advice on a questionable transaction please

Sorry to be vague with details in the following, but 1) I hate speaking bad of people unless something entirely egregious happened, and 2) I've seen in previous visits that the artisan in question is a member here. a) I don't want to embarrass them b) don't want to tick them off if I do decide to go through with the purchase.


I inquired about making a purchase from a crafter. and initially it was going well, better than expected, as they had made me a deal. After the initial offer though it's all seems to go downhill. Every time I turn around they've tacked on another fee or charge, for something they failed to mention.

Never before have I had to deal with something like this from any other artisan, crafter, hobbyist, reseller, or even antique dealer (aside from the expected haggling.) Every time I've had a commission piece done in the past (etc,) the person laid out everything right in the beginning or pointed me to a list of their services. The only times I've been treated as if I had "SUCKER" stamped on my forehead was by used car salespeople and in electronics stores; where upon I turned on my heel and walked out the door.

I contacted this person because I like their particular style and they had made what I'm looking for with great results, in the past, ...so walking out the door is something I'm hesitant to do.

Some of the fees are for extras that I'm used to being part of the package from other sellers in the genre. Not normal to charge extra, or if they do, they quote it as what the total cost will be. This guy keeps being like "well, do you want this thingy?" Then if I reply that it would be preferable, then he's like "Oh, that will cost you extra." ...and I have to drag it out of him how much extra. (And there are things that go just beyond the price hikes too, but it would give away my identity if he's reading.)

My gut is telling me not just to walk away from this, but to run. (and after the first price hike I made the seller fully aware that the purchase wasn't a for sure thing.) I have this thing I do for major purchases where I envision having it or not having it and what life would be like in either scenario. At this point I think I'd feel happier with out the item, than giving money to someone who wasn't up front with me. I hesitate pulling the cord however because his style really is unique, and I still want a piece by him. :- /

I would have expected better from him given that he's been around long enough, and all I've seen are happy customers.

The ONLY time I've ever not completed a transaction for a commission was the time my computer's hard drive crashed (literally crashed, shredded into hundreds of tiny little metal shavings.) We searched for weeks trying to find the person's email online (we had been using Outlook Express, so all our emails were gone,) to no avail. (This was back when you could still walk into a Gateway store to custom order one.) [Sorry guy somewhere in the US that was making the beautiful anime jewelry and weapon replicas!]

Where do I go from here? Do I let him know I feel slighted, do I just put my foot down at a certain price and say I'm not paying any more than this? Do I swallow my indignation and just pay full price? Do I just accept the guy was a jerk (or in the least, unorganized,) move on and find someone else more honorable (or with the program) to do a similar (but not as awesome) commission/piece?

I'm not looking for you all to tell me what to do, just opinions on what you'd do in my situation. I pretty much know in my head what I'm going to do, but I figure there *could* be an option/viewpoint I'm missing.

Thank you in advance for any words of advice you may have to offer.

Run, Run like Hell! The longer something like this goes on the harder it is to get out. If you're not confident about how things are going BEFORE the deal, there's a good chance it will be worse after the person has your money. There are tons of reputable artist on this board and other places. Trust your instincts, if it sounds suspicious cut your losses.

That's my opinion, based on what you've said. It's hard to be sure, not knowing all the details, but I've learned to trust my instincts.

Run Forrest RUN!

Seems to me you already know what you should do. If he doesn't know how much something will be bottom line, he's either not with it or he's milking you. If someone comes to me for work, no matter the scope, and they want a final price, I give it to them. If for whatever reason, my quote was wrong I normally take it on the chin. I build in some contingency just in case, but I am a person that wants one price and for it to be stuck to. I would keep looking for another builder.

I think at the very least, you need to specify to this person exactly what it is you expect - "I'm after this item, I'd like it to be 4 feet long, sprayed this shade of purple and the lights light up. How much will it cost (including post/packaging), and by what date would it be completed?". Having agreed price and time, if the maker comes back to you after a while and says "Would you like it to play 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'? Would you like a coffee machine built into it?", you'll just have to say "No thanks, carry on as planned".

If they can't do this, or if they're vague, that's the time to say "Not today, thank you", and look elsewhere, otherwise your "reasonably priced" item will slowly become a bit of a money pit.

I just want to thank the four of you for the kind words of wisdom.
and for the touch of humor Apollo and Exterminator added. [ I'm laughing, but I think I have heard the coffee maker thing somewhere before in an old maker thread about what someone commissioned... yearrrrrs ago... and I'd be crazy enough to go for bold. There's a leather mask maker with beautiful works of fantasy, and I was recently inspired by one of her more commercial works. (she made an instantly recognizable one of Rocket Raccoon and there is a clear difference from her generic raccoon.) There's a character with lighted whiskers (DJ Retchid Kat) and I was thinking of asking her if she could work with fiber optics.]

Hopefully I will have an update soon on the questionable transaction situation. I've already put plan B into motion. Worst case scenario you'll see me back here asking about commissions or asking for threads on how to build my own. ...and that's not such a bad thing ;- )

My philosophy before I commit to any deal is "if in doubt, don't do it".

Some things stand out. You stated that he keeps asking-
"well, do you want this thingy?" Then if I reply that it would be preferable, then he's like "Oh, that will cost you extra."
If you are adding stuff to your order, it's more than likely going to drive up costs.

And then you mention-
"and after the first price hike I made the seller fully aware that the purchase wasn't a for sure thing."

Sounds to me like your just window shopping and wasting the artists time.

If your serious about ordering a product from somebody ask questions about what your getting for your money up front. If you keep adding extras, yeah, it's gonna bump up the cost. The artists wants to make money so he's going to keep asking "do you want this too"? And if you keep saying yes, well.....

Abort mission man. If there is a doubt, then there is no doubt.