Picked a verbal agreement over a written contract for a small job last spring and it worked out fine

Everyone in this community always says get everything in writing, but I was helping a fellow vendor at a market in Portland for a $300 job and we just shook on it. No papers, no lawyers, just a handshake and a clear understanding of what each of us would do. We both delivered on time and it saved us the hassle of drafting anything up. Has anyone else had a simple deal go smoothly without a contract?

3 comments

3 Comments

richard_young807d ago

That's a really risky way to do business though. A handshake might feel good but it's basically worthless if something goes wrong. Even for a small job like that, what stops the other person from saying you agreed on different terms later? People change their minds or remember things differently all the time. A simple text message or email confirming the deal would have taken two minutes and given you actual proof. $300 is still real money, not something to just gamble on good vibes. Being friendly is great but protecting yourself doesn't mean you're being mean, it just means you're not naive.

the_eric7d ago

Is $300 really worth worrying about lawyers and paperwork though? I get why people push for contracts on big stuff, but for a small market job between two people who already know each other, seems like a handshake is fine until it's not. What happens if the other guy flakes and you've got no proof of what was agreed to? That's the part that always gets me, you're basically betting on their honesty with no fallback.

kimw577d ago

betting on their honesty with no fallback" is exactly why I'd rather lose a $300 job than spend more than that on a lawyer chasing it.