Client asks for so much and pays so little

[#1]

Hi all,

I want to share my experience with the first client and since I am new to Upwork, I need some help.

In my profile it says that I charge 5$ for an hour which I believe is a very reasonable price. When the first client wrote to me, he said that my portfolio wasn't good enough and wasn't convinced yet so he is willing to pay the same amount of money, only with a fixed price. My other clients were very satisfied with my portfolio and I know that taste plays a big role but it felt as if he was trying to get out of paying more. He said that he will give me different challenges and he will double pay for each one. I worked so hard for two days to get paid for only one hour of work. He wasn't satisfied even if I did a good job. He was constantly rushing me from the beginning, asking to see results and he would say 'send it to me now or never'. When finally satisfied, he gave me a few more projects every other day, still for the same amount of money. I work very hard until I achieve what he asks for but afterward he says 'I will go with the old version because it looks better'.

My other clients are very happy with what I do for them. I always reach their expectations and work very well on deadlines. The first client is dreading me and I can't continue working so hard and so long for such a little amount of money. He always makes me feel bad about any work I accomplish and I want to end the contract now because it seems like I'm being used.

How should I end the contract if we're working with a fixed price? Is it okay to not work on the next challenge and instead tell him that I want to end the contract?

Thank you for your time!

[#2]

Olta, you must refuse to put up with such garbage from any client any longer.

You should proceed to end the contract from your end and very importantly, provide honest feedback and warn other freelancers about this client who put you through that much torture.

ETA: Also, it seems the client in question has a pretty strong record of making freelancers work for free by constantly adding new, unreasonable requirements to the project while keeping the price constant.

Be sure to carefully consider feedback other freelancers gave to a client before accepting offers, moving forward.

[#3]

Yes, I couldn't agree more!

Thank you so much for helping and I will definitely give a feedback in order to help new freelancers that are joining Upwork. I will start reading the feedback that other freelancers gave to any client I am about to work with, learned my lesson!

[#4]

You can't end the contract without losing the escrow. You have to either convince him to release escrow or go into a dispute.

If you're all paid in full, then you can just close it.

[#5 · Accepted solution]

re: "Client asks for so much and pays so little"

Then stop working for that client. As a freelancer you choose who to work for. If you choose to work for somebody, you choose the conditions of that work. A freelancer specifies what a client must pay.

re: "Is it okay to not work on the next challenge and instead tell him that I want to end the contract?"

Of course.

This is a bad client. You don't have to tell him that, but you need to understand that.

You are not obligated to tell him why you are ending the contract.

You have already received some money, right? That means you won't have a zero-pay contract.

You can simply close the contract. If there is any money in escrow, then simply close the contract while refunding that remainig money back to the client.

Don't let this client - or anybody - threaten you.

You should always time to think about what you would do... How would you treat other people? Is this how would you treat other people? If the answer is no, then this understanding helps you understand that you are dealing with somebody who is behaving inappropriately.

re: "He wasn't satisfied even if I did a good job."

You don't know that. You have no way of knowing that this client was not satisfied. All you know is that he CLAIMED he was not satisfied.

This client may be VERY satisfied, but he may be telling you that he is not satisfied in order to manipulate you and trick you into working for free or working for very little pay.

Here is a way you can know that a client (not necessarily yours - I'm speaking generally) is lying about not being satisfied: If the client continually asks you to do more work, while tellilng you that he isn't satisfied, he is probably lying.

Because that makes no sense.

Think about it: What would YOU do? If YOU didn't like the work that somebody was doing for you, would you continue to ask that person to do more work for you? Or would you hire somebody else?

It's like the dishonest customer at a restaurant:

"I didn't like the salad at all! I am not paying for that! Bring me a steak!"

"Hmm... No I didn't like that steak either. I'm not paying for that! Bring me the fish dish!"

"No, didn't like that either! I'm not paying for that. Bring me the chicken dish!"

[and so on]

If this customer really doesn't like ANY of this restaurant's food... then does he keep cleaning his plates and ordering more??

[#6]

Thank you so much for your time and detailed response, I appreciate it!

I have been wanting to end the contract for a while now. I realized his behavior was a bit odd when I started working with other clients and saw the way they response and give feedback.

I will definitely take your advice and end the contract with the client!

[#7]

Olta, you hourly rate is too low. I don't know how fast you are, but if you are not, then work on fixed price contracts and raise your prices. What you have now is a good portfolio and very low prices, which is very likely to attract more clients of the unpleasant kind.

[#8]

When I applied for the job, my hourly rate was more than 5$ but the client lowered my price. Thank you so much for your advice, I will consider it!