Advice on Price Adjustments

[friskecrisps.livejournal.com]

So I recently commissioned an artist for a commission roughly a month ago and recently came across a journal of theirs saying they were changing their prices for the new year. Now normally that wouldn't be a big deal since price changes are usually going up so it'd be me getting a commission in cheap before the price raise. However this artist ended up lowering their commission prices. So I originally paid $60 for a commission and the artist lowered that price to $40. My question is is it alright if I asked for a refund on the remaining amount?

Comments

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Personally, I wouldn't. I wouldn't consider price changes either way to be retroactive. I'd consider it kind of tacky to ask.

After all, if the price was raised, as you mention, you wouldn't expect to have to pay the higher price retroactively. I don't see this as being any different, unless the artist themselves mentions in the journal that you can ask for refunds.

[mistresswolf.livejournal.com]

This is exactly what I was coming in to say.

But if the artist made a public statement (on their own) saying that anyone that had commissioned them within a certain time could get the difference back, that would be totally different.

[slinkslowdown.livejournal.com]

+1

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

This.

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

It sucks, but you agreed to one price, so that's the price that needs to be honored. It may be that the artist has decided to do future commissions in a different manner that warrants the price decrease--so asking for a refund would not be applicable to you, since you technically are purchasing a different sort of art.

That's just speculation, of course, but I'm not sure I'd bring up the price difference, especially if work has already been started on your piece.

[roxyfur.livejournal.com]

Since you agreed to once price, it wouldn't be fair of you to ask for a refund for the difference. Retroactive pricing sometimes works with retailers with coupons, but with an artist this can be interpreted as tacky.

[frisket17.livejournal.com]

What others said. It'd be tacky.

You'd not go to a restaurant, eat a steak for $20 and then complain if next week the steak was $17.

Prices are not set in stone. They flux. Like gas prices. Either wait or buy, but don't blame the merchant/artist that you bought when high.

[jane vakarian (from livejournal.com)]

No, unless they have done something to warrant a refund. Like not providing service, or if you have definitive proof they meant to lower their prices when they recommended you buy(even then, its a bit of an iffy situation.).
.
You could get a refund, but it wouldn't be taken well, and would be really tacky.

You can't really, ask for a refund, then buy again at the lower price to save some money. You agreed on the first price, and while I think you feel cheated, it's not fair to the artist.

[sapphistscot.livejournal.com]

Price changes work both ways - if you wouldn't want to pay more if an artist raised their prices after you commissioned them, why do you think you should pay less if they've lowered their prices?

[kazeno-taka.livejournal.com]

In addition, it could be that the artist is lowering their prices because of some financial situation where they're trying to raise money, and it's a temporary decrease. They may be relying on those older, more expensive commissions that are already in progress, and it might be a bit of a blow to request they honor a new price rather than the one originally agreed upon.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

Yeah, "tacky" is the first word that sprang to mind when I read his. Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so. Odds are you're going to get your money's worth, if you didn't think so you wouldn't have commissioned them.
They might be lowering prices because they're having a hard time attracting more customers, or want to do simpler work from here on out. I'm willing to bet it's a bad decision to lower their prices.

[sambeawesome.livejournal.com]

A contractual agreement was made upon a set price. Unless there was somehow a breach of contract, there is technically no legal way for you to get any money in return. So "tacky" or not (though I definitely view it as tacky and rude), you legally wouldn't be able to get any money back anyway.