Mom buys a painting of her son from a local fair artist, discovers artist gave away her phone number when she gets a call from a stranger asking for painting: ‘It was out of line’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Aug 8, 2025 11:00 PM EDT

When you get to the cash register at a retail store and they ask for your phone number at the end of the transaction, everyone knows that by giving away your number, you are also consenting to getting promotional messages from this brand for the rest of your life. We are sure it's not just us who receive a promotional text message every 5 minutes, but we got so used to it, we barely even notice it by that point.

Phone calls, however, tend to get under our skin. How do so many bots and scam companies get our phone numbers, and why won't they stop calling? How can we keep our privacy safe from having others get access to something as personal as our phone number?

Those are the questions that went through our heads as we read the story below, in which a mother was appalled to discover her phone number was given away to a stranger after a transaction with a local fair artist. While she didn't blame the stranger who called, she didn't like the fact that her information was given away in the first place, so she decided to confront the one responsible.

Keep scrolling to read the full tale.

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  • 01
    MONSTER MARATHON
    via Darwin Boaventura

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    I went to my state fair on Monday, and they had several independent artists around the park painting. various scenes.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 03
    One of those artists put my son in his painting, which was a scene of some of the food trucks in front of one of the expo halls.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 04
    It's a small painting, about postcard sized. I was pleasantly surprised to later see the painting for sale in the main exhibit hall.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 05
    I paid cash for it and bought it, because my son was a piece of that artwork. I gave the person my name and phone number,
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 06
    along with payment. In return, I was given the number of the person coordinating the art so I can arrange pickup after the fair ends.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 07
    Imagine my surprise when today I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize. It went to voicemail so I listened.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 08
    It was the owner of one of the food trucks in the picture. He called to ask if I wanted to sell the painting to him for more than I paid.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 09
    He was polite, but a little pushy. I politely declined and explained why.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 10
    After I got off the phone, I started getting upset. The painting was listed as sold on the display but my contact info was in the binder.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 11
    Which means someone gave a stranger my phone number. My mom said I was out of line for refusing to sell, because he offered me more money than I paid for it.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 12
    I did call the guy coordinating all this and a) told him I do want the painting I paid for and b) that my number shouldn't be given out anymore.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 13
    Creative_Carrot_7514 NTA, the person coordinating the sales should have reached out to you directly with the offer, not given your name and info out.
    via Creative_Carrot_7514
  • 14
    Bright_Sea_7567 Your mom is out line. What the heck is her issue?
    via Bright_Sea_7567
  • 15
    No-Bumblebee-1227 OP Oh, I don't have the time answer that question. Lots of things.
    via No-Bumblebee-1227
  • 16
    Alh840001 "My mom said I was out of line for refusing to sell, because he offered me more money than | paid for it." Can't get past it. Please tell your mom I told her to get bent. And NTA for requiring a business to keep your number private.
    via Alh840001
  • 17
    Sweetcilantro nta Check if the dude looked in the binder for your info vs the artist gave it to them. Don't want to be upset at the wrong person potentially.
    via Sweetcilantro
  • 18
    Your moms a dumby, Ask her if she'll accept a price for her house if its more than she paid for it. $20 bucks is $20 bucks right?
    via Sweetcilantro
  • 19
    Embarrassed-Row-2025 You know, with the artist permission you can get prints made
    via Embarrassed-Row-2025
  • 20
    kiwimuz NTA. Your personal information should never have been given out. The food truck owner can commission the artist to do a picture for him instead of hounding you.
    via kiwimuz
  • 21
    ABCBDMomma NTA But, wow, your mom sure is!! You were most definitely NOT out of line for refusing to sell!
    via ABCBDMomma
  • 22
    Mandi171 NTA for not wanting to sell. You have no obligation to at all. I probably wouldn't get upset about the call myself unless the food truck guy gets out of line.
    via Mandi171
  • 23
    Cheezburger Image 10539913984
    via Annette Shaff

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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customer service aita art mother artist strange reddit story parenting service fair painting Reddit mom money parents entitled people
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