Am I the only one who thinks a deposit before starting makes ghosting worse, not better? | Client Ghosting Stories - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Am I the only one who thinks a deposit before starting makes ghosting worse, not better?
I see people on here say ask for 50% upfront so you're protected, but in my case it backfired. Last October a guy in Portland paid me $600 as a deposit for a logo, then went silent for 3 weeks before popping back up demanding I finish the whole thing because he'd already paid. On the other side, I've had clients vanish with no money down and it stung less because I wasn't stuck owing them anything. So which is it, does a deposit lock people in or does it make them feel like they own you? I'd like to hear from folks who've tried both ways.