New freelancer asks for payment before submitting any job.

[b0ddc5d0]

Hi,

I am hiring a new freelancer (no previous jobs) and the person asks for payment upfront saying he is starting the job right away. Thing is, he is not submitting anything, no screenshot, nothing.

1. This is very suspicious.

2. IMO, your site should allow a request, if and only if, the freelancer submit something, an attachement of any kind. Then it is our responsability to check the attachment if it makes sense or not.

3. Your team should 'advertise' a document, a note, something explaining  to new clients, and new freelancers, how the usual process of submission/request payment should go.

The experience is pretty bad as-is... 

Thx

[katrinabeaver]

That's what escrow is for. You either set up milestones with a specific deliverable for each milestone in which when the deliverable is submitted you have 14 days to request changes. If all is good, then and only then do you release the milestone and fund the next (if there are multiple milestones).

The only reason a client would need to pay a freelancer anything before the work starts is if there is specialized equipment or software or such that the client is asking the freelancer to purchase which is very rare. 

Pay nothing until you get a deliverable. 

[71a8c615]

Olivier/Katrina,

I faced the same issue. As per milestone date,when there was no deliverable I have cancelled the project immediately to save my money. Since amount was in escrow protection, freelancer disputed. After few days of dispute, Freelancer has shared  deliverable with upwork team and asking money.I am not sure what kind of deliverable he has shared with the team. Upwork team has recommended to go with AAA. Now I am going through AAA as recommended by upwork.   

Can anyone help me to understand terms and condition , if payment is only related with milestone and there is no other way like upfront? 

[wlyonsatl]

I have been on Upwork and its predecessor sites for a good few years.

A few clients have offered me upfront payments on large project, but I don't think I've ever asked for one.

I assume this is a fixed rate job. If I were a client, I'd never engage someone without clear proof they could do the work via samples. (I know that is an approach that hurts new freelancers with no real world experience, but I don't think Upwork is the place they should come for on-the-job training.)

And I wouldn't pay upfront with no work yet performed.

[mystudiomke]

Olivier,

Are you sure the freelancer is asking for payment upfront or are they asking for a funded milestone prior to starting?

Like the previous freelancer explained, if it's a fixed-price project then a freelancer would ask for a funded milestone. That doesn't mean the freelancer get paid upfront - that money gets placed in escrow. Once they submit the work (the chance for you to review the work) then you can approve the milestone and payment goes through.

If your freelancer is asking to paid right away (not normal on my end) and you don't feel comfortable with that then say that to your freelancer. If you really want to move forward with this freelancer, see what other agreement you can come with (50 upfront /50 once work is finished).  Las resource, if for some reason you get screwed - you can always ask for a refund and speak further with the upwork support. 

Hope that helps,

[j_mundati]

Being a new freelancer, he might not even be aware of Upwork's payment system.

While it's not unheard of for freelancers to receive upfront payment depending on the agreement with the clients, it's mostly a reserve of those who have worked together before and are comfortable trusting the freelancer with the expected quality of work.

In this case, I would suggest you fund a milestone if you really want to work with the freelancer.

That way, when they are done with the job, they can submit and ask that you approve the milestone if or when you are happy with the final submission.

It's a safe zone for either party.

You could also explain how the system works, and you'll be all good to proceed. Maybe the freelancer has been ripped off before and is just being cautious, unaware that Upwork offers protection in that regard.

[kat303]

Olivier - When a client offers a job to a freelancer and the freelancer accepts, there is a certain procedure to follow. 

1. A contract is set up with either 1 milestone which would be for the total amount of the entire job. When the freelancer delivers the completed job and a client is satisfied with the result, the client then releases the money that's in escrow. 

or, 

A contact is set up with several milestones, Each milestone has the scope of work defined and a percentage of the total payment funded. When the freelancers delivers the work assigned to that milestone, and the client is satisfied and approves the work done, the client releases the funds in that milestone and deposits the percentage of the total payment into the next milestone. 

In all instances,  the client funds ESCROW before the freelancer starts work and only releases those funds when they get the required job/milesone's, they are satisfied with it and approve it.  When a clients funds escrow, it shows the freelancers that they have the money and they do intent to pay.  

To pay a freelancer (by funding escrow and releasing those funds before work is started or even half way through work) is likely to have you back here posting that you paid, but the freelancer disappeared and how do you get your money back. Once money is released to a freelancer and the freelancers withdraws that money, that money is gone. 

[mtngigi]

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@Olivier H wrote:

Hi,

I am hiring a new freelancer (no previous jobs) and the person asks for payment upfront saying he is starting the job right away. Thing is, he is not submitting anything, no screenshot, nothing.

1. This is very suspicious.

2. IMO, your site should allow a request, if and only if, the freelancer submit something, an attachement of any kind. Then it is our responsability to check the attachment if it makes sense or not.

3. Your team should 'advertise' a document, a note, something explaining  to new clients, and new freelancers, how the usual process of submission/request payment should go.

The experience is pretty bad as-is... 

Thx

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Many freelancers (and clients) jump on this site without first looking at all the info available to them to learn how things work, and how to work safely. Perhaps this will help you out:

Setting up milestones: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068208-Fixed-Price-Contracts-How-it-works-and-Best-P...