Here are a couple of reasons I have heard over the years:
1) "Let us partner. Whatever money the site makes, you will get 50%. After all, you are the expert"
2) "Don't worry, I know many people. I will refer you to them. Just treat me well and you will get tons of business from me"

What have you been told?

you are right....i ve experience such before

1. "I just want to test to your performance before giving you my other big Projects in Future".
2. "Am a Webdesigner myself, i just dont feel like handling this one."
3. "I want this site for my personal use, not for Money.. Just Endure with me Brother!"

More! More!! More!!!

^^^ Thanks for reminding me of some more. Your #2 in particular, rings true from my experience as well:

1) "We are a non-profit organization. As you know, this means that we don't have money starting out and have to sometimes dip into our own pockets for the initial cost"

2) I once was invited by a client, a university professor, to his house. Upon arrival, he ushered me into his library. Once discussions began, he asked, "do you see those books over there (he points to a line of books on HTML), I have read all of. I know what to do to create a website. I just don't have the time to do it." Ye ye man, I charge am double

Please keep them coming. I am enjoying what I am reading so far. This might bring upon the much needed stress relief that we need in this area

^^^ Your #2 is D'Koko!!!

I have gotten someone else to do this for me for xxxxNaira, I am just trying out other options

I will give you some other jobs if you can do this for me this way, more jobs are coming.

Lol! That's one of the reasons why I hate working for Nigerian clients (I'm a freelance writer, BTW).

^^^ This covers all nationalities, from my experience. The quest to be cheap e no get bias o, he he

so, how do u handle such statements from prospective clients?

I just need a simple website, nothing more! They end up asking for more.
Your fee is outrageous, i have had a cheaper offer which i would have gone for but my spirit seems to align with yours.
I have more sites to build (they will list them), just do this one for me.

The following, I have seen over the years on freelancing sites (none came from a Nigerian clent).

1. This is a quick and easy job and should take just a few hours if you know what you are doing.
2. I need this done asap but don't have the time... here's the pseudocode of what I want....
3. I will not pay more than $xx, I have been burned by freelancers in the past.

yawa-ti-de:
Here are a couple of reasons I have heard over the years:
1) "Let us partner. Whatever money the site makes, you will get 50%. After all, you are the expert"
2) "Don't worry, I know many people. I will refer you to them. Just treat me well and you will get tons of business from me"

What have you been told?

Hahhaha... So we all get these questions?

1) I am a web designer too, I am just busy; I could have done it my self! - (All the I've attended HTML Class guys)
2) Is it not just PHP and CSS? - (The not so cleaver ones who've read what it takes to build a website - Google Child)
3) Is it not just codes, what else does it take? - (Are you kidding me?)
4) I don't have money now, but we will do more projects in the future. - (Seriously dude, you can tell that to the Mayans)
5) I have a very brilliant idea, it will make lots of money; lets work together! - (Okay Mr. Idea Bags, you must be a descendant of Einstein!)

These are just few of what I've gone through... I heard enough and I've quit freelancing for life!

Aaaah it's not easy being a developer.

yawa-ti-de:
Here are a couple of reasons I have heard over the years:
1) "Let us partner. Whatever money the site makes, you will get 50%. After all, you are the expert"
2) "Don't worry, I know many people. I will refer you to them. Just treat me well and you will get tons of business from me"

What have you been told?

I have experienced this a lot. The first one is most annoyiong. Whenever i hear someone tell me that trash, i'm like STFU, i have a job and i don't wanna partner.

Hahaha all true....

I will pay u this Nxxxxx half when you start and the rest letter. When you tru no money then later you here this.

I av a brother that will design it for me N15xxx lol. Its fustratin

@AFOLSNETWORK
Sorry for the delayed response. Because of the new NL layout, I find it hard sometimes to concentrate on the post listings and so might miss stuff once in a while.

How do I handle them? It all depends. At the end of the day, I want there money. That's how I pay my bills. I am therefore willing to be insulted to an extent. For the most part, I will set the bar very high so that even when they come down, I am still on top. For those who want to partner, I politely tell them that I can't do that, based on past experience. For those who say they will send me referrals, I just laugh internally cos from my own experience, less than 10% usually live up to their promises.

"Its nothing if I actually wanted to do it. Just that I've got other jobs to do so I'm kinda busy." I just stopped the bargaining.

no be small experience one get from clients this days.

yawa-ti-de:
@AFOLSNETWORK
Sorry for the delayed response. Because of the new NL layout, I find it hard sometimes to concentrate on the post listings and so might miss stuff once in a while.

How do I handle them? It all depends. At the end of the day, I want there money. That's how I pay my bills. I am therefore willing to be insulted to an extent. For the most part, I will set the bar very high so that even when they come down, I am still on top. For those who want to partner, I politely tell them that I can't do that, based on past experience. For those who say they will send me referrals, I just laugh internally cos from my own experience, less than 10% usually live up to their promises.

Tnx.
The one i hear most often is we have more job to do. And my usuall response is, well iff we have much more to do, then we need to start on the right note.

* do you think we just throw money around anyhow? let me tell you how it is done, You use us as a test case, you develop the solution, we support you
tommorrow, you can walk up boldly to any organization and say confidently, i can give you a solution, just like i gave "you mention us" and then you make it
Do you think i am ready to take all that risk on something that am not sure will not fail?


* my friend promised to help me out but he is just too busy to thats why i want to give it to you.

* I know this and that famous individual, he comes here to have coffee before he became what he is, (yet you can't pay, my brother you are about to get scammed)

* i thought i saw one banner saying they will get it done for 20K (my brother na lie, they know those are crappy developers, thats why they want you)

* I could have gotten this done in the states with less than $400, My service provider promised to get me a professional website plus my subscription
I just like to support our own, Nigerians. (dont fall for it, most time, it is always a non-flexible wysiwyg which he already tried out and did not work for him)

And Please charge very well if your client wants you to sign a non-disclosure.

^^^ Your US one is the kicker! LOL. So they are now saying it is cheaper to get it done in the US? Interesting, he he

mcfranc: I just need a simple website, nothing more! They end up asking for more.
Your fee is outrageous, i have had a cheaper offer which i would have gone for but my spirit seems to align with yours.
I have more sites to build (they will list them), just do this one for me.

right on point! you have said it all

These people would have at least reasoned that we've heard them all before.
As for me, I decided no more. I can't understand it. Its like the only way for them to be satisfied is if they know they have cheated you. I even had a potential client become enraged over my prices after I politely turned him down, when I'm not the one that told him to come to my website/see my portfolio/contact me.

In my former place of work, the client went so far as to ask for a "discount" over the already "discounted" agreed price, after the project was complete! I guess I should add that to the list.

WebMonk:

In my former place of work, the client went so far as to ask for a "discount" over the already "discounted" agreed price, after the project was complete! I guess I should add that to the list.

Lol

Some of them have tried that 50/50 nonsense with me especially when they get a quote for my services.
'Oh, we know you do a good job, why not let us invest in it together my brother, with my ideas and your brains the sky is the limit'.
I just tell them to send their 'brilliant' 50/50 proposal to my email.

Then, there are the 15k clients, who want to have a CMS-driven website that I should help them maintain for 15k.
'Mister website developer your prices are high, I can go to computer village and get a website with any feature I want for 15k!'
Why, pray tell, are you still negotiating for a higher discount, when you say you can get better elsewhere?