Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

c/no-pay-no-play

2

angelamurphy•3h ago

That $50 logo job turned into a two month chase and I almost gave up

I took a $50 logo job from a friend of a friend back in September and they ghosted me after I sent the final files. After two months of polite reminders and one angry voicemail, they finally Venmoed me $25 and said the rest was coming next week. Has anyone else had a cheap job turn into way more headache than it's worth?

11

danielowens•2d ago

Just found out my state has a 3-day cancellation rule for home services

I was reading through some small biz paperwork last night and stumbled on a law in Oregon that lets clients cancel any home repair contract within 3 days with NO penalty. That means a guy I painted a whole living room for in Portland could have just backed out after I bought all the paint. I had no idea this was a thing. Has anyone else gotten burned by this kind of rule?

16

oliver_baker49•3d ago

Lost $120 on a retainer fee I didn't put in writing

Had a client promise me a $120 retainer for some quick graphic design work back in March. Never signed anything, just a handshake over coffee. When I sent the invoice after finishing the job, they said they never agreed to that amount and blocked me. Now I send a simple contract before touching any project.

2

shane170•5d ago

My old boss told me to always get 30% up front and I thought he was paranoid

When I started my landscaping company back in 2017, my old boss Bill from Albuquerque told me to never start a job without 30% down. I figured he was just being a grumpy old guy. Then I took a $1,200 patio job for someone off Nextdoor with zero deposit, and after I finished the grading and bought the pavers, they ghosted me completely. Bill was right, and now I don't touch a shovel until I see that upfront payment hit my account. Has anyone else had to learn this lesson the hard way?

24

wells.evan•6d ago

Vent: That conversation with my accountant made me feel like an idiot

He asked why I wasn't charging late fees after 30 days and I just sat there quiet... I assumed clients would pay eventually but now I'm out $1,200 from three jobs last quarter. What do you guys use for late payment penalties that actually works?

3

garcia.cameron•6d ago

Hot take: Cash upfront saved me from a $1,500 disaster last month

I had a client in Austin who promised to pay after I finished a full website redesign. I did the work, sent the invoice, and then they just ghosted me for two weeks. Now I ask for 50% upfront before I even open my laptop. Has anyone else had a client vanish like that after you delivered?

12

kevin_williams•7d ago

Used to chase down every single late payment like it was my job. Now I just send one email and wait.

Back in 2021, I'd spend hours tracking down a $400 invoice from a client in Austin. Calling, texting, emailing, the whole thing. Then I realized they'd just ghost me harder the more I pushed. Now I send one polite reminder after 7 days, then a final notice at 14 days, and after that I move on. Has anyone else found that backing off actually gets you paid faster than being aggressive?

23

garcia.cameron•7d ago

The client who paid me in 'exposure' via a framed photo of a sunset

Had a local artist hire me to build his website last spring. He swore he'd pay $500 cash after seeing the mockup. Showed up at his studio in Austin, he pointed to a blurry sunset photo on the wall and said 'that's worth more than money.' Took me 3 months and a group email to his art collective to get $250. Still haven't seen the rest. Anyone else get offered weird stuff instead of cash?

4

taylor.brooke•8d ago

Vent: The client who paid but then charged back 3 months later

Had a landscaping job for a guy in Bakersfield, he paid upfront via card, everything was fine. Then 90 days later he filed a chargeback claiming he never got the work done. Took me 2 hours and a grainy photo of his property to win the dispute. Anyone dealt with this and found a way to stop it from happening again?

21

parker_webb•9d ago

PSA: That $250 'quick website fix' turned into 40 hours of my life

I quoted a small business owner $250 to update some images on their Shopify store, but they kept finding 'one more thing' to tweak across 3 weeks. By the time I realized they had no intention of paying the final invoice, I had sunk 40 hours into their site for less than minimum wage. Has anyone else fallen for the 'it's a small job' trap and ended up doing way more than agreed?

5

the_laura•10d ago

My check engine light flashed 3 times in one week and I ignored it each time

Last month my mail truck's check engine light came on Monday, then again Wednesday, then Friday. I just kept driving because I had packages to get through and figured it was nothing. By Saturday morning the thing was dead in the middle of a residential street in Brookline. Cost me $850 for a tow and a new alternator I could have replaced for $300 if I'd just called the shop on Monday. Anyone else ever put off a small fix and end up paying way more later?

2

michael_williams•11d ago

Pro tip: A client told me my invoices were too confusing and I fixed them same day

Last month I had a client who owed me $450 for a small web design job. He kept saying he'd pay soon but after two weeks I asked what was up. He said my invoice had too many line items and he couldn't figure out what to approve. I mean I had like 8 separate charges for things like font licenses and stock photos. So I just lumped everything into one flat fee and sent it over. He paid within 3 hours after that. Now I only send single line invoices for any project under $1000. Has anyone else found that keeping invoices super simple actually gets you paid faster?

8

anthony_jackson31•15d ago

Had to choose between chasing a deadbeat or cutting my losses this week

I had this client, Mark, who owed me $350 for 5 training sessions he booked but never showed for. He kept saying he'd Venmo me but then ghosted for two weeks. I spent like 3 hours texting and calling him trying to get the money, which is honestly time I coulda used to find new clients. Then I had to decide: keep chasing this $350 or just block him and move on to the gym member who already paid for a month upfront. I picked cutting my losses and told Mark I was done. Felt like crap losing that cash but honestly my stress level dropped hard. Has anyone else had to make that call and just walk away?

30

kevin_williams•18d ago

TIL the hard way that chasing a $400 payment from a handyman took 6 weeks of my life I'll never get back

I did some furniture assembly for a local guy who runs a rental property near downtown. He swore he'd pay me after 'the tenant inspection' (which I later found out wasn't even scheduled). I kept texting him every few days and got nothing but excuses about his bank app being down. After six weeks of this, I drove to his office and sat in his lobby until he finally wrote me a check. Has anyone else had a client just completely ghost you over a small amount like that?

12

michael803•18d ago

Appreciation post for that business coach who told me to stop taking clients who haggle

I changed my mind about negotiating rates after a client who talked me down from $800 to $500 ghosted me on payment, and the coach sent me a study showing 84% of freelancers who discount end up chasing unpaid invoices - has anyone else noticed a pattern with bargain hunters being the worst payers?

21

the_cameron•19d ago

Am I the only one who thinks taking a client to small claims court is a waste of time?

After chasing a $600 payment from a client in Austin for 8 months through the court system and only getting a judgment I can't collect on, has anyone else found it's better to just move on and focus on vetting better clients?

25

the_riley•20d ago

Found a stat that made me rethink chasing late payments

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?

9

shane_morgan•26d ago

Finally got paid on a 6 month old invoice from a guy in Raleigh last Friday

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?

23

abbyf79•27d ago

Changed my mind about taking partial payments after a $400 plumbing job went south

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?