A potential client is not messaging me back. Also, connects

[alexander1897]

Hello, this post is about a potential client of mine. I submitted a proposal for a project and the client messaged me about it. They asked me if I was interested in the project and I said yes. I waited 2 days for this client to get back to me. I kept going to the job post and it kept saying he was interviewing 6 people. The client needed 10 freelancers. Anyway, the times I was on there, it showed he was online at the same time as me. I messaged him that I was interested in the project. He never answered me back. I went to the job post yesterday and now it says "Job is no longer available."  It doesn't tell me the client hired anybody as it still tells me he is interviewing six people. I don't understand this at all.

Sorry, for this long post. I'm just frustrated with this. I feel like this was a waste of my time. Is there any way I get my connects refunded from my proposal? Because I feel I deserve them back. As I said above, this potential client never messaged me back on anything.

[AveryO]

Hi Angelique, 

I'm sorry to learn that you didn't get a response from a potential client. We return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. If you want to check if any of your Connects were refunded, you can go to your Connects History (Settings > Membership & Connects > Connects History). 

Submitting a proposal has a financial cost, just like the other expenses you incur as a freelancer running your own business. If a client never hires but doesn’t close the job, your Connects are not returned. In this situation, we continue to encourage the client to hire or close the job, but ask that you consider the cost of Connects as part of your business expenses.

[alexander1897]

Thank you for replying. I understood the rules around refunding connects. My connect wasn't refunded which is why I am so confused. The job post says no longer available, yet it seems like he didn't hire anybody. Since I got no refund, I guess they did hire somebody? However, I thought job posts always told you if someone was hired for that project. Is that not always the case?

[feed_my_eyes]

Angelique, this is all just part of being a freelancer. I usually spend a fair chunk of each week making proposals, following up with prospective clients and being interviewed. But I consider these activities to fall under the category of "marketing" rather than "wasting my time", even though my efforts don't always pay off. 

You can't get frustrated every time a client shows interest but ultimately doesn't hire you, or you're going to be frustrated A LOT. And unfortunately you wasted a lot of your own time by continually checking the job post; maybe stop doing that?