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xandrei2772
Community Member

Hired someone to create a website, now they're barely responding should I cancel contract?

Long story short, hired somone to create me a website, we set 3 milestones each around 450$ as soon as i mentioned changing up the website in a way which makes everything cheaper for me as in contract wise(less wwork for the freelancer), the person stopped responding as regularly and started dragging time. the first milestone is coming up on the 5th of september and I dont want to pay if they're doing barely any work. Question is should I just cancel my contract?

 

Thanks

 

 

9 REPLIES 9
BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Sorry to hear you're having issues with a freelancer you hired, Jimmy.

 

I'll ask our support team reach out to you directly and assist with achieving mutual agreement with the freelancer.

 

Thank you for reaching out to us. 

~ Bojan
Upwork
feed_my_eyes
Community Member

If the first milestone isn't until Saturday, why do you think that they're not going to meet it? Your payment won't be released if they don't submit the work.

We don't know the freelancer's side of the story, so it's quite possible that they're not happy with your new plan to pay them less, but don't want to say so for fear of a bad review. It's not very professional behaviour to leave a client hanging, but many don't know how to gracefully exit a project that they're no longer interested in working on. Did you offer to negotiate about the payment? Maybe they don't even agree that it will be a lot less work.
prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "Question is should I just cancel my contract?"

 

Of course you should cancel the contract.

 

Why would you want to continue working with that freelancer?

 

They don't even want to work on your project.

 

If it was me... If I was the project owner, I would send a note to the freelancer:

 

"Isaac:
Thank you for your help with the project thus far, and for the ideas you have provided. Earlier on, we weren't sure about what direction we wanted to take this. We have a better idea about it now, and we are going in a different direction. Tomorrow I plan to close the contract - with my appreciation - while releasing $50 to you. If I don't hear from you or if you do nothing, I will assume that is okay with you. That way, you will be paid, but you won't need to do any further work. Thank you."

Preston, ease up. The first milestone is Saturday. You don't know for certain that the freelancer isn't going to deliver.


Preston H wrote:

Of course you should cancel the contract.

Why would you advise to cancel a contract 6 days before the deadline for the first milestone? Without knowing how much work the freelancer has put it so far? Offering just one ninth of the milestone?

 

Christine A wrote:
Preston, ease up. The first milestone is Saturday. You don't know for certain that the freelancer isn't going to deliver.

Giving advice that harms freelancers seems to be this week's mission. 

 

I recommend that the client pay an amount equivalent to the percentage of the milestone that has been completed thus far.

 

I have no way of knowing if that is $50 or $200 or $25, etc.

 

The example text I provided was meant to show the client how he can close the contract if he no longer wants to work with this freelancer on this project. The purpose of the example paragraph was not to provide an exact dollar figure.

 

If the client closes the contract, releases money for work done thus far, and is appreciative in his feedback, then the freelancer is not "harmed."


Preston H wrote:

 

If the client closes the contract, releases money for work done thus far, and is appreciative in his feedback, then the freelancer is not "harmed."


A freelancer is fired from a contract worth $1,350 - potentially for no good reason - and you don't think that's harmful?

 

Please, OP, try talking to your freelancer before doing anything drastic.


Preston H wrote:

I recommend that the client pay an amount equivalent to the percentage of the milestone that has been completed thus far.


You didn't say that. Not with a SINGLE word did you suggest anything of the sort. You said (for a contract with the first milestone not even due until Saturday)

 


Preston H wrote:

Of course you should cancel the contract.



Preston H wrote:

then the freelancer is not "harmed."


How is losing a $ 1000+ contract not harming the freelancer? 

 


Preston H wrote:

I have no way of knowing


Exactly. So why "Of course you should cancel the contract?"

 


Petra R wrote:

Preston H wrote:

I recommend that the client pay an amount equivalent to the percentage of the milestone that has been completed thus far.


You didn't say that. Not with a SINGLE word did you suggest anything of the sort. 

 


Yes, you may have meant to say that, but what came out was, "Throw him some pocket change and show him the door."

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