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Client wanted to renegotiate my payment terms 3 months after signing in Portland

I used to just trust handshake deals and email confirmations for freelance work, but after a client in Portland tried to change my net-30 terms to net-90 after I'd already delivered the files, I learned the hard way why you need everything locked down in the actual contract. Has anyone else dealt with clients pulling this kind of late-stage term switch?
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4 Comments
laura_wilson
UGH that is SO frustrating. I've had a client try to pull something similar and it makes you feel completely disrespected after you already did the work. Solidarity, friend - that Portland move was total garbage on their part.
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kevin_williams
Yeah, and it's not just freelance stuff either. You see this same move everywhere now, Laura, like companies changing return policies after you buy or restaurants adding surprise fees. It feels like the whole idea of a done deal is just gone. They get what they want from you and then try to rewrite the rules at the last second because they think they can. Makes you not want to trust anyone.
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maryr43
maryr436d ago
Man that's rough, but honestly a contract wouldn't have stopped them from asking. They still tried to change the deal after the fact. The real lesson for me was getting payment upfront, at least a big chunk. I started doing 50% before I even open a new project file. That way if they try to mess with the final payment later, I'm not starting from zero.
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ray_burns
ray_burns6d ago
So what happens when they stiff you on the final 50%?
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