Client refuses to pay full amount

jkprising · ‎12-25-2022

I did a quick editing job on Christmas Eve for a client. In the end, after spending over an hour on the phone with her and a few hours later, I completed the edit. The solution ended up being much easier than expected but my time was still spent. I woke up the next day to request she end the contract for the $400 payment proposed. Suddenly she says because the edit ended up being much easier than expected, I am only owed $100. I have since left a negative review and am posting this in hopes someone from Upwork will step in.

I am all for changing contract terms if discussed. She never discussed any payment changes with me and only decided to change the payment terms herself, without my acknowledgment. I have left screenshots of our conversation about her sudden change and my response calling her actions unprofessional.

The original job proposal is here - **Edited for Community Guidelines**

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

ArjayM · ‎12-25-2022

Hi James,

Thank you for reaching out to us. I'm really sorry to learn about this disappointing experience. Please note that before any work begins, you and your client will agree on certain work milestones and how much you'll get paid for completing each. This helps set expectations for both of you and lays the groundwork for a positive working experience.

Upwork Fixed-Price Protection uses escrow to help ensure that you get paid for the work you do and your clients get the work you’ve agreed to do. Under this program, clients deposit a milestone payment into escrow before they begin working. Upon receiving and approving the work, your client releases the payment to you.

While our goal is to help you build strong relationships, we recognize that sometimes things simply don’t work out. If a client refuses to release funds or requests an escrow refund for a milestone that you’ve completed, you can file an escrow dispute. The disputed funds will remain in escrow until a resolution is reached. To learn more about the escrow dispute process, click here.

~ Arjay

jkprising · ‎12-26-2022

Hello,

I am a freelancer trying to report but also get the money promised at a fixed price for the project. I have the whole chat log if I need to submit that but I don't know where to go to file a dispute. When I go to "My Jobs" and "All Contracts", it shows the latest one has ended. When I click on it, it only gives me an option to give them a refund, send a message or propose a new contract. The earnings shows that I was sent $100, escrow shows $0 and the project price is $400.

I do not see any option anywhere to file a complaint or dispute or anything.

I need help, no idea how to go about this fraud.

lysis10 · ‎12-26-2022

James K wrote:
Hello,
I am a freelancer trying to report but also get the money promised at a fixed price for the project. I have the whole chat log if I need to submit that but I don't know where to go to file a dispute. When I go to "My Jobs" and "All Contracts", it shows the latest one has ended. When I click on it, it only gives me an option to give them a refund, send a message or propose a new contract. The earnings shows that I was sent $100, escrow shows $0 and the project price is $400.

I do not see any option anywhere to file a complaint or dispute or anything.
I need help, no idea how to go about this fraud.

There's nothing in escrow so you can't dispute. Only work on fully funded milestones.

c608fe4e · ‎09-20-2023

my client

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

he does not want to pay me and I can not even file a dispute

NikolaS · ‎09-20-2023

Hi Onil,

Thank you for reaching out to us. I would like to remind you that hourly contracts may be covered by Upwork Hourly Protection. For all of your hourly contracts, your clients are automatically invoiced and billed for the hours you log according to the weekly billing cycle. However, if you log time that goes over the weekly limit that you and your client set, it won't be invoiced. Your client can see it in your Work Diary, and you can discuss the possibility of a bonus payment for that time. Manual time does not qualify for Hourly Payment Protection.

Before you can bill for manual time, your client must enable the option (they can disable it at any time, too). So be sure to talk to them before you work any manual hours to ensure they are willing to pay you for that time. Once enabled, you can add manual time via the Upwork Desktop App or directly in your Work Diary – it’s simple!

You may want to check articles below for more information.

~ Nikola

jeremiah-brown · ‎12-25-2022

Don't tell your clients how long it takes you to perform the job on fixed rate work. Its a fixed rate - whether it takes 5 hours or 5 minutes, you get the same pay (that you both negotiate at the start of the contract. You're not doing anything wrong, and theres nothing shady about this. You both agree to the terms before the contract starts. Although, you should reiterate the terms of the contract at the point where you accept the contract offer.

If the client wants to pay for the time it actually takes, they should be hiring you under the hourly rate.

The problem is that many clients are scared of the hourly rate because they assume all freelancers will purposefully take longer to complete the work than is necessary. Some are so adament about not hiring hourly they will literally cut off their own nose to spite their face.

Case in point, I had a client who wanted an item to be made under a fixed rate contract for $300. I attempted to negotiate the client over to an hourly rate, charging $50 per hour. The client refused. I explained to the client that the estimated work would actually cost them about $200 because I only needed 4 hour, as well as the increased transparency of my work on the hourly tracker through the screenshot/review process. Nope. Client would not accept hourly. I completed the job under fixed rate and made the $300 rather than the $200 it would have cost.

You may be asking, why would I do the job for less? Easy, I valued the hourly protection of the tracker more than the extra $100 that I could have made.

jkprising · ‎12-26-2022

I am trying to file a dispute but I have no idea how to do that. I don't know if the way on UpWork is out dated or not but I cannot find "See Request" when I am looking at the ended contract.

Is there an updated way to file disputes because I am not seeing it right now on UpWork.

25005175 · ‎12-26-2022

You will get the opportunity to dispute when your client closes the job and requests a refund of the remaining money in escrow.

ETA: If your client did not fully fund the job for the $400, or if you closed the job before you paid the remaining $300, then you do not receive the option to dispute.