How to work with Russian clients in freelance?

Question

Freelance

Hello,
for a couple of years I gave up working in the office and in general from permanent work for someone. I prefer not to put all my eggs in one basket and work with several clients, doing my own projects in my spare time.
It seems like it turns out not bad, but regular customers do not always have work for me. So I started looking for additional income on oDesk (I speak English fluently) - I have accumulated about 200 hours and 4.97 reputation. And when my regular customers keep quiet, I'm looking for a job on oDesk'e.
I avoided all customers from Dubai, Indians and Russians (except for one close friend). Now I meet potential Russian clients with whom I seem to find a common language and who are willing to pay reasonable money. But the work culture scares me a little:
- Clients are constantly afraid of something and do not want to make an advance payment (half the amount) - even when I was recommended by mutual friends.
- Often requirements are not formed, no documents at all from the requirement
- No desire to write something down, often "let's chat on Skype" with signs of changes in testimony
- Some customers act as intermediaries between the client, but apparently having their share from them - they don’t want me to reduce with him, but they themselves are not able to explain normally what the client wants.
Help with advice, it’s hard to recognize what kind of person you work with on the Internet, but you don’t want to fill bumps. Perhaps you have some ideas how to work with Russian customers? Contract? Prepayment? Full TK?
I will be glad to any considerations of the "experienced", since I have never worked with Russian clients.

Answer 1

Agreement + Prepayment + Full TK = world friendship balalaika, otherwise it will not work without cones :)

Answer 2

Awesome work! They themselves make it possible to recognize themselves "let's chat on Skype"
and you don't understand the hint))

Answer 3

TK and prepayment. Without them, you have the right not even to give your name. Let them address by nickname.

Answer 4

For all non-Russian clients I work without prepayment, they always seem to pay, for three years only two or three times out of 300+ clients they did not pay.
With Russian clients, I made a rule to always take an advance payment of 50%, it seems that they always pay after that too.

Answer 5

I have no problems with Russian-speaking customers.
The problem is only in the exchange rate - that for an American a penny, which he will risk without looking, for our customer is already a very serious amount.