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

She is so in the wrong here I think she is trying it on. Message back as @DesLynamsMoustache has suggested. If she isn’t pulling a fast one it is entirely possible that she has sent you the wrong pictures and Des’s message allows for that possibility.

Whatever you do, don’t be a mug and pay for this one - it’s not what you commissioned. If that costs her time and money it will be a useful lesson to her to stick to the brief in future and run any changes past the client.

I recently had someone come to fit a new granite work top. He called me in when it was done and asked what I thought. I was absolutely shocked and said ‘but the two pieces aren’t the same colour’. They were similar but not the same by any means. He looked and said equably ‘no they aren’t are they? They ran out of the colour you ordered and I thought the second piece was was close enough’. After a long silence I asked him to remove it and I’d order the colour I wanted from another supplier. If I hadn’t spoken up he would have left it like that.
It was all a massive PITA but he removed the unwanted counters, shouldered the cost and then reinstalled the new (matching) counters at a later stage. It cost him a great deal of time and money but I hope it’s stopped him trying the same cheeky trick again.

Definitely tell her it's not as agreed - you could leave it in her court as to what she wants to do about it - call it quits or try again.

She might have found it far harder than she thought to custom-make something to someone else's spec. It seems very odd that she would put words on the front that you hadn't asked for so it does sound like she struggled and has bought this one. Wherever it came from, though, you shouldn't be paying for it.

Oh, also
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.
OT but this is really sad, OP - I think you should reflect on why you feel you don't deserve nice things and get some help with your self-esteem.

Just e-mail her and put it right. I’m sure you’ll rise to the challenge

Search for it on line. You may find she bought it.

The very yeast you can do is post a pic of it, OP.

She sounds like a right pita. Tell her ciabatta sort it out pronto.

I’d go with the size of it, if it’s not what you agreed I’d say it’s too big for your worktop. It sounds completely different to what you’ve ordered, for example bread written in red also might not go with someone’s colour scheme so seems odd to add something like that without asking. Yes it’s a lot of money but I’m sure you’ve got the messages asking what you wanted so it’s not your fault.

To the poster who said the OP leads a charmed life, not sure that’s relevant, she ordered that’s not what was agreed

She didn't follow the brief. I make bespoke items for a living (not bread bins!) and if I should have a flash of inspiration on how to improve on the agreed spec I ask the client what they think first before changing anything, and go with what they decide. She's gone off piste without consulting you, so don't feel under any obligation. If you want to be kind you could try again with her if she will agree to make what you actually asked for, but don't feel you have to accept something which doesn't remotely resemble what you requested.

oh op that’s a tough one.

I think you just need to bite the bullet and reply:

Hello x,
I contacted you after spending a lot of time looking for a company that I liked the work of and could trust with my bespoke order.
This purchase was a big treat for me and I spent a considerable amount of time deciding what I wanted and then provided you with that information along with dimensions and material choices.
I specified these dimensions (your dimensions) and also that I would like it to be made with oak.

The product you have sent to me is in no relation to what I requested.

I no longer wish to make a purchase from you.

Thank you- (your name).

Simple.

70 quid's far too much dough to pay out for the wrong item in pallet wood. If she wants to earn a crust from her work, she needs to wise up, or her business will be toast.

Countess Ciabatta sort it out. You win the Internet this week!

I've taken bespoke orders for my craft-based business over 10 years.

I would NEVER make something that deviated from a client's brief. If I thought of something that might achieve their aims better, I'd email/visit and take samples and explain my suggestion.

Email her referencing your previous conversations:
"Hi, Crafter,
I was surprised by the photos you sent. As per my email of XX/Jan I specified this wood, and XX/Feb we agreed these measurements. In addition, I had not requested any lettering.
Had you sent the wrong photo? The bread bin in in this photo this is not what we'd agreed and I'm rather concerned."

She's not an artist answering her muse, she's a craftsperson executing a commission.

I think it would totally be worth the money if instead of BREAD, it bore the inspirational platitude, LOAF, LOAF, LOAF.

My husband is a crafter and makes this out of wood. He uses brand new tanalised wood, pallet wood is cheap and NOT safe. She's charging you top whack for cheap materials ... sounds like at £70 she's making at least £50 profit.
Say no to it, she hasn't stuck to the spec. My husband makes mud kitchens, pet bowls and bespoke orders and he checks at every stage that the customer is happy.
She might well be new to it but she won't get far if she disrespects customer requests!

No need to get a cob on, OP!

As an aside, does anyone apart from OP have / use a bread bin these days?

I feel like somebody like me should never even of attempted to have something handmade

I regularly get things made bespoke and I am surprised at how often they disappoint. I’ve never had anyone go off piste like your woman, but things are just often not as good as they are in my imagination.

*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 wink*

100% this

No need to turn it into a bun fight just be factual and polite....

I've got a bread bin, Bluetrews25. Mine is from TK Maxx though!

Just tell her straight

My husband used to do this, make things on commison from people and make what he thought they should want instead of what they asked for and then be wierd when they didn't want it or wanted to pay less. 🙄 (Sometimes these things would be double the agreed cost, so even if bought at agreed price he was fucking losing money!)

As someone up thread said, it's like they are doing it as a fun hobby instead of an actual business venture.

Politely explain that this is not what you asked for. She should have cleared and changes or additions with you first.

£70 is a low price for a bespoke reclaimed oak bread bin, I'm not surprised she's not making it with that - this is more what I'd expect
makemesomethingspecial.com/shop/wooden-bread-bin/

Meanwhile in the real world get yourself down to B&M.

Fantastic @viques 👏🏼

It’s like hairdressers who cut your hair the way they think it should be cut and not the way you ask for it. Apparantly their opinion is more important.

Seriously just be polite and say this was not the brief, the wood, dimensions, addition of lettering etc is wrong. I’m hoping that’s someone else’s bread bin you’ve emailed me, but if it is not then it is not something I can proceed with. Let me know if you can actually do the agreed brief in the agreed materials.

I’ve taken the advice and messaged right away
‘Hi X
I’m a little confused by the photos you sent me, as they don’t match the sketches we sent to each other, the sketches included an internal shelf, so the loaves sit on top of each other, instead of side by side, and I choose the the reclaimed dark oak, the pallet wood looks much lighter, and I didn’t request any lettering on the front...is it possible you’ve mixed up my order ?’
Therollockingrogue.... Charmed life??? Sounds like you think I’m from some kind of privileged background, with fuck all to worry about apart from what colour to choose for my next manicure...actually I live in a very modest house, myself and my husbands jobs come under the ‘unskilled manual labourer category’s, and we earn less than the national average wage..which is one very large step up from my roots, normally £70 would kit out my entire kitchen with items from the car boot.
I just wanted something nice for a change, I’ve dealt with some major stuff throughout my life, as many others just like me have, and I’ve come out fighting...sometimes it’s the small things that seem to take away the strength out of us, make us feel that that we are unworthy.
I think if my friends and family read this, they’d piss themselves laughing, and would never believe it was written by me.