Contract gets suspended after the project is finished

[persecteam]

Hi all, 

I had the following case recently with one of the clients.

The client wanted to have something designed and documentated. We agreed on the payment as well as the amount of work. We set deadlines till Friday noon the same week.

The client did not verify its payment. I reminded him several times, and everytime I got assured, that this would be done as soon as the client gets to a computer.

I was ready with the project several hour before the deadline and asked the client whether he will verify the payment in order to send the documents. I got again the same assurance and promised to do it 2-3 hours after deadline. 

Since I am relatively new to Upwork and I am just starting to build a rating, I didn't wanted to get negative feedback because of the my constant push to verify the payment.

As expected, the payment was not verified and I could not get the payment for the delivered work.

How can I proceed from now on?

Thanks in advance!

Nikolay Petrov

[aocumen]

Hi Nikolay, 

I'm sorry to hear that your contract with this client has been suspended. In the future, please do not start any work on any contract unless the client's payment method has already been verified. Please also make sure that you log time on your Work Diary by using the Upwork Desktop App, to be eligible for the Upwork Payment Protection Program.

You may read on these tips for avoiding questionable jobs, and the Safety First! section of the freelancer resources for more information about working safely through Upwork.

[persecteam]

Hi Avery, 

Thank you for your quick reply. I do suspected that something could go wrong, but I also assumed that the client may need some time for payment verification (e.g. when I made my registration, i needed 1 week to have everything set up).

I also read about the Unverified payment in Upwork stating that "You don’t have to avoid these clients". Now you are suggesting me to do the opposite. Moreover the Upwork Payment Protection Program is not applicable when the payment is unverified. As I said, I am relatively new to the freelance business and currently I am not working so much about the money, rather than for the rating, therefore any useful contract with possible fast delivery of quality product to the client is enough encouraging. 

I don't think that the freelancer should be the person reminding the client to verify the payment. Why there are any client restrictions to not be allowed to propose contracts prior verification, or some other restriction of sending files for example so that the freelancer can also be protected in that situation. This should be the platform responsibility to protect both the client and the freelancer. I now feel quite unprotected for the future.

Is there any way to follow the process of the contract suspension progress?

Best, 

Nikolay

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Nikolay,

To learn more about how you`re protected check out our guides: Upwork Payment Protection, Hourly Protection for Freelancers and Fixed-Price Protection for Freelancers.
Regarding your last question, unfortunately no. We can`t share details for another user with you, once this is resolved our team will reach out to you with more details. Thank you!

[petra_r]

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@Nikolay P wrote:

1) I also read about the Unverified payment in Upwork stating that "You don’t have to avoid these clients".

2) Now you are suggesting me to do the opposite. Moreover the Upwork Payment Protection Program is not applicable when the payment is unverified.

3) I don't think that the freelancer should be the person reminding the client to verify the payment. Why there are any client restrictions to not be allowed to propose contracts prior verification, or some other restriction of sending files for example so that the freelancer can also be protected in that situation.

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 1) It also says "as long as you don't do the work until it IS verified" - you will also have received an email explaining the contract started but the payment method is not verified and what that means.

2) More to the point, the client could not pay you even if they wanted to. That is why you don't do or hand over any work until verification is completed.

3) No need to "remind" the client, all it takes is s "Thanks for the contract, I look forward to getting started as soon as your payment method is verified."

At the end of the day it is up to you to "protect yourself"

[persecteam]

Hi Petra, 

Thank you for your comments. Since you are bringing the position of Upwork as well I would like to have information about the following points:

1. We have set up a deadline. I do not work until the client verifies the payment. Client verifies the payment 1 hour prior the deadline, therefore I have no time to deliver the project. I get bad review, and also bad contract. What next?

2. I do my work despite the unverified payment. The client wants the materials delivered prior the deadline. I refuse until the payment is verified. He verifies the payment 2 hours after the deadline, I send the materials. The client is not satisfied, due to he missed his deadlines and I get a bad review.

3. Previous point is relevant to this also.

In the end of the day, if I have to "protect myself", I would write myself the contract with the client, wouldn't I? 

My whole impression from writing in the community is that my only positive move would have been not to have contacted the client. For everything else it is my fault that I kept everything in Upwork (no Skype, Hangouts, etc), I satisfied your client with the professional work delivered and of course no getting paid.

I really expected some kind of collaboration or sympathy from the community instead of the attacks what should I have done in the past and why I am the bad guy.

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Nikolay,

I`m sorry about the bad experience you had. We are always advising freelancer to negotiate all details about the job before accepting an offer.
Additionally you can check out this thread Getting Started on Upwork and learn more about Upwork, how to protect yourself ect. Thank you!

[emiguelina]

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@Nikolay P wrote:

Hi Petra, 

Thank you for your comments. Since you are bringing the position of Upwork as well I would like to have information about the following points:

1. We have set up a deadline. I do not work until the client verifies the payment. Client verifies the payment 1 hour prior the deadline, therefore I have no time to deliver the project. I get bad review, and also bad contract. What next?

2. I do my work despite the unverified payment. The client wants the materials delivered prior the deadline. I refuse until the payment is verified. He verifies the payment 2 hours after the deadline, I send the materials. The client is not satisfied, due to he missed his deadlines and I get a bad review.

3. Previous point is relevant to this also.

In the end of the day, if I have to "protect myself", I would write myself the contract with the client, wouldn't I? 

My whole impression from writing in the community is that my only positive move would have been not to have contacted the client. For everything else it is my fault that I kept everything in Upwork (no Skype, Hangouts, etc), I satisfied your client with the professional work delivered and of course no getting paid.

I really expected some kind of collaboration or sympathy from the community instead of the attacks what should I have done in the past and why I am the bad guy.

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I get your point, you hold on work done, until client's payment method is verified for you to deliver work and be protected, it was already late by the time he got verified, it's not your fault but client's, who is upset about receiving the work late (he won't recognize his involvement in this), so he will account somebody but him, maybe you and probably will give a bad review.

And that's why I avoid those clients, Upwork says you don't have to, but I do, if I press the "Accept Offer" button that payment method is verified.

[salve_gwapa]

Tsk Tsk. Bad experience for you Nikolay with Bad Clients. You should not have started without the Client had verified their payment. Pls. follow their advice. Use UpWork Tracker. I hope this will not discourage you in your UpWork Freelancing. Goodluck and God Bless to your UpWork Online Jobs. 

[persecteam]

Thanks, Salve! Bad clients are everywhere and are part of the job. I just expected that if there is a paid middle-man such as Upwork, such experiences would have been decreased significally.

I am seriously thinking about whether the freelancing would be something more of a hobby, rather than professional opportunity.

[salve_gwapa]

Me, I did not expect that there are Bad Clients here. I agree with you to take this as a hobby especially if you have a family. Many Clients are Unsure. 

[petra_r]

Nikolay, I have worked here for years, and many, MANY of my best clients were not payment method verified when I first discussed the project with them.

I have never ONCE not been paid for something. If in doubt, don't accept a contract until the client has verified their payment method.

[persecteam]

Thanks for the feedback. I am glad to here you are succeeding! I wish you even more success in the future.

I will certainly try to discuss that with the client next time.

The outcome from this discussion is that I am not as protected as I thought I were.

[petra_r]

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@Nikolay P wrote:

The outcome from this discussion is that I am not as protected as I thought I were.

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Did you not get this email, which tells you clearly that you are not protected?

[kat303]

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@Nikolay P wrote:

Hi all, 

I had the following case recently with one of the clients.

The client wanted to have something designed and documentated. We agreed on the payment as well as the amount of work. We set deadlines till Friday noon the same week.

The client did not verify its payment. I reminded him several times, and everytime I got assured, that this would be done as soon as the client gets to a computer.

Hi XXX I see that your account has not been verified. I can not start work until it is. Due to the delay the deadline will need to be pushed back. The new deadline will be xx days from the date of your account verification.

I was ready with the project several hour before the deadline and asked the client whether he will verify the payment in order to send the documents. I got again the same assurance and promised to do it 2-3 hours after deadline. 

When you do work and the clients account is not verified, or escrow is not FULLY funded you are basically working for free and wasting your time and energy

Since I am relatively new to Upwork and I am just starting to build a rating, I didn't wanted to get negative feedback because of the my constant push to verify the payment.

As expected, the payment was not verified and I could not get the payment for the delivered work.

Upwork is just an internet site where clients and freelancers can get together to get to get work done (clients) and to get work (freelancers) Aside from that, Upwork does provide protection, IF you follow their procedures. They verify clients accounts. That is for your protection so problems, such as what you encountered don't happen. They have an escrow account, which clients deposit funds into and it's held there until the job is completed. It is for safekeeping. Sort of like a 3rd party holding the money so neither client or freelancer can take it back. It shows the freelancer the client has the money and does intend to pay. For hourly jobs, it has payment protection. If you download and install  Tracker and write notes on the screen shots it takes and the client's account turns out to be bad, Upwork will pay you I KNOW OF NO OTHER FREELANCING SITE THAT OFFERS SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

How can I proceed from now on?

In the future, do not start work until a clients account is verified.

Do not start work until escrow is fully funded.

Freelancing is a business. Your business. And you have to run it like that. You need to not only use the protections Upwork provides but you also have to look out for yourself.

In the future, you need to know, that if you start work, complete work and deliver it to a client and that client's account is not verified, or escrow is not Fully funded, you are NOT going to get paid.

Thanks in advance!

Nikolay Petrov

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