I have recently had a pretty bad experience with a freelance contract I was working on. I was contacted to do content and some basic html updates on a preexisting site.
I was in regular contact over email and agreed on the terms of a contract over email. I have worked about 22 hours between doing the content updates and cleaning up the code for a clean template to move all the old pages into. As I was finishing the final work I was emailed by the site owner who wanted to know when I could put up the pages, asking if it could be done as early as the following night. At that time I faxed an official copy of the contract and replied to the email saying I was ready to upload as soon as the arrival of the contract was verified.
I did not get a reply by the next day so I email my hours and asked again if the fax had gotten through. I got no answer for several days and sent another email asking if everything was ok. I then tried call by phone and got the site?s owner who basically refused to speak with me, saying that the numbers where way off and that I had gone way over the expected amount of time.
Looking back at old email and running it over in my head I can see where and how a miscommunication has happened. What has really shocked me is how they have chosen to merely cut off all contact. I have since found out through other people that they are looking for a new person to redo the updates. I am feeling pretty angry about the lack of communication and think this is a pretty unprofessional way to deal with someone. In my case I still have all the updated pages but that?s a small comfort seeing as I have no use for them.
Thanks
[This message has been edited by cycus (edited 02-07-2002).]