I was reading through a freelancers union survey from last year and saw that 68% of unpaid invoices under $500 are never collected after 90 days. I always thought pushing hard on small amounts was worth the hassle, but that number from the Freelancers Union 2023 report surprised me. Maybe I should just write off the small ones and focus on the big clients who pay on time. Has anyone else stopped chasing the small stuff and seen a difference?
After 5 ignored emails and 2 voicemails that went nowhere, I showed up at his job site with a printed copy of the signed contract and stood there holding it until he cut me a check on the spot, has anyone else had to do an in-person pickup to get their money?
Last Friday I did a bathroom re-pipe for a guy in Phoenix who insisted on paying half upfront and half on completion. I figured it was fine because he seemed solid, but when I finished the work he started nitpicking every tiny thing to stall paying the rest. Two days later he finally sent $150 and said that's all I'm getting because the job 'wasn't perfect.' I used to think partial payments were just a routine thing, but now I see they can backfire when the client controls the timeline. Has anyone else had a buyer use the final payment as leverage over small complaints?