What to Do When a Client Ghosts You After You Deliver the Work

You hit every milestone.

The work was solid.
The feedback was positive.
Then suddenly—silence.

If you’ve ever delivered a finished product to a client only to be met with crickets, you’re not alone. One of the most disorienting (and disempowering) things for service providers is when a project feels complete, but payment never lands—and the client disappears.

So let’s talk about what to do when that happens, why it keeps happening, and how to stop it before it starts.

The Real Story: When Silence Becomes a Loophole

A client of mine—a brilliant branding and design pro—had a 6-month contract with a client for a full branding package.
Everything was approved along the way: logos, mockups, marketing materials.
Each milestone was met. The final files were delivered on time.

And then... silence.

No response. No payment. No feedback.

After multiple follow-ups, the client finally reappeared—with yelling and accusations that the final product was “terrible.”
He refused revisions. He refused payment.
He just wanted out.

The worst part?
The contract had everything… except one thing: a clause that defined what “acceptance” actually meant.

Here’s the Legal + Energetic Breakdown:

The contract included:

• Milestones 

• Deliverables 

• Revision limits 

But it didn’t say what counts as final acceptance.
It didn’t define what silence means after delivery.
So when the client ghosted her, there was no clear trigger for final payment.

That one missing clause kept her stuck in limbo—both legally and energetically.

What You Can Do Right Now If You Get Ghosted by a Client:

1. Review your contract.
   Look for anything that defines “project completion,” “approval,” or “acceptance.” If it’s vague, that’s your weak spot.

2. Document everything.
   Save all emails, messages, and approvals that show the client was satisfied before delivery.

3. Send a clear final notice.
   Politely but firmly state that the deliverables were completed, approved, and are now considered accepted. Include your final invoice and due date.

4. Don’t overgive.
   Don’t rewrite the whole project for free. If they want changes, point to your revision policy. Hold your boundary with love and clarity.

5. Add an Acceptance Clause for next time.
   Define exactly what happens when a deliverable is sent and how long the client has to respond. For example:

   “Final deliverables shall be deemed accepted unless Client provides feedback or revision requests within 5 business days of delivery. Upon acceptance (verbal, written, or by lapse of feedback period), final payment is due.”

This one sentence can protect weeks of your time—and thousands in revenue.

Ready to never get ghosted again?

Inside Aligned Clients, Paid with Purpose™, you’ll learn the exact clauses (and energetic upgrades) that prevent delayed payments, scope creep, and boundary burnout.

Step into your next level of client clarity — and finally get paid with peace.

Explore the Program Here