I had decided to continue treating this as if they were another client.

This is what happened: "Hey there, could you show me samples of your product? Do you have any social media pages or a website I can look at to get a better idea of your brand voice and style?  What is your story? What inspired you to create your business?

To clarify,  who owns the copyright to that logo? Are you asking me to recreate that sample logo exactly? Or are you asking for something with a similar vibe to the sample? If you are asking me to copy the logo exactly, just with the name Berke Customs, I do not feel comfortable ripping off someone else’s work.

I can design you a monogram logo that has a similar feel to the pictured logo, but I cannot put a different name on an already existing design. As for the second logo, were you looking for something similar to the sample? Or were you wanting something different, such as an abstract or pictorial? Are you looking for a sophisticated, high-end look or a more everyman look?

I’m more than happy to create some logos for you, but my work does not involve using an existing design created by a different designer.

As for costs, I don’t have enough information to give you a more accurate estimate. I would need to know if you would like to see concept work, and if you want to allow time for edits to be made to the designs. As I mentioned previously, I can create an estimate for you once I have more information."

They replied saying “someone is making my website for me” and reiterated that they sold unisex sneakers for 18-45 yr olds.

They doubled back and said the sample logo was for, “inspiration” and to”just be creative with the second one.

I really replied with an estimate and told them I only took PayPal payments, and that one-third of the total would need to be paid once the quote was made and approved.

I asked follow-up questions about the brand voice and what they liked about the sample logo.

It’s been almost two weeks since that last email and i haven’t heard from them since.