TIL a 'family friend' discount is a huge red flag

Agreed to do a full kitchen design for my cousin's buddy at a lower rate. He ghosted after the third revision, owes me $1200. Now I get a deposit before any sketches. Anyone else get burned by a 'friend of a friend' deal?

3 comments

3 Comments

fionamurphy5d ago

Learned the same lesson with a "friend of a friend" job. I now make a simple contract, even for small jobs, and take a non-refundable deposit that covers my first round of work. It filters out the people who aren't serious. Like margaretc42 said, a deposit is the only way to go. It sets a professional tone from the start so they know it's a real business deal, not a favor.

margaretc425d ago

Wait they ghosted after you already did three rounds of changes for them? That's brutal. The discount should have bought some good will, not a free pass to disappear. Getting a deposit up front is the only way to go now, learned that the hard way.

anna7175d ago

Actually had the opposite happen once. Gave a huge discount to be nice, client ended up being the most demanding and flaky. Full price people seem to value the work more from the start. A deposit is smart, but it doesn't always filter out the time wasters.