I have an ad up in the professional section of CL locally and also in a local back page. Been running one for a while now. I made it very clear in said ad IN BIG BOLD TYPE that I wasn't available for weddings. That I don't do them for pay, for barter, or for free, no exceptions, period. Last week I've gotten, count them, SIX emails from people who want me to do their weddings. The latest just this morning. I mean WTF? Are some people really this ignorant? I swear I'm going to take a pic of someone in a white dress like a bride, put it in a bold red circle and post it with the ad next time. Maybe then they'll get the idea that I DON'T DO WEDDINGS!!!!!!
Does this happen to anyone else? Do people just completely ignore your stated terms of work and bug you to do things that you say up front that you don't do? I'm getting it a lot. If it's not the weddings I'm getting asked to do big retail websites, take hundreds of pics, code it et all do work enough for weeks for far less than one weeks minimum wage. Or they want me to do even more bizarre things like take pics of a swingers sex party (as in XXX stuff going on) and make a scrapbook out of them.
I have a wanna be pageant Mom who is driving me completely bonkers with asking me to do regular pics of her kid. She'll pay $500 to get her 4 year old into a local pageant and another $250 a dress, but pay the photographer for portrait shots? Nah, that would be "too expensive" for her. I've told her "no" at least 3X now. Told her I wasn't interested in her barter and here's my standard fee for something like this but she's just not hearing me or doesn't want to. I'm swiftly gathering why she apparently can't get any photographer in the area to work with her. The woman is just plain obnoxious.
People like this are why I never had someone a card with my phone on it before I've talked with them at length. I have cards with my email on them and that's what clients get first. If I like them and they seem okay then they get the cell. But people like those above? They will never get a phone # out of me. I simply refuse to deal with them and that despite the fact that I could use the $$$$.
Boundaries, some people just don't seem to have them these days, sigh, laugh. Don't get me wrong most of the people I'm working with so far seem okay, but man, the exceptions, they're so nuts it's reality show unreal. The woman from this morning? I've now sent her back 3 emails saying NO. Nicely, but no, and she's still trying to talk me into it. It's just unbelievable....
Last edited by magkelly; 10-08-2012 at 10:11 AM.