Comments on: The Return of the Low-ballers

By: devonellington

devonellington — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:45:35 +0000

I'm also tired of bait and switch -- advertising one rate and then trying to low ball.

Buh-bye.

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:31:51 +0000

Lori, I appreciate you sharing this experience. I see that I'm not alone in receiving wacky rates from potential clients.

I've started doing what Irreverent Freelancer mentioned - quoting rates upfront now to weed out the bargain hunters. I once had a guy who bragged about being a millionaire practically offer me pocket lint for my services. Puh-leeze!

By: Amie

Amie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:34:58 +0000

No lowballing, but I had a possible project go poof (at least temporarily) due to "too many irons in the fire."

By: Ruthibelle

Ruthibelle — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:57:48 +0000

*sigh* maybe my current job. SMH. Too sad. No Comments.

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:45:09 +0000

Great idea, Kathy! No need to drag on endless discussions about how they aren't paying what we require to survive. Next!

Jesaka, you couldn't be more right. Hey, some months are great, other months, meh.

Great perspective, Krista! You're right - we ALL have expenses. Those who use their expenses as justification for why you're getting nothing from them are not business people. They're looking for quick money.

Amen, Gabriella! I go one step further - I simply don't respond again. He made it clear he wasn't negotiating - he was trying to get something for nothing. Buh-bye!

So true, Desiree. Taking someone's time DOES cost money. If we were being unfair in our rates, that would be different. But this is specialized work (really specialized), and this guy wasn't interested in paying appropriately for that specialization, even though our price was more than fair.

By: jesakalong

jesakalong — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:13:40 +0000

Wow, Lori! June has been a month of crazy clients — or, more accurately, potential clients — for you. Thank you for sharing these stories. While it incredibly frustrating for you (and not paying your bills), I really appreciate you calling these behaviors out as unacceptable. If more writers follow your lead, then maybe these low ballers will start getting a clue.

By: Gabriella F.

Gabriella F. — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:09:02 +0000

This, my friend, is where I'd say, "I wish you the best of luck." Then, I'd move on.

I know you're frustrated, but because his thinking is based on HIS NEEDS rather than MARKET RATES, you'll never convince him of your position.

Save yourself the bad energy that comes with trying to make the argument and refocus your energies elsewhere.

By: Irreverent Freelancer

Irreverent Freelancer — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:29:10 +0000

I've a had a few laughable experiences that I'll be blogging about soon. It's becoming more and more common. I never used to quote fees in initial correspondences, but I'm starting to. I'm tired of wasting my time chit-chatting with people who have no intentions of paying anywhere near my rate.

By: Désirée

Désirée — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:48:26 +0000

These persons seem to want to make money fast, not in the long run.

Taking someones time costs money. That's it.

By: Krista

Krista — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:36:28 +0000

I responded to an ad to write home business/internet marketing articles for a website. The guy emailed me, said he was impressed by my resume and liked my samples. However, since "he was paying these expenses out of his own pocket," he could only pay $15 for a 500-word article. Don't most entrepreuners pay for their own expenses? I stopped by his site to see what he's charging — $200/hour. WTF?? He can't afford to pay a writer more than $10/hour? I'm not buying it.