Hi!
I'm in the early stages of building a service aimed at helping freelancers get paid more reliably, and I'm doing market research before building anything.
I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've experienced clients who delayed or refused payment after receiving the work — not just "they ghosted" but the specifics:
- What actually happened? (e.g. kept saying "soon," disputed the work quality, just stopped responding)
- What did you do in response?
- What worked — and what didn't?
I'm especially interested in the grey zone: clients who don't outright refuse, but drag it out for weeks with excuses. That slow, frustrating middle ground.
Just genuinely trying to understand the problem from people who've lived it before building anything. Any experience you're willing to share in the comments would mean a lot.
Thank you!