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Kristorenz's avatar
Kristorenz F Community Member

Client makes you do the FINAL work for INITIAL DRAFT

Hi I would like to know how to handle this kind of client. It would be much appreciable if Upwork can notify the client with her cheating actions.

 

She breaks down the project into two milestones.

1. Initial draft
2. Completed with edits to full satisfaction

 

I think the client most likely does this in every project. I've been looking at the client's records. The client hires 3-5 freelancers in one project.

 

The client made me do extra work in the initial draft. The contract was only supposed to animate the illustrated assets from her illustrator. However, she didn't give me some of the assets and she ended up wanting me to illustrate and animate. It wouldn't be a big deal really. But my most fear is that the client will end the contract before going to the 2nd milestone once the initial draft is done. It will look like the client will make me do the final work in the initial draft and won't continue the payment to the 2nd milestone.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member

Hit the "submit" key for the work that you've already done, and don't do any more work until the second milestone is funded. Simple.

 

Next time, if a client wants you to include a milestone for revisions, charge 80-90% for the first draft and 10-20% for revisions. 

 

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8 REPLIES 8
Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

This has nothing to do with Upwork.

 

Upwork does not decide what constitutes a specific milestone task.

 

Who decides?

I am the freelancer.

I decide.

 

Sometimes a client wants a whole task done as a single milestone. I can say no. I can say that this project is 8 different milestones. I can even say that it is 8 different one-milestone contracts. I really do that kind of thing.

 

If I tell a client that I will accept the project based on those conditions, then it is up to the client to accept those terms, or not. The client can not force me to accept her terms.

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "But my most fear is that the client will end the contract before going to the 2nd milestone once the initial draft is done."

 

I embrace completely the right of the client to end a contract at any time, for any reason.

 

As a freelancer, I believe in doing things one milestone at a time.

 

If a client hires me to do a project with two milestones... the first for $25 and the second for $3000, and then closes the contract after the first milestone... then I am totally fine with that.

 

Because the work I did was only $25 worth of work.

I did the first task, and I was paid for that task.

Then the client closed the contract.

I did no work for the second task.

The client paid nothing for the second task.

 

Doesn't that seem fair to you?

Jennifer's avatar
Jennifer M Community Member


Kristorenz F wrote:

Hi I would like to know how to handle this kind of client. It would be much appreciable if Upwork can notify the client with her cheating actions.

 

She breaks down the project into two milestones.

1. Initial draft
2. Completed with edits to full satisfaction

 

I think the client most likely does this in every project. I've been looking at the client's records. The client hires 3-5 freelancers in one project.

 

The client made me do extra work in the initial draft. The contract was only supposed to animate the illustrated assets from her illustrator. However, she didn't give me some of the assets and she ended up wanting me to illustrate and animate. It wouldn't be a big deal really. But my most fear is that the client will end the contract before going to the 2nd milestone once the initial draft is done. It will look like the client will make me do the final work in the initial draft and won't continue the payment to the 2nd milestone.


The way you set up the milestones was a mistake. Never break up drafts and edits into two. Always use one milestone for all of it.

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member

Hit the "submit" key for the work that you've already done, and don't do any more work until the second milestone is funded. Simple.

 

Next time, if a client wants you to include a milestone for revisions, charge 80-90% for the first draft and 10-20% for revisions. 

 

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member


Jennifer M wrote:


The way you set up the milestones was a mistake. Never break up drafts and edits into two. Always use one milestone for all of it.


I do set up milestones unless it's a small project, because I want to get the bulk of the payment after I've done the majority of the work (i.e. when I submit the first draft) and not potentially wait around for weeks or months for the client to get back to me with revisions (which has happened before). I don't want to get into any situations where a client just hits the "request revisions" key over and over until I'm forced to dispute. 

Jennifer's avatar
Jennifer M Community Member


Christine A wrote:

Jennifer M wrote:


The way you set up the milestones was a mistake. Never break up drafts and edits into two. Always use one milestone for all of it.


I do set up milestones unless it's a small project, because I want to get the bulk of the payment after I've done the majority of the work (i.e. when I submit the first draft) and not potentially wait around for weeks or months for the client to get back to me with revisions (which has happened before).


I put in for all of it and wait for the revision request. 😎 Sometimes, they don't even click the button which has saved me on a dispute before. 😎😎🧐

Lucio Ricardo's avatar
Lucio Ricardo M Community Member

You heve touched one of my greatest fears as a freelancer. that if I say that the work is too much for the milestone budget, he rageously closes the contract and leave me a 2 stars feedback. I think that there do are such crazy clients. And what I do, i accept the conditions, accumulating frustration.

Jennifer's avatar
Jennifer M Community Member


Lucio Ricardo M wrote:

You heve touched one of my greatest fears as a freelancer. that if I say that the work is too much for the milestone budget, he rageously closes the contract and leave me a 2 stars feedback. I think that there do are such crazy clients. And what I do, i accept the conditions, accumulating frustration.


That's another good reason to get 1 milestone. Then if they ragequit it doesn't matter because you have no contract yet.