Fixed price projects with vague descriptions

matthew24857 · ‎06-03-2020

I find it interesting when a project is posted for a fixed price with a very general description. You have no idea whether it will take you 2 hours or 10 hours. I suppose the client expects the freelancer to trust him/her to have chosen a reasonable price.

Imagine if real life worked this way. You could just call a plumber and tell them it's a $50 job on the phone. Then, when the plumber shows up and finds your basement is flooded, it will only cost you $50 to have it all fixed. What a bargain!

a_lipsey · ‎06-03-2020

Matthew C wrote:
I find it interesting when a project is posted for a fixed price with a very general description. You have no idea whether it will take you 2 hours or 10 hours. I suppose the client expects the freelancer to trust him/her to have chosen a reasonable price.

Imagine if real life worked this way. You could just call a plumber and tell them it's a $50 job on the phone. Then, when the plumber shows up and finds your basement is flooded, it will only cost you $50 to have it all fixed. What a bargain!

Many of us would skip bidding on this job and not waste the connects. Alternatively, you could bid what YOU think it costs you, regardless of what they listed as their budget. Many clients just put a placeholder because they don't know and want you to tell them how much it costs. I don't subscribe to that strategy but numerous freelancers on this forum have used it with success. I think it depends on your field and your gut. I usually just pass on those jobs. Yes, there are many cheap clients. And then there are clients who are good clients but they don't know anything about your field or how much it costs, so they write a bad job post because they don't know what they are looking for. It's hit or miss. I think most of us develop a smell test on whether or not we bid based on our own fields. The only way to learn is trial and error. I once bid on a two line job description that ended up a over $6k. Great client, just didn't have time for a proper job post. I reached out on a whim, and it turned out she had gotten no response, was totally legit, and had money to spend. All that said, it's still trial and error to build up that vetting process for what you individually choose to bid on that works for you or not.

petra_r · ‎06-03-2020

Matthew C wrote:
Imagine if real life worked this way. You could just call a plumber and tell them it's a $50 job on the phone. Then, when the plumber shows up and finds your basement is flooded, it will only cost you $50 to have it all fixed. What a bargain!

That's why your bid is a merely the start of the conversation. Then you nail down the scope of the job before you give the final price and before you accept any contract.