!
This makes me think she was pulling a fast one.She already had a buyer and was just trying to get you to pay more.

I would go elsewhere,god knows what she will add to the next one.

itswinetime · 28/03/2019 15:56

This is sounding a bit dodgy to me now I agree with pp who has suggested that she has had a higher offer for her work so is pulling a fast one! She happens to have a buyer willing to pay extra ready to go?

I would say you can't wait 2 months so you will have to find something else or some one else to do the work.

RockinHippy · 28/03/2019 15:57

I'm sorry OP but she is seeing you as a very soft touch & I can kind of see why

Everythingmagnolia · 28/03/2019 15:57

I would find someone else to do the work, you shouldn't have to wait again

Snowsquonk · 28/03/2019 16:05

Nearly had something similar with my child's piano teacher. They are often asked to do arrangements of popular tunes/songs from the shows etc and had put in their newletter that because of the time it takes they would have to start charging a cost. Fair enough. The teacher and my child decide to do a medley of songs from a show, but no cost is mentioned until the work has been done then we get the long chat about how many hours its taken, how it would be £3 per bar in the outside world but they won't charge that much (thank goodness) - when the invoice comes there is a note saying "30% reduction because long standing client" and it's reasonable - lesson learned, always get a cost up front! And I will have a gentle word with them in a few weeks that a quote at the time would be a good idea to avoid unwelcome surprises down the line.

Lweji · 28/03/2019 16:08

I agree that I wouldn't want to wait another 2 months.

I'd just reply that I'd take the work already done as per the original agreed price or just leave it.

RedDogsBeg · 28/03/2019 16:10

I agree with Lweji, out of order for you to wait a further two months because she chose to add to it without your agreement.

Original poster

krustykittens · 28/03/2019 16:12

Hi all, DD is home from school and I showed her the finished piece and she was not impressed with the extra work! Too fussy, not what she asked for! So buying that piece even at the quote agreed isn't an option. The artist has since apologised for getting carried away and has promised me DD will have work by the end of April at the latest. DD still really wants this lady to the piece as she loves what she does and to keep my daughter happy, I have agreed. I don't really care if she has another buyer, I just want what DD asked for at the price agreed!

OP posts:

Boysey45 · 28/03/2019 16:15

Is she a con artist?

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