Contract has been suspended by upwork.

[#1]

Hey, I was working on a job then I received an email form upwork that your contract is on hold. But when I check my contract form upwork it shows your contract has been suspended Upwork is investigating an issue. Please do not resume work with this client until the contract is active again. When I asked my client about this issue he said the Money is in escrow for this milestone. Our account suspension does not matter. If you want the money in escrow finish this milestone, if you don’t want the money in escrow then quit and have the escrow money refunded to us. Now if I quit this milestone then it will effect my jss. What should I do?

[#2]

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Hamid H wrote:

 Now if I quit this milestone then it will effect my jss. 

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No, it won't, or at least not if the client doesn't leave bad feedback.

[#3]

should I complete the active milestone?

[#4]

Hi Hamid,

If there is a problem with your client’s Upwork account, your contract with them will be paused and you cannot continue to bill that client through Upwork until the issue is resolved. There are many possible reasons this could occur, although we can’t share the specifics regarding your client’s account due to privacy concerns. You may want to wait for the hold on the contract to be lifted before taking any action or doing any additional work on the contract.

Thank you.

[#5]

Hey Aleksandar,

What if I submit my work and request client for payment. Did upwork allow client to take any action regarding that milestone? Because my client said If you want the money in escrow finish this milestone, if you don’t want the money in escrow then quit and have the escrow money refunded to us.

[#6]

Hamid H.,

If Upwork tells you to stop working on a project, stop working on the project until Upwork tells you the project is live again. You may not be paid on any work done while a project has been put on hold by Upwork, and you may not even get paid for some or all work done before Upwork suspended the project.

Many clients know little or nothing about how Upwork works. Others know and try to take advantage of the rules or naive freelancers.

Only Upwork is looking out for your best interests here.

Good luck!

[#7]

Hey Will,

Actually the amount is in escrow and I almost complete my task. But I want to make it clear that I will get my money because I spend too much time on this job. What should I do now.

[#8]

Hamid H.,

I have never been in your exact situation.

What sort of information or instructions has Upwork messaged about this project so far?

I recommend you do nothing until one of these things happens:

1) Another regular poster here who has been in your situation offers you believable advice based on their specific experience, or...

2) An Upwork employee (aka a "moderator") posts advice or instructions for you on this thread, or...

3) Upwork notifies you that the project has been unsuspended.

[#9]

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Hamid H wrote:

What if I submit my work and request client for payment.

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I would definitely do that as the issue with the client's account is not likely to have anything to do with the funds in escrow. (Usually it's because the client's payment method declined charges for hourly contract(s) repeatedly.)

The contract being suspended is more of an issue when it comes to hourly contracts, because Upwork does not want you to bill further hours that may never get paid for, but isn't generally an issue for fixed rate contracts because that money has already been paid by the client. 

In SOME cases it is still an issue, but mostly it isn't. You probably have very little to lose there.

If the work is done, just submit for payment. What's the worst thing that can happen?

[#10]

Hi Petra,

Actually the project which I am working on is taking my too much time and if I submit my work and Do not get paid, It is  the worst thing that can happen. So I just want to make it clear that I will get my money before resume my work.

[#11]

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Hamid H wrote:

Hi Petra,

Actually the project which I am working on is taking my too much time and if I submit my work and Do not get paid, It is  the worst thing that can happen.

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OK, in that case don't because there aren't any absolute guarantees, and if there is significant work left to do, you might as well wait or walk away from the contract as the client requested. I thought you were done or nearly done because you asked about submitting for payment.

[#12]

I am nearly done. Now I am confused what will actually happen If I submit my work. What should I do now?

[#13]

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Hamid H wrote:

I am nearly done. Now I am confused what will actually happen If I submit my work. What should I do now?

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If the client just owes Upwork for some hourly job the client should be able to approve your milestone because escrow funds are specifically for the contract/person they were funded for. That is part of what escrow is. Meaning, Upwork couldn't grab that money and put it against what they're owed, it is money that can only either go to you or back to the payment method it came from.

I have done so myself and was paid as with any other contract. The client's account was resumed as well (afterwards though).

Unless the problem is actual fraud (such as a stolen credit card having been used) you'd likely get paid, either when the client releases the milestone or after 14 days. If you are nearly done you'd not invest significant amounts of time over and above what you have already invested?

[#14]

Is there any way to contact upwork team?

[#15]

Hamid H.,

Please come back to this thread to let us know how this has eventually worked out for you.

Thanks.

[#16]

Sure I will let you guys know.

[#17]

Hamid, has this problem been resolved for you?

[#18]

I talked with my client and he said the suspension of his account will not be lifted so I canceled that contract.

[#19]

I'm sorry to hear that, Hamid.

I hope you can avoid this sort of situation in your future projects.

Good luck!