Web developers are asking for huge amount of money for tiny html/css edits. Their prices aren't fair and now they blame freelancers from all over the world because Indian guy charges 20$ instead of 600$ and they are bad, ruining their "profitable" business.
Do you ever take into account the cost of living in the respective countries? Web devs living in the US/EU ask for considerable amounts because that's the only way they can live in their society where cost of living is very high, this without taking in account the fact that when a dev charges 600$, he doesn't get 600$ in his pockets, there is taxes and a shitload of other expenses; ofcourse they are going to call devs from countries where cost of living is low "bad" because they are breaking the market by charging peanuts for their service...
Apple manufactures Iphone in China because it's cheap to produce in this country. This isn't a business that would work in USA cause even if that happened, price would be hugely high. So, I don't care how much money they need for their daily living when you can get the same quality product in 10x less price. I've got a very professional website on wordpress for 200$ that would cost min 5000$ in US/EU if we consider it's functions, features and etc.
If editing a CSS file was that easy without breaking everything, then the client should do it himself/herself.
It's one of the most easiest thing, believe me. It's super easy to learn html/css, at least was for me but it isn't a thing that I am interested in.
I think it's pretty useless for him to explain such basic truths as the difference in prices in different countries and why editing a couple of lines in a scss file can't cost 500 dollars.
As for the portfolio, this advice is always relevant. The only problem is that the TS portfolio I've seen is quite ordinary skills. I can at least make projects from his portfolio by spending just a little more time than he spent on them (although-who knows).
I understand when a person complains that he has issued a whole project of the level of a professional Studio (with heavy and time-consuming animations with unusual solutions and having at least some uniqueness) - then it's still okay. But just take and pull the psd on the site/make up 10 pages on the layout of figma and complain that you didn't get paid 20 thousand dollars for it BECAUSE YOU TRIED it's completely ridiculous. Usually people with 15 years of experience (like our TS) have a much stronger understanding of the market and are unlikely to have a stable medium-high income at their age and with such experience. Or even more - why not set up a Studio with your own skills? IT needs porfessionals and this is not a myth - but it is a requires for QUALIFIED and cool people.