Man charges GF's brother full price for work he did; she's blocks him online.

It can be hard to find a line between doing a favor for someone who needs it, and feeling taken advantage of by family and friends. Everyone has different boundaries around this, and asserting them can be awkward depending on other people's expectations.

In a popular post on the AITA subreddit, a man asked if he was wrong for charging his GF's brother for a logo.

He wrote:

AITA for charging my wife's brother?

Hi y'all, so I'm here dumbfounded and trying to understand what I did wrong, and now I'm asking you people for your opinion. A few days ago, my girlfriend asked me if I could design the Logo for her brother's new business. I'm a freelance logo designer, and usually I'm booked, but these days I had free slots, so I told her that I could do it. She asked me if I could do a free draft as a favor.

I agreed, and we started with the free draft. I did it within a day, and her brother loved it and asked if I could finish it and also the brand identity for his business. I told him that this would cost him, and he happily agreed. I finished in two days and sent him the receipt. A few hours later, my girlfriend calls me and tells me that I am the AH for charging him.

I told her that he agreed to pay, and she responded by telling me that I shouldn't have asked for payment and that even if he offered, I should've refused. She blocked me after that and has been sleeping at her friend's house since. I had been thinking that maybe I was wrong for charging her brother; she requested that I do a free draft for her brother. So guys, AITA here?

People had a lot of thoughts about this.

Beat_The_Game wrote:

NTA. You are a professional logo designer, and you deserve to be paid for your work. You did a free draft as a favor, but that doesn't mean you have to do the whole project for free. Your wife's brother agreed to pay you, and he should respect your agreement. Your wife is being unreasonable and disrespectful of your skills and time.

Swiss_El_Rosso wrote:

NTA. Free draft OK, then professional layout for payment. This is the way how it works for a freelancer with relatives. Or you don't work for relatives, whatever would be best for your own health.

cinderella3-drizella wrote:

NTA - she's an AH for wanting you to do work for free. major red flag, dump her and block her. her bad attitude won't pay the bills, your work does.

BellaFromSwitzerland wrote:

NTA but it’s a teachable moment. Next time someone asks for something among your friends and family, clarify upfront the budget. Before a free sample is provided, the final client needs to know the cost of the final delivery as well as the payment terms. People need to understand it’s your livelihood. A lot of relationships are damaged in this type of situation so be prepared for it.

sempirate wrote:

NTA. You were asked for a free draft, not a free finished product. Besides, he agreed to pay for the final product. If your girlfriend wants to break up with you over this, then that’s where the cards fell. At the end of the day, this is how you pay your bills. If you relent and give him the finished product for free, what’s next? More free products to please her? No, let her walk out the door if that’s her choice.

Clearly, OP is NTA, but his GF - or more accurately, his ex-girlfriend, is a big one.