How to protect yourself from unscrupulous customers?

Question

Freelance

Here I recently encountered such a situation that customers give a rather large test task, then they demand to implement something else and, as a result, they stupidly merge taking the source code. How to deal with this?
We agreed on a test task and an advance payment upon completion of the test task - upon completion of the test task, he said that it was necessary to implement another half of the project and then only an advance payment. When it came to the implementation of a less time-consuming part of the project, he stupidly deleted and closed access to the repository, taking the source code of the test task (essentially a fully implemented authorization form).

Answer 1

Prepayment is before work and not after, take at least ten percent

Answer 2

Pre -payment is taken before the start of work, is maintained in its repository... a
test task from the office with constant work is one thing (of course, with the corresponding salary) but just to the customer ....
there is no absolute protection, but here you are your own evil pinocchio
Do not work without prepayment (what you did is not prepayment)
Do not transfer the source until full payment
DO NOT WORK WITH ASSHOLS!!!

Answer 3

Do you see the task before you take it on?
Or not?
If you see that the task is big - why are you doing it for free?
You are your own evil Pinocchio.
Check the reputation of the customer before starting work.
If there is no positive reputation, do not take on risky tasks.
However, the customer can also be understood.
Most....
No, not like that.
The vast majority of performers are not able to perform at least something serious.
And tests are necessary.
Another thing is that the test in the form of a full-fledged alienated (independently used) task should be done only for serious customers, for the sake of serious prospects.

Answer 4

Do you have a rating on the stock exchange? If this is one of your first tasks, then conduct all negotiations through the service's messaging system. Even if you do not receive payment, at least the completed task will remain for the rating. Otherwise prepaid.

Answer 5

Zero tolerance policy in the early stages of dating, if you see that the customer is obscure, or behaves as you don’t like, it’s better not to work stupidly at all.
And the point here is not a huge communication experience or developed intuition, if you are older than grade 9, then it’s hard to deceive a person, usually people feel deception but simply convince themselves. So, at the first call, you can already transfer the status to the state of 100% prepayment or go fuck yourself, and you'll be lucky if you go fuck yourself.