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retiredusaf
Community Member

Advice needed: How to protect myself from not being paid?

I just started and my first project I didn't get paid for the hour I spent.

 

We agreed in a message that I would update the Contact.PHP file and it took one hour ($50). Since the client also needed the file deployed, I told him I can help with that for an extra $25 for my time. He agreed and even paid me $75 to my account. However, after several attempts to log in with the password he provided, it did not work so he didn't pay me anything.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Kris:

You may need to learn more about how Upwork works.

 

It is not actually possible for a client to retract a payment.

 

The closest thing I can think of to "retracting a payment" is this:

 

With fixed-price contracts, a client funds an escrow payment. It is possible for a client to RELEASE that payment to the freelancer. It is also possible for a client to request a REFUND of that escrow payment. But the client does not actually receive that money back into his account unless the freelancer AGREES to the refund request.

 

So if a client funded escrow and then requested the escrow money be refunded, that could be thought of as "retracting a payment." But this would have required you, as a freelancer, to actually accept the request (or IGNORE the request completely for 7 days).

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11 REPLIES 11
petra_r
Community Member


Kris W wrote:

I just started and my first project I didn't get paid for the hour I spent.

 

We agreed in a message that I would update the Contact.PHP file and it took one hour ($50). Since the client also needed the file deployed, I told him I can help with that for an extra $25 for my time. He agreed and even paid me $75 to my account. However, after several attempts to log in with the password he provided, it did not work so he didn't pay me anything.


It sounds like you were not hired, and if you were hired, didn't track your time.

 

What do you mean by "he paid $ 75 to my account?"

What account?

 

You  can't accept payment any way other than your Upwork account.

 

"Where is my money?""Where is my money?"

 

 

He said he "hired" me and submitted payment to Upwork. That is all he told me. Later he retracted the payment since the password to update the webserver didn't work for me. 

 

Weird, he said the password worked for him so I simply sent him the video with the steps to update the file (copy and paste) and we ended business. I expected to get paid for the updated file and not the deployment via Upwork, but I got nothing.

 

**Edited for community guidelines**

I see there is a tool I needed to have to track my time. I dunno where it is, can you provide the download link to me?


Kris W wrote:

I see there is a tool I needed to have to track my time. I dunno where it is, can you provide the download link to me?


Stop. Stop immediately using Upwork. Read this: Getting Started on Upwork and once you have read it twice and all the links it contains, only then can you use Upwork.

 

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

Thank you for your email. I understand the security concerns now and have
downloaded my time tracker tool for the desktop.

KW

Sorry for the confusion, that is what the client told me is he "paid me" but later retracted payment since I had issues with his password.

 

I told him to update the password and he would not do it (so I got nothing for the hour).

prestonhunter
Community Member

Kris:

Accepting payment outside of Upwork is a very serious violation of Upwork ToS.

 

You are not allowed to let clients pay you directly. Clients must pay you through Upwork.

 

Clients do not provide freelancers with passwords through which freelancers can verify payments.

He said he paid me via Upwork. That is all I know. Later he said he retracted the payment and would notify the webserver administrator to update the file instead. Sounds like he made me do his work for him, and I never got paid.

 

What would you do in this situation? Would you request payment of file first? Seems that is what I should've done.

Kris:

You may need to learn more about how Upwork works.

 

It is not actually possible for a client to retract a payment.

 

The closest thing I can think of to "retracting a payment" is this:

 

With fixed-price contracts, a client funds an escrow payment. It is possible for a client to RELEASE that payment to the freelancer. It is also possible for a client to request a REFUND of that escrow payment. But the client does not actually receive that money back into his account unless the freelancer AGREES to the refund request.

 

So if a client funded escrow and then requested the escrow money be refunded, that could be thought of as "retracting a payment." But this would have required you, as a freelancer, to actually accept the request (or IGNORE the request completely for 7 days).

Sounds like being new to Upwork he took advantage of my time (chalk it up to gaining experience). I will be careful next time.

You have a positive attitude. You will do better next time. Don't worry about this early learning experience.


For the record:

I NEVER "request payment" first before delivering a file.

 

But also: I NEVER work on an unfunded milestone.

 

Once the money is funded in escrow, I know the client can't get the money back unless I allow it.

 

So I do the work, and use the official green "Submit Work / Request Payment" button. I provide all of the work to the client, and then I get paid.

 

Before working, I always check to be sure that the money is funded in escrow. I look at the contract listing, and I can also look here: Upwork -> Report -> Overview

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