Contracts you should never sign
vadimkravcenko.com
Contracts you should never sign
1–10 of 284 posts
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#2Hey everyone, author here :) I'm sure most of you have more experience with contracts, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on stuff we, developers, shouldn't sign.
Cheers, Vadim
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#3What's wrong with gym contracts?
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#4I wonder how often non-compete clause are actually enforced. If I don't tell my employer what my next employer is and don't update my linkedin profile, I don't really see how it would actually works in practice.
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#5The only time I've been burned by my contract is from relocation expenses. I went to a company to take a job and not long into it a reorg moved me to a different team. I left the company and they demanded I pay back my relocation expenses. When I protested that they changed my role to something not what I was expecting, I was told that according to my contract it doesn't matter. The temporary housing I was put in was very expensive despite the fact I hated it. Luckily, my balance was paid as part of a signing bonus by my new company.
My lesson here was: Never take a relocation package that has the company sorting your housing and travel, just ask for a large signing bonus instead.
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#6Hey everyone, author here :) I'm sure most of you have more experience with contracts, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on stuff we, developers, shouldn't sign. Cheers, Vadim
Very useful article. Thank you for putting it together. On one hand, you should read an employment contract or options agreement down to the letter, as you highlight. However, in my experience, most contracts have these provisions, at least in the US. Also, companies are going to be reluctant to deviate from a form template as this creates a legal mess down the road. My point being, you'll find it hard to "never sign" if every employer does this.
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#7I assume that I understand your point and probably even agree with the sentiment, however the content itself appears to be saying, "Don't sign contracts", or, "Don't work for other people." Granted, that's from a mostly USA-based perspective.
I've agreed to some terms because I didn't actually care whether they were enforced, because I was pretty confident the company couldn't or at least wouldn't do anything about it, or because my life circumstances didn't supply the luxury of choice.
Understanding the potential consequences and "why those may be bad" is useful, and prodding companies/governments to move away from that stuff is awesome, but "don't do that" isn't necessarily an option in many (most) contexts.
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#8What's wrong with gym contracts?
Its only a problem with certain large chains, but they are often set up so that they automatically charge you every month and it is very hard to cancel. If a gym doesn't accept cash and demands you pay by credit card, that's a huge red flag. Also check reviews of the gym before you sign up. And of course, actually read the contract before signing. They can waive certain clauses if you confront them. And if they don't, there are plenty of small gyms to chose from.
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#9What's wrong with gym contracts?
Its only a problem with certain large chains, but they are often set up so that they automatically charge you every month and it is very hard to cancel. If a gym doesn't accept cash and demands you pay by credit card, that's a huge red flag. Also check reviews of the gym before you sign up. And of course, actually read the contract before signing. They can waive certain clauses if you confront them. And if they don't…
Re: Contracts you should never sign
#10What's wrong with gym contracts?
Its only a problem with certain large chains, but they are often set up so that they automatically charge you every month and it is very hard to cancel. If a gym doesn't accept cash and demands you pay by credit card, that's a huge red flag. Also check reviews of the gym before you sign up. And of course, actually read the contract before signing. They can waive certain clauses if you confront them. And if they don't…
> Its only a problem with certain large chains
No, many little independent gyms have caught on to the behavior too.