Found a landscape designer online and filled out their online form to request she comes and look at our block. She calls me a couple of days later to find a time and date that suits. This was the only thing that was discussed.
I texted her confirmation of the time and date a couple of days later and gave our address. She turns up at the agreed time and spends 40 mins talking to us. We briefly told her what we were after and she spent most of the time giving us potential ideas off the top of her head. The whole conversation was focused on what she would be drawing up as a detailed design. She takes no notes, no photos or no measurements, just talks. She leaves.
A few days later she sends a quote for $3300 (and $250 an hour additional for alterations) to draw up some landscaping designs; fair enough, she can charge what she wants. Today she sends an invoice for $330 for the "1 hour consultation" she did at our house.
At no point on the call, in text messages, in person or on her website is there mention of a consultation fee for coming out to talk to us.
Am I right to want to challenge the $330? I realise she provided us with some information (most of which I did not like but that is beside the point), but not telling us that there was a charge before the fact has left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
Update 2 weeks later:
I ignored.
She emailed asking me to make the overdue payment.
I politely asked her to provide a copy of the prior notice I was given that outlined the invoiced cost.
She wrote back simply saying it was on her website, no links given.
I went back to her website and clicked around more and after a few minutes found a page that did specify the charge in question. It wasn't in an obvious place (in my opinion) and certainly wasn't on the About, Gallery or Contact pages which are the only pages I visited on her site before I called her.
So the question is now, is it my fault for not finding this page?
@holdenmg: Was on a page called Create which starts off talking about all the things she can create with you then half way down lists various ways she charges to interact with you during this creation.