Got stiffed on $1200 after a coffee shop meeting changed my whole process

I met a new client at a Blue Bottle in Brooklyn last month and they seemed super legit. They wanted a full website redesign and I was so excited I skipped my usual deposit request. 3 weeks of work later and they ghosted me completely. Now I make everyone sign a contract and pay 50% upfront before I even open my laptop. Has anyone else had a bad experience trusting a client too fast at a casual meetup?

2 comments

2 Comments

garcia.cameron9h ago

...and that's exactly why I never meet at Blue Bottle anymore. I had a similar thing happen at a Starbucks in Williamsburg, guy promised me a big social media campaign and then just vanished after I did all the initial strategy work. Now I always get something in writing before I even order a coffee, learned that lesson the hard way.

anna7177h ago

Yeah I used to think a handshake was good enough for that kind of thing. But after getting burned once too often I started getting everything in writing too. It's annoying but saves a lot of headache later.