HQ Etiquette?

This hasnt actually happened to me or anyone I know, but as I'll be looking for a Leathercrafter to make me a cursed item soonish, the idea popped into my head.

If you're crafting something for someone (and charging), what is proper HQ Etiquette if the person didn't intend for you to HQ?

For instance, I know some crafters charge 10-20% if they HQ. But what if you were charging X amount of dollars to craft, and they only have X amount, and you HQ it? They dont have (or maybe don't even want to) pay the increased price because they didn't intend or want you to HQ. Obviously you can't just take the item, because the mats belonged to them. Do you give them the gil to go repurchase their mats? What if a material was a hard-to-get item like Yoichi's Sash for a Kyudogi, or Cashmere for the Manteel, or in the case of Einherjar abjs, the Netherworld items that cost ampoules to get.

As I said, this hasn't personally happened to me but I got curious and figured I'd ask and see what kind of responses I get. :D

I would probably give them the value of what they wanted, or buy the materials myself and try again, and just sell the HQ. if that makes sense..

Most people want to have the HQ item if you craft it, so the best thing I've found is to agree beforehand as to what your going to do. Depending on the item it usually ends up in the following:
A) replace materials, split whats left from HQ (usually 50-50 split)
B) extra bonus for HQ (i find about 20% of cost is fair)
C) let them walk away with HQ (If i HQ a Dark Mezraq for somone for example even though its a pain in the butt HQ i'm not going to moan if they can't pay me extra for the HQ, and not really worth my time to replace mats)

The biggest thing though is to make sure everyone is clear up front as to what happens if/when you HQ.

The biggest problem would be in the case of rare ingredients. Replacing the mats or giving them gil as a replacement is going to problem if the mats are hard to find.

It varies by crafter, me personally say you hire me to make a thasolcratt (I so know I screwed the spelling XD) and I hq it with the materials you supplied. (this is my OPINION so no hate mail here craft community) if I supply you the Non Q and keep the HQ it's in my opinion to be greed and I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. I would surrender to you what the materials you supplied me turned into. As far as I see it, it is as simple as this

You supply material
You pay for my ability
the yield belongs to you period
If I take the HQ "because my skills made it" then you didn't purchase my skill, you hired me to aquire an item by crafting or otherwise and supplied payment in the form of materials and money then I look like a greedy miser for using a technicality
You hired me to turn these materials into an item the item is what you're going to get.

DISCLAIMER this was my personal opinion not a craft rule (I get hate messages for saying this to ppl that ask in game from the elite crafters that feel they "control" the rarer items out there)
I doubt this helps but anyway good luck ^^;
~Mari

And in addendum: I have never HQ'd one lol it's a WW example.
But anyway when asked to craft things and when they HQ the HQ belongs to the material supplier - if I break they lose so if I HQ they get a bonus and I lose out - to me that is fair.

This is my general outline for when I do synthesis on commission for other players.

1)Discuss terms for synthesizing said item with client right before synthing.
-My standard contract states a price for NQ (or free), a price for HQ, and gives an alternative option if they do not wish to pay the HQ fee or can't afford to. This generally involves replacing the result with an NQ and/or offering the client some amount of gil and they forfeit their right to the HQ result.

2)Make sure the client agrees with the terms.
-If no agreement is reached, then do not proceed past this step. If no contract is made, or client does not agree with the terms and you synth the item anyway, then the end result is theirs at no charge by default.

3)Client trades materials to crafter, crafter then performs synthesis.

4)Both sides fulfill their part of the contract based on the result of the synth.

I personally think this is very fair to both sides and covers any possible HQable item ranging from ones with easily replaceable materials, to ones with harder to replace materials. Of course, this could be hard for the average crafter if, lets say, they made a sheikh manteel and the client didn't want to pay for the HQ fee and the crafter has to spend a few million out of pocket to compensate the client.

As mentioned before, you should make sure up front.

To me the most fair is that they get whatever you craft. Be it NQ, HQ, or bits and pieces of a break. Realistically, bits and pieces are more likely than HQ in most premium crafts.

One caveat though. If you so happen to HQ, they can't sell it themselves. They have to use it. If they want to tip you for HQ, that's up to them. If they'd rather sell it, then you split it somehow.

I was lucky enough to somehow HQ two katanas for a friend once even though I was only 30 over cap at the time. I gave them to him, no questions asked.

I also suffered the horror of breaking a Hakutaku cluster. Fortunately for me, my friend never complained.

this issue is normally discussed (atleast if the crafter knows what they're doing and/or isn't a rip off artist) before hand. they usually quote you a price for NQ and one for HQ1, HQ2 etc etc (depending on just how HQ the item can be)

some might see that as ridiculous, but me personally, well hey, they took the time to craft you the item, whether you sell the +1, +2, etc.., or use it, you're still benifiting from his skill and luck, and you knew the terms before hand, so hold your end of the deal as i'm sure you expect them to (rather then just running off with your +1 and handing you a NQ version)

they're crafters, and they need money moreso then the rest of us, i haven't started crafting again yet, but i did ALOT of it on my other character, and it's not easy leveling a craft... and if you're having to ask/quote prices, it's pretty much always from someone high level (becuase it's a high level synth) and there's no doubt you're just gaining from having them craft it for you rather then buying it off the AH, because if not then it wasn't worth that much to begin with and you were desperate and it was for a quest.... or, well you're just stupid.

in the case of desperately crafting a quest item, 9/10 times you can sell the +1 for quite a bit more then you paid for materials for the first one and will pay for the second and what you paid the crafter to do it for you. so take the HQ and get some new materials... you just made free money, which definately doesn't come easy in this game. (working for it doesn't count as being 'free')

Agreed.

I personally have never charged anyone any gil for a synth ( i have acepted tips though ). But in the event that a random person was say looking for a cursed togi, i think that there are two ways that i would handle it:

1. Charge 10% of the final value of the item that you are creating, but if on a break, replace the materials and synth again.

2. Charge nothing (hope for a tip) but on a break it is there loss.

Then if some one wants an item signed, its 10% of the value of the item and a break is on them (they provide material). There would prolly be a few exceptions to this, like if some one wanted a signed HQ staff, i would prolly trade 1 for 1 for a non-signed one and not charge anything (since i can HQ for less then AH price)

All in all, everyone has there own methods, just talk to the crafter, most will be willing to help you out just to show off there skill.

And remember if some one does help you, it is ok to tip! :P

(I used all WW recipes since that is my Main Craft ATM)

I would NEVER pay to replace Mats unless it was a close close close friend and I was doing it just because they are a good friend. I normally just craft based on Tips personally. I have made 4 Genie weskits this way and was paid around 300k-500k tip on each one just based on their own accord.

i never charge for crafting either, but as an example i was asked to craft crimson feet for a ls mate, i went 1/1 on hq, and all i got was a ty, pls be kind and thoughtful of your fellow crafters and atleast give a small tip if someone hqs for you on a rare item

How bout if you hq and you have the gil offer to buy the regular quality version for them.

I always tell them that I don't charge, I just synth based on donations. This usually hints that if I HQ something big, throw me something, lol.

Also, I only free craft for items people plan to use. I won't craft for people trying to make money, unless I get splits. If I find somone has sold a rare HQ (genie weskit etc.) without giving me a split, I won't craft for em again.

This is sort of what my question was though. They said Thank you and Im sure they were appreciative but they didnt ask you to HQ for them or expect you to, so they may not've even had the money to do so. Or maybe they did, idk, but i know me, Im always broke. If someone HQ'd the Cursed Clogs I need, I'd be extremely grateful but would be unable to give anything other than a few K and a bunch of smiley faces, especially if I was told the synthing was free.

To me, the idea of tip if you accidentally HQ is the same thing as taking your car to a mechanic for an oil change, he finds something wrong with your car, and does it without asking and then charges you for it. Or going out to dinner and ordering a burger and the waiter brings you a steak and charges you the difference. Sure, they're better, HQ upgrades, but the decision was taken from you and a bill thrust into your hands without your knowledge, consent, or desire. I appreciate and respect crafters and if I have the extra money to tip I certainly would. But demanding someone to pay for something they didn't order just seems odd.

actually they had the nq and asked for the hq, i never asked for a tip and never complained to them about any sort of tip, just saying even if it is a few k, a tip is appreciated by all crafters, i always tip anyone that crafts anything for me no matter what it is

I'll craft anything for free, if they supply the mats.
If I HQ, gratz to them! I'll wait a few seconds in trade window if they wish to tip.
I haven't HQ'd anything serious like weskit/cursed for others yet :x
Went 1/1 Thug Jambiya +1 for a JP the other day, feels good to HQ for others :D
Other people craft for serious gil, i just like the animation LOL
It's the risk they take, NQ HQ or Break.
BTW, NQ = normal quality ;x

I'll craft anything within my means NQ/HQ and my rule of thumb is.

"You supply the mats." your craft is free." NQ or HQ, the item is free of charge.

If I have to buy any part of the materials and I HQ the item, I keep it, and will give you a NQ in return.

Most people will give me a tip for the time I spend to take out of my day to make it. If the syth breaks and you supplied all materials it's on you, I will replace nothing."

I just like helping the people cause they'll send you others who need help with items who will also tip ya.

Response to Alijah --

If a mechanic finds a problem and fixes it you should not pay for it because you did not agree to the terms. If the waiter brought you a steak instead of the burger you ordered because you did not agree to those terms, you should not have to pay for it.

You get what i'm saying. Come to terms with that crafter on that possibility of an HQ or worse a break. You obviously see everyone has their own operating process. If a crafter says you 'have' to pay X amount for HQ then find yourself another who does not charge. Just like anything else get yourself a quote and terms, LOL.

Work out the deal before hand and you should not have any issues with NQ/HQ/Break on your synth.

GL!

Best deal = whatever that is agreed to explicitly.

Like everyone is saying, work out a deal beforehand. This is especially important for T0 HQs, because those are extremely rare and you do NOT want to waste them; each one should be a financial windfall for you, no matter how it happened. I would never just hand over those kind of HQs, not even to friends.

hello,this is what i do with my client,i charge 20% of hq and free for nq,i let them know before hand what u expect from me if i craft for u,i charge ppl for a simple reason,i dont trust any1 except my friends and ppl and ls cuz i dont know if they are selling my craft for their own profit and that sucks a lot for crafter since we make our living on crafting.

my skill hasen't been high enough In my crafts yet to make anything that would sell for much in the first place, but after reading up on this topic i think i can understand why some charge a small amount(?) for HQ or would accept tips. I know what crafting i have done for others i normally don't charge but for mats if i need to buy them for them. mind you im only in the late 50's range on two crafts.

I made a HQ manteel for my friend and he rewarded me a HQ Plastron he made. Of course, before synthesis, both people hasv to agree for the case , NQ, HQ and broken etc. Before getting Goldsmithing to 100, I really need gil to going onwards for my skill up, so usually I will request a reward for synthesis. But now after I got 100, usually I will free for friends if they use it for themselve. Or if ppl shouting for help with reward , I also will help if have time and get the reward.

anymore, if it is an item that is pre 60 craft level, i will synth for free unless it is gonna be sold for profit, and then it will cost 10% the value of the item.

Post 60, is 10% the value of item for NQ, and if it HQ's it will cost 50% the profit at which it could sell or I keep the item and synth a NQ for free.

There are exceptions to this, i usually synth items for people on my friends list or LS for free (depending on item)

It cost too much to give away free items that could be used to make back some off the loss that was taken during the leveling process.

Just because we have a HL craft, does not mean we are rich...

If I am going to pay the crafter extra for a HQ, I hope I getting money back if he breaks it.

I am paying someone to synth an item for me, not share the risk with me.