How to ask client to pay more when the budget of a fixed bid is blown due to their negligence?

[nickcameron3d]

I agreed to do a test project on a fixed bid, anticipating that it would lead to further work if they were happy. This is a creative project. Its quality is subjective. 

Cant just say in a binary form that its right or wrong.

Quoted them x amount of work for x amount of labor. Small revision if any. They knew exactly how much i was quoting based on my hourly and how long I said I was going to spend on it.

Have proceeded to ask for 2 revisions and now a third. At this point im working for free or close to it.

The revisions are result of the client giving me improper and conflicting reference. And with every reference they introduce new information which gets them closer to the result they want, and i have to redo the bulk of it everytime.

Had they provided me with ALL of the resources given to me at the third revision when I specifically asked for them at the start of the project, this would be been completed with either no revisions of a minor one.  I did ask for some very specific resources and when forced to proceed without them, I did inform them of the consequences of not giving me those resources.

I am now unwilling to do more revisions, as the budget has extended 3x what was originally bid. I was mis lead into thinking they would be reviewing my work after 2 hours and then choosing whether or not to take me on hourly, and I am now basically working for free under this client who wont stop asking for revisions, that are the result of faulty work that is fault because they did not provide me with the resources I asked for.

I have given them a high quality result that is correct to the information they provided me, but incomplete for them to actually use because they information was incomplete.

Please advise how to deal with this. I dont want to lose my rising talent badge and I dont want to get railed with bad feedback for not wanting to work for $3 an hour after I only agreed to a short test, to show my value and that I could do the work. 

[jaybopp82]

I'd recommend a few more revisions if you are really trying to avoid the bad feedback.  Otherwise, I'd tell the client you are beyond how many revisions you allow clients without more funds.

I would recommend asking for more money for more revisions, but again this opens the oppotrunity for bad feedback.

Tough situation, and a call only you can make really.