Client Refuses to Pay

mato0618 · ‎06-24-2019

Clients just keeps responding to submit for payment with he's not paying even though he received the data. What are my options. At this point, I'm sure that he's not willing to pay, and he's going to submit a bad review. Which is totally not right, but not much i can do. What are my options. He just keeps sending it back. What are my options to get this closed. I hate giving the client the right to screw me but its a fixed job for $50 so not that major. His reasons just keep increasing each time. Do I just close the job with no money, and he just gets to leave whatever feedback he wants and I have no options. Lost at what to do here.

prestonhunter · ‎06-24-2019

This is what I have referred to as the "fixed-price loophole."

The client you are working with has no actual reason to not release payment for your work. He is simpy trying to use the loophole to get out of paying you for the work he hired you to do.

This means he is a bad client, and a bad person.

Tell us more about the work that you did. Maybe this is something you can keep for yourself and put in your portfolio. If the client does not pay you for your work, then you retain ownership of the work.

mato0618 · ‎06-24-2019

Unfortunately it was not that type of job. It was formatting data. So I hit the submit button, he comes up with another reason not to pay.

1st time. I asked you to change 5 times (actually request for additional work).

2nd time. I asked you to change 10 times.

I'm sure the next time will be 20 times. That's not really my problem as i know that he got what he asked for but, because it was just formatting data, it would be hard to prove, and he definitely is going to just keep hitting that button if I resubmit.

I just want to move on. It still open? I think he will hit the button to the end of time.

tlsanders · ‎06-24-2019

You can open a dispute, but it will only help you if the Upwork rep who manages the dispute process is able to negotiate a compromise. They can't force him to pay. The only way to do that would be to pay $291 (that you don't get back) to go to arbitration,which is clearly a losing proposition even if you win.

mato0618 · ‎06-24-2019

I don't think he's going to negoiate. If I close, can I leave feedback for the client? He shouldn't be allowed to get free work with absolutely no consequence?

mato0618 · ‎06-24-2019

Is it correct that if I close the fixed contract without pay it will not show up on account, but will have a disasterous effect on my JSS, as I'm sure he's going to give me a 1. If that the case it a lose-lose for the freelancer at the clients whim.

So close to top rated 12-16,, and this will definitely set me back.

petra_r · ‎06-24-2019

Mattie O wrote:

So close to top rated 12-16,, and this will definitely set me back.

Play along until you are top rated, then use your perk to remove the contract from the JSS calculation.

prestonhunter · ‎06-24-2019

re: "It was formatting data."

What kind of data?

mato0618 · ‎06-24-2019

Removing duplicates, and cleaning the data, i.e. proper names, etc.

kat303 · ‎06-24-2019

Mattie - If you refund the money is escrow - a contract closed with no payment will affect your JSS. In addition to that, the client can also leave negative feedback, both public and private and the private will also cause a hit to your JSS.

You can open a dispute, What the Upwork mediator does is to tell you to try to come to an agreement with the client. It might even sound like the mediator is telling you to give a refund. But whatever it sounds like, it's just a suggestion. If no agreement can be negotiated the next step is arbitration.

The client pays an arbitration fee of $291 and you also pay that same fee. If BOTH of you pay, neither of you will get that fee back not even the "winner".

The job is for $50. Do you think the client will pay that fee for a $50 job knowing he's not going to get that fee back, only the $50 IF the arbitrator rules in his favor? Which means, if you pay the fee and the client doesn't you automatically get that $50 AND the $291 returned to you.

The only other things I can think of is to ask the client to close this fixed price contract and open a new hourly contract for all the revisions he has. Or to make one or 2 revisions and just keep pressing the Submit button.

petra_r · ‎06-24-2019

Kathy T wrote:
Mattie - If you refund the money is escrow - a contract closed with no payment will affect your JSS. In addition to that, the client can also leave negative feedback, both public and private

When nothing is paid, no public feedback can be left.