I am being fooled since weeks by freelancer - what can I do?

[df34af46]

Good evening,

I am in the need of proper help.

I created a fixed price project then hired this freelancer from his own proposal. He accepted the price.

I put milestones which he never respected. I see him always online but every time I asked in the latest days about progresses he told me everything: he had troubles, bad weather, wife parents sick, Ill be in office in 2 hours then I write you etc.. and i kept waiting invain. Stupidely I send him 2 bonus for no particular reason hoping to motivate him and for involving him even more. 

After 10 days without any tangible progress I asked to push the branches he told me he fixed into my git...I asked him several times but nothing.

I lost a couple hundreds and several days.... What can I do for having refunded my escrow money? 

[AndreaG]

Hi Alessio,

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with this freelancer. You should be able to request an Escrow Refund, please check out this help article for instructions.

Thanks!

[a_lipsey]

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Alessio C wrote:

Good evening,

I am in the need of proper help.

I created a fixed price project then hired this freelancer from his own proposal. He accepted the price.

I put milestones which he never respected. I see him always online but every time I asked in the latest days about progresses he told me everything: he had troubles, bad weather, wife parents sick, Ill be in office in 2 hours then I write you etc.. and i kept waiting invain. Stupidely I send him 2 bonus for no particular reason hoping to motivate him and for involving him even more. 

After 10 days without any tangible progress I asked to push the branches he told me he fixed into my git...I asked him several times but nothing.

I lost a couple hundreds and several days.... What can I do for having refunded my escrow money? 

---

You gave some slacker bonuses for performing poorly? Okay, while I applaud your good intentions and clear desire to be a good client, don't reward bad behavior - which is what you did. Certainly if someone is doing great work, you can give a bonus, but if a freelancer has missed deadlines and not responding to you and giving lots of responses, you should close the contract, not give them a bonus. You can see how giving a bonus for bad work and lack of professionalism can give the wrong signal to someone? 

But thank you for being a good client and being someone who works in good faith. Next time, I hope you won't be afraid to simply end the contract and protect yourself. 

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

Alessio:
It sounds like you want to succeed as a client AND be a professional, ethical person.

For future reference:
You should hire multiple freelancers to work on your project.

For example, you could hire 4 people and then continue working only with the one or two of them who provide you with the best work. If none of those 4 people provide you with quality work in a timely manner, then end the contracts with all of them and hire other people. Use hourly contracts to maintain flexibility.

If I hire six people using hourly contracts...

Two of them never logged any time during the first week. I close those contracts. It cost me nothing.

Two of them turned in some work but it was really not of the quality that I need. I closed their contracts after they logged two hours each.

Two of them were great and I continued working with them to complete the project.

[df34af46]

thanks for tour words.
I'm now asking him repeteadly to perform push and merge to my git since yesterday night hoping that the poor work he made will be saved. After excuses like "I'll repeat the pull/push tonight when in office" (there is nothing to be "repeated" here, my repo is void of such requests) I'm 99% sure that he is total fraud.
I am deeply disappointed. I thought about closing contract, but to me UpWork instrucions ate not clear, when I read them yesterday I renounced to end the contract as there is no clear instruction in how to handle frauds like mine. Seems so "politically correct" saying basically: "never press the dispute button, you mist handle this with yourselves".

[prestonhunter]

Alessio:
It is very clear to me that you are disappointed.

What is not clear to me is why you care so much about this one particular freelancer.

I don't think he has done a good job for you.

I don't think he has shown any loyalty toward you.

I don't think you owe him anything at all.

Yet I feel like you have put yourself into sort of a "mentor" or "tutor" role with this freelancer... Like you want to do whatever it takes to help him succeed.

I strongly advise you to put yourself and your project first.

The way to put yourself and your project first is to stop trying to help a freelancer who is clearly not providing value to your project, and focus on moving your project forward. There are other freelancers who will provide great value to your project, who will communicate effectively with you, who will get this work done at a very affordable price. You should assign the work to those freelancers.

[a_lipsey]

I think to get this process rolling you need to request a refund. If the freelancer declines, then I think you are able to go into the dispute process. 

[df34af46]

Indeed.
I teied to get in touch with some of them invitong into the project but they never answered. I also ourchased the pro pack and a Specialist has been assigned to find some freelancers. Basing from the specialist's answers and contribution I'll keep 30$ next time. No added value at all.

About the mentorship. Difficult answer at rhe moment..I had bad working experience, no caring from superiors, I assisted and I was also involved in bery unequal treatments from the upper side. Perhaps this gift is because of these personal experiences. Hey, I saw him many times online late at night with no other projects running beside mine and I thought he's going hardcore.
Look, I am not sad and resentful for the job not finished, I am because fooling could have been his only approach towards me and my project.
I'm new, this is the first real money I spend here so inexperience has its weight in this epilogue.

[df34af46]

Good evening, yes I admit I acted upon excitement when I saw first "feedbacks" coming up late night. My second bonis was just a "Merry Christmas" one, being told by him that his parents got Corona, after one day he "made up his mind" and them they became her wife parents.
I'm deluded and reflective now on future works and about people.
UW on its side treats this problems like hot potatos, Talents specialists answers "I'm not in xharge for that, sorry". The help section of the website reminds me of a boss that denies the problem, "no, but if you're sure knock on the second door on the right, sixth floor, see if that's helping".
Hope to get this done somehow.
In fundus I found this forum and seems very helping, real help from direct experiences. For all this I'm thankful and appreciate.