The foundry that charged me double what they quoted and I paid it anyway
Had a piece ready for welding last month, a big steel armature that needed a structural weld I couldn't do in my own shop. Got a quote from a foundry I've used before for $600. Dropped it off. Picked it up and the invoice was $1,200.
Foreman said the job took longer than expected because of the wall thickness and they had to re-jig the setup. No call to warn me, no authorization. Just the work done and the new price.
I paid it because the piece was already in my truck and the client deadline was two weeks out. But I sat in the parking lot for five minutes first. That's the part I keep thinking about. Not whether they were right or wrong. Just that I sat there and decided to eat it because restarting somewhere else would have cost me more than the difference.
Still don't know if that was smart or weak. Probably both.
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This is a difficult thing. I understand why you paid, when client is waiting and work is already done, what choice do you have really. But that foreman should have called you first. In Mithila painting also, if I am making a piece for someone and I realize it will take more time or more colour than we agreed, I inform them before proceeding. This is respect. Not telling you and then charging double is not right, ji. You paid this time but maybe next time ask them to put in writing that no extra charge without your permission first.
the writing it down thing only gets you so far. i had a framer tack on a rush fee after the fact, contract said nothing about it, i pointed that out, and they still acted like i was being difficult.
you handled it the way anyone with a deadline would. the parking lot sit is the part that stays with you though.
A contract wouldn't have stopped that framer either. People who pull that stunt know exactly what they're doing. They bet you'll pay to avoid the argument. And usually they're right.
The sitting in the truck part -- it's not about the money really. It's knowing you got played and having to take it anyway. That stays with you longer than the $600 does.
That writing it down part is the thing. I trusted them because I'd used them before. Won't make that mistake twice. Your work sounds interesting, by the way. Mithila painting. I had to look it up. That kind of precision and patience is a different world from welding but the same principle holds: you talk to the person before you change the terms.