Vent: Client kept "forgetting" my rate after six emails back and forth

I had this one guy who wanted me to write web content for his plumbing business in Austin. After SIX emails where I repeated my rate of $75 per page, he finally said okay then acted SHOCKED when the invoice came. He sent back a payment for $50 and said "we never agreed on that number." Has anyone else had a client suddenly play dumb about pricing after you've stated it multiple times?

4 comments

4 Comments

xenam843d ago

I used to be one of those people who thought "just get it in writing and you're fine." But man, after watching you spell out $75 per page six times and still get stiffed with $50, that really changed my mind. Some clients will straight up ignore emails and then act like you're the one who messed up. It's like they think if they pretend hard enough, their made-up number becomes real. I get it now - some people are just looking for an angle, and no amount of paper trails will stop them from trying to pull one over on you.

kellyallen3d ago

That part about "they think if they pretend hard enough, their made-up number becomes real" hit home hard. I had a friend who did freelance graphic design and she had this one client, a small business owner, who kept saying the rate was "around 500" for a logo package when she clearly quoted 750 in the contract. He'd reply to her invoice emails with stuff like "per my understanding" and then re-state the lower number like it was fact. It was wild to watch. She'd forward him the original email with the breakdown and he'd just ignore it and send another check for 500. Eventually she had to drop him because he was more trouble than he was worth. Some people really think if they just consistently lowball you enough times, you'll eventually give in to keep the peace.

juliaa653d ago

Had a landlord try this on me once with a lease renewal. He texted me the new rent was 975 but the paper I signed said 875. Every month he'd cash my check for 875 and then send a passive aggressive note saying the amount was "incorrect per our agreement." I just saved every single text and email from him showing the lower number. Eventually he gave up after like 6 months and stopped bringing it up. Some people really will just keep pushing to see if you'll crack.

martinez.paul3d ago

Are you telling me these people actually think they can just will a different price into existence? I used to be all about contracts too, but stories like this make me think some folks just don't care what's in writing.