Fixed price contract closed due to inactivity. What should I do now??

[data_achiever]

Hi everyone,

Due to inactivity for a long time, one of my fixed-price contract is ended from Upwork and Upwork sent me a refund request. I and the client are working on another project. What should I do? Should I approve returning the remaining funds in escrow to the client or should I do not approve this request and want to file a dispute??

If I approve refund request then, will it affect my Upwork job success?

If I don't approve request and file a dispute then will I get contract amount(I already did 70 to 80% work)?

Please help or guide me.

Thank you,

Vicky

[tinker_bell3]

Hi Vicky,

I checked your account, and it looks like one of our team members already updated your ticket, providing more information regarding your concern with this contract. I'll follow-up with the team that's handling your case, and they'll update you directly on the same ticket. Thank you. 

[a_lipsey · Accepted solution]

Whatever you do make the client at least pay you $1 on the contract. If you don't, and you refund, and it's a no earnings contract, it will tank your JSS. Customer Support won't tell you that, but it will. No earnings contracts closed with no earnings TANK your JSS. So you can refund all but $1 or ask the client to release $1 to you so at least you have some earnings on the contract and it doesn't kill your JSS. This happened to me. I closed a contract on advise of Customer Support and they never advised me that it would kill my JSS. 

[data_achiever]

Thank you, I've already done 70 to 80% work of that contract and my client is a great person and we have a very good business relationship. So, if I ask him for full amount payment then I am sure he will pay me full amount. So, can I do this instead of 1$ process etc?? 

[prestonhunter]

If you have done 70% of the work, then ask for 70% of the payment.

[a_lipsey]

Ask for as much payment as you can, just don't let it close without any payment.

[data_achiever]

Thank you, Amanda. If I choose do not approve refund request and want to file a dispute option. Then what will happen? Will I get full payment of that contract? Or it will affect my JSS??

[data_achiever]

Hi Amanda,

Thank you very much for guiding me. He has paid me 1$ now can I choose I approve returning the remaining funds in escrow to the client option??

[feed_my_eyes]

You can, but if you did 80 per cent of the work, why are you settling for $1? Amanda's advice was to request AT LEAST $1, not that you should only request that amount.

[data_achiever]

Yeah, you are right, Christine but currently we are working on another fixed project so in this project he will pay me the amount for the previous contract. Now, I have a doubt. Can I request or ask for private feedback to my clients as we know clients can give 2 feedbacks one private and one public? And I think by giving only public feedback my JSS will not increase. 

[feed_my_eyes]

Your client will automatically have to give you both public and private feedback if he closes the contract, but soon Upwork will start "weighting" feedback according to the value of a project. So your feedback on a $1 contract won't help your JSS much.

[prestonhunter]

re: "can I choose I approve returning the remaining funds in escrow to the client option?"

Yes.

[vlass-dm]

Thank you very much for your advice!
Upwork closed my two-year contract with several successful milestones due to inactivity.
My client and I planned to continue working further. He has already sent me a new offer.
Do I need to keep 1$ for myself in this situation, and return the rest to the client?
How do I do it technically, where to click? Do I need to open a dispute for this? Or it is more convenient for my client to do this, although he also does not know how to do it.

[petra_r]

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Mariia V wrote:

Thank you very much for your advice!
Upwork closed my two-year contract with several successful milestones due to inactivity.
My client and I planned to continue working further. He has already sent me a new offer.
Do I need to keep 1$ for myself in this situation

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No, you don't, because you were previously paid under that contract. It's only an issue if nothing was (ever) paid.

[vlass-dm]

That is, I can safely approve the refund without falling JSS?
Perhaps it is better to first accept the new offer, and then approve a refund?

[petra_r]

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Mariia V wrote:

That is, I can safely approve the refund without falling JSS?

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Yes you can.

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Mariia V wrote:

Perhaps it is better to first accept the new offer, and then approve a refund?

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That would make no difference in any way-

[vlass-dm]

Petra, thank you very much, my JSS has not decreased, everything is in order.
Health to you and all community members!