Client asking for refund after asking for a f...

04b3b57d · ‎02-19-2021

Hi,

This is first bad experience with client. First of all, he come to me for a project that has to be finish urgently. I worked so hard for his project, i even got sick but still i tried my best to continue with his project during that. i work overtime during the weekend for him. At starting days, i was working as full stack developer. To save time, he contacted me with for hiring new developer who could work as frontend developer. I tried to help him and we hire a new dev but unfortunately he was using skype and youtube to exchange codes. so, we have to end contract with him and he dispute the hours. But later, he found other guy who could work but he was not giving proper time to this project. I was working as backend developer on my tasks and i cooperate with him so much by working even if i was sick, i compromise with my food, eating a little but also coding at the same time. when i completed my tasks i requested for few hours rest for my brain to be productive.

Some of my previous clients were requesting me to work at their projects from weeks and during that time i was trying to finish this client project so i had to put them in delay. When i completed my work that has to be done as backend developer on his project. i asked this client to do me a favour by issuing me few days to work with them on their project.

There are two reasons for:

1. They are my old clients who been working with me from 3 years. I really don't want to ruined the relation with them.

2. their hourly rate is higher than this client and at this moment i'm trying to collect enough money for my school fees.

After i asked him for this favour, he got mad at me and start saying: "you're after money please add me this project repo at gitlab i don't have time to waste anymore." i told him i'm not saying i don't want to work with him all i asked for you to do me a favour that's it. we were talking on messenger unfortunately. So i only have proof there not at upwork. I was going through similiar topics of this situation where i'm right now. they said this will be advantage if i stayed at upwork.

Later during our arguments he blammed me that its my mistake that i wasted his money for a hiring a developer who was using skype and youtube for exchanging codes. I mean how i knew if he was going to use skype or yotube for exchanging codes??? please let me know how is this my mistake?

Please let me know what should i do now? i been so cooperative with him and i wasn't expecting this i return 😞 i spend my so many weeks by sacrificing so much. I'm really stuck and disappointed right now.

I even provide him the docs for api so just in cause if he hires somebody they can work togather. After our arguement finished at messenger he message me at upwork to add him in repo. I was adding him during this he said he won't dispute the hours but now i'm assuming he is not able to find a developer who can continue this project with him. now, he dispute the hours on my contract. He disputed all weeks and every single hour spent at this.

Contract ID: 25951717

Thank you very much.

petra_r · ‎02-19-2021

Ammad K wrote:
now, he dispute the hours on my contract. He disputed all weeks and every single hour spent at this.

Did you track your hours correctly using the Upwork desktop app, AND had meaningful memos AND decent activity levels?

If yes, you will win the dispute.

If not, the client will win at least last week's hours.

ALL that matters in a dispute over an hourly contract is your work diary. Nothing else

04b3b57d · ‎02-26-2021

Yes, for the last week, i tracked time using desktop app but it was only few hours as initial backend system is done. I added manual hours for overtime hours i spent the weekend. i also saw, one of my projects payments are cleared today however payments from him is still in review, is it because he asked for refund for them?

I also noticed that total earnings of 12 months is decreased - because same reason? refund?

petra_r · ‎02-26-2021

Has the client officially (!) disputed or has he just asked for a refund? Those are two very different matters. If he disputed, he will win all manual hours or other hours that were not covered by the protection (low activity or no/insufficient memos etc) from last week.

If the client hasn't disputed (officially) yet, their ability to do so ends at midnight tonoght UTC

04b3b57d · ‎02-26-2021

He only requested refund and i got notification not as email but it said UPWORK APP requested refund. That’s it. I think is it he only request refund? This is my first time experience at upwork having issues like this. Anyways i guess he only requested refund ?

petra_r · ‎02-26-2021

Ammad K wrote:
I think is it he only request refund? This is my first time experience at upwork having issues like this. Anyways i guess he only requested refund ?

That's good!! If the client fails to officially file a dispute in the next few hours (before midnight UTC) - it'll be too late.

04b3b57d · ‎02-26-2021

Okay, its out of review but now its in pending? First time happened i quick googled and it seems it will be available to withdraw at Monday?

petra_r · ‎02-26-2021

Ammad K wrote:
Okay, its out of review but now its in pending? First time happened i quick googled and it seems it will be available to withdraw at Monday?

No, Wedhesday as normal.

Looks like the client's payment method couldn't be successfully charged on Monday, so there is no "early release" on Friday. In cases like that (provided the client was eventually charged successfully) the funds become available on Wednesday.

The 5-day dispute period is over, the contract ended on the 17th, so the only days you can have logged time for are the 15th, 16th and 17th of February. If the client was successfully charged, you'll get the money on Wednesday. If not, it comes down to your work diary and whether the hours qualify for hourly payment protection.

PS - The client did the exact same thing to their other freelancer.

04b3b57d · ‎02-27-2021

is it means the manual added hours are not going charged to client however tracked hours would be charged and I will receive them? Or nothing at all.

petra_r · ‎02-27-2021

Ammad K wrote:
is it means the manual added hours are not going charged to client however tracked hours would be charged and I will receive them? Or nothing at all.

ALL the hours (manual and tracked) have already been charged to the client, or rather "an attempt/attemps" have already been made to charge the client. Such attempts will have been made from Monday onwards.

IF (and we don't know this at this stage) the client paid and simply paid late, you get all the money (manual time and tracked time) on Wednesday.

IF (and we don't know this at this stage) the client has not paid at all, you get the money from correctly (!) tracked time (meaningful memos, good activity levels), but won't get the money from manual time. Any reversal of funds from your pending balance would happen Tuesday.

Client asking for refund after asking for a favour