c/client-nightmares

Appreciation post: A client in Tampa tried to argue that the wasps I removed for $350 should have been free because they were 'part of the ecosystem'.

PSA: My friend told me to get a deposit from a new client in Denver, and I'm glad I did.

He said, 'Get half up front, no matter what they promise.' The client agreed, then ghosted me after I sent the first draft. I only lost my time, not the full $1200. Has anyone else had a client vanish right after getting started?

Showerthought: I thought charging a kill fee was just for big agencies, but it saved me from a total loss last quarter.

A client ghosted me halfway through a website redesign after I'd already put in 40 hours. I had a kill fee clause in my contract for 25% of the total project cost, which felt harsh at first. When they vanished, I sent one email pointing to that clause and got paid $750 within a week. Has anyone else had a client try to skip out after you started work?

Pro tip: I thought requiring a signed scope document before any work was just extra hassle, but a client trying to add a whole new feature after the fact proved me wrong.

He emailed a list of 'just one more thing' changes that would have taken 15 extra hours. I pointed to the signed doc, and he backed down immediately. Anyone else have a go-to method for locking down project details early?

Showerthought: A client's 'simple favor' turned into a 10 hour unpaid redesign

I was having coffee with another designer yesterday and she mentioned a client asked her to 'just move a logo around' on a finished brochure. She did it as a courtesy, but then they demanded the entire layout change to fit a new slogan, expecting it for free. She said she spent a full workday on revisions before finally sending an invoice they refused to pay. It hit different because I've done that 'one quick thing' so many times. How do you guys handle scope creep on already finished projects?

Rant: A client in Austin wanted me to work for free because it was 'good for my portfolio'

I was at a local networking event when a guy cornered me and spent twenty minutes explaining why his startup's exposure was better than cash. I now have a firm rule against any 'portfolio building' talks. Has anyone else had to shut this down hard?

Shoutout to the client who ghosted after I bought $300 in custom fonts for their rebrand

They vanished right after I sent the invoice for the fonts, which I fronted the cash for (lesson learned, I guess). Anyone have a good contract clause for non-refundable upfront costs on digital assets?

Thinking back to my first year freelancing versus now, the change in how I handle project scope is night and day.

I used to just agree to whatever a person wanted with a handshake and a 'sure, I can do that'. Last year, a project for a bakery's website ballooned from a simple 5-page site to over 20 pages because I didn't say no. Now I use a detailed project brief and a signed agreement before I even open my design software. It saved me from a similar mess just last month. Has anyone else found that a solid contract is the only thing that stops scope creep?

Had a client who kept asking for 'just one more tiny change' after we agreed on the final design.

After the fifth round of tweaks, I started charging a small fee for each revision past the agreed number. The next time they asked, I quoted them $50 and they suddenly decided the work was perfect as is. Has anyone else tried something like this to stop scope creep?

Vent: A customer in Phoenix yelled at me for an hour over a $50 invoice

He claimed the work was done wrong, but it was exactly what he signed off on. I finally calmed him down by showing him the signed contract and the photos from the job site. Has anyone else had a client completely forget what they approved?

Had a client try to pay me with a bag of loose change for a website redesign.

I was at a coffee shop in Portland meeting with a new client about a site overhaul we agreed would cost $2,500. After showing him the final mockups, he pulled out a literal grocery bag full of coins and small bills, saying 'I prefer cash.' It took me and two baristas 45 minutes to count it all, and we were still $87 short. He argued the 'exposure' from the project should cover the rest. How do you even handle payment methods in a contract after that? Has anyone else had a client pull something this wild?

Showerthought: I had to choose between a client who paid late and one who asked for endless changes.

Last month I had two projects on the table. One client had a history of paying 30 days past my invoice date. The other paid on time but had a reputation for asking for 15+ rounds of revisions. I picked the late payer, thinking cash flow was easier to manage than my time. It was a mistake. The payment came 45 days late, and chasing it down took three emails and a phone call. The time I saved on revisions was spent stressing about rent. Has anyone else faced a choice like this and picked the wrong one?

I just found out my client in Phoenix was paying another guy half my rate for the same work

I saw a screenshot of an invoice he sent them for a basic landing page. He charged $400, while my contract for the same thing was $800. They never mentioned it to me, just kept asking for more revisions. Has anyone else been undercut like this without knowing?

A chat with my plumber buddy made me stop giving free estimates.

We were grabbing a beer after a job last week and he asked how many quotes I give out for free. I said maybe ten a month. He looked at me and said, 'You're running a business, not a charity. My time costs $95 an hour just to show up.' That hit different because I was losing half a day every week to people who never called back. Now I charge a $50 consult fee that goes toward the job if they book. Anyone else switch to paid estimates and did it cut down on the tire-kickers?

A client's website redirect loop took me two full days to fix

They had an old plugin conflict on their WordPress site that kept sending visitors in circles. I thought it would be a quick fix, but I spent over 16 hours digging through .htaccess files and server logs. Has anyone else had a simple plugin turn into a multi-day debugging nightmare?

Finally hired a mediator after a client refused to pay for completed work

Cost me about $400 for the initial session, but it got the guy to release the $2,500 he was holding. I was ready to write it off as a total loss. Anyone have a cheaper alternative that worked for them?

Update: The client who wanted a full website built in 48 hours for $500

This happened about two months ago. A new client reached out, super excited, saying they needed a five-page custom site for their new business. I sent my normal quote, around $2,500, which is fair for my area. They came back and said their budget was $500 and they needed it live before a big trade show that Friday. I told them it was impossible, but they kept calling and emailing, saying things like 'I know you can make it work' and 'just use a template.' I finally had to block their number after they sent twelve emails in one day. It was a solid week of stress over something that was never going to happen. Has anyone else had a client try to bargain you down to a totally unreasonable price and deadline?

Vent: A client refused to pay after I bought a $300 plugin for their site

I built a custom booking system for a local salon and they insisted on a specific calendar plugin. I paid for it upfront, around $300, thinking they'd cover it in the final invoice. The project finished, they loved it, then ghosted on the payment. Now I'm out the plugin cost and my hours. Has anyone else had a client approve an expense and then just disappear?

Update: The guy who wanted a whole new deck design after we poured the footings

We were three days into a job in Akron, concrete was set, and the homeowner walks out with a magazine. He points to a picture and says 'I want it to look like this instead.' The new plan needed different posts and framing, so I had to stop work and write up a whole new quote. Has anyone else had a client change their mind after you already started building?

I always thought 'kill them with kindness' was cheesy advice for bad clients, but a lady in Austin proved me wrong last month.

Serious question, why does everyone say to never work with friends?

I just finished a logo project for my friend's new cafe in Austin, and it was the smoothest job I've had all year. We had a clear contract, he paid the $500 deposit up front, and gave great feedback. Am I the only one who thinks the 'never work with friends' rule is wrong if you set clear rules from the start?

Appreciation post: A client's budget breakdown I saw on a shared screen was a real eye-opener

I was on a video call with a new client last month, going over their project goals, and they accidentally shared their whole screen instead of just the presentation. For about ten seconds, I saw their internal budget spreadsheet. They had a line item for 'creative work' that was about 15% of the total project cost. The rest was for 'platform fees', 'admin', and 'management', which was basically just their own salary. I mean, I always knew agencies marked things up, but seeing the actual numbers, where the person doing the work gets the smallest slice, really got to me. It wasn't even a huge project, maybe a $10k total budget, but that split felt wild. Idk, maybe it's just me, but it made me rethink how I quote my own services now. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where you saw the real math behind a client's ask?

Showerthought: I used to just send a final invoice, but now I send a project wrap-up email with a link to the invoice and payment reminders dropped by 80%.

Just lost $350 because a client wanted a 'quick edit' on a video that turned into a whole new project.

They asked me to trim 30 seconds from a finished ad, but then kept sending new clips and asking for new graphics over text. I didn't get a new contract or deposit for the extra work, thinking it was small stuff. After two weeks of back and forth, they said the original scope was met and refused to pay for the extra hours. Has anyone else had a 'small change' blow up like this? How do you shut it down fast?

My client wanted a full site redesign in 2 days for free

I used to say yes to every rush job hoping it would lead to more work, but this guy in Phoenix asked me to rebuild his entire 15-page site over a weekend as a 'test' of my skills. I told him my minimum fee for that timeline is $800, and he ghosted me completely. How do you guys handle clients who think your time has no value?