How to rate an applicant, who stole me three weeks of time

[600d4639]

An applicant got the project description, asked some questions and called the price. I agreed.

Along three next weeks the applicant tried to convince me, that he will not create a parts of my project, with explainations like "i don't really need this" or "it wasn't on the tasks list, where we were creating the price" or "nobody needs this".

Than, after i insisted that every part of the project must be done as agreed, all parts of the project were on the tasks list and the applicant affirmed the price, he notified me that "my project stopped being financially interesting" and capped communication.

Three weeks are lost.

Is it a usual case there? Is it correct, that there is no possibility to rate such behavior?

[prestonhunter]

re: "Is it a usual case there?"

No, this is not usual. Most freelancers will not spend so much time talking to a client without getting hired and then actually working for the client. To do so would be a waste of the freelancer's time.

re: "Is it correct, that there is no possibility to rate such behavior?"

That is not correct.

You MAY rate that freelancer's behavior.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate that freelancer's behavior? Tell us, and your answer will appear here in this thread.

[abinadab-agbo]

Gosh, Preston, you really did succeed in squeezing some laughter out of me today.
But, you're correct. If the OP never sent the freelancer an offer, and the freelancer never accepted it, then he may not rate the freelancer because no contract ever came to be between both parties.

[600d4639]

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Abinadab A wrote:
because no contract ever came 

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Yes, thats it. For me, not an ideal solution - the kind of communication before contract could be a cause to no contract. I think, such informations should be shareable.

[a_lipsey]

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Evgeniy O wrote:

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Abinadab A wrote:
because no contract ever came 

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Yes, thats it. For me, not an ideal solution - the kind of communication before contract could be a cause to no contract. I think, such informations should be shareable.

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Don't you think it's better that it all sorted out  BEFORE you had a contract and got pissed at a freelancer for not doing what you want? Seems like those three weeks of negotiation saved you a bad job/contract. 

[feed_my_eyes]

It sounds to me like you got three weeks' worth of valuable advice for free; I wouldn't be complaining about that.

[prestonhunter]

Evgeniy:

I am sympathetic if you feel like you lost time.

But many peope, reading this story, may feel that you you received three weeks of consultation - for free.

Note that neither Upwork nor the freelancer involved are asking you to pay anything for the feedback and consultation that you received. (That would not be the case everywhere.)

Also, if this freelancer was not the right person for the job, then you are better off having never started a contract with him, and having never paid him any money.

I think that the freelancer you were talking to was sincere in his assessment of your project. He genuinely felt that certain things you were specifying were unnecessary, or should be done differently. That freelancer may have been completely wrong - but I think he was sincere.

As a client, if I have a time-sensitive project, then I will hire multiple people simultaneously. You are welcome to interview and/or hire as many freelancers as you want so that you can move this project forward more quickly. There is no requirement that you rely on a single individual.