Start with the specific disagreement
If you are charged for work you do not remember approving, ask the provider to identify the authorization and explain the scope. Approval may be recorded in a message, a change order or a conversation remembered differently by each side. Separate whether the work was requested from whether the amount was agreed. Those are related questions, but they may need different evidence.
Work through the facts, one step at a time
Locate the change in scope
Describe what was originally included and what extra task appears on the bill. Identify when the provider says the need arose. Avoid mixing a dispute about authorization with unrelated dissatisfaction about the whole project.
Check who could approve changes
Review the people involved and how decisions were normally made. Ask for the message, note or signed variation relied on. If someone on your team requested the change, clarify what they said about scope and price.
Respond to the disputed entry
State which parts of the explanation you accept and which remain unclear. Ask for an itemized amount and discuss the next step. If you propose paying part of the invoice, describe exactly what remains under discussion.
What this can look like
A developer bills for data cleanup after a team member says “please sort this out.” The client believed cleanup was included. Reviewing the original specification and the exchange helps distinguish approval to perform a task from agreement to pay an additional fee.
This is an invented scenario to explain the approach, not a customer result or a prediction of your outcome.
Records worth gathering
- Original scope
- Change requests
- Names and roles of decision makers
- Itemized extra charges
Keep originals and prepare copies of the relevant parts. Redact unrelated personal details before sharing. Explain any gaps in the record rather than filling them with assumptions.
Open a clearer conversation
Edits stay on this page and are lost when you leave. Nothing is sent automatically. This is a discussion starter, not a legal notice or settlement agreement.
Before you agree to the next step
Missing a signed change order does not by itself settle whether a charge is payable. Authority, conduct and applicable law may matter; obtain advice before relying on a legal conclusion.
Put any proposed outcome into specific terms: who will act, what they will do, the amount if money is involved, and the date. Identify what remains unresolved. An invitation, a discussion and a signed agreement are different stages.
Does useful extra work automatically become payable?
Usefulness alone does not answer what was agreed. Review the request, pricing discussion and relevant terms. SettleBetween can help organize that discussion but cannot determine entitlement.
Further guidance
These independent resources cover related issues. Check the location and type of case each applies to; they do not establish your rights everywhere.
A private place to prepare your side
SettleBetween provides private AI guidance for each person and a shared space to discuss approved information. You choose what to share and whether to agree. Availability depends on both parties’ locations and the dispute type.
Free to start. The case starter pays $79 only after both parties sign. The invited party never pays the agreement fee. See included access and pricing.
Prepare your side freeAI can make mistakes. This guide is practical preparation, not legal advice. Use appropriate official schemes or independent advice when needed. A discussion here does not pause external deadlines or guarantee payment.