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?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby3084mo 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_phoenix4mo 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.

jenniferb532mo ago

Funny you mention the certified letter thing, I actually read somewhere that sending physical mail triggers a different response in people's brains compared to emails. Something about the effort and formality makes it feel more serious lol. The hostage situation you described is wild though, small clients really do operate on a different planet sometimes. I had a buddy who did web design and one client threatened to sue him for "emotional distress" because he wouldn't release their site until they paid the final invoice. People get super irrational when money is involved. The weekly invoice spam method is honestly underrated, I've done that with a few deadbeats and the sheer annoyance factor usually gets results.