I found this interesting "Top Ten" list by Markus Merz. Worth a quick read for future thought when you are acting as a freelancer and your potential customer mentions one of these:
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">1. “Do this one cheap (or free) and we’ll make it up on the next one.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">2. “We never pay a cent until we see the final product.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">3. “Do this for us and you’ll get great exposure! The jobs will just pour in!”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">4. On looking at sketches or concepts: “Well, we aren’t sure if we want to use you yet, but leave your material here so I can talk to my partner/investor/wife/clergy.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">5. “Well, the job isn’t CANCELLED, just delayed. Keep the account open and we’ll continue in a month or two.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">6. “Contract? We don’t need no stinking contact! Aren’t we friends?”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">7. “Send me a bill after the work goes to press.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">8. “The last guy did it for XXX dollars.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">9. “Our budget is XXX dollars, firm.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">10. “We are having financial problems. Give us the work, we’ll make some money and we’ll pay you. Simple.”</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Original Article:</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">http://performancing.com/revenue/top-ten-lies-every-freelance-writer-or-artist-must-know</p>
http://www.paintercreativity.com/articles/top-10-lies.html