Can we talk about the time a 'handshake deal' cost me $2,500

This happened about six months ago with a regular client I'd worked with for over a year. We always just agreed on stuff over email, no real contract. Then they asked for a big new website feature, and I gave them a flat price quote. They said 'sounds good, let's do it' and I started. Halfway through, they started adding little changes, saying 'oh, can it also do this?' like five extra things. When I finished and sent the final invoice, they pushed back hard, saying the extra stuff was part of the original 'good' price. I had no paper trail to prove what the original scope was, so I had to eat the cost of all that extra work. It was a huge wake-up call. Now I make a simple one-page agreement for every single job, no matter how small or how nice the client seems. Has anyone else gotten burned by thinking a verbal agreement was enough with a long-term client?

3 comments

3 Comments

tessalane21d ago

Learned that lesson the hard way too. Did some video work for a friend's small business. We agreed on a price for a short promo. Then it was "can you just add this clip" and "what about a version for Instagram". Suddenly I'd done three times the work. When I brought up the extra cost, he acted like I was trying to rip him off. Felt awful. Now my rule is, if money is involved, it gets written down before I even open the software. A simple email saying "just to confirm" has saved me so many headaches.

hannah_craig21d ago

My buddy who does freelance graphic design got hit with the same thing. He did album art for a local band for years, just a quick text to agree on price. Then they wanted a full merch line, said "yeah we'll pay you for it all" when they talked at the bar. He did the work, sent the bill, and they ghosted him for months. He finally got paid half of what they talked about, with zero way to prove the real number. He doesn't even answer a text about work now without a PDF to sign first.

grace_kelly4521d ago

Yeah, that's exactly why the "just to confirm" email @tessalane mentioned is so key. It doesn't have to be a scary legal contract, just a clear list of what you'll do and what it costs. I tell my friends in creative work to send that email right after the bar talk, before any real work starts. It saves the friendship and makes sure you get paid right.