[CyberFonic]

It is dangerous to give price to build based on a verbal description accompanied by much arm waving.

I've been burnt. Had Mr Ideas say go ahead, actually made some small progress payments, kept changing his mind, etc. Eventually the wheels fell of the project and he sued for loss of income ! The gall of it all. His argument was that had I delivered on the verbal contract, his idea would have generated the fantastical revenue which he now missed out on and I was to make him square.

So I use a variant of this method. When people rave on about their great idea, I tell them that it "is interesting" and given a sufficiently detailed specification I will quote on what it would cost to build. Doesn't mean that I will build it. So far nobody has come back with a sufficiently detailed spec.

[kls]

I always quote time and materials with a "based on what you have shown me I think it will be X amount of time", I never say Y amount of dollars, just X time. I then tell them that any change or any lack of clarity will result in the number going up or them deciding to remove the feature to stay in X. Keeps you out of the "we agreed to the project for Y amount and I did not get the project and he got Y" disagreements.

[CyberFonic]

Sounds like a great idea! When you mention "time" are you referring to billable time or elapsed time? Also do you discuss a specific rate or a range of rates? I've tried your approach and ended up with clients doing a time x rate calculation and then ended up back in the Y amount debate.

[azharb]

Man that sucks! I'm sorry. Appreciate you sharing. edit: sucks that you got sued. Want to make sure that it doesn't sound like I think your response sucks :p

[CyberFonic]

Thanks for your support. Yeah, it was an experience to learn from. Turned out Ok ... see my reply to jbigelow76 on how it turned out.

[jbigelow76]

Sorry to hear that man. Your advice is definitely more practical. The grief of getting sued would be bad enough, I hope the guy lost.

[CyberFonic]

Thanks for your support. Well it was check mate. The client was on track to bankruptcy and was hoping to screw me to solve his problem. I had a quiet chat with his lawyers and enlightened them to the fact that he wasn't in a position to pay his legal fees. So ... guess what? ... they declined him as a client.