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chandralekha97
Community Member

Client might dispute the payment. 15hours worked in a 22hrs time span. An all-nighter but..

Hi.

I worked with a client recently who wanted work to be completed in a day and I spent around 15 hours (preagreed with the client) on this. The limit also was set to 15hours.

 

I was udating the client every 2-3 hours on chat and was sending the source files as and when completed to her. She was revewing them and provding me with changes along the way.

 

Finally I submitted the work on time. She was also liking my work. After which I was asigned another project and she asked me to put memos for the previous project but I was unable to do so.

 

Then the next project was also a fastrack one and I had to submit in a day. The project required around 7-8hrs to complete. I did not have enough sleep the previous night, just took a nap and started to work on this. I did not do a thorough research on memos since I didnt get the time and did not realize its importance until the next day when I read about people losing money because of clients taking advantage of this caluse in upwork payment protection.

 

The client has not replied for 2 days on my second project. May be she is busy. But after reading the community pages, I feel I will not be paid.

 

The significant issue is that I have submitted all the source files to her on a timely basis. I have also updated in the chat every 2-3hours about my work. 

Can memos replace this fact? 

How can a client now take all the work I did for free just bec I did not add memos?

I accept that to not be aware of the policy is my mistake, but what about my work? $370 dollars of work. All nighter it was. Isnt this unfair? When there is a policy breach then upwork should not allow me to send her the files and immediately alert me.

 

And more over this work deals whith visual designing, where most of the work is justified with screenshots of my work and updation to client every few hours. 

 

I did a mistake, I know. But is this fair? How can a client be favoured all the time? Freelancers also should be given a chance to receive payment for the submission of source files based on certain exceptions. How can a policy such as memos be taken on a standalone basis when there is enough evidence on the work being done and submitted in all possible way?

 

I feel upwork should give freelancers a chance to receive atleast a portion of the payment since all the files have already been submitted.

 

This has put me down a lot. I know my mistake but I request for fairness.

 

So finally my work was submitted for FREE on a contract that was made on upwork where all the proof exists of my submission and work but does not qualify for protection.

 

 

I have suggestions:

- I feel memos are not required for all kinds of work. There have to be few works that require and few that doesnt. Where most of the work is understood on the screenshots, I do not see a better way to explain it. 

- Upwork should try to give an alert to the freelancer when the work is being done to add memos and not keep it as a hidden tool to be used only by the freelancer.

- First of all when memo is a requirement to make the contract fair, then upwork should alert the freelancers on breaching the policy. How can this be taken to the end? Then there is no contract at all. How can upwork give access to my files when the payment is not made?

- This is a loophole which some people are using it to their advantage. I understand being ignorant is not an excuse but there has to a change to bring fairness.

 

Thank you.

 

ACCEPTED SOLUTION


Chandralekha M wrote:

The contract is still open. My limit was 22hrs and I have worked for 22hrs and completed the work.

Could you tell me how to add memo now? I am unable to add a memo after completing the work.

Were the hours worked this (!) week? In that case just go to the work diary, select the time you wish to add a memo to and click on "edit memo". You can only edit memos on open contracts and time from this week.

 

edit memo.png

 

 

View solution in original post

6 REPLIES 6
petra_r
Community Member


Chandralekha M wrote:

 

The client has not replied for 2 days on my second project. May be she is busy. But after reading the community pages, I feel I will not be paid.


What in the world would make you think that?  

Leave the client in peace... 

 

Is the contract still open and were the hours logged this week? Then simply add the memos to the work diary now. But there is nothing in your post that hints at the client planning to dispute. Clients often stop communicating when the work is done and until they have something else for the freelancer.

 

- First of all when memo is a requirement to make the contract fair, then upwork should alert the freelancers on breaching the policy. 


 

Not putting a memo is not a breach of policy. It simply means you are not covered by the hourly protection, the terms of which you should have familiarized yoursef with.

 

In future you know, and frankly there is no indication that there will be an issue.

 

Chandralekha M  wrote:

I read about people losing money because of clients taking advantage of this caluse in upwork payment protection.


Clients aren't "taking advantage of it" - Clients dispute for quality reasons and then win because of this. Very different thing. Your client clearly wasn't plannning to take advantage of the policy, or they would not have asked you to add a memo... Would she?

 

Disputes are relatively rare and I feel you are likely worrying over nothing.

Hi Petra.
Yes I shouldn’t feel the client might dispute the work. May be bec I became aware of this mistake I felt it could happen.

The contract is still open. My limit was 22hrs and I have worked for 22hrs and completed the work.

Could you tell me how to add memo now? I am unable to add a memo after completing the work.


Chandralekha M wrote:

The contract is still open. My limit was 22hrs and I have worked for 22hrs and completed the work.

Could you tell me how to add memo now? I am unable to add a memo after completing the work.

Were the hours worked this (!) week? In that case just go to the work diary, select the time you wish to add a memo to and click on "edit memo". You can only edit memos on open contracts and time from this week.

 

edit memo.png

 

 

Thank you so much. I just added memos for all the screenshots.


Chandralekha M wrote:
Thank you so much. I just added memos for all the screenshots.


Problem solved 🙂

Including accurate, meaningful memos is a way that we (as freelancers) show respect to the clients who are paying us.

 

Freelancers should be doing this even if it was not required to qualify for Upwork Payment Protection.

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