Haven't heard from company since I signed contract

[hedy_w]

I accepted a contract on 1/21 and have not heard from the person I was communicating with since then.  I wrote them several messages because they were supposed to send me a link.  I know it isn't a scam because they have hired before on Upwork.  I was going to contact Upwork about it.  I think Upwork is supposed to get back to me by email.  If this person doesn't want to use me, then they should tell me.  I wrote the client this. 

[feed_my_eyes]

So it's only been three days, and two of those days were over the weekend? I think that it's way too soon to be worrying about this, and it's certainly not necessary to send them several messages. It sounds like the client has other priorities and isn't in a rush, so you'll need to work at their pace, since it's their project. Upwork can't force them to get back to you more quickly.

[hedy_w]

I know what you're saying, but she was usually good at getting back to me the same day and within hours.  The other thing is that since this is my first contract, if a client doesn't want to use you anymore, do they end the contract or somehow let you know?  I just don't want to be left hanging and not knowing.  I didn't say anything about Upwork forcing them to get back to me quickly.  I was mostly going to contact Upwork to find out more about what happens if someone doesn't want to use you. 

[colettelewis]

You don't know that your client doesn't want to hire you.  Just give it another few days and in the meantime, apply for other jobs until you hear back from her. 

Was this an hourly  or fixed-price contract? 

[hedy_w]

I accepted the job on Friday and it is hourly. 

[colettelewis · Accepted solution]

So, unless you have any work you can start on, just leave it and wait for the client to contact you and apply for other other jobs. You don't need to hang around waiting, and if you get another job, you can let this client know, that you have put her job on hold until she is ready to give you some work. However, I would still allow her another couple of days.  

[martina_plaschka]

Don't go to upwork to contact the client for you. This can't go over well with the client. Probably would feel like being called into the principals office. 

Experienced professionals don't do that. Wait until you hear from the client, and if you don't, find other jobs. Finding other jobs is what you should be doing anyway. Who knows what happened? Nobody. Maybe the client doesn't need your services any longer. That's fine. Both parties can end a contract at any time. 

[hedy_w]

But if they don't want to use you, do they somehow let you know?  I don't want to be left hanging.  You're making it sound like all the balls are in the clients' courts.  If someone doesn't want to use someone, the freelancer should be told and not be left hanging.  That is the professional way.  I've been doing this for a long time, but not on Upwork and this is a totally different world from working in the real world. 

[feed_my_eyes]

It would certainly be polite and professional if they let you know, but they don't always do so. If you don't want to be left waiting for the client to give you instructions, you can ask them to give you all of the information and materials before you accept a project, then when someone does hire you, you can get started right away.

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Hedy W wrote:

You're making it sound like all the balls are in the clients' courts.  

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The ball IS in the client's court at this point - if they're busy today and would rather send information to you later this week, they have every right. But you also have every right to take on other projects and not be sitting by your computer waiting for them.

[hedy_w]

I don't care if they want to wait a week to send me information.  I just want to make sure they still want to use me.  Someone else on here said that if they wanted to end the contract that they would tell me, but you're saying that sometimes they don't tell you.  So you're saying that they could decide not to use you, but not necessarily end the contract? 

[feed_my_eyes]

A client does not have to inform you if they're not going to go forward with the project, but it would be very unusual, in my experience. In any case, they know where to find you, so there's no need to keep sending them messages.

[hedy_w]

I mention this because she was responding so regularly and it seemed unlike her to wait this long, even though it isn't that long for anyone else. 

[jr-translation]

Are you saying you have been freelancing for a long time? It does not feel like it.

As others have pointed out, it was weekend. The client expressed the desire to work with you by sending you an offer. Probably the last thing they did on Friday. Noone left you hanging and their behaviour is entirely professional.

On the other hand I would not be surprised if the client no decides to cancel the contract and hire someone else. You get a message when that happens.

[hedy_w]

They sent the contract on Thursday and I accepted Friday morning, so actually it was Thursday when I last heard from them.  I think they are looking for quite a few people and I'm not the only one.  I have been freelancing, but not on this platform and it is not what I'm used to and different from any other platform I have ever worked on.  I'm not used to so many rules.  The woman asked me for my email and I told her I couldn't give it to her unless I had a contract.  The company has hired on Upwork before though.  I was concerned I asked her the wrong question and she got offended somehow. 

[ericaandrews]

Honestly, if it's only been 3 days - 2 of them over the weekend, I wouldn't panic. If the client WANTED to cancel the contract, they would have.  Since they haven't yet, I wouldn't panic. Clients are regular folks that 'life' happens to the same as us: They could be sick, had a family emergency,  chaos in the office, etc or any number of things that would prevent them from getting back to you.   I would give it at least a week before assuming anything.  And, yes, if a client issues a contract and later decides not to use you, they have every incentive to 'cancel' or 'end' the contract, which will immediately send you a notification the contract ended.  The reason: The client has some of their money tied up in the Upwork 'escrow' either for milestone or hours for the week to fund your work. The only way the client can 'recover' their money out of the escrow is to end the contract (or file a dispute regarding work completed, which doesn't apply to your particular situation.)    If you were a client, would you fund a contract or milestone for hundreds or thousands of dollars and then just 'abandon' your own money and walk away?  Probably not.

I had a client 'disappear' like that in the past for 2 weeks right before a project was due to kick off, and when she returned she explained to me that she had gone into labor earlier than expected and had her first baby.  LOL  Either way, don't panic and be patient.

[hedy_w]

Thanks for your reply.  This is my first contract and I didn't know if they had to inform you if they weren't going to use you, but you said they would tell you.  That's good to know that they wouldn't just disappear and not tell you.