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raofdesigns
Community Member

Client a supposed financial genius but can't work out how to pay

I have a client who is studying at the highest possible level in accountancy at a top London university for economics. I was not aware her payment method wasn't verified because it was an invite job. It's been over a month now and despite Upwork reaching out to her and me screen shotting the exact steps she needs to take to verify her account, she is yet to do so.

She claims she has paid because money has gone out of her account, but I've explained to her it won't be given to me unless she verifies it.

I've found this situation stressful because I'd never ever unwittingly enter into a contract with a client whose payment has been unverified. Upwork told me they are looking to stop clients who are not verified from being able to hire on the platform.

What should be my next steps if she continues to ignore myself and Upwork?

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wlyonsatl
Community Member

"Upwork told me they are looking to stop clients who are not verified from being able to hire on the platform."

 

With so many new freelancers not getting paid for their work due to unscrupulous "clients," I hope Upwork is much closer to the end than the beginning of figuring out how to stop "clients" with unverified payment mechanisms from fooling freelancers into thinking they'll be paid for their work.

 

But, at the end of the day, freelancers' own full understanding of how Upwork works is going to be the best defense against this and other "client" frauds..

 

I don't mind applying to jobs where the client's payment method is unverified, but I always include this text at the end of my proposal - "I can start work on your project as soon as Upwork verifies your payment method." 

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14 REPLIES 14
petra_r
Community Member


Rachael O wrote:


What should be my next steps if she continues to ignore myself and Upwork?


There are no next steps. After 90 days or sooner, the Escrow funds go back to the payment method they were originally taken from. Also, the client's account gets suspended.

 


Rachael O wrote:

 I was not aware her payment method wasn't verified because it was an invite job.


But it says so on the contract and Upwork would have sent you an email that the contract started but the client's payment method is unverified?


You can also see see it even when the job is invite only?

I did not see any message about the payment being unverified. As mentioned I never would have accepted otherwise.

Can I just ask why the blame is always cast on the freelancer and never the person who hires someone, doesn't verify their payment and then won't co-operate?

I did everything that was asked of me, all I'm wanting it to be compensated for what I was told I was going to be paid.


Rachael O wrote:

Can I just ask why the blame is always cast on the freelancer and never the person who hires someone, doesn't verify their payment and then won't co-operate?


It has nothing to do with blame. But funds from unverified payment methods can not be paid out, and other than reaching out to your client there is nothing more Upwork or you can do.

Even on invite only jobs you can see whether the client has a verified payment method or not.

 

In future, make sure the payment method is verified.

 

OF COURSE you want to be compensated for your work, but the time to get the client to verify their payment method was while the client still had an incentive for sorting it out, which takes all of 5 minutes and does not require a fincial genius.

 

a_lipsey
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Rachael O wrote:

Can I just ask why the blame is always cast on the freelancer and never the person who hires someone, doesn't verify their payment and then won't co-operate?


It has nothing to do with blame. But funds from unverified payment methods can not be paid out, and other than reaching out to your client there is nothing more Upwork or you can do.

Even on invite only jobs you can see whether the client has a verified payment method or not.

 

In future, make sure the payment method is verified.

 

OF COURSE you want to be compensated for your work, but the time to get the client to verify their payment method was while the client still had an incentive for sorting it out, which takes all of 5 minutes and does not require a fincial genius.

 


Petra, how do funds even get put into escrow if the payment method isn't verified? To charge whatever card or bank account, they have to actually withdraw the money or charge the card. So if funds were in escrow don't they, by their very nature, have to have a   payment method verified? 

petra_r
Community Member


Amanda L wrote:


Petra, how do funds even get put into escrow if the payment method isn't verified? To charge whatever card or bank account, they have to actually withdraw the money or charge the card. So if funds were in escrow don't they, by their very nature, have to have a   payment method verified? 


No. The fact that the money can be charged does not verify that the payment method is the client's. Only that they have the number(s.)

It does not prove the client has access to the account. The card could be stolen or cloned.

Verification means the client has the statement or can log into the online banking of the card used or authenticate themselves on the phone to the bank.

 

That's the whole point of the verification process

a_lipsey
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Amanda L wrote:


Petra, how do funds even get put into escrow if the payment method isn't verified? To charge whatever card or bank account, they have to actually withdraw the money or charge the card. So if funds were in escrow don't they, by their very nature, have to have a   payment method verified? 


No. The fact that the money can be charged does not verify that the payment method is the client's. Only that they have the number(s.)

It does not prove the client has access to the account. The card could be stolen or cloned.

Verification means the client has the statement or can log into the online banking of the card used or authenticate themselves on the phone to the bank.

 

That's the whole point of the verification process


Thank you, I learned something. All my clients have always had payment verified but I didn't realize it was the process you mentioned. Good to know! 

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Amanda, 

I would like to confirm that sending an offer on a fixed-price job requires the client to deposit funds for either the whole contract or a lesser amount to cover the first milestone. This deposit will be held in escrow, and for the milestone payment to be processed, the client will need to verify their billing method.


~ Avery
Upwork
a_lipsey
Community Member


Avery O wrote:

Hi Amanda, 

I would like to confirm that sending an offer on a fixed-price job requires the client to deposit funds for either the whole contract or a lesser amount to cover the first milestone. This deposit will be held in escrow, and for the milestone payment to be processed, the client will need to verify their billing method.


Thanks, Avery. I've never had a client without a verified payment method, so it wasn't even something I was looking out for. I appreciate the clarification.  I have not, to-date, had any issues with the platform and with verification of payment method from clients, so it's good to know in case one does arise. 

wlyonsatl
Community Member

"Upwork told me they are looking to stop clients who are not verified from being able to hire on the platform."

 

With so many new freelancers not getting paid for their work due to unscrupulous "clients," I hope Upwork is much closer to the end than the beginning of figuring out how to stop "clients" with unverified payment mechanisms from fooling freelancers into thinking they'll be paid for their work.

 

But, at the end of the day, freelancers' own full understanding of how Upwork works is going to be the best defense against this and other "client" frauds..

 

I don't mind applying to jobs where the client's payment method is unverified, but I always include this text at the end of my proposal - "I can start work on your project as soon as Upwork verifies your payment method." 

I did not recieve any notification whatsoever the payment method was unverified. I even turned down the job to work with the client but she was insistant because her project was due. She invited me again and begged me to do it. She promised she'd work with me over that weekend to get it done. I took pity on her because I was a university student not too long ago with deadlines to meet. Of course she was nowhere to be seen. I put other work on hold to try and accomodate her. The stress is really getting to me now it's been dragging on for so long.

Not paying for work is stealing and should be illegal. There's really no other way around it. If you walked into a shop and put a load of items in your basket and walked out without paying, you would be tracked down and sent to court over it. You might even get thrown in jail if it's a repeat offence! Tell me how stealing a freelancers time and skill is any different?

It's bad enough there are so many lowballing clients on freelance websites, but allowing people to hire on the platform with no verified payment method really takes the cake. Bills don't pay themselves....

There is nothing to prevent you pursuing this 'client's for non-payment through the legal system. Upwork has no restrictions in this respect.


Rachael O wrote:

....I even turned down the job to work with the client but she was insistant because her project was due. She invited me again and begged me to do it. She promised she'd work with me over that weekend to get it done. I took pity on her because I was a university student not too long ago with deadlines to meet....


You "took pity" on a student whose "project was due," because you were "a university student not too long ago with deadlines to meet." And you are a writer.

alphazomgy
Community Member

You both live in the UK and chances are you still have a .edu email address, right?

 

Is it possible that her professor or department chair (whatever system you use in UK) wouldn't be too happy with you helping her to do whatever you did?

 

Oh, they'd probably be even more ticked off when they find out she hasn't paid you. (Even if she did put money into escrow, this girl isn't that stupid. Nobody is that stupid.)

 

Do I need to make my suggestion any clearer? 🙂 Cheers

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Rachael, 


I'm sorry to learn about your experience with this client. When a client sends an offer, you can click on the "View Details" link that is available on your Messages page, which should lead you to this page, and where you will see if the client's payment method is verified or not. On the Contract page, you will also see the note on Milestone 1 that the client's payment method is unverified. 

I'm sorry if you weren't able to see these information in your account. Let me know if this information was not available when you accepted the client's offer. 

I can confirm that a member of our team has reached out to your client today, to request them to verify their billing method. Hopefully, this gets resolved soon.


~ Avery
Upwork
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