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samivielcezar
Community Member

Inappropriate Client Behavior and Multiple Unpaid Test Jobs

Hi,

 

A client invited me to a job post and I reached out thinking that he had already made a quick or thorough background check on my profile. We talked and discussed my rate, and then after that he asked me to do a sample work even though I already showed him my portfolio. I complied but asked for it to be a paid test job. He then agreed but said they can only pay me half the rate that I initially asked (once hired). And as for the sample test, they can only pay half of the halved rate. Instead of agreeing to the proposed very low rate for the sample test, I told him I'd do it for free only if I get to choose the photo reference so that it would still be my artwork. After finishing the test, he wasn't very impressed, and then we continued to talk until he we decided to do another unpaid test. I did the sample test as clean and simple as I could, with which he responded with a not so satisfied feedback again. I asked how I can improve but he wasn't interested in pointing out why the style wasn't the same as theirs. Instead he asked for another test job. I told him I've had enough of it as I already did 2 for them and reminded him that asking for unpaid tests is a red flag for anyone.

 

I'm mad because he used an inappropriate language to comment on my sample work. That's why I'm writing now. I wanted to report him but I'm not sure how to do that. I need your help again guys.

 

Enclosed are the 2 sample tests I did, their style and a portion of our conversation.

 

Thanks!

 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

9 REPLIES 9
petra_r
Community Member


Sami Viel C wrote:

Enclosed are the 2 sample tests I did, their style and a portion of our conversation.


Just move on. You were wrong to accept low paid sample work and should have moved away when the client started to haggle. There is nothing to report. The client wasn't rude about your designs.

 

The client DID offer to pay (not as much as you wanted) and you offered to do it for free. The client didn't like your designs which is fair enough, so that client was never for you.

 

Thanks Petra. I do like to move on from this issue. This helps.

But I can't accept that he didn't do anything wrong.

I'm happy how the sample artworks turned out and he actually said they were both good. But he never gave any constructive criticism, and kept moving on to suggesting another sample test. If he saw something that could have been improved in the first and second, shouldn't he have pointed it out? All he kept saying was that he wasn't the artist and that he didn't know how it can be improved.

I'm not sure if my attachments were uploaded or pehaps they were flagged/taken down, but he did say something rude to me. After I pointed out that he didn't give me any significant comment for revision, he said this "the mouth is weird af, otherwise the rest is pretty good". That's when I trembled coz it didn't seem like an appropriate thing to say.

I took a shot coz I liked the project and has a (misleading) budget cost of $X,000 (when actually you'd only get $X per character output). Anyone who'd see that would be enticed too. Also, I didn't take the money offered for the sample coz I wanted to keep my artworks.

 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

richardrader
Community Member

Hey Sami, its against terms of service to work for free. So next time be sure not to waste your time with free samples. I would simply move on and use your time to find other clients.


Richard R wrote:

Hey Sami, its against terms of service to work for free.


It categotically isn't.

 

Thanks Richard, I don't usually do unpaid samples unless I get to keep/own what I produce. And sometimes it's the clients' fault as well for putting misleading informations on their job post. I think some of them use a main job post for bait first, if you know what I mean.
jeremiah-brown
Community Member

Advice - stop performing "sample" work.  "Samples" are a way for unsavory clients to get around having to pay for work.

Exactly. Will be more careful next time. Thanks Jeremiah.
ladyelexia
Community Member

The moment the client said they are only willing to pay half of your rate, you should have walked away. You did not. Then, they offered to pay half of their offer for a sample, if you wanted to do a sample to land the job, you should have taken that offer. Still, paying half of their offered rate for a sample was another point at which you should have walked away. YOU offered to do a free sample and retain the rights, not a problem, they did not like what you delivered. At this point, you should have walked away, but, you chose to do yet another free sample, which they also did not like. Again, you should have walked away, but you chose not to. The client used slang, he was not cursing you, it may not be professional, but saying "weird af"  is just that, unprofessional, not offensive. That was his feedback, something about what you produced in your sample looked strange, and he didn't like it. It seems like you are more upset that he didnt hire you over some samples that YOU like, but he, the client who actually needs usable things for HIS project didn't like. Find a different client, this one isnt for you. 

Thanks Heather. All is good now between me and the client. We ended things in friendly terms. Perhaps I overreacted over that slang word because I wouldn't have said it that way to give a feedback.

 

Thanks again for all your help guys!

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