-
A bit embarrassing
Got a call from a prospective client yesterday, told me she needed a sign pretty quickly, but she couldn’t find her original artwork.
Problem was, she needed something quickly, and as she couldn’t find the design, so she asked me if I could redraw it.
As long as she paid me for her time, I said I’d do whatever it took.
She posted me an original business letterhead today so I could scan it.
When I received it I rang her and said it will take some time and asked if perhaps I could use a vector from my vast library (istock etc) that would convey the same thought.
She wasn’t’ keen but I managed to convince her.
Low and behold, I search Istock with some key words and her very same logo crops up. All is sweet. I rang her back and said that I found her logo in my Library, and I’d have the job finished by her monday deadline.
After this long silence she says ”you must be mistaken, it can’t be my logo as it is an original”
I paid a fortune for that she says
She said the drawing was designed by a guy in the UK ( a friend of her daughter living in the UK) who charged her a fortune for his one off design.
She was hard to convince so I finished up sending her a link to istocks file to prove I was not making it up.
There its sits, same colour, same size, same design, same everything. He made no changes to it at all.
I’d not like to be in his shoes in the next few days, as the mum is ringing the daughter tonight demanding some answers.
He wants to think himself lucky he’s not in the same country as this woman, because she wants blood. Especially when I said its not hers exclusively, and its feasible her opposition may use the same graphic as its not rights managed.
She is not happy.
-
18 Replies
-
I see this alot mate. The customer is a little naive and thinks the designer is fantastic and they’ve fed the client all kinds of crap to charge a high fee.
Some knee-capping on it’s way me thinks! 😕 -
I love it when that happens – somebody getting caught being a rip-off merchant.
I had one client, a very large company, who was charged a fortune for a specially designed corporate font. They weren’t happy when I showed them that that it was a straight copy of Dax. 😀
-
quote John Childs:I love it when that happens – somebody getting caught being a rip-off merchant.I had one client, a very large company, who was charged a fortune for a specially designed corporate font. They weren’t happy when I showed them that that it was a straight copy of Dax. 😀
I’ve had that here too. A private school I do work for paid a graphic designer to redo their corporate look.
He charged them thousands of dollars, and made them sign a contract that his design was only licensed for 5 uses (stationery printing, clothes, bags, web and press). Any other uses required a further $17,000 royalty per use.
They needed their delivery vehicles signed, but the graphic designer would not release the font to me until they had a commitment from the school that they would pay.
I was rung by the school and asked if I had a solution.
I said yes, tell the designer the font is Veto.ttf, and I can buy it for $34.
The school was livid, I got all there work, and the designer is nowhere to be seen.
He was a crook, and is lucky not to have been sued by the school for fraud.
Turned out the designer was the boyfriend of a secretary at the school, who was the one that arranged the design contract and got it signed.
She no longer works there either.
-
Ive had similar with a logo that was just Old English MT font! Couldnt believe when the guy walked in as I had already told him the logo would need to be vectorised over the phone, I felt so bad for him I didnt charge for the "Vectorising" lol!
-
You did the right thing Paul. Most likely you will have repeat business from that customer now and good word of mouth for being honest with him.
The wife and I basically just went through a unrelated but similar situation. We took our youngest cat to get all her shots and see about getting her fixed. They took blood from her and a few weeks later said that her blood work was abnormal. They wanted us to wait a few months and then get her tested again. We waited and then had her tested again. They said it came back badly again and that we would need a lot more (expensive) test to figure out what was wrong with her. Well I think that it was load of bs. So I took her to another vet. The results from the second vet came back that the cat is in absolutely superb health. So either the first vet had faulty equipment or they are running scams like that to make more money. I should also say that the first vet has a very very expensive Jaguar in the parking lot. So just makes me wonder.
-
I’ve come across this 2 or 3 times and to be honest I never know what to say to the customer. Like Paul though I have not charged the customer when all I have had to do is import a bit of clipart that’s ready to cut and add a name that’s been written in a standard font with no alterations at all.
Customers have always been happy and come back whenever they needed any more work doing. -
I think it comes down to treating people how you’d like to be treated I guess.
If I find their ‘expensive’ logo on istock, I’ll charge them to download the file on their behalf, but I’ll give them the file too.
But if its just text, I’ll redo it for nothing.
Simon, I appreciate that Vets are very smart people, and they do stuff that Dr’s can’t do (diagnose a situation quickly without being able to talk to the patient) but I know they also play on people emotions too.
My mums dog has his own heart specialist! Rarely a bill for her dog comes to less than $1000 if he gets ill, and he’s on the same medication as my father, although in smaller doses.
My fathers medication costs $40 a month unsubsidised, but mum pays $120 for the same tablets for her dog.
Our local vet also drives the latest model V8 top of the range car, and charges huge fees. I’ve just got the job to resign his new purpose built surgery, but I had to compete with someone else based on price.
Over the years, my family has spent $1000’s of dollars with him. Vets know that animals play an important role in the lives of people these days, and they charge accordingly.
Because he shopped my price around, I decided to check with other vets when our dog needed attention.
2 can play that game I guess.. :lol1:
-
Have you considered getting the dog put down and buying an new one Shane?
…Okay not funny I know 😳
-
quote Phill:Have you considered getting the dog put down and buying an new one Shane?
…Okay not funny I know 😳
That’s really uncalled for Phill.
-
quote Phill:Have you considered getting the dog put down and buying an new one Shane?
…Okay not funny I know 😳
Its my mum’s dog, and she treats him better than she treats me :lol1: more likely to get me put down than the dog!!
-
Psst Shane ….How much would the Vet take to put Karl down 😕
-
quote Phill:Psst Shane ….How much would the Vet take to put Karl down 😕
The biggest F****** horse tranquilizer going…that’s after i’ve wedged it up your @rse! 😉 :lol1: :lol1:
-
That’s what I call value for money! 😉
-
memo to self – don’t upset Karl 😮
…. or Phill 🙄
-
😕
-
:lol1: :lol1: :lol1: Not upset matey…..just joining in the banter with a scotch g!t that really knows how to plant his foot in his gob! :lol1: :lol1: 😉
(Says me 😕 )
-
:wedgey:
-
quote Phill::wedgey:
😮 😮 😉
Log in to reply.
