Warning: That quick $200 editing gig cost me $600 in the end

I took a rush job from a guy on Craigslist who said he needed a 10 page document fixed by Friday. He offered $200 which seemed fine for a few hours of work. But when I opened the file it was a total mess, like someone had run it through five different translators. I spent 12 hours straight rewritting whole sections and fixing formatting. Then he said the payment was 'net 60' not 'upon delivery' like we agreed. I waited two months and he finally sent a check that bounced. Bank charged me $35 for the returned check too. Has anyone else had a client pull the bait and switch on payment terms like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam4142d ago

Feel for you, that's a rough lesson to learn. Always get a deposit upfront now, learned that one the hard way myself.

the_laura2d ago

Deposit's one thing, but have you thought about writing a simple contract? Even a text message confirming the price and due date can save a LOT of drama if they try to ghost you later.

william_craig71d ago

Heard that @adam414, but do you really think a text would hold up if they just claim it was a typo?