Advice please – cancelling second milestone/project without losing payment for the first milestone

[bowie125]

I’ve been working on several projects, but I’ve started to feel horribly unwell, which is affecting the quality of my work.

For my biggest project, I’ve completed the work for the first milestone, which my client approved and released payment for.

The second milestone has been funded, and I have done the bulk of the work, but I doubt I will be able to complete a second round of (small) edits on it unless I feel significantly better tomorrow.

What would be a professional way to tell my client this? Also, if he cancels the contract and/or milestone, will I keep payment for the first milestone? Also, will escrow refund his money for the second?

I feel terrible about letting my client down, so I would be happy to send him the bulk of the work for the second milestone as a goodwill gesture, but I do not want to lose the money I earnt for the first milestone, as I have spent a great deal of time on the project.

Please advise on how I should approach this.

Thanks for your help.

[colettelewis]

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Amelia H wrote:

I’ve been working on several projects, but I’ve started to feel horribly unwell, which is affecting the quality of my work.

For my biggest project, I’ve completed the work for the first milestone, which my client approved and released payment for.

The second milestone has been funded, and I have done the bulk of the work, but I doubt I will be able to complete a second round of (small) edits on it unless I feel significantly better tomorrow.

What would be a professional way to tell my client this? Also, if he cancels the contract and/or milestone, will I keep payment for the first milestone? Also, will escrow refund his money for the second?

I feel terrible about letting my client down, so I would be happy to send him the bulk of the work for the second milestone as a goodwill gesture, but I do not want to lose the money I earnt for the first milestone, as I have spent a great deal of time on the project.

Please advise on how I should approach this.

Thanks for your help.

_________________________

Be honest. Tell your client you are really unwell and cannot complete the second milestone and  that you will refund it. 

If your client is understanding, he or she will understand and your JSS should not take a significant hit, if you or your client closes the contract. Your client may even agree to extend your time. But still refund the second milestone, because it can only be in escrow for a certain length of time. 

I do hope your feeling unwell is not Covid-19 related? 

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[bowie125]

Hi Nichola,
Thank you for your response.
I really hope not!
Sorry, please confirm: if I refund my client’s deposit for the second milestone and the contract is subsequently closed, either by my client or myself, will the money I earnt for the first milestone still be safe?
Thanks again.

[colettelewis]

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Amelia H wrote:

Hi Nichola,
Thank you for your response.
I really hope not!
Sorry, please confirm: if I refund my client’s deposit for the second milestone and the contract is subsequently closed, either by my client or myself, will the money I earnt for the first milestone still be safe?
Thanks again.

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__________________

If you submitted the work and requested payment for the first milestone and the client approved it, you will be paid after the usual timeline. So from the time the client approved it, you will have a five or six-day security hold before it reaches your account. 

A client has 14 days to approve payment or request changes, if the client does not act at all in this time, then Upwork will automatically release the payment to you, but it will still be subject to the security hold before it reaches your account. 

So do not refund the second milestone, until the first shows at least as "under review" or preferably, as "pending" under "Reports" on your home page. 

[bowie125]

Thank you!

[bowie125]

My client has fully funded a second milestone that I probably won't be able to complete due to an illness. How do I refund this? Or should I ask them to cancel the milestone?

Thank you.

[mtngigi]

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Amelia H wrote:

My client has fully funded a second milestone that I probably won't be able to complete due to an illness. How do I refund this? Or should I ask them to cancel the milestone?

Thank you.

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You've already received answers in your other thread. It is advised not to start new threads concerning the same question so as to keep it all in one place:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Advice-please-cancelling-second-milestone-project-withou...

[bowie125]

Hi, it’s a different question: how do I refund his second milestone?
Thanks.