Client keeps asking for changes after hourly limit.

[catrola]

Hello!
I have a client that made an offer (10hours fixed) to create a 50sec video tutorial from his previous video tutorial that was 15min long. I accepted and followed his directions. I finished during the stablished time, and he asked me for changes. I did it on my time, then he asked me for more changes (and most of them are things he's deciding along the way). He gave me a google drive link to put the project and I wanted to protect myself so I didn't without getting paid, but he sent me a message telling me I had to, so I did.
Also, he's quite rude, not answering my questions and making me feel like stupid by asking them. By the 3rd version of the video he tells me he doesn't like the footage I used (which was the same since the beginning) also tells me he could have done the video himself. I asked him to add more hours to the contract, but honestly, I just want him to pay me and move on.
What should I do?

[petra_r]

If it is an hourly contract, you get paid for the hours you work, not for a specific deliverable.

If you tracked the hours properly (using the Upwork tracker, with meaningful work memos and decent activity levels, you are protected. It is not appropriate for the client to ask for changes without tracking the time for them.

You can tell your client that you will be happy to continue making changes when the hourly limit of 10 hours resets on Monday, but are unable to do so until then as your limit has been reached and Upwork does not allow cliets to ask for free work. You can ask him whether he would prefer to increase your limit or to wait until Monday, when you will be able to track time again.

I hope you didn't use manual time, as that would give the client the opportinity to simply dispute your hours and the client would win the dispute by default.

[wlyonsatl]

Just say, "No."

No more free work.

No more abusive behavior.

If you don't want to work with this client any more, cancel the contract yourself.

And leave accurate feedback, so other freelancers will know what they'll be getting into if they decide to work with this client.

[catrola]

If I end the contract myself will I received the payment?

[petra_r]

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Carolina C wrote:

If I end the contract myself will I received the payment?

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If your hours are in the work diary, as they seem to be because your profile shows 10 hours worked, the client will be charged on Monday.

If your hours were tracked in line with the hourly protection policy, good activity levels, meaningful memos that describe clearly what you were working on, you will be protected. That means if the client disputes, they can't win, and if the client fails to pay, Upwork pays you anyway. The crucial point is that your work diary is in line with the terms of the hourly protection!

[petra_r]

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Will L wrote:

If you don't want to work with this client any more, cancel the contract yourself.

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Usually I'd agree, but as she is new and has only one contract with feedback, I thought standing up to the client might be a better idea. Bullies of that client's ilk often back down when politely, but firmly given two choices which both mean that they'll pay more..

If she does want to close the contract she should first check her hours (that were hopefully tracked) in the work diary and add meaningful memos if they are not present and make sure that the client doesn't win a dispute if it comes to that. 

Once a contract has been closed, there is no way to access the work diary anymore.

[wlyonsatl]

Petra,

My read from her post is that the client has been unbending, but maybe more communication would resolve the problem.

I don't have much patience with rude or clueless clients, especially the ones who take an action that translates into them getting free work from me. But I understand that the tyranny of the JSS often puts freelancers at risk of untrue and unfair feedback. And this is especially true for newer freelancers.

This is why I wish Upwork would tell freelancers after the fact whether a particular client's feedback is or is not included in the freelancer's JSS calculation. We know Upwork excludes consistently hard-to-work-with clients and clients with a history of consistently negative feedback from freelancers' JSS.