Still deciding if I should drop my kill fee or keep it after a client pushed back on it last week

I had a client tell me my 25% kill fee was 'unprofessional' because it showed I didn't trust them to follow through. They said other freelancers they worked with just ate the cost if a project fell through. Now I'm wondering if I'm losing good gigs by being too strict, or if waiving it just invites people to waste my time. Has anyone else had a client critique their contract terms and change what they do?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota_miller9312d ago

That 25% kill fee IS trust though. If they bail last minute, you blocked off time you could've charged someone else. Trust goes both ways. I had a client try the same thing, said I was the only freelancer who asked for a deposit up front. Then they canceled on me three days before the deadline and ghosted for two weeks. So how did the conversation actually go when you pushed back on the fee? Did they just say it felt unprofessional or did they give a real reason like budget or timeline?

rowanw9112d ago

Man, that's rough. I feel for you @dakota_miller93, getting ghosted like that after they already showed bad faith is the worst.

garcia.wren12d ago

Ugh that is SO frustrating! I totally get why you feel burned, it's such a slap in the face when they act like YOU'RE the problem for wanting basic protection. Honestly good for you for standing your ground, that client sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.