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aurora_agency
Community Member

Client not responding after hiring

Hello,

 

I have been hired by a client that is no longer responsive, the contract is hourly and we never discussed work details. We agreed to do a call but he never showed up. I can see he hired too many freelancers with 0 logged hours, and recently he got a 1-star rating from a freelancer. Is he spamming?

What should I do? should I end the contract or wait

 

Thanks

ACCEPTED SOLUTION

I support the advice Phyllis provided.

 

The client hired the freelancer. The client EXPECTS to pay the freelancer. The cilent set up an appointment to meet with the freelancer.

 

If the client did not show up for the appointment, the client would reasonably expect to be billed for the full hour. The freelancer is providing a kindness if he only bills for 10 minutes.

View solution in original post

11 REPLIES 11
prestonhunter
Community Member

You made a mistake. The most important thing for you to do is to learn from your mistake and not make the same mistake again in the future.

 

This was a tactical error on your part.

 

In the future, do not accept an hourly job until you have enough information to do at least ten minutes of work. That way you will be able to work and earn some money so that you don't have a zero-pay contract. Zero-pay jobs have a negative impact on JSS.

I know this is wrong. I am asking what to do now?


Abdelhedi M wrote:

I know this is wrong. I am asking what to do now?


I would bill 5-10 minutes for "project setup". Ideally, it will get his attention and he will assign some work. If he continues to ignore you, then at least you will be paid something under the contract and avoid it becoming a "no-pay" contract (which can potentially hurt your JSS). If he disputes the time because he hasn't assigned you anything yet, then you have a chance to persuade him to give you something to do or at least agree to pay you a dollar or two, again to avoid a no-pay contract.

 

If a freelancer logs only one 10-minute segment using TimeTracker on a contract and then refunds back to the client the amount paid for that segment, does that make the contract a no-pay contract for JSS purposes?

Will:
Yes.

It is the net pay that matters.

 

If the freelancer bills for 10 minutes of time and refunds that money back to the client, then it is a zero-pay contract.

I support the advice Phyllis provided.

 

The client hired the freelancer. The client EXPECTS to pay the freelancer. The cilent set up an appointment to meet with the freelancer.

 

If the client did not show up for the appointment, the client would reasonably expect to be billed for the full hour. The freelancer is providing a kindness if he only bills for 10 minutes.

I don't think it's a great idea to fraudently book even 10 minutes on an hourly project, but that may be the only solution.

re: "I don't think it's a great idea to fraudently book even 10 minutes on an hourly project, but that may be the only solution."

 

Nothing fraudulent about it. The original poster specifically said that the client scheduled a meeting to continue their work. The freelancer showed up and waited for the client to arrive. The client never showed up, and never even contacted him to reschedule.

 

If you had an appointment with your doctor, dentist, attorney, piano teacher, personal trainer, architect, stylist, etc., I am sure you would be billed for more than ten minutes of time if you simply did not bother to show up.

Preston,

 

We have been told many times on this board that the freelancer must use his mouse or type on her keyboard so activity can be recorded by TimeTracker and the time booked is considered to be legitimate by Upwork.

 

Which of these can a freelancer legitimately do when sitting and waiting for a phone call that never comes?

 

Those are Upwork's rules, and even an attorney, doctor or piano teacher who wants to book hourly work on Upwork has to adhere to them.

 

But I suppose the freelancer could book 10 minutes manually and clearly explain why the time has been booked.

The OP could log 10 minute (which, at the OPs profile rate, would cost $ 2) while writing to the client about the project, with ideas and proposals on how to proceed.

 

laurence2004
Community Member

Hi Abdelhedi

 

I met such things can I ask what is the result? 

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