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Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

A client just ended the contract while approving an incomplete milestone?

A client just ended the contract without creating a milestone for the full work, just the initial. What can I do to refute his claim?
P.S I've attached the work done as plausible evidence. Thanks!
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Amanda's avatar
Amanda L Community Member


Timileyin I wrote:
He probably left a bad feedback too. This just confirms Upwork is rigged against the freelancers.

Why would Upwork be rigged against freelancers when they need us to churn a profit? They don't exist without freelancers, so to be rigged against us as a group is a ridiculous conspiracy theory. Rigged against us why?  

 

Even if you weren't using Upwork and a client decided to end a project after the first stage, that would be the end of it. They'd pay you for the work done, not any work that was not complete, and your contract would be over. How is it "rigged" that Upwork allows clients and freelancers to end contracts when that's exactly what happens in offline client relationships? 

 

Here's a better question: why did he "probably leave bad feedback"? What reason did you give him to leave bad feedback?  Why would you suspect he left bad feedback? People don't just leave bad feedback for the fun of it.  

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16 REPLIES 16
Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

I tired contacting the support section instead of this one, but apparently, the page doesn't exist.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Antun's avatar
Antun M Community Member


Timileyin I wrote:
A client just ended the contract without creating a milestone for the full work, just the initial. What can I do to refute his claim?
P.S I've attached the work done as plausible evidence. Thanks!

You've experienced a common mistake freelancers make.

Work you do with your client MUST be funded (if fixed priced contract).
Do NOT do any work if it's not funded.

It is possible that your client will pay you for your work, though it's unlikely (they have no reason to).

Next time you will let your client know that you'll wait for them to fund certain milestone.

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "A client just ended the contract without creating a milestone for the full work, just the initial. What can I do to refute his claim?"

 

You can not refute or dispute anything.

The client has done nothing wrong.

 

A client may end a contract at any time.

A freelancer may end a contract at any time.

 

Think of it like this:

A patron comes to your restaurant. He says he is really hungry, and he plans to order soup, then a main dish and then a dessert.

He order soup, pays for it, and leaves.


That's what happened to you. A client discussed a larger project, but only ordered one milestone task.

 

The client paid for that task. He is all "paid up" for the work that you have done.

 

The client did not order milestones 2 or 3, and hasn't paid you for those milestones. But you haven't done the work for those.

 

This is fair and equitable.

Will's avatar
Will L Community Member

I don't think it's correct to say "the client has done nothing wrong."

 

If they have gamed the system to get work for free that's wrong. It may not be against Upwork's sometimes unclear protocols and rules, but it is definitely a dishonest act.

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "I don't think it's correct to say 'the client has done nothing wrong.' If they have gamed the system to get work for free that's wrong"

 

Will:

I agree with you 100% that if a client games the system to get work for free, the client has done something wrong.

 

I am a consistent and clear critic of clients asking for free work or manipulating freelancers into getting free work.

 

I am not seeing any indication that the client in this situation did this.

 

From what the original poster said, the client hired the freelancer to do a task, and then paid for that task, and then closed the contract. I don't see any indication of wrongdoing on the part of the client.

Will's avatar
Will L Community Member

Timileyin I,

 

Clients can close a contract at any time, regardless the stage the agreed project timeline has reached.

 

This is why it is very important to precisely define project timelines, insist that the client fund each milestone before beginning work on any milestone and only submit the specific work required for each milestone.

 

If you don't submit work related to a funded miletone using the green "Submit" button on the Upwork project page and the client then closes the project, you will not be paid under Upwork's rules. 

 

If you submit more work than is needed to fulfilll and agreed milestone, a dishonest client may think they have all they really need from you and cancel the project. You will not be paid for any agreed future milestone(s), even if you submit the work properly under a funded milestone (before the client closes the contract) and get paid for that milestone only.

 

Good luck!

Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

He probably left a bad feedback too. This just confirms Upwork is rigged against the freelancers.
Will's avatar
Will L Community Member

I don't think it's fair to say the complex system of rules that Upwork has in place is unfair to freelancers, but the onus to fully understand that system does fall primarily on freelancers.

 

If you use the Upwork system correctly, which most new freelancers can do only after making a few mistakes in their first projects, using Upwork does eliminate some risks for freelancers (including the risk of not getting paid by dishonest clients) and provides access to a global universe of potential clients.

 

But that doesn't mean Upwork is ideal for everybody (maybe not even for anybody). 

 

 

Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

Well-played. You're running damage control.
Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "He probably left a bad feedback too."

 

As soon as you leave feedback as well, you will be able to see what the client's feedback is.

 

Don't just assume that the client left feedback.

 

It is possible that the client realized he had everything he needed from you with just the first milestone. Maybe his feedback will be great, because you did such a great job on the first milestone.

 

It is possible that the client was planning to do a larger project. He ran out of money, was too embarrassed to tell you, and closed the project without telling you why. He knows this is not your fault, and he won't give you bad feedback because of that.

 

It is possible that the client was disappointed in your submission, and realized that you were not the right freelancer for this project. He closed the contract without continuing, and his feedback isn't enthusiastic, but nor is it "bad."

Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

More damage control. Using "Probably" covers the possibility that he won't, no?
Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

There's nothing you can say anyways. It's against me, and you're using logic where it won't work. Thanks for your answers at least
Timileyin's avatar
Timileyin I Community Member

See, anybody could reverse-engineer this, and use it to his favour. It's a loop hole you're Upwork is condoning.
Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Timileyin I wrote:
See, anybody could reverse-engineer this, and use it to his favour. It's a loop hole you're Upwork is condoning.

Nope.


You made a mistake. Next time, don't make the same mistake.


And by the way: "logic" always works.

 

Amanda's avatar
Amanda L Community Member


Timileyin I wrote:
He probably left a bad feedback too. This just confirms Upwork is rigged against the freelancers.

Why would Upwork be rigged against freelancers when they need us to churn a profit? They don't exist without freelancers, so to be rigged against us as a group is a ridiculous conspiracy theory. Rigged against us why?  

 

Even if you weren't using Upwork and a client decided to end a project after the first stage, that would be the end of it. They'd pay you for the work done, not any work that was not complete, and your contract would be over. How is it "rigged" that Upwork allows clients and freelancers to end contracts when that's exactly what happens in offline client relationships? 

 

Here's a better question: why did he "probably leave bad feedback"? What reason did you give him to leave bad feedback?  Why would you suspect he left bad feedback? People don't just leave bad feedback for the fun of it.  

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Amanda L wrote:

Timileyin I wrote:
He probably left a bad feedback too. This just confirms Upwork is rigged against the freelancers.

 

Here's a better question: why did he "probably leave bad feedback"? What reason did you give him to leave bad feedback?  Why would you suspect he left bad feedback? People don't just leave bad feedback for the fun of it.  


Take a closer look at the profile, previous feedback and (especially) the portfolio.