FROM THE BENCH — AGENCY RED-FLAG CHECK
Is this agency safe to hire?
Check every flag that applies to the agency you're evaluating. We'll score the risk and tell you what to address before you sign.
Fixed-price quote with no detailed specification attached
CriticalA fixed price is only valid when scope is locked. Vague fixed-price deals always bleed into change orders.
Proposal
No payment milestones — full payment upfront or on delivery only
MajorIndustry standard is milestone-based. Upfront-only removes their incentive to iterate with you.
Proposal
Quote is 40%+ cheaper than every other bid you received
MajorThere is no cheap dev. They're cutting corners somewhere — scope, talent, or timeline.
Proposal
No discovery or requirements phase included in the quote
CriticalAgencies that skip discovery are quoting blind. The scope will expand and so will the price.
Proposal
IP ownership clause is absent or unclear in the contract
CriticalIf it's not in the contract, ownership defaults to the agency in many jurisdictions. Get this in writing.
Contract
Source code handover is not mentioned in the contract
CriticalWithout explicit transfer terms, they can hold your repo hostage on billing disputes.
Contract
Auto-renewal clauses with short cancellation windows
MajorCommon trap. 30-day notice buried in 6-month auto-renewal = forced continuation.
Contract
They won't give you access to the repo during development
MajorYour code, your repo, always. Any agency that delays this is protecting something.
Process
No staging environment or QA step in their workflow
MajorDeploying directly to prod is how embarrassing outages happen. Non-negotiable for real agencies.
Process
No dedicated project manager — you deal directly with the developer
MinorNot always bad, but means no escalation path when the dev goes dark.
Process
Senior devs pitched on sales call, junior devs assigned to your work
MajorClassic bait-and-switch. Ask to meet the actual devs building your product before signing.
Process
Pre-sales response time is >24h for basic questions
MinorHow they treat you before you pay is the best signal of how they'll treat you after.
Communication
Won't provide references from clients in a similar industry or use case
MajorReferences aren't a guarantee, but refusing to share any is a clear signal.
Communication
Discount only available if you sign this week / today
CriticalArtificial urgency is a closer tactic. Reputable agencies don't rely on pressure.
Communication
Portfolio is vague, screenshots only, no live links or case studies
MinorScreenshots can be fabricated. If they can't show a live product, ask why.
Communication
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