Artist bill is nearly twice what I was quoted!

[krustykittens]

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?

Pleeeze! What is it ?

Is that possible on desktop? I'd use it if it was! Never seen it as an option though

You have to click on the option above the thread. I think once you choose it, all threads are shown in full if you don't logout.

She can’t sell a custom item anywhere else if the design is so specific.

Explain to her you’ve only budgeted for the quoted price.

Because you’ve had informal arrangements before where you’ve added a tenner here, a tenner there kind of thing, she’s just pushing her luck, that’s all.

And if she knows how disappointed your daughter will be, or how excited she is to receive it, she’ll play on your guilty conscience until you finally give in and pay double just to keep your daughter happy.

Tell her you won’t pay and she’ll start reducing it slowly back to the original quote.

She responded well I think, and will have learnt her lesson on establishing price upfront.

Nope, I think she concocted this plan after someone saw it and wanted to buy it at a higher price. It was an opt out clause.
Op pays the higher price = win,
Op pulls out and new buyer pays higher price = win.

Is that possible on desktop? I'd use it if it was! Never seen it as an option though

This feature is only available to users registered before 25/01/15. Anything after that and you're stuck with a 100 posts per page limit.

This feature is only available to users registered before 25/01/15. Anything after that and you're stuck with a 100 posts per page limit.

Booooooooooo

“How can you ask for so much? It took you a minute to draw this!”
“No”, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years”

Love it!!

How do I make OP comments show green (on my phone) please?

I did it on my laptop and it just automatically transferred to the phone app.

Did your Design the item?

Does the artist have the right to use her design without permission. a fee? Is it legal for her to use it, elaborate on it and sell it on?

Of course, if she designed the item herself these comments don't apply.

ShinyMe It absolutely won't be Josie Russell, she has done work for me and is 100% professional from start to finish.

My mum was casting nasturtiums 60 years ago, I thought everyone said that.

I say that stofi. My mam and grannie said it, and their mams and grannies before them, I expect.

'Tis a nice and amusing phrase

My mum was casting nasturtiums 60 years ago, I thought everyone said that.

Mine too @stofi. In fact, I can’t actually remember what it is supposed to be.

*My mum was casting nasturtiums 60 years ago, I thought everyone said that.

I say that stofi. My mam and grannie said it, and their mams and grannies before them, I expect.

'Tis a nice and amusing phrase*

Always been nasturtiums in my family too. Wonder if it's a regional thing?

@Yabbers it's aspersions (actually had to think for a moment though!)

Aspersions Yabbers

Cross-post Riccardo

Just googled the Josie Russell work after reading this thread. Wow, its stunning!

I'm a freelance artist. If I get carried away on a piece (and it happens) then I do it for free. The price quoted is the price the client pays. If I choose to do more that's my prerogative, it would be ridiculous to me to double a quote and I would expect to be told where to go if I tried it!

Thinking about if, it's just as well that she charged double as it sounds like you wouldn't have wanted what she did anyway and it would have been harder to walk away id price was as agreed.

Ditto night sky Am going to ask Dh to buy me a bag, a teatowel and a set of cards for mother's day!
www.josierussell.com/products

If you quote for something, but then that quote is going to vary in any way, for any reason, then you need to have a conversation first with your client. Otherwise you just look like an amateur, or a prize arse.

She’s taking advantage because she knows that it’s for your daughter and you will really be wanting it. Not a good way to behave with a regular client I’m afraid.

The artist is getting a bit of a hard time here. Given it’s always been a good relationship before, plus she’s apologised and suggested a sensible solution this time, I’d be quite happy to give her the benefit of the doubt and continue on a positive footing with her - as you seem to be doing OP.

Maybe if you briefly describe the item, there may be a MNer who could do exactly the same, in less than 2 months? (Trying to disguise my nosiness....)

Please don't say 'can we come to an arrangment' - it sounds like you want to pay in instalments. I would be honest say 'this is double the amount we agreed, can you re-do it for the agreed price.'