Need a refund for a milestone

346da6d9 · ‎12-04-2020

The freelancer can't work anymore on my job due to personal problems and need to end the contract. He want to refund the milestone paid (without the complete job, his first milestone is unuseful)
How i have to do? It's not clear in the help center...

g_vasilevski · ‎12-04-2020

Hi Arturo,

Your freelancer can issue a refund by following the steps in this Help Article. Feel free to share this with your freelancer, and if they need further help they can reach out to us (Moderators) here.

If you would like to submit an Escrow refund request as well, please follow the steps in this Guide. If something is still confusing, feel free to follow up here with additional questions. Thank you.

~ Goran

prestonhunter · ‎12-04-2020

Arturo:

The freelancer may navigate to his contract listing and click on the Three Dots icon and he will see an option to issue a refund to you for any money already released to him on this contract.

He can also close the contract himself and release any remaining escrow money back to you.

The freelancer has the ability to do all of this on his own. It isn't necessary for you or Upwork Customer Support to do anything.

346da6d9 · ‎12-05-2020

the freelancer refuse to refund the milestone, he knows that it's not fair, but he told me that he doesn't have money to do the refund.

346da6d9 · ‎12-05-2020

I recently had a problem with one of my job. After the first milestone, the freelancer stopped working on the project for personal problem and the work he has done, is uneseful because is incomplete. I had a chat with him and he simply told me that he can't actually refund me the money i paid (100$ of 200%, the others are on the escrow)

What's now? there's a way to obtain back this money?

346da6d9 · ‎12-07-2020

Any info on this. The Freelancer became not responsive anymore...

prestonhunter · ‎12-07-2020

Arturo:

You said that the freelancer is not responsive.

That is a good thing.

All you need to do is close the contract. You will be prompted to release payment. When you do this, you will be presented with an editable field that lets you edit how much money to release. Edit the amount to zero. Then proceed to close the contract.

If the freelancer is truly unresponsive then he will do nothing about this refund request. Because he does nothing, Upwork will automatically proceed with the request in 7 days. Then you will receive the money in your account within five business days.

So this means that you will receive all of the money currently in escrow back into your account.

I recommend that you do this and move forward with your project. I think you are spending too much time thinking about this underperforming freelancer. Focusing on that freelancer instead of focusing on your own needs and success is not helpful.

What about the work that the freelancer provided you with from the first milestone? You already approved that milestone and paid for it. That work belongs to you. You will benefit the most if you embrace the idea that you won't get that $100 payment back. Any desire to obtain that money back at this point only holds you back. It is not Upwork's intention that you get that money back. You should feel free to use the work that was submitted, or not use it. But make that decision based on what is best for your project. Do not feel obligated to use the work just because you paid for it.

346da6d9 · ‎12-07-2020

Thanks for your reply Preston, the problem is that the freelancer have 100$ from the previous milestone that i already released. Should i consider those lost?

prestonhunter · ‎12-07-2020

re: "Should I consider those lost?"

Yes.

If you put yourself and the needs of the project first, then you will consider that money lost.

If you put the needs of the freelancer first... if you want to help balance his karma or help him to learn a lesson or help with his salvation, etc., then you may continue to try to get that money back in order to ensure that he has no stain of sin or injustice on his hands.

Your efforts on behalf of the freelancer will probably fail in the end and you probably won't get that $100 back. But you will know that at least you tried.

varungs · ‎12-08-2020

Arturo D wrote:
the freelancer refuse to refund the milestone, he knows that it's not fair, but he told me that he doesn't have money to do the refund.

FWIW if the money has not been released to him yet then how much money he has doesn't matter; the refund won't affect his current finances one way or the other

346da6d9 · ‎12-08-2020

Also the Money already released from the escrow as first payment ?