TIL a client can't just 'pay you later' if you didn't agree first

I finished a website build for a local bakery, and the owner said 'the check is in the mail' for the final $1200. Two weeks go by, nothing. I called, and they said they were waiting for their own client to pay THEM first. I never put payment terms in our email agreement, so now I'm stuck waiting. Some freelancers say you should always get a signed contract with clear due dates, but others say that scares off small clients. Has anyone else had a client try to make their cash flow problem YOUR problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_aaron4h ago

Why do people treat promises like optional extras?

val_williams5h agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, does this ever hit home. I had a client pull the exact same thing after I did some graphic design work, promised payment next week and then ghosted me for a month. It totally taught me that even a simple one-page contract is a must, no matter how small the job seems. That "check is in the mail" line is such a classic stall tactic. Now I get a deposit before I even start and the rest is due before I send the final files, it just saves so much headache.

seanjackson5h ago

Oh the old "check is in the mail" routine, a tale as old as time (or at least as old as freelancing). It's basically the professional version of "my dog ate my homework." Getting that deposit upfront is the only way to separate the serious folks from the professional daydreamers. Smart move locking down the final files until the balance is paid, that's the real power move right there. Saves you from having to send those awkward "so... about that invoice..." emails for the tenth time.