My first freelance client ghosted me after I sent the invoice for $500

An older freelancer I met at a coffee shop in Denver told me to always collect 50% upfront and I ignored him, so when the guy vanished after I finished the work I learned that lesson the hard way - has anyone else had a client pull this and how did you handle it?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby3082d ago

The 50% upfront thing is solid advice but here's the thing, it doesn't always protect you if the client is determined to disappear. I had a guy pay half, I did the work, sent the final invoice, and he just stopped answering emails. So I was out the other half and couldn't even use the work for my portfolio because he owned it. What actually worked for me was sending a polite but firm email with a late fee notice, and then following up with a certified letter to his business address. Most people freak out when they see official paperwork coming to their actual office.

the_phoenix2d ago

Right?! I love how your certified letter plan basically turned into a prank war on a deadbeat client. I'm picturing you in a trenchcoat sliding it under his door like a spy movie. The late fee notice is genius though, I've done that and suddenly people remember how to reply to emails. My own trick is way dumber, I just resend the invoice every week with a slightly more desperate tone until they pay me to shut up. The 50% upfront still saved you from losing everything though, even if the other half was a lost cause. That portfolio point hurts, I had a similar situation where I basically held the work hostage until they paid and they threatened to sue. Small clients are the scariest because they have nothing to lose.