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AIBU?

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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:
IHateUncleJamie · 28/03/2019 16:15

Will you still get it before your dd’s birthday?

If not, I’d email her back and say no, sorry, you’ve had to rethink as it was to be a birthday present so the extra 2 months won’t work for you. You will either buy the piece YOU commissioned at the price you both agreed upon or you will have to go elsewhere.

She’s being totally unprofessional.

IHateUncleJamie · 28/03/2019 16:17

Oh, cross post. Your (and dd’s) choice entirely but personally I wouldn’t give this woman any more opportunities.

WhereYouLeftIt · 28/03/2019 16:17

" 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. "
Earlier in the thread someone asked you if she could sell it to someone else, and you replied that "she probably could, it might take her a while". This almost sounds as if she already has a buyer already? If that is the case, cynical me would be wondering if the other buyer was not willing to wait 2 months as you have done, and maybe she has dealt with this by doing the embroidery work for the other buyer on top of the piece she was doing for you, and now she can fulfil their order and you have to wait another 2 months.

I'd have to really really want her work to wait FOUR MONTHS for it.

Lweji · 28/03/2019 16:17

At the very least demand a proper discount, for the delay, etc.

crosspelican · 28/03/2019 16:18

Phew! What a great resolution! And probably a good lesson to the artist not to get carried away and enhance the spec of a job without running it by the client.

Original poster
krustykittens · 28/03/2019 16:21

WhereYouLeftIt I do take your point but DD is insistent and it is her that is waiting on it. We haven't paid any money toward it so if it goes south again, DD is going to have re-think things. Oh, how I am going to enjoy explaining that to a teenager! Grin

OP posts:
Laiste · 28/03/2019 16:23

Not good that she is expecting you to happily wait 2 more months for what you ordered in the first place. However - because you asked her how to resolve it instead of telling her to do one then this is what's happened.

If you'd have rather the option of:

  1. her selling you this piece of work at the quoted price or
  2. cancelling the commisson entirely

then that's what you should have said. Hope it goes well anyway OP.

RedDogsBeg · 28/03/2019 16:23

Good work, OP and good that the artist has reduced the time frame so your dd doesn't have to wait so long.

I'd be sorely tempted to ask for a discount when the time came as the artist has messed you about so much, but, probably better to just have what you ordered, make your dd happy, don't use the artist again or be very, very wary if you do.

Laiste · 28/03/2019 16:24

Yes to asking for a discount for the delay!

Two can play at being opportunists OP ... Grin

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 28/03/2019 16:25

Does she have any form of social media page because in this situation I would be leaving a very honest review.

I appreciate your daughter wants to piece but she is making you wait 4 months for something instead of 2 because she messed up. That's bad enough but she isn't even offering you a discount for wasting your time.

spiderlight · 28/03/2019 16:34

Is anyone else absolutely dying to know what this piece is??

RockinHippy · 28/03/2019 16:37

With your DD so keen, I can see why this is more difficult to kick the CF artist to the kerb & I'm glad you have a quicker date than she first offered.

I agree with giving her an honest review though & definitely find someone else or next time, I doubt this artist does anything that isn't/can't be done elsewhere & IMHO any any artist that deliberately messes a customer around like this cannot complain when that customer goes elsewhere, even if it ends up with the artists work copied

PuppyMonkey · 28/03/2019 16:46

Well, I agree she sounds proper dodgy. Fair enough if you’re happy to go ahead with the simpler version for the sake of your DD, but I wouldn’t go back to her again.

“Got carried away.” GrinHmm

Lweji · 28/03/2019 16:47

Is anyone else absolutely dying to know what this piece is??

Yes!

Original poster
krustykittens · 28/03/2019 16:49

I know it sounds really dodgy, I do. But I have been buying from this lady for about four years, never had a problem and I have always been happy with her work. I just cnnot understand why she would do this now, even if she did just think, "Oh, this would look so much nicer" why didn't she agree it? If materials have cost more than she thought she has always emailed me and asked if it was ok. This is completely out of the blue.

OP posts:
Lweji · 28/03/2019 16:49

I'd be sorely tempted to ask for a discount when the time came
Better, and even better if you say you'll only pay 50% or not take the work even though she finished it.

More seriously, I'd set the price (with the discount) and the exact time frame before she even starts the new commission.

DarlingNikita · 28/03/2019 16:50

I'm glad you resolved it, but I do think she was trying it on and it's not very impressive. Neither is 'getting carried away' Hmm. It would all put me off using her in future.

I work freelance to either agreed individual fees or generally understood (over industry norms/client history) time and cost parameters. If someone sent me work that I could see was going to cost more than the fee or run over significantly time-wise, I'd always alert them.

Original poster
krustykittens · 28/03/2019 16:55

I am a freelance journalist and I also write children's books. I get told by my publishers what I will be paid, so no wriggle room there (and I leave any arguing to my agent) but with articles it is easy enough, prices are set. I would never do more work that I was commissioned for and expect to be paid for it and if a client's budget was not big enough for the requirements I would simply point it out and refuse the work if they refused to up the budget. I was just so shocked this morning and while I liked what she had done, didn't like the way she was handling it. What do I know any way, when DD's first reaction to work I thought was lovely, was "Nononononononono, I DIDN'T WANT THIS!" The customer is always right! Grin

OP posts:
RedDogsBeg · 28/03/2019 16:56

Having read that you have been buying from this lady for four years if she had any decency or belief in good customer service she would discount the piece without you having to ask.

SheeshazAZ09 · 28/03/2019 16:57

No way should you pay this bill, and I speak as a self-employed person who does a lot of work on commission. I do sometimes put in more work than planned but I stick to the quote always. First rule for self-employed contractors is that your client should never be surprised by your invoice. If you want to do more work than the client originally agreed, then you clear the extra amount of work and money in advance with the client. In writing. This woman is taking the p*ss.

Spottyowl · 28/03/2019 17:01

I am an artist and I do commissioned work.

My first thought was that the work has turned out more nicely than the artist expected, and she thinks she can get more from it elsewhere.

Personally I'd tell her to shove the commission up her arse now.

I'm a painter rather than someone who works with embroidery or whatever but surely you have a pretty good idea of the materials needed before you quote and then quote accordingly? As far as extra work/time goes... sometimes my paintings take much less time than I expect and sometimes they take double; that's my problem though, not the client's.

RockinHippy · 28/03/2019 17:02

I just cannot understand why she would do this now,

unfortunately I think I can as it's something I've seen many a time before. I suspect your artist is having a bit more success & attention of late & it's gone to her head. Leaving her feeling that her work is worth more & she didn't see it as messing you about, as in her mind you can obviously afford it & it's too cheap & as she's the artist she will do it her way, because she can, plus she knows she has you by the short & curlies because of your DD😏

Accountant222 · 28/03/2019 17:05

Awkward! I think you've got to say something, I'd phone rather than email. I hate it when things like this happen.

MrsPlesWearsAFez · 28/03/2019 17:08

Can you even tell us what sort of thing (eg wall hanging) it is OP?

CuriousaboutSamphire · 28/03/2019 17:09

Not sure why people are calling the artist names, casting nasturtiums, etc... OP said she has explained, found another buyer and agreed to re-make what was ordered.

I make mixed media stuff, mostly fabric, machine and hand stitch. Occasionally you do get carried away with a technique. Some customers wil pay for the extras others won't. This artist ma yhave learned her lesson, check first. But that doesn't mean she set out to rip anyone off!

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