Client demanding full refund after I delivered work - contract has no refund clause

Need advice on a frustrating situation.

Client hired me for a logo + branding package ($3,500). We signed a contract with payment terms (50% upfront, 50% on delivery). Contract says I keep the deposit if they cancel. Nothing about refunds for completed work.

I delivered everything 2 weeks ago. They approved it, I sent the final invoice, they paid the remaining 50%. Now a week later they're saying they "changed their mind about the direction" and want a full refund because they're "not happy with it."

The work matches exactly what we agreed to in the scope. They approved multiple rounds of revisions. Do I have to refund them?

Absolutely not. They approved it and paid. That's the end of the transaction unless your contract says otherwise.

This is classic buyer's remorse. Don't cave. The moment you do, word gets around that you're a pushover and you'll have clients trying this constantly.

What does your contract say about revisions and acceptance? Do you have written approval from them?

If you have:

• A signed contract with defined scope
• Written approval of the final deliverables
• Full payment received

...then you performed your obligations. Their "change of mind" isn't your problem unless you agreed to a satisfaction guarantee.

Key question: did you transfer copyright/ownership to them yet? If not, that's your leverage.

Yes I have email approval saying "This looks great, we're happy to move forward with final files."

Contract says 3 rounds of revisions included, we did 2 rounds. Scope is clearly defined - logo design, color palette, typography guide, business card mockup.

Copyright transfers upon full payment, which they made. So technically they own the files now. Crap, does that mean I have no leverage?

You have plenty of leverage - it's called a contract.

The copyright transfer happened because they fulfilled their payment obligation. That doesn't give them the right to demand money back. If anything, it strengthens your position because you both performed your contractual duties.

Here's what you should do:

1. Send a polite but firm response citing the contract
2. Reference their written approval of the deliverables
3. Explain that the transaction is complete per the agreement
4. Offer (if you're feeling generous) to do limited additional revisions at your normal hourly rate

Do NOT offer a refund. If they threaten legal action, they have no case. You can point them to the signed contract and approval emails.

Had almost this exact thing happen with a web dev client last year. They approved everything, paid, then 3 weeks later wanted their money back because they "found a cheaper developer."

I sent them a professional email basically saying "our contract is fulfilled, payment is final." They threatened to dispute the charge with their credit card company.

I sent the contract + approval emails to the credit card company and won the dispute in like 48 hours. Client was out the money AND got hit with a chargeback fee from their bank.

What if they leave a bad review or badmouth me? This is my first year freelancing and I can't afford to tank my reputation.

Do not let fear of a bad review make you give away $3,500. That's an incredibly expensive "review insurance."

If they leave a dishonest review, you respond professionally with facts: "Client approved all deliverables in writing and received exactly what was outlined in our signed contract. We fulfilled all contractual obligations."

Future clients who read that will see a professional standing their ground, not someone being unreasonable. The bad clients will avoid you (good!) and the good clients will respect your boundaries.

I've been freelancing 8 years. The ONE time I gave in to a refund demand like this, that client bragged about it to others and I had 3 more people try the same thing within a month.

If they leave a provably false review (claiming you didn't deliver, didn't meet the scope, etc.) you may have grounds for defamation. Most review platforms will also remove reviews that are factually inaccurate if you provide evidence.

Here's a template response you can send them:

"Thank you for your email. I understand you've had a change of direction. However, per our signed agreement dated [DATE], I delivered all items within the defined scope: [list deliverables]. You provided written approval on [DATE] stating [quote their approval]. Full payment was received on [DATE] and copyright was transferred as outlined in section [X] of our contract.

As the contract has been fully performed by both parties, I'm unable to offer a refund. If you'd like to discuss additional revisions or new work, I'm happy to provide a quote for that as a separate project. Please let me know if you have any questions about the deliverables or our agreement."

Professional, factual, firm. Don't get emotional or defensive.

Also for future contracts, add these clauses:

• Acceptance clause: "Client has 7 days from delivery to request revisions. After 7 days or upon written approval (whichever comes first), deliverables are considered accepted and payment is final."
• No refunds: "All payments are non-refundable once work has commenced."
• Kill fee: "If project is cancelled after [X%] completion, client owes [Y%] of total project fee."

Makes situations like this crystal clear.

Update: I sent a version of @JKirby_Law's template. Kept it professional and cited the contract and their approval email.

Client responded with "we'll be contacting our lawyer." I'm assuming that's just an empty threat to scare me?

95% chance it's an empty threat. They'd have to:

1. Find a lawyer willing to take the case (unlikely given the facts)
2. Pay that lawyer several thousand dollars
3. Prove you breached the contract (impossible based on what you've described)
4. Risk paying YOUR legal fees if they lose

No rational lawyer would advise them to sue over this. They approved the work, paid for it, and got what they contracted for. They have no case.

If they do somehow send you a demand letter, don't ignore it, but also don't panic. You can respond yourself or hire a lawyer to respond for you (usually $300-500 for a simple response letter). Most demand letters are just intimidation tactics.

Keep all your documentation organized: contract, scope, approval emails, payment receipts, delivery confirmations. If you have that, you're in excellent shape.

Final update: Haven't heard from them in 2 days since I didn't respond to the lawyer threat. I think they realized they don't have a case.

Thanks everyone for talking me off the ledge. I was about to refund them just to make the problem go away but you all convinced me to stand firm. Lesson learned about adding clearer acceptance and refund terms to my contracts.

Bumping this old thread because I'm dealing with something similar. Client hired me for video production ($8,500), I delivered the final cut, they paid in full, then 3 weeks later they're demanding a refund saying "the video didn't perform as expected on social media."

My contract has no performance guarantees - I was hired to produce a video to their specifications, which I did. They're threatening to dispute the charge with their credit card company if I don't refund.

Can they actually do a chargeback after they've had the final deliverable for weeks? Seems like fraud to me but I don't know if credit card companies see it that way.