Freelance scams are one of the most frustrating, irritating and tiresome aspects of freelancing. There is no freelancer, whether new or veteran, who has not been bitten by the Freelance scams bug. However, what constitutes a freelance scam, and how do you decide what a freelance scam is?
You and the Client Agree on a Schedule and after completion the Client Disappears:
Seriously speaking, it is not always the fault of the freelance client. There have been many cases where the the freelancer commits on a timeframe or a schedule and then does not deliver. Of course, we all understand delays in the professional world, but then, being a freelancer, you have to understand that you need to communicate any delays that you undergo. Only if the client disappears after you have provided them with the work in the given timeframe and following the schedule, you can yell that it's a freelance scam.
The Client Contracts You for a Number of assignments and pays you for none:
Many clients have multiple businesses and therefore interact with several freelancers whom they give several assignments. If you are in such a situation, there is a chance that they overlook some payment somewhere in the huge list of assignments you should not think much about it and write off the amount as a bad debt. I have had many instances where my clients disappear for a while, leaving the last payment in limbo and then come back to me and work with me as normal. It is only when I remind them of the last payment that they become apologetic and pay me immediately. That is the time when I chide them about growing old (for women) and rebuke the men for being too quick to fly to the Bahamas.
Only if the client takes you for a ride by giving you three, four or even more assignments together and does not pay for few or none, you can surely say that you have been scammed.
These are two of the major scenarios which constitute a freelance scam. If you know any scenarios where you think you were part of a scam, feel free to contact the blog author.
