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4c109d4a
Community Member

paid milestone

I paid for a milestone which will be completely useless if the freelancer does not do the second milestone. How do I ask for refund? thanks

11 REPLIES 11
307efa36
Community Member

Just to chime in, I too have paid for a milestone that will be useless unless the entire job is completed. I haven't heard from my freelancer in weeks... I have requested a refund, but what happens if the freelancer never responds? Is there a solution that resolves this and doesn't leave the client so vulnerable?

Hi Jesse,

Since private details are involved we can`t discuss them publicly in the Community. Our team will contact you directly and assist you further. Thank you!

~ Goran
Upwork
g_vasilevski
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Hi Felix,

You can ask for a refund by following the steps listed here: Request a refund from your freelancer.
If you need further help with something let me know and our team will contact you directly and assist you further. Thank you!

~ Goran
Upwork

Hi Goran

 

Thanks for your reply. I am trying to give him some time to reply my message before I start the refund process. 

 

I will reply here again of he does not respond.

 

Felix

prestonhunter
Community Member

Why not hire someone else to do the second milestone?

Nobody has pointed this out yet, so I will:

 

If a client hires a freelancer to do a milestone, and the freelancer does that milestone, the client needs to release the agreed-upon payment.

 

The money, when released, then belongs to the freelancer.

 

That money was paid for the work done on the completed milestone.

 

If a client would like a freelancer to do another milestone, but the freelancer does not do so, then this may be the way they planned things together, or it may be inconsequential, or it may cause serious problems for the client. In any case, such a situation does not constitute valid grounds for requesting a refund.

 

The wisest way for a client to set up a milestone is to be certain that the milestone constitutes usable work that is "modular" enough that it can be used with later-completed milestones, regardless of who completes the work that is done later.

I second Preston's views.

 

In addition it is hard to guess what really happened between you two.  It is entirely possible that you may be using this as an excuse to get free work.  It is also possible that you were one of those 'squeezer' kind of buyer who will keep on changing the goal post.  The sellar might have gotten tired and wanted to end the relationship.

You are making an assumption. I have escrowed the second milestone so I am not a squeezer or whatever name calling you can come up with. I want my work done!

There is no reason to assume anything negative about any client who wants to see a project completed by a freelancer.

 

A client in a situation like this may be completely professional and reasonable.

 

But that doesn't negate the fact that Upwork doesn't have the money that the client released to pay for the original milestone, and Upwork has no way to compell a freelancer to work if she doesn't want to.

 

Whether the situation is fair or unfair, and whether the freelancer is being horrendous or is justified, whether she is alive or dead, the result is the same: After a milestone has been completed and payment has been released, that transaction has concluded.

 

The client should expect to be able to receive back any money he funded for subsequent, yet-unfinished milestones. Any freelancer who would refuse a refund request for the unfinished milestones would be behaving in a very unethical manner.


@Preston H wrote:

Nobody has pointed this out yet, so I will:

 

If a client hires a freelancer to do a milestone, and the freelancer does that milestone, the client needs to release the agreed-upon payment.

 

The money, when released, then belongs to the freelancer.

 

That money was paid for the work done on the completed milestone.

 

If a client would like a freelancer to do another milestone, but the freelancer does not do so, then this may be the way they planned things together, or it may be inconsequential, or it may cause serious problems for the client. In any case, such a situation does not constitute valid grounds for requesting a refund.

 

The wisest way for a client to set up a milestone is to be certain that the milestone constitutes usable work that is "modular" enough that it can be used with later-completed milestones, regardless of who completes the work that is done later.


You are right there.
The client could also send a message to the freelancer that the contract will be closed and a feedback given if the freelancer does not reply with x days. The important thing is that there is no blackmailing e.g. saying that the feedback will 1* if there is no refund. A possible drop in the JSS might alert the freelancer.

If a client asks for a refund on a fixed-price job, then regardless of eventual feedback, the freelancer is obliged to reply to the client within seven days of receiving notice from Upwork. The freelancer can either dispute the client's request or agree to it. If the freelancer doesn't respond at all within the seven days, then the money in escrow is automatically returned to the client.  

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