Ever had that feeling where something just felt "off...?" and later realized it was actually an important sign? 💭
I had that exact experience just recently. I was asked to analyze issues for a website modification project. At first, I was kind of excited to dive in, but then I found tons of fields vulnerable to XSS (Cross-Site Scripting), and code that would save values to the database even if they weren't in the dropdown options... 😳
Thinking, "Uh-oh... we really need to fix this," what was supposed to be a one-hour review turned into me spending hours on verification and creating an estimate. In the end, I compiled a list of over 90 issues spanning 8 pages. 📄✨
But when I submitted the estimate, the client's attitude completely changed. They snapped, "This is too expensive! Others charge less than half of this!" and I was left speechless.
About a month later, they contacted me saying, "We're rebuilding the site from scratch, and we'll pay more this time." I honestly told them, "Your previous attitude made me a bit anxious," and they replied, "It's fine, I'll handle it properly."
But... in the meantime, they had hired someone else, and that person's work was so terrible that I immediately saw red flags everywhere again. ⚠️ Things like AJAX queries that could be tampered with to delete data, spinning loading icons appearing on every single page... it was honestly a mess.
Even though I thought, "This is weird," some strange sense of pride? made me ignore the red flags and accept the job anyway.
The result? After the project was completed, the client was furious and even hinted at taking legal action. On top of that, they were such a computer novice that I had to explain where the F5 key was, and they'd send screenshots of normal error messages screaming, "It's not working!" 😵💫
Furthermore:
- They blamed normal error messages as "bugs"
- Started calling parts of the old site that were there before "fraud!"
- Got accused of "not testing!"
- They hired another developer for a code review and demanded fixes for things that weren't even actual problems
I was honestly completely drained... 😰
What I learned from this experience is that you should never ignore the initial gut feeling or red flags. It really hit me that it's not just about money—someone's character and how they handle situations aren't things you can fix later. 🥺
So from now on, when considering taking on work: 💡 "If something feels off, pause and reconsider" 💡 "Have the courage to say no if it feels wrong"
I think these are truly important.
Everyone, if something feels even slightly suspicious, trust your intuition. Don't regret it later. ✨
Hatena
Comments
ハンナ
That sounds rough. What about the contract and payment?
ロバート
They asked me to fix the site urgently between Christmas and New Year's, but gave no specific instructions.
グレース
A few hours later, they yelled 'This site is crap!' even though they were the only one accessing it (lol)
ジョージ
Recently encountered a similar client. Ignoring the red flags led to the worst experience.
ノーラン
Red flags aren't just warnings; they're like prepayment for future trouble.
クリス
Just do what's in the contract. Do you have a contract? Is payment settled? That's enough.
グレース
Showing a task board might help reduce confusion about the work involved.
キンバリー
I have a few guesses about the client's country.
