Person Shares How She Shut Down This Annoying Choosing Beggar Who Wanted To Pay $15 For A $400 Blanket
Thanks to modern machinery, cheap materials, and the exploitation of Third World workers, mass production has changed the way we perceive the value of goods. But our desire for original, handmade things hasn’t disappeared.
After going through Krafty Katt’s creations, one man contacted the crocheter with a big request: he wanted a 100% wool queen-size blanket, done in a complex stitch. Being the pro that she is, Krafty Katt was up for it.
However, the man soon turned out to be the worst choosing beggar and tried to bully Krafty Katt into slavery. But she was having none of it.
Image credits: storebukkebruse (not the actual photo)
“I’m just a hobby crocheter and trying to keep it that way,” Krafty Katt told Bored Panda. “I rarely do commissions, usually just done to reinvest money in my hobbies.”
“Most people are extremely polite when inquiring about prices; I’ve been told one other time that I overcharge and that was as rude as it got before this.”
Claire Beveridge, a digital marketing consultant based in Vancouver, Canada, said that while a client making unreasonable requests might make you want to go berserk on them, it’s imperative you keep your cool.
“Leave their request until you’ve had a chance to calm down and reflect – whether this takes twenty minutes or twenty hours,” Beveridge explained. “Of course, deadlines are important but it’s worth taking the time to respond in a manner that will strengthen your professional relationship rather than destroy it.”
“People hire freelancers because of their skill-set and expertise, not as a dogsbody. If a client is going against your professional opinion, you have a right to explain why you think they’re wrong. If they don’t respect this, the options are simple: grin and bear it, or fire them.”
According to Beveridge, when a client makes a request that is unreasonable, you have to ensure that your subsequent communication is clear and concise. Be straightforward. “Communicating with clients is really important in getting to the bottom of their concern.”
However, at the end of the day, you have to remember that you are free. “If your client is truly abysmal to work with – get rid, life is too short!” Beveridge said. “Yes, they may be paying lucratively for your services (or, even worse, paying you very badly – in which case, why are you sticking with them?) but are they really worth the hassle?” Spending hours feeling angry or annoyed or stressed is just not worth it.
If we were to evaluate the way Katt handled the situation through Beveridge’s eyes, it’s obvious the crocheter did a wonderful job.
“I’m not a business, so I really don’t consider anyone a ‘potential customer’, and if they’re rude I have no problem dishing it back,” Katt explained. “I don’t need to worry about negative reviews or anything like that, the repercussions for me are virtually zero.”
Krafty Katt’s actual customers (normal people) are really happy with her work. Katt’s ETSY store, for example, has sold 125 items and the average item review is 5 stars.
People absolutely loved the way this crocheter handled the situation
This peasant is such a disowned flip phone ice cream cone overgrown monotone trombone son of a b*tch
lol exactly! you ever heard of a down blanket? well, it is a comforter type blanket, filled with feathers of a greylag goose. last i checked, the handmade one my great grandma gave to me is around $700.
Load More Replies...I am a well-tempted person but I think I would have not played that game so politely for so long. Really impressive. The very first sentence of that enquiry was aggressive already.
I'd have bought wool and strangled them with it. I just finishes a blanket in that size (but only in wavy dc) and it took me 100+ hours. The audacity of this ducktrumpet!
Load More Replies...I don't get why people even waste their time like this. I wold have blocked this guy the moment he started arguing about the price.
wow......I knit and crochet and $400 is a steal for what he is asking for!!!
I don't even do that, but I know what goes into it. They should be charging a lot more. Like double.
Load More Replies...First of all he started off entitled and rude. It took him an hour to respond and that was too long? Hopefully the girlfriend wises up and dumps his ass. I foresee him in the future trying to haggle an engagement ring and use the excuse “but this is my first engagement I deserve 50% off” and without flinching I would say well maybe you should stay single
People want free s**t from artists and craftspeople all. The. Time. It's terrible. My favorite excuse is "You draw/sculpt/paint/write/etc. for fun, right? Well, gimmie free work!" Another one is people wanting something at cost...Like our time/labor is worth exactly zero to people...
I definitely I agree with this. Like if I draw something and I use great quality pencils. And I'm not talking about crayola or other pencils you get for less than 10 I'm talking about a single colour is 7 or 8 so a 40 set cost about 240 on sale. Yea I'm going to charge you 35 to 50 per drawing more depending on the details. Same goes for cosplay and my crochet plushies
Load More Replies...At my home garage, I charge 75$ for an oil change and it takes maybe 20 minutes. Total out of pocket cost for me is 30$-40$. No one bats an eye at my price. But gods forbid I should want a fair price for time on a sewing project, or for them to pay for materials upfront. One is "real work", the other is just a hobby. Never mind that one is mostly standing around waiting for oil to drain (And checking the belts/filters/ fluid levels. But mostly waiting) and the other is actual work.
I would’ve blocked him and his arrogant attitude right away. What an entitled jackass!! I used to make teddy bears by hand and didn’t put up with assholes at all. Had more commissions than I could handle.
Same! I hate people who think they can try to get something that takes time and effort for way less than it’s worth.
Load More Replies...A very similar situation happened to me. Someone asked me to paint a mural that basically covers an entire wall. When I told them it would be $500 they said basically the same thing. "I can get it at Walmart for $20". Um, no you can't. I'm supposed to spend potentially 2 months of my time and use my $22 per tube paint for $20? I don't think so.
I don’t indulge in my favorite two hobbies (photography and crochet!) as much bc people always ask me to photograph their wedding, quince, babies, family portraits, sports event, etc, and same for crocheted items. I seriously feel like I have to hide it bc I absolutely hate saying no, and don’t want to hear that I’m rude for not taking someone’s pics for free. It’s a lose-lose situation.
I paint funny pictures of dogs and make dogs figurines by requests. Very often people come and demand that I gave them my work for free (sending at my expense, of course). Because they have a difficult situation in life. In response, I usually say that I also need to feed my family. Some people do not value the work and time of others.
It was obvious he's gonna be a douche from the beginning when he started lecturing her about"good business practice". Saying "you are insane" while trying to negotiate the price isn't a good business practice either, so he's one to talk.
I hope that person falls and lands on their teeth and has to pay $1400 to the dentist.
Exactly. The way he tried to bargain like he’s in a wet market lol. I bet he wouldnt dare to demand the same of a dentist or airline.
Load More Replies...i would be like "yeah i'll pay u extra 4 this because it's taking ur time & money to make"... my mom used to crochet a lot (she doesn't any more because her fingers started to hurt real bad) and sell the things at craft fairs and it was like 20$ for a medium size plush i think because this stuff takes time
My mom does it and a freakin blanket was on sale for 50% off at $200, they rushed to buy it it sold out
Load More Replies...Anyone can go to Sears and buy a Rack Suit for about $200.00. Going to a tailor to have a custom fitted suit will cost about $1,000 of more. Buy off the rack or shut the hell up! Instead of being extremely rude and demanding, the customer complaining about the $400.00 price for the custom blanket, should use the money to take crouchet.knitting lessons, then make the blanket himself or herself. Once he or she completes the raggedy crooked blanket, they will look back at what a deal the $400.00 price truly was. Props to seller for hanging in as long as they did, most people would have simply blocked the idiot and sent him or her off to Walmart.
I would have ended this discussion at: Then have it made by other crocheters...
The crafter should have charged less, bought an acrylic blanket at Walmart, and sent it to the asshat requester. 🤓
This is the result of having years of cheap products from Walmart/China. People expect everything to be cheap, even hand-made stuff. They have no idea of the time and effort it takes to make something by hand.
A shopper at an art fair asks "Can you give me a fairer price for this doll?" So I quote double the price on the tag. I'm picky about who I let adopt my dolls!
It should be legal to physically assault certain people at certain times. Being a Karen or whatever the above fuckery is should be a crime one could be publically flogged for. Maybe not a sane or popular opinion but c'mon you wanted to punch them a bit too right
What a complete b*****d. I would’ve told him to f**k off after his first bit of cheek.
First off how is she going to give a Friends and family discount if she doesn't even know you and lay I checked if you're friends and family cared about your business they'll pay full price and not complain. 400 for a blanket made from wool.i charge at least double the price. It's a huge blanket with a complicated stitch and he specified the colors. Yea this guy is a quack
As an artist I have this problem all the time someone wanted a blue super saiyan wig for less than fifty gave me a cheap halloween wig and expected me to make a wig as good quality as mine! My wigs were lace front wigs from Amazon for like 45 that's and that's a steal! Plus the time I put in and yea if I sell art it's mainly for friends and family
The link to her Etsy store is going through some hinky redirect service that my browser really doesn't like, use this instead: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KraftyKattCreations
It's always x demand and then: hello?!?! That's the classic sign of a choosing beggar.
Everyone is so used to cheap, non descript, walmart s**t that the thought of custom, quality goods is a mind f**k to them!
I wrote a cookbook. Nothing special ... no pictures or anything. Basically just a collection of international recipes, that I have collected. In a Facebook group, I sent the book (in PDF) to some members ... for free. Then I got a message from someone outside the group. This person wanted me to send her the cookbook, so she could make a selection of recipes, she wanted ... so that I could make her a customized cookbook. Each selected recipe should have a picture and additional American quantities ... because it was a present for American friends. I told her fine, but that it would cost € 35 ($ 40). She was pissed off that I would ask for money, after sending everyone else the cookbook for free. I wrote that I would also give her the "Original Cookbook" for free. But everything else involves so much effort, that I wanted to get paid for. She said she could get a cookbook for a few euros in any store ... I told her to do exactly that instead, of stealing my time ... and blocked her.
I'm an artist as well, and I'm always astonished when people think I charge too much for my work. They have no concept of the value of other people's time and skill. Its almost like people think that artists shouldn't make a living off their work.
My less sophisticated (and far less patient) self would just toss in 2 words and be done with it.
Okay. I'm a crocheter. I do some knitting too - and holy. grimoly. She wanted **ONLY** $400 for that request? That is a a STEAL. $8 per skein ... she's already sourcing decent yarn for a pretty good price. I'm making a blanket for a friend right now in a super **simple** stitch - it's only about half done and I've already sunk 60-odd hours into it. I'm debating on whether to sell shawls/wraps or not because the yarn is so much more expensive, and takes a steenkin' long time and I know I'll get **THAT** reaction from people.
Good for you! That "customer" was a jerk. Let him make his own damn blanket. 😆
This is probably the same guy who wants the Minimum wage to go up so he can get a raise.
This is a karen if i've ever seeen one... she asked to do it for free after 10 explainings! She wanted a friends and family discount because you were not on your phone and on a trip! Like how entitled are you?
First of all - it was a man. And honestly, can't you come up with something a little less trite?
Load More Replies...Well, it is. Happens way more than you care to believe.
Load More Replies...This peasant is such a disowned flip phone ice cream cone overgrown monotone trombone son of a b*tch
lol exactly! you ever heard of a down blanket? well, it is a comforter type blanket, filled with feathers of a greylag goose. last i checked, the handmade one my great grandma gave to me is around $700.
Load More Replies...I am a well-tempted person but I think I would have not played that game so politely for so long. Really impressive. The very first sentence of that enquiry was aggressive already.
I'd have bought wool and strangled them with it. I just finishes a blanket in that size (but only in wavy dc) and it took me 100+ hours. The audacity of this ducktrumpet!
Load More Replies...I don't get why people even waste their time like this. I wold have blocked this guy the moment he started arguing about the price.
wow......I knit and crochet and $400 is a steal for what he is asking for!!!
I don't even do that, but I know what goes into it. They should be charging a lot more. Like double.
Load More Replies...First of all he started off entitled and rude. It took him an hour to respond and that was too long? Hopefully the girlfriend wises up and dumps his ass. I foresee him in the future trying to haggle an engagement ring and use the excuse “but this is my first engagement I deserve 50% off” and without flinching I would say well maybe you should stay single
People want free s**t from artists and craftspeople all. The. Time. It's terrible. My favorite excuse is "You draw/sculpt/paint/write/etc. for fun, right? Well, gimmie free work!" Another one is people wanting something at cost...Like our time/labor is worth exactly zero to people...
I definitely I agree with this. Like if I draw something and I use great quality pencils. And I'm not talking about crayola or other pencils you get for less than 10 I'm talking about a single colour is 7 or 8 so a 40 set cost about 240 on sale. Yea I'm going to charge you 35 to 50 per drawing more depending on the details. Same goes for cosplay and my crochet plushies
Load More Replies...At my home garage, I charge 75$ for an oil change and it takes maybe 20 minutes. Total out of pocket cost for me is 30$-40$. No one bats an eye at my price. But gods forbid I should want a fair price for time on a sewing project, or for them to pay for materials upfront. One is "real work", the other is just a hobby. Never mind that one is mostly standing around waiting for oil to drain (And checking the belts/filters/ fluid levels. But mostly waiting) and the other is actual work.
I would’ve blocked him and his arrogant attitude right away. What an entitled jackass!! I used to make teddy bears by hand and didn’t put up with assholes at all. Had more commissions than I could handle.
Same! I hate people who think they can try to get something that takes time and effort for way less than it’s worth.
Load More Replies...A very similar situation happened to me. Someone asked me to paint a mural that basically covers an entire wall. When I told them it would be $500 they said basically the same thing. "I can get it at Walmart for $20". Um, no you can't. I'm supposed to spend potentially 2 months of my time and use my $22 per tube paint for $20? I don't think so.
I don’t indulge in my favorite two hobbies (photography and crochet!) as much bc people always ask me to photograph their wedding, quince, babies, family portraits, sports event, etc, and same for crocheted items. I seriously feel like I have to hide it bc I absolutely hate saying no, and don’t want to hear that I’m rude for not taking someone’s pics for free. It’s a lose-lose situation.
I paint funny pictures of dogs and make dogs figurines by requests. Very often people come and demand that I gave them my work for free (sending at my expense, of course). Because they have a difficult situation in life. In response, I usually say that I also need to feed my family. Some people do not value the work and time of others.
It was obvious he's gonna be a douche from the beginning when he started lecturing her about"good business practice". Saying "you are insane" while trying to negotiate the price isn't a good business practice either, so he's one to talk.
I hope that person falls and lands on their teeth and has to pay $1400 to the dentist.
Exactly. The way he tried to bargain like he’s in a wet market lol. I bet he wouldnt dare to demand the same of a dentist or airline.
Load More Replies...i would be like "yeah i'll pay u extra 4 this because it's taking ur time & money to make"... my mom used to crochet a lot (she doesn't any more because her fingers started to hurt real bad) and sell the things at craft fairs and it was like 20$ for a medium size plush i think because this stuff takes time
My mom does it and a freakin blanket was on sale for 50% off at $200, they rushed to buy it it sold out
Load More Replies...Anyone can go to Sears and buy a Rack Suit for about $200.00. Going to a tailor to have a custom fitted suit will cost about $1,000 of more. Buy off the rack or shut the hell up! Instead of being extremely rude and demanding, the customer complaining about the $400.00 price for the custom blanket, should use the money to take crouchet.knitting lessons, then make the blanket himself or herself. Once he or she completes the raggedy crooked blanket, they will look back at what a deal the $400.00 price truly was. Props to seller for hanging in as long as they did, most people would have simply blocked the idiot and sent him or her off to Walmart.
I would have ended this discussion at: Then have it made by other crocheters...
The crafter should have charged less, bought an acrylic blanket at Walmart, and sent it to the asshat requester. 🤓
This is the result of having years of cheap products from Walmart/China. People expect everything to be cheap, even hand-made stuff. They have no idea of the time and effort it takes to make something by hand.
A shopper at an art fair asks "Can you give me a fairer price for this doll?" So I quote double the price on the tag. I'm picky about who I let adopt my dolls!
It should be legal to physically assault certain people at certain times. Being a Karen or whatever the above fuckery is should be a crime one could be publically flogged for. Maybe not a sane or popular opinion but c'mon you wanted to punch them a bit too right
What a complete b*****d. I would’ve told him to f**k off after his first bit of cheek.
First off how is she going to give a Friends and family discount if she doesn't even know you and lay I checked if you're friends and family cared about your business they'll pay full price and not complain. 400 for a blanket made from wool.i charge at least double the price. It's a huge blanket with a complicated stitch and he specified the colors. Yea this guy is a quack
As an artist I have this problem all the time someone wanted a blue super saiyan wig for less than fifty gave me a cheap halloween wig and expected me to make a wig as good quality as mine! My wigs were lace front wigs from Amazon for like 45 that's and that's a steal! Plus the time I put in and yea if I sell art it's mainly for friends and family
The link to her Etsy store is going through some hinky redirect service that my browser really doesn't like, use this instead: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KraftyKattCreations
It's always x demand and then: hello?!?! That's the classic sign of a choosing beggar.
Everyone is so used to cheap, non descript, walmart s**t that the thought of custom, quality goods is a mind f**k to them!
I wrote a cookbook. Nothing special ... no pictures or anything. Basically just a collection of international recipes, that I have collected. In a Facebook group, I sent the book (in PDF) to some members ... for free. Then I got a message from someone outside the group. This person wanted me to send her the cookbook, so she could make a selection of recipes, she wanted ... so that I could make her a customized cookbook. Each selected recipe should have a picture and additional American quantities ... because it was a present for American friends. I told her fine, but that it would cost € 35 ($ 40). She was pissed off that I would ask for money, after sending everyone else the cookbook for free. I wrote that I would also give her the "Original Cookbook" for free. But everything else involves so much effort, that I wanted to get paid for. She said she could get a cookbook for a few euros in any store ... I told her to do exactly that instead, of stealing my time ... and blocked her.
I'm an artist as well, and I'm always astonished when people think I charge too much for my work. They have no concept of the value of other people's time and skill. Its almost like people think that artists shouldn't make a living off their work.
My less sophisticated (and far less patient) self would just toss in 2 words and be done with it.
Okay. I'm a crocheter. I do some knitting too - and holy. grimoly. She wanted **ONLY** $400 for that request? That is a a STEAL. $8 per skein ... she's already sourcing decent yarn for a pretty good price. I'm making a blanket for a friend right now in a super **simple** stitch - it's only about half done and I've already sunk 60-odd hours into it. I'm debating on whether to sell shawls/wraps or not because the yarn is so much more expensive, and takes a steenkin' long time and I know I'll get **THAT** reaction from people.
Good for you! That "customer" was a jerk. Let him make his own damn blanket. 😆
This is probably the same guy who wants the Minimum wage to go up so he can get a raise.
This is a karen if i've ever seeen one... she asked to do it for free after 10 explainings! She wanted a friends and family discount because you were not on your phone and on a trip! Like how entitled are you?
First of all - it was a man. And honestly, can't you come up with something a little less trite?
Load More Replies...Well, it is. Happens way more than you care to believe.
Load More Replies...
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