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

Yanbu, as long as yu message straight away. Right dimensions and wood are a minimum requirement for a bespoke item.

If mail and say, “sorry hun - think you’ve mixed me up with another order? I was the one with the one on top design, with shelf, reclaimed oak and no lettering.”

Then sit back and wait

God, it sounds awful! Made out of an old orange box! Just cancel it.

No matter how you handle this, beware that pallet wood is often full of chemicals and therefore toxic.

@DesLynamsMoustache cross posted!

I don’t suggest pretending it’s for someone else in a passive way, though. Just think it’s funny because it’s soooooo wrong.

I’d actually advise just sending a factual response.

Donate it to the school to use as a raffle prize. Why should OP donate her MOTHER'S DAY and CHRISTMAS PRESENT because someone cleay can't be bothered to follow a brief?

Sounds like it's one she made for someoen se that got rejected

How can pallet wood be hygienic? They hang off the back of lorries and sit on floors of warehouses, I walk on them at work and they could be wee'd on by mice or rats. I think I'd change my email address and leave the country, probably less painful than cancelling the order

I think she’s still treating this as her fun hobby rather than a proper business and making what she thinks is nice, although it does depend on exactly what was said and agreed.

Maybe you were a bit vague and she thought she could play around with the spec a bit?

Unfortunately, you’re going to have to make it clear that you aren’t interested in her re-interpretation of the design but you want Exactly what was originally agreed. You’ll need to re-send her a copy of the agreed design drawing, quoting the dimensions and starting that it was to be made in Oak.

Sounds like she’s got a learning curve to navigate.

I wonder if she has sent your the wrong photos? It sounds nothing like what you agreed on.

Oh god, I'd have to buy it off her and then gift it to someone else. I couldn't tell someone their handmade bread bin was crap. Donate it to the school to use as a raffle prize

Are you kidding? Its costing £70!!! Who in the right mind would spend that kind of money to spare someones feelings and then donate to a raffle.

What about the old 'I think you've sent me someone else's pics by mistake! Mine is the one without bread on it and insert other details here' trick?

I’d probably start with that too, making sure to include all the agreed details in the reply.

And then move onto “it’s not what was specified and agreed on, so I can’t pay you for this” if she insists it’s yours.

Sounds like she’s found a random breadbin on a Facebook selling page and is trying to pass it off as her own work?

I could not buy that as it would bug me forever. And I wouldn’t want to give her chance to put it right either - her judgement is seriously off if she thinks you can swap oak for pallet wood and I wouldn’t want anything she’d had a hand in.

Did you have a contract? Do you at least have in writing what you agreed? Refer back to what you agreed and why what she has made is different. Give her the opportunity to rectify the issue and if she doesn't, move on.

She’s made what she wants and not what you want. She hasn’t kept to her side of the agreement. No deal!

I was kind of on the fence about this, until I read the words, "pallet wood". My neighbour gets pallet wood for free, from local shops for his wood burner! I would reply with, "I requested oak and with a shelf. I did not want writing displayed." See how she replies. Do not waste £70 on something you didn't ask for!

No way do you buy that bread bin. It’s not what you wanted.

Hi Crafter
I’m afraid I won’t be purchasing the bread bin from you as it doesn’t resemble the design we discussed and agreed on at all.
Roses

I’d send a message asking if she’s sent you someone else’s image as nothing about it is what you ordered.

I’d be fuming. Pallet wood, Wtaf?! And the wrong size/shape? She’s gone off piste, I’d be cancelling that order tout de suite.

I sell my own handmade stuff and if I feel I have to deviate from an agreed design for any reason I contact the buyer and check. This is so that I avoid this kind of situation. If you are genuinely unhappy, and it really isn't what you agreed (do you have proof to show her?) then you MUST tell her. As a maker I would rather re-do something than have an unhappy customer. If she is new to selling then this is something she needs to learn. In my eyes I am a professional and I have to act like one!

"I'm sorry, but we agreed on reclaimed oak. I would never have given the okay to pallet wood, because of the chemicals in it.
I'm sorry, but I can't accept a bread bin that isn't made with food safe materials."

If she tries to come back at you, then mention the lettering and the shelf. But I think the material is key.

Hell no, don't buy it! And don't feel bad about it either. She needs to stick to what customers order or she'll have no business. Pee'd on pallets scented toast? No thanks.

Bread bins that say "BREAD" are my pet hate (I also lead a charmed life ) so I would have to reject it for that alone!

You can't put food in something made of old pallets - they'll be treated, most likely, with wood preservative which may well be toxic.

Why on earth would you put “I’m sorry” in twice though?!

Just be clear with her it is not what you discussed and that you thought she was clear that you wanted oak, a certain height etc. Just ask her if she can go ahead and make you want you discussed or you'll have to look elsewhere.

I'm sure she will just try to sell the one she made in a craft fair or something so I wouldn't worry too much about that and anyway it's not really your problem plus if it's made from pallet wood it won't have cost her much other than her time.