Solved: Client cancellation before project delivery

souravmandal26 · ‎11-22-2021

Hello,

I am facing unique issue regarding one of my project.

I am working on business plan for deadline of delivery on 27th November. Today on 23rd November, suddenly, I received notification that the client has closed the contract which was without any discussion me. When I asked the client, the reason, she gave me the reason that she already in money need & did not receive any query from my end so she closed the contract. I informed her that I have almost finished job then she ask me how I am completing the job since she has not given me any location. I told her the location is already mentioned as Manchester, NH but she replied that her business location is Manchester, VT & since I am not covering the desired location she do not want to go further.
I replied her that deadline is still away & I can modify the business plan as per location and finalize the business plan but she continues to blame me by saying that that since I have covered wrong location the contract is " At this point, now you’ve already wasted hours researching the wrong location.
I’d just as soon cancel it completely rather than have you start over" which is found very illogical since there is still timeline to modify & finalization.
I have again asked her that I can modify the business plan and report has not been delivered . It seems the client is more interested to get refund rather than getting project delivery.

It would be great if anyone suggest what should I do - should I go ahead & quickly finish update and share the report and raise a dispute for 100%.

Best Regards

Sourav

g_vasilevski · ‎11-23-2021

Hi Sourav,

You do have the option to reject the refund request and open a dispute for your contract. To do this, you can open your contract from My Jobs > All Contracts, and click on the green button "Respond to Escrow Return Request".
Then you will be taken to a new window where you will have the option to approve the refund request or file a dispute. Thank you.

~ Goran

View solution in original post

JoanneP · ‎11-22-2021

Hi Sourav,

I'm sorry to hear about that. Could you please share the contract ID of the job you're referring to so I can also check?

~ Joanne

souravmandal26 · ‎11-23-2021

Hi Joanne,

Thank you for your response. The contract ID of the project is :- 28686366.

The client seems in-consistent in reasoning for cancellation - 1st giving reason as money problem (after cancelling the contract)

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

& came up as wrong city covered as 2nd reason (I have not delivered the project yet, so how could she raise that as legitimate reason as the report can be modified within delivery date).

Please suggest since I have worked on this project for last one week & the client has cancelled contract without any prior discussion with me.

g_vasilevski · ‎11-23-2021

Hi Sourav,

You do have the option to reject the refund request and open a dispute for your contract. To do this, you can open your contract from My Jobs > All Contracts, and click on the green button "Respond to Escrow Return Request".
Then you will be taken to a new window where you will have the option to approve the refund request or file a dispute. Thank you.

~ Goran

souravmandal26 · ‎11-23-2021

Hi Goran,

Thank you for your suggestion.

I have one confusion here - should I submit the report before cancellation request? How much time I do have to respond to refund request?

g_vasilevski · ‎11-23-2021

Hi Sourav,

When a refund request is submitted you will have 7 days to take actions from your end. If no actions are taken from your end, after 7 days the funds will be returned back to your client. Thank you.

~ Goran

petra_r · ‎12-01-2021

Never mind, I accidentally responded to a message that was correct before the latest update... Must pay attention 😉

souravmandal26 · ‎12-01-2021

Hi All,

In the above matter, in the dispute case, the client is again & again raising issues which came up during the discussion after sudden closing of contract by the client but not directly responding to question of why she closed the contract before delivery of the project & even without a discussion with me.

The client has offered $100 for fixed price contract of $350 (Nothing paid earlier) as settlement. The dispute specialist has suggested to take the offer of the client to close the matter or go for arbitration.

Can anyone please suggest, if I should provide my offer (like 50% of contract value) or should accept the client offer?

prestonhunter · ‎12-01-2021

Sourav:
Nobody can make this decision for you.

What if it was ME? What would I do?

Imagine:
A client hired me to do a project, and then I did some work on the project and then the client is being weird, and wants to cancel the contract. There was a fixed-price milestone for $350. The client wants to pay me $100.

I accept the offer.

Because my time is valuable and I don't have time to deal with people like that.

This client will lose access to my services in the future. So the client is not getting a good deal here. Pretty much the worst thing that can happen to any of my client is to lose my good favor, and lose the opportunity to have me work for them. That is what is going to happen to this client. By trying to avoid paying me, it means he no longer will be able to get my help for future work.

petra_r · ‎12-01-2021

Preston H wrote:
This client will lose access to my services in the future. So the client is not getting a good deal here. Pretty much the worst thing that can happen to any of my client is to lose my good favor, and lose the opportunity to have me work for them. That is what is going to happen to this client.

The client doesn't WANT access to the OP's services. Clients who dispute don't usually want "access to the freelancer's services" - they want their money back and have nothing whatsoever to do with the freelancer. Ever again.

Pretending that not being available to work with a client who doesn't want to work with the freelancer anyway somehow punishes the client is just ridiculous.

prestonhunter · ‎12-01-2021

Then what is the problem?

The Upwork moderator has presented an offer to accept $100. Or go to arbitration.

What do you recommend that this thread’s original poster do?

petra_r · ‎12-01-2021

Preston H wrote:
Then what is the problem?

The Upwork moderator has presented an offer to accept $100. Or go to arbitration.

What do you recommend that this thread’s original poster do?

Had the original work been done correctly, I'd have suggested the OP called the client's bluff and confidently stated that they would accept $ XXX (something less than $291) or go to arbitration, knowing that the client won't pay $291 to (maybe) get less than $291.

However, as the work was not done correctly, I'd not mess about with the dispute at all in the first place.

That doesn't change the fact that the whole "the client will be so punished by me not working with them anymore" stuff is self aggrandizing nonsense.

prestonhunter · ‎12-01-2021

re: "That doesn't change the fact that the whole 'the client will be so punished by me not working with them anymore' stuff is self aggrandizing nonsense."

None of that is nonsense. I don't know the particulars about the original poster. But I was describing what I would do if I was faced with those numbers. I specifically introduced my post that way: Saying this is what I would do.

My availability really is limited, and what I said really does describe my situation.

This may NOT apply to the original poster. But this is not just about me personally. Right now, talent acquisition and talent retention are huge issues on many projects I personally work on, and with jobs and projects I know about with people I know. This includes well paid jobs for the state of Arizona. We are not just talking about low-paid freelance work.

If a client doesn't like a freelancer's work, then of course they don't care about losing access to that freelancer's work. For freelancers whose work is valued and in demand, then clients need to be very careful to not do something that will risk losing the freelancer's good favor. Filing a dispute is the worst thing a client can do with a valued freelancer like that.

So I guess we can conclude that the original poster's services were not valued by this client.

Which may be an even better reason for the freelancer to accept the $100 settlement. I said that I would accept the $100 because I don't have time to mess around with a client who wants to haggle over a $350 payment. I have plenty of other projects I can be working on. For the original poster, accepting $100 may be hist best shot at getting paid something and putting this to rest.

souravmandal26 · ‎12-01-2021

Thank you Petra & Preston for your suggestions.

petra_r · ‎12-01-2021

Preston H wrote:
So I guess we can conclude that the original poster's services were not valued by this client..

You think? Given that they're in a dispute?

Preston H wrote:
This may NOT apply to the original poster.

Wouldn't it be an idea to advise based on the OPs situation rather than one that doesn't exist?

Preston H wrote:
If a client doesn't like a freelancer's work, then of course they don't care about losing access to that freelancer's work.

Which is clearly the case here. Clients who love a freelancer's work don't dispute, hence the whole "worst thing for client is to lose the freelancer" point not only has nothing whatsoever to do with the OPs situation, it's also moot.