2nd Milestone not Funded - Client Quiet - Options?

[edmelville]

I sent the following to a client:

"Rgr. So in this case you'd just need to activate the next milestone. It's UpWork's way of saying "Put some dollars into Escrow". I don't have the option to submit work as complete without it anyway. I'll also include 5 hours of dev time to address any last minute issues we'll encounter during the testing phase."

And then nothing....

• What are my options? Am I to keep pestering the guy until he cancels the contract?
• If he doesn't want to move forward, what options can I provide him that won't affect my JSS score?
• Maybe we can pickup this half of the contract at a later date? 

[prestonhunter]

If you have already asked him once to fund the next milestone, then you are done.

If he funds the next step, you will do the work for the next step. If he does not fund it, you won't do the work for it.

Don't waste your time pestering him.

[edmelville]

And if he never responds?

[prestonhunter]

If he never responds, then after a couple months, close the contract yourself.

[edmelville]

And that does not affect my JSS Score? How exactly does that work in this case?

I never assumed cancelling a contract ON a client was even a viable option.

[petra_r]

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@Edward M wrote:

And that does not affect my JSS Score? How exactly does that work in this case?

I never assumed cancelling a contract ON a client was even a viable option.

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 You have 15 closed jobs and all have feedback. One "no feedback" contract won't affect your JSS but this contract has not been inactive long enough to be an issue anyway. Wait a couple more weeks, or longer if you like, but it shouldn't be an issue (with regards to JSS) either way.

[tlbp]

Everything that happens once a contract is entered into will affect the JSS somehow. Nonetheless, actions or inactions still need to be taken at some point. If a client is unresponsive, you can either leave the contract open indefinitely or close it. An open contract risks contributing to a pattern of stalled contracts, a contract closed by the freelancer risks receiving no feedback and contributing to that pattern. So, choose your poison. How long has it been since you heard from the client? 

Adding--Upwork communicated with one of my clients recently asking them to pause their hourly contract with me because of a lack of activity. But I'm not sure that process is the same. I thought they weren't pausing contracts at all anymore. I only know that the pause was initiated by Upwork because the client informed me. No idea if the open but paused contract will affect my JSS or not. 

[petra_r]

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@Tonya P wrote:

An open contract risks contributing to a pattern of stalled contracts, a contract closed by the freelancer risks receiving no feedback and contributing to that pattern. So, choose your poison. How long has it been since you heard from the client? 

Adding--Upwork communicated with one of my clients recently asking them to pause their hourly contract with me because of a lack of activity. But I'm not sure that process is the same. I thought they weren't pausing contracts at all anymore. I only know that the pause was initiated by Upwork because the client informed me. No idea if the open but paused contract will affect my JSS or not. 

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 Pausing a contract does not affect the effect or lack or effect of a contract on the JSS. In general, unless you have a significant percentage of such contracts, and contrary to what used to happen, contracts that had money paid on them and go inactive or end without feedback don't seem to have an effect on the JSS anymore (unless there are too many of them)

[jackiepeeler]

Petra, do you mean by that contracts that once had money paid out, or ones with money still left on the contract?

[petra_r]

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@Jacqueline P wrote:

Petra, do you mean by that contracts that once had money paid out, or ones with money still left on the contract?

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 Contracts with earnings, whether inactive or closed without feedback, generally don't affect your JSS unless you have too many of those.

"Money left on the contract" as in what was originally agreed, is irrelevant as far as the JSS is concerned.

"Money left in Escrow" is irrelevant as far as the JSS is concerned PROVIDED something has been paid out (approved or bonused) and after 3 month Upwork closes the contract anyway if funds sat in Escrow for 90 days.