Business Stationary design fee....£250???

[Suzywoo]

Hi All

So, it goes like this....

Went to see a bloke about some flyer and business card printing. He came highly reccomended so didn't do much research into competition and costs etc

So I show him my current business card and enquire about the printing based on my logo and info I would give him, he says to come back the following week and he will have mocked up something for me.
So I go back and he has designed 8 new logos for me! (not what I had asked for) I said I couldnt decide as I was on my own and would bring my partner back with me to see.......in between, I go on holiday and some personal crap happens....
so, last week he emails to ask if i am ready to go ahead with my order, I tell him that I kinda need to earn a bit before I can place order, he says ok but ther will be a design fee to pay...ok me thinks, fair enough, he has taken time to do the logos (not technically what I had asked for but never mind...)

So, yesterday, I get an Invoice for £250!!!!!!! £250!!! I'm still in shock!

Is this a normal amount to pay for 8 logos?? OMG I wish I had £250...if I did then I would have placed the order for cards and flyers!

Any advise would be great, I don't want to cause any bad feeling but I just dont have it!!

 

[persianista]

Seems a lot, but I have always had to pay for artwork. Be really clear in your direction to people who are doing work for you as they do expect to be paid.

 

[karenrose]

Did you actually ask him to make you a logo there and then? Or did you just enquire about his services and costs?
If you asked him to make you one I wonder why he didnt let you know when you went back in the first time about the invoice or how much it would be?

 

[weezie]

If there was no contract where you asked him to do the work and litterally just asked him about printing your own designs then you don't owe him anything. I assuming here that you didn't lead him on to do the work as that would be wrong too. If it is a genuine misscommunication then tell him that, if he is a reasonable person he will understand. It seems odd that he would do this work without quoting you a price or getting you to sign a contract. If there is nothing in writing and you didn't ask for that then dont pay him anything.

Whether it is reasonable charge for the work they did is not the question if you didn't ask for it to be done in the first place (they can charge anything as long as the client agrees on it).

I am confused as to what you were expecting him to produce in a "mock up", if you didnt expect him to design something new, as usually you just get a sample print of your work not a "mock up".

 

[Verve Designs]

I’m a bit confused here as well.

What did you ask him to do? Design a logo, stationary or both? Were you not aware of the costs before you placed an order?

If he's designed something you've not asked for, and you've got your original request then show him that and query the costs.

£250 is (a lot) more than I charge- but it’s actually about average for a bespoke logo and artwork.

I've gone through a spate recently myself of people who don't think that producing graphic design is "real" work and aren't that willing to pay for it despite asking for it and receiving it, but it’s exactly the same as doing nails, or doing someone's hair- if you ask for it- and they do it, they deserve to get paid for their time and skills!

Now im not for one minute saying thats you! but you get my point.

On the OTHER hand, there are a lot of cowboys out there who like to play on peoples's (understandable) ignorance about design and print and will try and flog you things you didn't need or ask for.

The simple fact is- if you didn't ask for it, dont pay it. If you did...pay him

 

[trulyscrump]

If in your discussion you had agreed to him doing some work for you, it's important you remember what was said and if you committed to anything. If anything is in writing, including any emails sent, well then that puts the ball even further in his court.

I used to run a design agency and the cost of design is relative. £250 may well be 5 hours or a day of his time and that's no different from a therapist charging their time to do a treatment. The main difference being that you may not like the results of the design. That tends to be down to the quality of the designer and also the quality of the brief.

We used to charge between £5-10k for branding identity (a logo and supporting rationale) and at the other end of the scale you can pay £50.

Ultimately, if he took a flyer and did the work without confirmation and you didn't ask him to, well more fool him for wasting his (chargeable) time.

You need to get your position sorted in terms of what's in writing.

 

[bombini]

I think the problem you may have is that when he showed you the logos you didn't question it right away. I would of asked why he has done 8 logos when you initially asked for flyers etc based on your original logo and additional info that you would provide.

I would email or call him back and say that there has been a serious misunderstanding and that you didn't want a new logo just the other services you have enquired about and that you can't possibly afford £250 is there some sort of arrangement you can come to, based on your original request.

I would also agree £250 is about average but im suprised he didn't make you aware of this.

Has he actually done what you requested in the first place or just the logos ?

 

[smooth]

Hi All


So I show him my current business card and enquire about the printing based on my logo and info I would give him, he says to come back the following week and he will have mocked up something for me.


QUOTE]

Ok so if you gave him your business and asked him to print something based on your logo and info you gave him (although by the sound of it you didn't leave him any information just your business card) and he asked you to come back the following week? Well without giving him any additional informationn what on earth did you think he was going to do? He couldn't design any flyers as you hadn't given him information.

Maybe it was a misunderstanding but I wuold have asked what I needed to come back the following week for as I hadn't given him any information! Normally, they put things in writing or give you a print out on what they are going to do plus their charges, if he didn't then certainly question it.