Client did not accept the milestone is out of touch and the porject is still active

[#1]

Hey guys so I have used up very rarly in 2022, in April I accepted a proposal of a client that needed an Illustration for a fixed price. 

The final submission was done and he mentioned he had released the funds to me ( this was true ) but he did not end the milestone. 

This year I logged into upwork  because I wanted to use this platform to  becomme a fulltime freelancer and I see that the milestone is still pending ( I did not realise this at the time because all the deatures were new) 

I messaged the client but it  he is not logged in. 

how do I resolve this matter, please also advice on the damage this may have caused to my account as a project that is been ongoing since October is still active on my page. 

Thank You 

[#2]

If you were working on a funded milestone and submitted the work against that, the milestone would have ended (by definition) when the client approved payment. It should move from "pending" to "available" after Upwork's five-day holding period.

[#3]

re: "Client did not accept the milestone is out of touch and the porject is still active"

That's good news!

If the client is out of touch, all you need to do is click the "Submit for payment" button. Then wait 14 days and you'll get paid automatically.

OR: If you see a funded milestone for work that you did NOT do, then simply close the contract. You will be shown a button confirming that you want to refund the remaining escrow money to the client. Confirm that. The money will go back to the client and the contract will be closed.

Don't send messages to the client. Just decide which button you want to click.

[#4]

Marcelino,

Click the End Contract link. The client will then have 14 days to leave a Review. Thanks!

[#5]

I have sent a message to the upwork support to end the contract, if they can end the milestone good. 

I just dont want it to go in record that I ended the ongoing project so just giving the support team time before I end it myself 

thank you for writting in William, apprriciate you taking the time to write. 

☺🖖

[#6 · Accepted solution]

Have you received all of the money you were expecting from this client? It sounds like it, but I'm not sure, because you're saying the milestone is still pending, and that would mean you hadn't been paid. I think maybe you mean that the contract is still open?

If the milestone is actually still pending and you haven't been paid yet, DO NOT close the contract. 

But, if you've been paid in full and it's just that the contract is still open, you can close it yourself. Or, you can just leave it. It isn't doing you any harm. 

[#7]

It is this one "But, if you've been paid in full and it's just that the contract is still open, you can close it yourself. Or, you can just leave it. It isn't doing you any harm. " 

I have given the final submission and gotten paid. The only thing is that this appreas in my pending  work/ ongonig projects. 

I will look into this Tiffant, your maybe the solution. 

Thank you for writing in 

[#8]

Thank you Tiffany for writing in, I looked to your last reply and it helped. 

Hence I accepted it as the solution. 

☺🙏

[#9]

Preston H

"If you see a funded milestone for work that you did NOT do, then simply close the contract. You will be shown a button confirming that you want to refund the remaining escrow money to the client. Confirm that. The money will go back to the client and the contract will be closed.

Don't send messages to the client. Just decide which button you want to click."

This describes the situation, let me ask you this before I close the contract, would it reflect badly on me if I shut the contract ?

I am aslo awaiting a reply from upwork support, I was hoping if they cloud close it. I just think that it would be better if they chose to close it ( I just do want it to go in record that I closed the  job) 

If this is misguided please let me know, I will rethink my apprroach 

Thank you 

[#10]

No, it is perfectly fine if you close it. You are siply wrong that it would be better if Upwork closes it. No one but you, Upwork, and the client know who closed the contract, and you are the only one of those three who cares. The only reason it is often recommended to let the client close the contract is that the person who closes the contract must leave feedback, so it's a way to make sure the client rates you. But, it doesn't sound like this client is coming back to do that, and having Upwork close the contract won't help you with that.

[#11]

re: "I am also awaiting a reply from upwork support"

I recommend never doing that in a situation like this.

Situations in which a freelancer or client should actually contact Upwork Support are EXTREMELY RARE.

Upwork gives us the buttons. It's much more satisfying to click the buttons yourself as soon as you want to, and not wait for anybody.