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27085f0e
Community Member

Freelancer submitted a fixed price bid proposal and then said it would cost 10x that amount

Hi,

 

I am wanting some impartial and objective feedback as to what is fair and reasonable.

 

I posted a job as a fixed price sum ($USD2,000). Several freelancers made bids at that amount.

 

I then interviewed three freelancers and decided to work with one freelancer, and communicated this.

 

Before I accepted his bid, we worked through some details of the project. I was ready to accept the bid and start the project however the freelancer sent through a spreadhseet of milestones, estimated hours and his hourly rate which roughly translated to a project budget of $USD25,000.

 

I enquired if this was an error given that he made an offer at $USD 2000 and he had not said anything until now that the project would cost more. He just said bluntly that's how much it costs and even sort of guilted me for wastign his time. I feel like my time has been wasted.

 

I'm wanting feedback if I have done someting wrong or if there is room for misunderstanding his bid on his end. From my end, he made a bid and then just renegged last minute.

4 REPLIES 4
JoanneP
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Anthony,

 

Freelancers and clients can discuss the job details before having an active contract. If you do not agree with the terms the freelancer has provided, you are under no obligation to proceed with hiring. You can negotiate further to better understand the work and budget required for the said project or decide to discuss the project with another freelancer. 

~ Joanne
Upwork
27085f0e
Community Member

Thanks Joanne. I have expressed my desire to work with the freelancer and I think you're right - all I can do is be clear on scope and pricing expected and if it doesn't work then seek an alternative resource. 

prestonhunter
Community Member

Anthony, it sounds like you have been communicating with serious professionals who are trying to provide you with accurate quotes.

 

They are using the Upwork system and the fixed-price quote method as Upwork intends.

 

It sounds like you were wasting this freelancer's time.

 

Putting all of that aside, I urge you to put yourself and your project first.

 

You may wish to drop the idea of doing this using fixed-price contracts, and instead hire multiple freelancers using hourly contracts. Monitor their work, and continue working only with the freelancers who provide you with the best value. (Save you the most money.) Fire the other freelancers. If you hire multiple freelancers and compare their cost relative to the benefit they provide you, you can minimize cost.

 

You can not compare cost if you hire only one freelancer. And you can not compare actual cost based on quotes.

 

Remember that fixed-price contracts tie up money in escrow. Hourly contracts do not.

 

Be cautions with fixed-price contracts, especially when dealing with people you don't know. If you paid $2000 into an initial escrow payment, and hired a freelancer who did absolutely nothing, you don't have a button you can use to unilaterally get that money back. You would have to ASK the freelancer for the money, and he could say no.

27085f0e
Community Member

I'm not sure how I was wasting time when I was the one cheat about pricing abs scope from the outset. 


But certainly will ponder some suggestions in your note. 

 

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