Can we talk about the moment a client ghosted me mid-contract?

I was sitting at my desk in Austin last Tuesday when a client just stopped replying after I sent a revised rate sheet, leaving me $800 in limbo. Should I have pushed harder for a signed agreement upfront or is some ghosting just part of the game? Anyone else deal with this kind of stall tactic?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretc423d ago

Oh, did you try a written agreement with me before? I used to think handshake deals were fine too, but getting ghosted on a $800 invoice changed my mind real fast.

adam41410h agoMost Upvoted

Yeah but that's kinda missing the point though. A contract isn't supposed to magically stop someone from being a jerk, it's about covering your ass when they are. Sure court costs money but having a signed piece of paper makes small claims court way simpler than trying to prove a handshake deal ever happened. The buddy with the signed contract still had a chance to take legal action even if he didn't follow through. You get nothing with a handshake except a lesson learned.

xena_hernandez983d ago

Bet you still do handshake deals with friends and family though. $800 hurts but that's small time compared to some horror stories I hear. Seen plenty of people swear by written contracts then skip them for a "quick job" and get burned again. It's more about who you work with than a piece of paper. Had a buddy who had a signed contract and the guy still ghosted him. Court costs more than the invoice. Just saying it's not always the magic fix people think it is.