Client asking for sample work and just disappearing

[kimm90]

Hello, i have been in a situation a few times now.
Big trustworthy companies with over 10k spent on this pages asking for sample work and when you deliver they stop responding not a "no sorry not interested" or anything.
I do not feel comfortable by giving a fully completed product to a possible client without any kind of guarantees for payment.
So how do you deal with these kind of situations?
They don’t exactly cancel the job either so you are able to get your connects back and that is rather annoying when you get the constant reminder on that they keep you on the waiting bench.

[purplepony · Accepted solution]

Kim, unfortunately there's numerous, similar stories within this Community.  All one needs to do is to search and view them.

Bottom line: 

All work should be paid; including "sample work."

Don't ever begin work without an UW contract in place.

If it's fixed-price vs. hourly, assure that the first milestone is funded. 

[katrinabeaver]

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Kim M wrote:

Hello, i have been in a situation a few times now.
Big trustworthy companies with over 10k spent on this pages asking for sample work and when you deliver they stop responding not a "no sorry not interested" or anything.
I do not feel comfortable by giving a fully completed product to a possible client without any kind of guarantees for payment.
So how do you deal with these kind of situations?
They don’t exactly cancel the job either so you are able to get your connects back and that is rather annoying when you get the constant reminder on that they keep you on the waiting bench.

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Simple, don't do free work for them. It's against TOS for them to ask for it, report them and move on. 

[hijaziebadsyed]

Hi Kim,
If they want sample work, ask them to start the contract first and fund the milestone, then do your work. Otherwise don't do free work.

[dsmgdesign]

There is no free work on Upwork. Stop doing it. That's how you solve that problem.