That’s a common mistake, I agree. In my case, they knew my current salary and expected salary from the first call. They didn’t commit to anything beforehand,

That’s a common mistake, I agree. In my case, they knew my current salary and expected salary from the first call. They didn’t commit to anything beforehand, and maybe that’s my mistake. OTOH it is quite a bet to spend a lot of someones (mine, in this case) betting they’re going to accept a smaller salary just for the privilege of working for you.