Client has not paid my work for more than 3 weeks

[nicholanayeon]

Hello all,

One of my clients has not paid my work which I completed on Feb 18th and has been not responding to any of my messages for almost 2 weeks now. I have requested payments for the milestone 5 days ago and have been contacting the upwork support as well but no one has replied me yet.

The client is always online but she never responds to my messages in the past weeks. I have never experienced such client so I don't know what I can do to get the payment from her. Is there anything I can do at this stage? Thank you.

[prestonhunter]

re: "The client is always online but she never responds to my messages in the past weeks."

Clients are not obligated to respond to freelancer messages.

re: "One of my clients has not paid my work which I completed on Feb 18th and has been not responding to any of my messages for almost 2 weeks now"

Clients are not obligated to respond to messages sent by a freelancer.

It doesn't matter.

I don't care if a client respond when I send a message.

I get paid the same amount whether or not the client responds.

When I finish a fixed-price task, I click the "Submit work for payment" button.

If the client DOES NOTHING... That's fine!
I get paid automatically.
After clicking the button, if the client does nothingn, then Upwork releases all money in escrow to me after 14 days.

DON'T send the client any messages. I don't.
Just be patient and get paid.

re: "and have been contacting the upwork support as well but no one has replied me yet."

Do not try to contact Upwork Customer Support about this matter.

re: "The client is always online"

I have NEVER checked to see if a client is online. I strongly advise you to not do that. Doing that provides no benefit to you. And the information may not be accurate. How do you know if the client is online? Maybe the computer leaves her computer own. She might be in the middle of a ten-mile hike in the forest. I don't get paid based on if the client is online or not. I don't care if the client is online or not.

[nicholanayeon]

The online availability automatically shows when you are in the message section.

I have been one of the top rated freelancers in upwork and I never encountered such issue with any of the clients I have met. Just like you said I would not even bother to message the client as long as I receive my payment on time. but the problem is my payment is based on the number of tasks I complete so the payment in escow is only a little partial amount. The client was supposed to add additional money but she had not taken any action for the past 3 weeks so I had to add the amount and request the payment for the milestone. It doesn't seem like I would be able to get the full amount even if the money in escrow gets released to me. Plus, the milestone due date is Feb 14th and I submitted it on Mar 8th. These are the reason why I have been contacting the client and support, not because I am some kind of a crazy lunatic.

[petra_r]

There is no point in contacting support because all you will get is the money in escrow unless the client proactively pays you more.

There is nothing Support can do if you decide to work without properly funded milestones.

[nicholanayeon]

I am confused so do you mean if you are working on the project which you will get paid based on the number of tasks you complete and the number of tasks can only be determined after the completion, you are not getting protected by upwork? or there's no action you can take and the client will not get affected in any way and fool other upwork freelancers with the same tactic? I completed my tasks and the client told me through upwork message that she would send me the payment shortly. Screenshots of all my tasks and the client's messages are all in upwork messages. And upwork cannot take any action to force the client to pay despite all these evidences I have? 

[petra_r]

---

Nayeon L wrote: I have requested payments for the milestone 5 days ago and have been contacting the upwork support as well but no one has replied me yet.

---

Once you correctly submit your work by clicking on "submit work for payment", the funds in escrow (only) are released to you after 14 days. You did so 5 days ago, so you have 9 days to go.

So all you have to do is wait. You certainly don't need support.

[nicholanayeon]

Thank you for your reply Petra.

My payment for this contract is based on the number of the tasks I complete so the amount in escow is a partial amount. The client was supposed to add but she has not taken any action for the past 3 weeks so I submitted the payment for the milestone on March 2nd but the due date is shown as Feb 14th 2022. I don't think I would be able to get the payment after 9 days. Did I do something wrong? Or would there be anything else I can do? Thank you.

[petra_r]

---

Nayeon L wrote:

My payment for this contract is based on the number of the tasks I complete so the amount in escow is a partial amount.

---

You will get the amount in escrow 14 days after you clicked on "submit work for payment" unless the client requests changes or pays.

The due date is irrelevant.

---

Nayeon L wrote: Did I do something wrong?

---

Well, doing work when the milestone is not properly funded is risky because there is no way anyone can get you any more money than was funded in escrow.

There is nothing more you can do other than wait.

[nicholanayeon]

So do you mean upwork will not protect the freelancers if you are working on the project which you get paid based on the number of tasks you complete and these number of tasks can only be determined after the completion? so upwork will let the client to fool other upwork freelancers with the same tactic? I completed my tasks and the client told me through upwork message that she would send me the payment shortly. Screenshots of all my tasks and the client's messages are all in upwork messages. 

[yofazza]

---

Nayeon L wrote:

the project which you get paid based on the number of tasks you complete and these number of tasks can only be determined after the completion?

I believe milestones can be used for that. Ask the client to fund the milestone, explain about it if needed (that it is safe & a protection for both of you).

Then you, can safely request to release some of the money by typing the exact amount, everytime you finish some tasks.

[petra_r]

---

Nayeon L wrote:

So do you mean upwork will not protect the freelancers if you are working on the project which you get paid based on the number of tasks you complete and these number of tasks can only be determined after the completion?

---

Of course not.

If that is a business model you want to work simply ask for multiple tasks to be funded. Say you get $100 for 20 tasks, ask for $200 to be funded and submit when you've done 40 tasks, or whatever. If you do wiork in excess of what is funded, you are not protected.

---

Nayeon L wrote: I completed my tasks and the client told me through upwork message that she would send me the payment shortly. Screenshots of all my tasks and the client's messages are all in upwork messages. 

---

That is all completely irrelevant if there is no money in escrow.

[JoanneP]

Hi Nayeon,

It looks like you have posted this concern previously. Please check out the response I posted here. Thanks!

[nicholanayeon]

Hi Joanne,

I read your message and as I said in the above, the due date was Feb 14th 2022 so the post doesn't help my case. Plus, I have some private information about me and the client. For instance the messages and screenshots I had with this client through upwork message. Can any upwork support contact me privately?

[JoanneP]

Hi Nayeon,

Please know that due dates are usually used as a reference for the client and the freelancer when the project should be completed. This doesn't directly affect when the funds are released. I highly encourage you to please read the help article I shared in my response previously to learn more about how Fixed Price contracts work. 

[nicholanayeon]

Hi Joanne,

I have read the help article but I still need a help support agent to look at my current contract status and messages communicated with the client. Could you take a look of my contract? (I have two clients and please take a look of the female client one. I seriously don't know why I have to publicly talk about my private issues like this. Why no support agent can contact me privately??) 

According to the article, only the 'Amount in Escrow' can be protected after 14 days and the actual amount which I need to receive from the client 'Amount Requested' will not get paid is this right? 

[petra_r]

---

Nayeon L wrote:

According to the article, only the 'Amount in Escrow' can be protected after 14 days and the actual amount which I need to receive from the client 'Amount Requested' will not get paid is this right? 

---

This is right and there is nothing Upwork can do about it.

If you work on an unfunded or not properly funded milestone, there is nothing anyone can do.

You will receive the funds in escrow (only what's in escrow) 14 days after you clicked on "submit work for payment" (unless the client approves / pays the higher amount)

Even if you end up with an agent contacting you, they can only tell you exactly the same thing. Any money that isn't in escrow basically doesn't exist. If you choose to do work that isn't covered by the funds in escrow, that is entirely your choice and at your own risk.

[JoanneP]

Hi Nayeon,

I can see that you have already submitted a ticket to our support team. One of our agents will update your ticket to assist you further. 

[prestonhunter]

Nayeon:

You used the word "protected" many times in your questions.

You will be much better off if you adopt this philosophy:

fixed-price contracts: No protection.

hourly contracts: Upwork Payment Protection is available

[nicholanayeon]

Under what condition are you saying the 'fixed-price contracts' is 'no protection'? Then why do upwork have this function in the 1st place? Totally non-sense.

You are suggesting the freelancers should have never accepted fixed-price contracts? Despite all the written proof from the clients through upwork messages that the client will pay that amount shortly to me? Why am I paying 20% for the commission?? Well you don't know the whole picture here and I will be better off talking to upwork representative directly. I should have checked the reputation of community guru on the web before I posted anything! Such a waste of my time! 

[prestonhunter]

re: "You are suggesting the freelancers should have never accepted fixed-price contracts?"

That is not what I am saying.

Freelancers can accept fixed-price contracts.

But fixed-price contracts are a significantly more advanced and complex contract model, compared to hourly contracts.

A freelancer needs to study fixed-price, understand it, and proactively strategize about how to aoid poroblems, such as endless revisions, scope creep and the "fixed-price loophole."

[561e0993]

Hello Nayeon, I have the same situation you have. The client still did not paid me after a few weeks. Have you heard back yet?

[tlsanders]

Are the funds in escrow? Did you click submit work/request payment?