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My mentor told me to never start work without a signed contract, but I did for a 'nice' client
I did a full brand guide for a local bakery before they signed, thinking we had a handshake deal. They ghosted me after I sent the final files, and I'm out $1200. Has anyone else gotten burned by skipping the paperwork with someone who seemed trustworthy?
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shanes6612d agoTop Commenter
Ouch, that's a brutal lesson. I mean, did you at least send them a watermark on the files or anything to try and lock it down first? Or was it just full trust from the start?
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Man that's the worst feeling, sorry you got hit with that. Been there myself with a "nice" restaurant owner a few years back. You gotta treat the watermark like a locked door, even on early drafts for friends of friends. Next time, send the full guide as super low-res previews until the check clears, then deliver the real files. It's the only way to make sure you don't do all that work for free.
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