While doing in-house freelance at an agency in late 80s.
Client: We would like to offer you a full time position. We can pay you $XXK per year.
Me: (thinking, that is low wages) What benefits do you offer?
Client: Benefits?... It's up to you to keep your teeth clean.
Me: Why did you cancel my check a week later after you paid me??
Client: I don’t think you actually worked on it when you said you did. I’m going to need proof.
Me: That is illegal. You can’t do that.
Client: You are entitled. You think you can get something for nothing.
Me: Yes, I am legally entitled to the check you gave me with no complaints a week ago.
Me: This isn't really in my wheelhouse.
Client: Come on! Challenge yourself.
So I did, and did good work.
Little did I know that when I asked to be paid, the client would ALSO challenge me.
A client sent me an email asking for a vector portrait and provided a ton of photos. A few days later he emailed:
Client: Unfortunately, I can’t make payment, but I will send you the 13 gift e-books via Google Drive about various Essential Techniques in designing.
Good thing I didn’t bother in the first place.
I’ve done an Animation for a client that was designing an online course for another client.
Client: *list of 25 absurd changes in the Animation*
Me: But why? 90% of this was done exactly as the script says.
Client: Because my client won't pay for it unless he likes it.
Me: So I’ll have to charge for this because I’ve done exactly as in YOUR script.
Client: If my client doesn’t like it, he won't pay me and I won't pay you. So change everything for free or I’ll have to pay someone else to do it and take it from your payment.
A client recommended me to someone he knew so I really wanted this to work out. Plus it was right after all my other clients went cold due to COVID kicking off. It was an email correspondence.
Me: Thanks so much for the opportunity, I hear you're looking to do something with video interviews or video podcasts, I'd love to hear more.
Client: This is going to be a great opportunity for you! We're looking for someone to come into our studio and film 3, maybe 4 people talking. We'll need you to light it, run audio, and film it (at least 3 cameras). Each one is 3-4 hours long and when we're done you have to edit the audio and video so we can release it them weekly.
Me: Wow, that sounds like an interesting opportunity and a lot of work. Have you given any thought to the budget?
Client: Well that's the thing we're trying to be super aggressive on budget... we've got $500 per episode. We're going to do a ton though, I want to do 40 or 50 the first year!
So I'd have to bring 3 cameras, wireless mics, lighting for 3 people (6 lights probably). Set it up myself (no money for an assistant), run 3 cameras and audio solo (see no money above), then break it all down and edit 4 hours together cohesively... for $500... hard pass.
My sister-in-law purchased two large paintings of mine, both custom jobs. She was very pleased with both paintings. About 6 months later, she decided that she wanted another painting of her favorite place on one of the U.S. great lakes, a beach scene with chairs, trees, sand and water.
Since she was in the family and had been fine to work with in the past, I decided - stupidly - to break my own rule and not create a regular contract with a deposit to get started. After she sent some photos, I did some research on my own as well. I spent a few hours, created a digital "rough" of the painting and sent it to her, which is my standard way of working on custom paintings. She loved what I had presented and was very excited, but suggested some small changes and additions, which were no problem at the digital stage. I spent about two more hours, making the changes and neatening up the scene, as I figured the next step would be actually projecting it and painting it on a large canvas. I sent it to her for final "rough" approval.
Then... nothing. Crickets.
I wrote to her again the next day, no response. I waited, figuring she might be busy and tried again after a few days. Again, nothing, no phone call, no email, nothing. And I never heard from her again. Keep in mind, this is my sister-in-law. She and her siblings rarely talk, so there wasn't many opportunities to talk, but the next time she actually DID call several months later, I simply said "Hold please" and handed the phone off to her sibling. I really have not talked to her since.
Because I didn't have a contract and received zero deposit, she simply got away with ghosting me and not paying me for my time. There's been no acknowledgement of her lack of response or dropping the project or any apology for her odd behavior. It's like it never happened, except I did hours of work without pay.
I'm dying for her to ask me for anything again. She's going to get quite an earful.
A client has had me working for them on a job for over a year and a half now and been a nightmare the entire time. I sent them a bill for expanded scope.
Client: This is not the amount we agreed to! You overcharged us... I am going to be generous, given the hard time you are going through and only request a refund of $901.28, even though the balance is actually much higher. I have sent you a PayPal invoice to pay me back with. Please pay at your earliest convenience.
First time a client has ever asked me to pay them back for work I did.
I used to work as a wedding videographer for a time. A former great client referred me to one of her friends who was getting married.
I met with the bride and she made what she told me was a great offer.
Client: I work at one at one of the convention centers in the NYC. We hold trade shows there and whenever we do one we hire a videographer to shoot it and then edit together a sizzle reel of the show. I’m the person who hires the videographer and we pay them $400 to do each event. I’ll make you a deal. If you take off $1200 from the price of my wedding package, I will hire you for three of these events and you could make up the $1200 from that.
Me: I'm afraid that isn't really worth it for me. Even if I phoned it in, you are probably looking at well over 2 weeks worth of work to get it done. Why would I agree to do so much more work for the same amount of money?
She became extremely annoyed I would not agree to her offer and didn’t understand why I was turning down such a “great opportunity to get more work”.
I eventually agreed to do her wedding with her paying the entire price herself.
The day of the wedding I was talking to the photographer she hired and he said she tried to pull the same stunt on him.
More work is only a bonus if it also equals more pay. If not, it's just more work.
I started offering to do film posters for Indie productions while I was between jobs. I offered a set price for the design - at a MUCH cheaper rate than normal - with a firm guideline of three revisions before I would start charging more. This was stated in very big and clear letters on my ad, which I posted on several Facebook pages.
Almost straight away I had my first message. I've cleaned up the spelling to make it readable.
Client: Do you make posters for free for a little no-budget film?
Me: No, sorry. This is how I make a living, so I can’t afford to do it for free.
Client: Oh okay. How much is it?
Ignoring the fact that it was in the ad…
Me: $500. That gives you 3 revisions after we settle on a final design.
Client: You won't do a revision for free?
Me: ...I’ll do 3 revisions for free. More than that I have to charge as it’s more work. Most people get to their final design by three anyway.
Client: Sorry, what is a revision?
First red flag, but since it was the first enquiry, I decided to keep going. So I explained exactly what I deemed a revision and what that covered.
Client: Oh okay. Can you do those for free man? Like only the revisions?
I went through and explained again what I offered, what was covered with the initial fee and what he would be getting for his money.
Client: Just one is fine, isn't it? Nah you're the expert.
Me: Usually. It's just there so we make sure that you are completely happy with the final image.
Client: I want it to be like an 80s poster. Like the faces above and around and an object or something to do with the movie. And don't make it too detailed as you're doing it for free man.
Me: Sorry if you misunderstood mate, but no, I’m not doing a free poster. Everything I detailed to you is what is included in the $500 deal. Not to mention that I insist on a $250 deposit to secure the job before I do any work.
Client: Oh okay.
Client: Don't do the poster hahaha