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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not pay a crafter for a bespoke made item

586 replies

wherethewildrosesgrow · 02/03/2020 18:46

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Jamieson90 · 02/03/2020 23:00

You don't knead to pay her any of your hard earned dough. Honestly, you'd be a right donut if you paid her anything. You must rise to the occasion and email her back at once and tell her that her current practise is a recipe for disaster. In fact she'll have to cook up much better products and earn her crust or her business will be toast. Please whatever you do, don't be a muffin and get burnt!

DameOfGroans · 02/03/2020 23:01

@Grobagsforever

Kneaded not needed, surely?

MsJaneAusten · 02/03/2020 23:02

Oh please tell us which group this is on so that the good people of mumsnet can explain why it’s more ‘discustink’ to use pallets than it is not to pay for a design you didn’t order...

Sausageandchipteaanyone · 02/03/2020 23:02

Delurking to shamelessly beg for a picture of the bread bin!

I've searched fb and alas can't find it ☹️

wherethewildrosesgrow · 02/03/2020 23:03

They’ve been on the workplace website, and have messaged the emergency moblie contact number, which my colleague has tonight, I’ve received 6 messages via Facebook, so I’ve temporarily disabled the contact button to non friends.
A lady has sent me a message via a friend to say that the crafter in question, used to work as one of a pair, and it was the other partner that she shared a workshop with that made the wooden items, not her, so the pics on her site, and the work I saw at the craft event were most likely not hers, she apparently made pottery items.
She decided to make wood items herself when they parted company on bad terms.
Shes put me in touch with the original woodworker.

OP posts:
BedStuy · 02/03/2020 23:04

In your OP you said you met this lady at an event and her work was amazing. Did you actually see the work in real life or just pictures?

wherethewildrosesgrow · 02/03/2020 23:05

At yeast I didn’t part with any money

OP posts:
MadeForThis · 02/03/2020 23:05

Wow. She's not wise.

DameOfGroans · 02/03/2020 23:06

Jesus. This has turned quite nasty. I'm sorry, op.

Unusualsuspicion · 02/03/2020 23:07

Clearly she's a chancer, but actually 70 quid for a beautiful handmade piece of joinery is way too little. Think of how long it'd take to design, cut out, assemble and finish a bespoke piece, then add the cost of the solid oak. Even if you assume minimum wage for the labour (and why should you, joinery takes years to learn), do you really think you can knock up a beautiful piece of joinery in, what, 4 hours? Someone laughed at 250 quid upthread but if you were actually trying to make a living out of this then that's the kind of ballpark for what you'd have to charge. Fine to say 'outrageous amount to pay for a bread bin' - buy one from tk maxx or wherever - but don't expect a skilled craftsperson to make you bespoke delights for less than a living wage.

BedStuy · 02/03/2020 23:08

oops, cross-posted OP. Sounds incredibly nasty.

MolyHolyGuacamole · 02/03/2020 23:13

I think it's time for you to post on a local Facebook group about her (un)professionalism.

She's made her bread, now she has to lie in it.

MiddleClassProblem · 02/03/2020 23:14

Wowza! Sounds like she has a reputation and similar minded friends!

Yesmate · 02/03/2020 23:14

Wow. Her and her friends sound all sound bat shit crazy!! They have messaged your work emergency numbers!!
I would post in revenge about how she was displaying other people’s work and passing it off on her own. I’m a petty bitch though!

Unusualsuspicion · 02/03/2020 23:14

Sorry it's turned out so nasty.

Yesmate · 02/03/2020 23:15

Please give us her details, promise we won’t all message her and give her a taste of her own medicine 😉

bbpet · 02/03/2020 23:17

come on OP at least show us the finishing product.

bbpet · 02/03/2020 23:17

*Finished

ShesCurly · 02/03/2020 23:20

Fucking hell shes made this into something so nasty.

The thing she doesn't know is that you're so nice you didn't even want to tell her she'd made you something rubbish even though it wasn't anything like your discussions!

Ugh poor you. I can't believe people are threatening to call / message your work. And actually done so.

Depending on where you work they might actually give you a hand to deal with this as they'll want to minimise the ballache it causes them.

Might be worth mentioning to manager / HR so they have a heads up.

Bet you never want to set eyes on a bread bin ever again! Thanks

Qwerty543 · 02/03/2020 23:22

Bloody hell OP! What a twat she sounds. Thank goodness you didn't pay her any money

WhiteBadger · 02/03/2020 23:23

Oh. I OP. What turned into a lighthearted thread has changed quickly into something more serious. She is clearly batshit and might be tempted to ring 101. Her behaviour is nuts!

Blimey that escalated quickly.

So desperate to see her attempt!

overnightangel · 02/03/2020 23:29

If I’d ordered a size 10 silk dress and got a size 14 cotton one with BREAD written on the front I would pay for that so you shouldn’t pay for this !

Shinesweetfreedom · 02/03/2020 23:30

Fucking hell.
She’s one of these so called self employed to comply with UC chancers.
Hasn’t a clue what she is doing.
Social media is stacked with them.
Think they can make a bit of money on the side and have not got a fucking clue what they are doing.
Have a look on the Facebook page Scammers time wasters,rants advice and banter.Make your bloody hair curl

CarolHasAnotherUTI · 02/03/2020 23:35

but don't expect a skilled craftsperson to make you bespoke delights for less than a living wage

She was paying the price the craftsperson quoted, the fact that it's low isn't ops fault. Don't try and make out that it is!

Unusualsuspicion · 02/03/2020 23:38

I didn't say it was her fault Shock. I said that on the whole, people underestimate the value of bespoke handmade items. 70 quid was very low, which means either that the person in question is a chancer (as it has unfortunately turned out), or that they are a hobbyist who is vastly undercharging for their time and skill. The latter is quite common. I know hobby jewellers who basically sell stuff for the cost of the silver - which is fine but then people are surprised at the costs when someone actually has to make a living out of it.