Client Cancelled Project Without Notice

[m_ten_dam]

Hi. I was just about to submit my last article of a total of 5... Then saw my client had already cancelled the contract somehow? What should I do now?

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

Hi. I was just about to submit my last article of a total of 5... Then saw my client had already cancelled the contract somehow? What should I do now?

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Same as yesterday's post? Hourly or fixed rate?

[m_ten_dam]

Hi. Fixed

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

Hi. Fixed

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1) Have you received a request to return the funds in escrow?

2) When did the client cancel the contract?

3) What is your client saying?

4) When was the deadline?

5) How much was in Escrow?

6) Have you been paid anything?

Essentially, presuming the contract was fully funded and the client asked for the return of the Escrow funds, you have to decide whether to dispute the escrow return or to agree to it (you only have 7 days from when the client cancelled the contract)

[m_ten_dam]

So I haven't received any response from her in a couple of months... What I'm going to do is submit the last one and see what happens... I'm hoping it'll go through on that whole 2 weeks then payment thing... Guess it's just a risk I'll have to take... 🙂 Thanks for your help... 

[m_ten_dam]

Oh no... I see there's no option for finally submitting... There was $150 in Escrow... I have no idea when she cancelled... 

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

Oh no... I see there's no option for finally submitting... There was $150 in Escrow... I have no idea when she cancelled... 

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How can you not know when she cancelled? Go to the contract, it tells you the date the contract right there! You will also have received a request to return the escrow funds, which you would have had the chance to accept or dispute.

After 7 days from the client cancelling, the funds in escrow were returned to the client if you didn't dispute.

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

What I'm going to do is submit the last one and see what happens... I'm hoping it'll go through on that whole 2 weeks then payment thing...

How are you going to submit it when the contract is closed? You can't submit anything on a closed contract. Why didn't you submit before? Did you receive a request to return excrow funds? The whoe thing sounds very odd and you are not answering any questions...

[m_ten_dam]

The client hasn't been replying for a while now... There was $150 in Escrow and I have no idea when she cancelled. I can't find it anywhere, not even in my own email account. Here's and image of what the contract nnow looks like from my side...

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

The client hasn't been replying for a while now... There was $150 in Escrow and I have no idea when she cancelled. I can't find it anywhere, not even in my own email account. Here's and image of what the contract nnow looks like from my side...

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I don't understand why you didn't just submit ages ago...

Go to the contract, then click on the terms and settings tab, and then the view history of contract changes link

Also be aware that Upwork cancels contracts where there is money in escrow for 90 days. So if the contract started 90+ days ago, it may not have been the client who cancelled it, but Upwork.

[m_ten_dam]

It was cancelled on 4 Nov. Sorry about the personal details thing didn't think it through... Might I ask why upwork didn't notify me before cancelleling?

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

It was cancelled on 4 Nov.. Might I ask why upwork didn't notify me before cancelleling?

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They will have informed you at 72 days and then again at 90 days. May have gone into your spam folder, where it would no longer be as it's over 30 days.

The question still remains why you let it go (now 4) months without submitting work on a relatively small milestone?

[m_ten_dam]

I had several hacking attacks on my side... It's been tough for me to basically access much of anything on my computer for some time now... and when I actually got to access my upwork account, I submitted what I could... In future, however, I would like to be notified in advance when my contracts are about to be closed... I've had a pleasant experience working through your platform over the years but this particular issue is making me a little sceptical... I would like to continue working on upwork. In general many of my projects run over longer terms and that's why I didn't know about the 90day thing... Is there a way to fix this?

[petra_r]

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Mariska T wrote:

 In future, however, I would like to be notified in advance when my contracts are about to be closed... 

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You were notified in October, then again just before the contract was cancelled, and when it was cancelled, and you were sent a request to approve or dispute the escrow return.... Maybe you need to whitelist Upwork emails. Or double check your notification settings.

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Mariska T wrote:

Is there a way to fix this?

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Only if the client returns and pays you. I do, however, doubt she has any use for work she hired you for more than 4 months ago....

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Mariska,

Please keep in mind that posting private details publicly in our Community is not allowed and it is a violation of our Community Guidelines.

Please be mindful of our Community Guidelines when you`re posting in our Community. Thank you.

[m_ten_dam]

I apolgise for that...