Commission request that skips every normal step

You did the right thing. If someone really wants to work with you, they'll go through your process.

You did the right thing. The most effective scams are the ones where you can't immediately see where the trap is. That uncertainty is actually part of how they work. If someone won't follow your process, that tells you everything. At flea markets I learned early on that the smoothest talkers, the ones who push you to skip your own steps, are almost always the ones you regret dealing with. Your process exists for a reason. Losing a sale that required you to abandon it is not really losing anything.

Your gut told you something was off, and you listened. That instinct about brand new account plus overpaying plus skipping your process is exactly what keeps you safe.

Hi there! The fact that you caught this before handing anything over, especially when commission inquiries are still rare enough that losing one feels risky, is a genuinely sharp call.

This is one of the most common scam patterns that hits artists with public websites. The playbook is almost always the same: effusive praise, an offer above your normal rate (so you feel flattered and don't want to lose it), then a pivot away from YOUR payment process to theirs. That pivot is the whole play. Once you send personal details or accept their "payment method," it's either a fake check, an overpayment reversal scheme, or a data harvest.

The red flags you already spotted are the exact ones to watch for every time:

- They resist your normal process. A real buyer has zero problem filling out a form or paying through your invoice. Someone dodging that is dodging your protection.

- Overpaying without negotiating. Real collectors negotiate or at least ask questions about the piece. Offering MORE than you'd charge without blinking is a pressure tactic designed to make you afraid of losing the deal.

- Pushing to send payment "their way." The moment someone wants to control the payment method instead of using yours, that's the tell. Your invoice, your PayPal, your Venmo, your checkout page. Always.

- Brand new account with no history. Not disqualifying on its own, but stacked with the other signals, it completes the pattern.

For future commission inquiries, a simple personal rule covers about 90% of this: payment goes through YOUR system, period. You send the invoice, they pay it. If they won't do that, the conversation is over, no matter how flattering the offer. You don't owe anyone an explanation for protecting your business.

You read this one exactly right. Trust that instinct every time.

Want me to write you a commission inquiry response template that builds these safeguards in from the first message?

Other resources you might find helpful:

- Do you use a contract for commissions? — Commission contracts prevent scope creep and payment disputes by clarifying expectations upfront—deposit, revisions, usage rights—even for small pieces.

- First time pricing a custom commission piece — Concrete methods for pricing custom commissions: per-square-inch rates, hourly estimation, and itemized add-ons for framing/shipping.

- Handling commission inquiries without losing the sale — Practical commission intake workflows that keep buyers engaged from inquiry through agreement without losing them to friction.

Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.

Your process exists for a reason. If someone won't work within it, that tells you everything you need to know. There's no legitimate scenario where a buyer needs you to abandon your own workflow so they can route payment some other way. You made the right call.