Client stopped communication in the middle of the job

[nteetzel]

Hello,

I have a job with three milestones -

One on Dec 2 the client "paid" $50

One on Dec 15 that says the client "submitted" $100

 And one for Dec 22  for $150 - but this is where the client stopped responding.

They should have submitted $150 for Dec 22 but they haven't updated the milestone for me to even turn in my work?

Here's what it says about the funds...

Budjet $300  - In Escrow $100 - Milestones paid $50 - Remaining $250 - Total Earnings $50 but I haven't received any payments from UpWork yet?

Is there anyway to at least receive the $150 that they've already submmitted for Dec 2 ($50) and Dec 15 ($100) 

I'm still missing the payment for Dec 22 for $150

So if they don't respond by the end of the hollidays - is there a way to receive payment for the two milestones that they have funnded?

Also I don't see the milestone for Dec 2 for $50 on my job screen?

It says milestones paid $50 but I never received any payment from UpWork?

I hope this makes sense?

Thank you so much!

Nick 

[prestonhunter]

re: "Client stopped communication in the middle of the job"

Clients are allowed to stop communication at any time. There is no rule against that.

As a freelancer, I get paid the same amount whether a client communicates with me or not.

re: "They should have submitted $150 for Dec 22 but they haven't updated the milestone for me to even turn in my work?"

Upwork freelancers work on funded milestones.

Don't work on an unfunded milestone.

Promises don't matter. Budget doesn't matter. Plans don't matter.

What matters is: funded escrow payment.

If a client tells me: "Preston, I really need you to do Task X by Tuesday."

But then the client does NOT FUND the escrow payment for Task X, then I interpret this as: "The client does not really want me to do Task X."

Because I'm not going to do Task X until the escrow payment is funded.

[nteetzel]

It looks like I should have not worked on the last milestone that the client never funded. 

But at least UpWork will pay me for the two milestones that are funded and I've turned work in for.

Thank you so much!

[martina_plaschka]

Budget is meaningless. Only funded, active milestones count. You submit the part of the work covered in this milestone, the client funds the next one, and so on. 

A client can stop responding at anytime. At some point, the contract is closed and the remaining escrow amount gets returned to the client. 

Edit: what's the deal with this job title? Must be the weirdest I've ever seen. Frankly, I would refund the client just to make that go away. 

[nteetzel]

So if the contract gets closed will I get paid for the work I've submitted?

I've turned in work for Dec 2 for $50 - and for Dec 15 for $100.

[martina_plaschka]

Again, only for the work that was covered by a funded, active milestone. Not a future milestone. 

[nteetzel]

I'm just wondering if I'm going to get paid for that I've already turned in?

[prestonhunter]

re: "So if the contract gets closed will I get paid for the work I've submitted?"

You are the freelancer.

If you close the contract, then all money in escrow goes back to the freelancer.

If there is any money in escrow, and if you want that money, then the proper thing to do is to click the "Submit work for payment" button. Then wait 14 days. Upwork will release all escrow money to you automatically.

THEN, after the escrow money has been released to you... THEN you can close the contract.

re: "I've turned in work for Dec 2 for $50 - and for Dec 15 for $100."

It does not matter what work you have "turned in." What matters is the money in escrow.

If there was $50 in escrow for Dec. 2 and the client already released that money to you, then that money is yours. You can see it here:

Upwork -> Reports -> Overview

THEN, after releasing $50 to you, if the client funded a $100 escrow payment... THEN you can click the "Submit work for payment" button, and Upwork will release the $100 to you automatically (if the client does nothing).

[nteetzel]

If there is any money in escrow, and if you want that money, then the proper thing to do is to click the "Submit work for payment" button. Then wait 14 days. Upwork will release all escrow money to you automatically.

THEN, after releasing $50 to you, if the client funded a $100 escrow payment... THEN you can click the "Submit work for payment" button, and Upwork will release the $100 to you automatically (if the client does nothing).

Yes I have submitted my work for the $100 escrow payment.

[wlyonsatl · Accepted solution]

Nick,

You should only submit work to a client on funded milestones. (I have rarely used fixed price contracts, but I would only begin work on funded milestones.)

If you have submitted work on a funded milestone, the client has 14 days to release payment or request changes to your submitted work. After 14 days without any instructions from the client Upwork will automatically releae payment.

The details are here: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211063718-Get-Paid-for-Fixed-Price-Contracts

[nteetzel]

Yeah, I think that answers my question... 

So if I don't hear from the client - then  UpWork will release the payments for the first two milestones that I turned in work for (and the client already funded). 

Thank you so much!

Nick

[petra_r]

---

Nick T wrote:

So if I don't hear from the client - then  UpWork will release the payments for the first two milestones that I turned in work for (and the client already funded). 

---

What you describe isn't possible the way you describe it. A client can't fund two milestones at the same time.

You have already been paid $ 50 and there is money in escrow. Is there no active milestone?

If the client never appears again, you can only get paid for the next milestone if there is an active milestone.

If there is no properly (through the submit for payment function) submitted milestone, Upwork won't release anything.

BUT:

You wrote :

One on Dec 2 the client "paid" $50

One on Dec 15 that says the client "submitted" $100

But a client doesn't submit... FREELANCERS submit work for payment. Did you use the "submit for payment function" on the 15th?  If you did, and not touched anything else, you'll get those $100 in the next 24 hours.

You really need to familiarize yourself with how payments work and with your Reports > Overview page. Can you see $100 in Reports > In Review?

[nteetzel]

But a client doesn't submit... FREELANCERS submit work for payment. Did you use the "submit for payment function" on the 15th?  If you did, and not touched anything else, you'll get those $100 in the next 24 hours.

Yes, I have used the Submit button for payment ($100) and submitted my work at the same time. 

[petra_r]

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Nick T wrote:

Yes, I have used the Submit button for payment ($100) and submitted my work at the same time. 

---

Right. Then that money will be automatically released to you imminently. The other $50 are already released. You'll find it on your "Reports > Overview" page.

[prestonhunter]

re: "So if they don't respond by the end of the hollidays - is there a way to receive payment for the two milestones that they have funded?"

If the client has funded an escrow payment, then you CAN GET PAID if the client is not responding or communicating with you. It does not matter if the client responds. It does not matter if the client communiates.

I don't necessarily send message to the client to tell the client that the task is done. Messages don't matter.

I click the "Submit work for payment" button. Then - if the client is doing nothing - I get paid AUTOMATICALLY.

If a client is not responding and not doing anything on her end, then when I click the "Submit work for payment" button... Then Upwork releases ALL MONEY IN ESCROW to me automatically.

re: "Also I don't see the milestone for Dec 2 for $50 on my job screen? It says milestones paid $50 but I never received any payment from Upwork?"

You can find your payments here:

Upwork -> Reports -> Overivew

[nteetzel]

If a client is not responding and not doing anything on her end, then when I click the "Submit work for payment" button... Then Upwork releases ALL MONEY IN ESCROW to me automatically.

So if I've already submitted work on the first two milestones - I will automatically get paid after 14 days?

[petra_r]

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Preston H wrote:

If the client has funded an escrow payment, then you CAN GET PAID if the client is not responding or communicating with you.

---

This isn't entirely true. Here we may or may not (The OP is very unclear about what is actually happening)  have money in escrow that is NOT attached to a funded milestone, which is what happens when people mess about with partial payments of a milestone.