Content writer gets paid 30% of agreed-upon compensation for project, gets even with ex-colleague when roles are reversed: 'He promptly transferred the remaining amount'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Feb 16, 2025 8:00 AM EST

Always be careful whose money you're messing with!

Some people in this world have such a false sense of authority that they have no idea how the tables can turn down the road. Of course, it's always a good idea in business to fulfill your promises even if it's not formally documented. Just because you can dupe someone doesn't mean you should. This ex-colleague of a content writer learned that the hard way!

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    chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when whether the pleasure of making a daisy- suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, 'Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!" (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the R
    via Dan Counsell

  • For some background information, this ex-colleague was in a position to hire a freelance content writer who was in between jobs at the time and needed the money. Unfortunately, the content writer was naive at the time and did not get their agreed-upon rate down in writing, so when the project was completed, the ex-colleague saw an opportunity to pay the content writer only 30% of that amount because evidently, that's what it was worth. 

    Let's just say that the ex-colleague would come to regret that decision…

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    "Ex-colleague stiffed me. So I dangled a carrot to get my payment"

    I am a content writer and was in between jobs. An ex colleague reached out to me and said he was making a corporate film and needed a script writer. I jumped at the offer, although I regret that we did only an oral agreement on the payment amount.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    Submitted the first draft. He pointed 1000 reasons why he didn't like it, so did a second, then third draft. He kept rejecting, even though magically
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    the text had already been translated into our native language and was being used in production.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    So, I put my foot down and said, nope first pay me full amount for any more revisions. He stopped communicating after that and I realised I had been taken for a ride. His film was complete. I sent
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    him a long text bashing him for breaking my trust. So, out of guilt he paid me 30%, saying that's what my work was worth.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    A few months later, I got a job at a big corporation that used to hire production houses to make documentaries about its philanthropic work. I had absolutely nothing to do with that department, but I decided to use it as a carrot.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    I put up a Facebook post about it. I had around 50 friends IIRC, and manually hid the post from 49 so it was visible only to him. Lol.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    He took the bait and messaged me asking how to apply. Then I gave him a piece of my mind and said he had no integrity and I would not work with him. He
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    promptly transferred the remaining amount. So, I played along. The department in fact did hire companies annually, but it would always happen in the month of April, and we were in
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    December at that time. So, I fished out the form, and sent to him to fill it. I told him the process is long and tedious and he wouldn't hear back before April.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    I never submitted his form. When he called me back in April, I said, "sorry we had several applications and you were not selected".
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    Cheezburger Image 10468396032
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Several members of the online community praised the content writer for waiting until he had the perfect opportunity to get even with the ex-colleague. For me, the most impressive part was advertising the job offer just to this guy. He must have had no idea how he was specifically targeted, and yet, he still took the bait. Bravo!

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    Active_Collar_81... . 12h ago Well done. "sorry we had several applications and you were not selected" Technically true!
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    andronicuspark • 12h ago I dig how he only paid you in full after he saw you as someone to schmooze to get his foot in the door.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    CoderJoe1 12h ago • He may have been short on integrity, but made up for it with greed.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    ZumboPrime 12h ago • This is absolutely brilliant. Played the full role to sell it too!
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    asphodel67 10h ago • Everyone is a potential client or collaborator.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    emilydoooom • 6h ago 'I decided to only show them 30% of your application'
    via Every_Blueberry_6898
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    viktrololo · 8h ago . Reading this gave me a surprising amount of inner peace. Today will be a good day.
    via Every_Blueberry_6898

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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace petty-revenge-reddit job work petty revenge bad bosses company job interview interview toxic-work-environment
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