Had to pick between a rush job and a smaller deposit... I chose wrong

Last month a potential client offered me a $3,000 web design project but wanted it done in 10 days. They only wanted to put down $300 as a deposit instead of my usual 50%. I was short on cash so I took the deal... biggest mistake of my year so far. I finished the whole site in 8 days and they ghosted me after I sent the final files. Now it's been 3 weeks and they won't answer emails or calls. Has anyone else taken a low deposit for a tight deadline and got burned like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_john9d ago

Did they at least leave you a nice voicemail?

mason_murray89d ago

Did you have a signed contract that spelled out when the final payment was due and what happened if they didn't pay? Usually even with a low deposit, you can hold the files or demand payment before sending the final versions. I feel like you kind of gave them everything they wanted with no leverage left. That really sucks though, $300 for 8 days of work is insulting.

-1

grantc809d ago

$300 for 8 days is honestly just insulting, I feel for you. I had a client pull something similar a few years back where they owed me $600 and just stopped answering emails. The worst part is you do all that work and then you're stuck trying to decide if it's worth chasing them legally for such a small amount. It's like they know you can't really do much about it most of the time. Sending the final files before payment is a hard lesson to learn, but man it's tough when you're just trying to be a decent person.