Re: Client Account Suspended

anelatatlic · ‎11-20-2019

Hello,

I have a specific concern.

I am working with a client. I have finished the job and requested a payout. But the client account gets suspended.

I am trying to contact him but no response.

I have tried to contact the support, but the agent did not have any solution.

So, my question is how to get my money?

I have finished the job and invested money, time, and equipment in it. The funds are there, present, but according to the support, I will not get any, unless the client solves his account?

what if that never happens, and I just got a scam?

Honestly, I thought we are protected, but it seems the freelancers do not have protection against this.

Is it a mistake in the system? will it happen again? A perfect loop for fraud as I see.

I do hope someone can help as I am not only upset but losing my faith in system I thought it provided security for us all.

joywriter · ‎11-20-2019

Hi Anela!

That's a typical message that all freelancers working with that client get when he fails to pay for other expenses from his client account. These include as an example, hourly contracts that others may have billed him. Since he failed to pay for around 5 days, he got his account suspended (mostly just the financial activity is suspended). They do this to keep the client from hiring new freelancers or posting new jobs until his financial activities are resolved.

If the funds are there as you said and in a milestone, simply submit the work and request payment. If he fails to respond to a milestone submission within 14 days, such is deemed approved and the escrowed funds will be automatically released to you.

Now, if you performed all the work and no milestone was funded, then you were indeed trying your luck with the client.

On fixed price projects, make sure you are always working with funded milestones. Read more about it here: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068218-Milestones-for-Fixed-Price-Jobs

In case there are no funded milestones, just stay calm and wait to hear from the client again. Make sure that you don't get upset or say things that will make the client upset, which in the end, after he pays you, he'll leave you a negative feedback.

Know that his account is fine and as soon as he adds a new card to his account and takes care of all pending financial issues, the account is resumed.

petra_r · ‎11-20-2019

H. R wrote:

Know that his account is fine and as soon as he adds a new card to his account and takes care of all pending financial issues, the account is resumed.

So you know the client, why they were suspended and that "his account is fine?"

H. R wrote:
If the funds are there as you said and in a milestone, simply submit the work and request payment. If he fails to respond to a milestone submission within 14 days, such is deemed approved and the escrowed funds will be automatically released to you.

Now you're saying CS were lying to the OP when they told her that she can not receive the funds unless the client (who has since gone to ground) fixed the issue....

Based on..... what, exactly?

This sounds like something far more serious than an unpaid invoice. If those Escrow funds were (for example) taken from a stolen or hacked credit card, or the legitimacy of the client or work can't be established, they will not be released after 14, as the OP was advised by customer services already.

anelatatlic · ‎11-20-2019

Good point on this.
This is a bit far more serious.
I am not the only freelancer affected by this and on this job.
To wait and see will he update his card is not an ideal option.
As someone who deals with the food, I had to invest private funds in this.
Now, somene is having issues and regardless that funds are in escrow, I cannot bring back the invested?
Or wait when he updates his card?
What if that never happens?
So yes, this goes beyond and a thing to improve in the system.

AveryO · ‎11-20-2019

Hi Anela,

It looks like your ticket has been escalated. As advised, please allow the team 24-48 hours to review your concern. A member of the team will reach out to you and assist you further.

~ Avery