To not pay a crafter for a bespoke made item

[wherethewildrosesgrow]

I’ve wanted a really nice bread bin for ages, fed up of my old rusty one leaving marks all over the kitchen worktop, saw a nice one on the internet, lovely design, but it wasn’t big enough, I needed a double/two loaf model.
Decided to splash out and get one made (wooden), spent ages sending pics/designs to local crafter, lots didn’t answer, or didn’t come back with a price after initially showing interest in taking on the project, or some couldn’t make it for nearly a year.
After a while I found a lovely new to crafting lady at an event, her work was amazing, and she quoted me £70 for a reclaimed solid oak bread bin, based on some pics I sent her, and included a rough sketch with measurements (internal& external), but I did say the size could altered slightly if she felt it would look more proportional, as long as it fitted two loaves (one on top of each other, with internal shelf), I even sent her a pic with the tape measure in front of the loaves I use for clarity...she sent me a sketch back, and I asked her to go ahead with the make.
Shes in the final stages, and today she’s sent me an update with pics.
Problem...it isn’t anything like the sketches either of us sent, she’s added the word BREAD in red to the front of it, which I never asked for, and wasn’t included in any of the pics or sketches.
It hasn’t got an internal shelf, the loaves look as if they are to fit side by side, so it’s going to take up far more valuable work surface space, and my kitchen isn’t big.
Im unsure if it’s even going to fit two loaves in...but it’s very hard to judge from a pic.
AND she has told me she’s made it out of pallet wood instead of the reclaimed oak, as she felt it looked more rustic...I did say initially I wanted rustic...but she gave me a samples of wood to chose from, and pallet wood is not the agreed oak.
EEEK.
Would I be really really unreasonable to say ‘I don’t want it, it’s not what we agreed’
I feel awful, as she new to crafting, and she’s lovely....but it, in my eyes anyway, it looks awful, I don’t feel I could use it elsewhere even.
This is my Christmas birthday and Mother’s Day present all in one, I feel like somebody like me should never even of attempted to have something handmade, I should of stuck to one for a fiver from B&M.
She’s on holiday til the weekend, so I don’t want to message her immediately, and spoil things for her

This really pisses me off, I earn my living by making handmade comissions and bend over backwards to make sure my customers are happy.

I always make a detailed brief and ask the customer to read it first before they commit to pay. And I always take the full payment before I start making the order. Customer is still protected by the distance selling regulations incase there’s a problem. Sadly many hobbyists aren’t clued up with the DSR though.

Luckily you hadn’t paid for the bread bin yet, it is entirely her mistake not to charge you in advance for it. Also based on your description, it’s a custom make but not a personalised which means you would have been entitled for refund by DSR.

She’s also in breach of GDPR by disclosing your name to her mates. So unprofessional not to mention all the blocking, FB rants etc. Makes it so much harder for us serious, small businesses.

She's happy enough to bad mouth you. I'd post it on here if I were you.

If it's not what you ordered then she has not fulfilled your contract.
Just say this is not what you asked for and so you need to cancel your order.

Can we have pics of what you sent and agreed vs what she sent you?

coconut No, it’s the crater’s mistake. She should have made a detailed brief before starting, detailing materials, sizing, any paint, wax etc and any text/personalisation. You soon learn this as it protects you incase the customer has had assumed something else.

Dough! Wheat's she playing at? Silly teacake, but at yeast she wasn't loafing around. Ciabatta nut take your complaint without a grain of truth. Soon be finished, so that's a wrap.

Anyone else searching Facebook for a picture of the Poisonous Breadbin!!

I have to say I’d like to see it too OP, can you smudge/cover her watermark with a pic editing app before sending it here? Or pm it to me and I’ll do it

She really shouldn't be selling items that will be touching food if she thinks that making them out of reclaimed wood or pallets is a good idea. She probably wouldn't have used a food safe finish, either. I wouldn't trust someone who mainly makes craft items to make food related stuff, you need someone who knows what they're doing. She clearly doesn't, whether she followed your brief or not.

You’ve muffin to lose by posting the pic here. Or rye not post a link to the page it’s on?

Baguette about it, OP

You did the right thing sending the message.

The diagram with "BREAD" and "BREAD" and her taking it literally to then be writing BREAD on the front is unintentionally hilarious. Sorry OP.

"Reclaimed oak" is bullshit, it was always going to be made out of pallets. She is a CF.

Old pallets are not safe to stire bread on. Yanbu. Liked the messages about you mixed my order as i asked for xy and z

You are right to be cautious about posting her images here - I wouldn't.
Lucky escape. Sad that she turned so hostile and couldn't admit her mistake.

So glad you spoke up OP 🌺. She sounds like a pure chancer 😱

Update:
One of her friends have said they know my place work, and has made suggestions that as many people as possible call up tomorrow let my employers know exactly what type ‘disscustin’ human I am.
She’s shared it all over local pages...people who’ve read the comments, including the comments I posted with her own sketches of the intended design against the real life item are agreeing with my points, and are astounded that she’s shared my details with her friends.
She’s threatening to ring the police
She looks an utter twat.

The minute one of her friends rings your employer you have proof of a GDPR breach, report it to the ICO, she might well regret that!

Well, from her scummy behaviour - and that of her friends - I'd say that removes any doubt that she was conning you

I now definitely believe she bought a cheap bin, tried to pass it off as her own (and doesn't like that it's bitten her on the backside)

Point out that she's not complying with GDPR; it'll send her into a complete panic. Maybe that's a bit mean, but she's badmouthing you to her mates and that's so unprofessional.

You have nothing to lose by posting pics here, so go on.... you know you want to.

I don’t think I can read without seeing this bread bin! Pleaseeeeeeeee

😂🤣🤣🤣

While the planet burns and the virus spreads.....

Mumsnet 'Not pallet wood!!! OH NO'

Thanks OP. Needed that.

😂😂🤣🤣😂

And also point out that she's in breach of European safety laws on selling kitchenware without doing a chemical safety assessment on her materials.

Wow she sounds vile and very unprofessional.

Looks like the crafters plan has gone a-rye.