How can this be fair? Impact on job success score when closing contract due to rude client

[hannah_campbell]

Yesterday I entered into a contract with a new client. After accepting the offer, I noticed that his payment method was showing as "not yet verified". When I asked politely about this, he told me that he needed to verify a new credit card and that I should "not worry" and should begin work immediately regardless.

I politely informed him that according to Upwork guidelines, I would begin work once he had verified his payment method . The payment method continued to show as "unverified" for the rest of the day.

This morning, I received an extremely rudely worded email stating that he expects trust from a working relationship and that by refusing to start yesterday due to a "triviality" I had shown him none.

Naturally, by this point, I was no longer interested in working with him. I emailed support to ask if they could close the contract (no hours logged yet) based on the messages exchanged and to exclude it from my job success score. They said that unless the client had been suspended from the platform, he or I would have to end it and the private feedback would count towards my job success score as usual. I presume the fact of me ending it (rather than him) would also hurt me.

Of course, he has no job success score to be affected by my private feedback.

HOW IS THIS FAIR?

[yitwail]

Hannah, you have my sympathy. This wouldn’t happen if clients had to verify payment before they can make a contract offer but there must be a rationale for the status quo.

[melaniekhenson]

Blah...editing...I must be tired...what I wrote doesn't make much sense. 😉 OP...keep trying. I get that it feels unfair, because you didn't MEAN to make this mistake, and no, you can't be expected to automatically trust an absolute stranger (weird that he'd think you should). I get it, I do...but a lot of us have done things like this, near the beginning...or just randomly even though we thought we'd read UP's TOS thoroughly. It happens and nothing will be perfect in the world of freelancing. Just move forward and build a reputation. Freelancing is a mixed bag; you will get all different attitudes from all different people. Hang in there.

[jojomo]

It's not fair Hannah but I'm sure you have learned a valuable lesson for next time. 

Always double-check to make sure their payment is verified prior to accepting an offer especially if they are new to the platform and if the contract is a fixed rate contract.

We all make mistakes, myself included... just learn from it and move on! 

Best of luck!

[colettelewis]

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@Hannah C wrote:

Yesterday I entered into a contract with a new client. After accepting the offer, I noticed that his payment method was showing as "not yet verified". When I asked politely about this, he told me that he needed to verify a new credit card and that I should "not worry" and should begin work immediately regardless.

I politely informed him that according to Upwork guidelines, I would begin work once he had verified his payment method . The payment method continued to show as "unverified" for the rest of the day.

This morning, I received an extremely rudely worded email stating that he expects trust from a working relationship and that by refusing to start yesterday due to a "triviality" I had shown him none.

Naturally, by this point, I was no longer interested in working with him. I emailed support to ask if they could close the contract (no hours logged yet) based on the messages exchanged and to exclude it from my job success score. They said that unless the client had been suspended from the platform, he or I would have to end it and the private feedback would count towards my job success score as usual. I presume the fact of me ending it (rather than him) would also hurt me.

Of course, he has no job success score to be affected by my private feedback.

HOW IS THIS FAIR?

---

 _________________________

There is a small workaround on this. Provided you have not got too many dormant ongoing contracts, do not close this contract yet. Just let it ride until you have had two or three really good contracts with good feedback and then close it. You can leave tepid feedback when you do close it. So too so can this client, but at least you will have a little cushion with the two or three good contracts so that your JSS will not be too heavily dinged.

I would also make a point of complaining to CS officially about his unacceptable rudeness and the fact his payment was unverified - particularly as Upwork always  sends (or used to send) a message to the freelancer warning them not to start work until payment has been verified.

[m_terrazas]

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@Nichola L wrote:

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@Hannah C wrote:

Yesterday I entered into a contract with a new client. After accepting the offer, I noticed that his payment method was showing as "not yet verified". When I asked politely about this, he told me that he needed to verify a new credit card and that I should "not worry" and should begin work immediately regardless.

I politely informed him that according to Upwork guidelines, I would begin work once he had verified his payment method . The payment method continued to show as "unverified" for the rest of the day.

This morning, I received an extremely rudely worded email stating that he expects trust from a working relationship and that by refusing to start yesterday due to a "triviality" I had shown him none.

Naturally, by this point, I was no longer interested in working with him. I emailed support to ask if they could close the contract (no hours logged yet) based on the messages exchanged and to exclude it from my job success score. They said that unless the client had been suspended from the platform, he or I would have to end it and the private feedback would count towards my job success score as usual. I presume the fact of me ending it (rather than him) would also hurt me.

Of course, he has no job success score to be affected by my private feedback.

HOW IS THIS FAIR?

---

 _________________________

There is a small workaround on this. Provided you have not got too many dormant ongoing contracts, do not close this contract yet. Just let it ride until you have had two or three really good contracts with good feedback and then close it. You can leave tepid feedback when you do close it. So too so can this client, but at least you will have a little cushion with the two or three good contracts so that your JSS will not be too heavily dinged.

I would also make a point of complaining to CS officially about his unacceptable rudeness and the fact his payment was unverified - particularly as Upwork always  sends (or used to send) a message to the freelancer warning them not to start work until payment has been verified.

---

 +10

[cdstallcup]

To tack on to Nichola's post - I recommend leaving very tepid feedback on the client. Otherwise, when you see their feedback, if it's negative on you, you look at fault (IMO) if your feedback on them was positive. Also - as another freelancer, I very much appreciate knowing your experience with them wasn't stellar. I'm sorry this happened - I've had a few hard lessons on client manipulation, too. Not fun.

Denise

[kat303]

Hannah - I wonder if you could report this client, not only for rudeness but for refusing to verify his account. It doesn't make sense when a client refuses to verify their account, After all, Upwork tells freelancers not to work unless a client's account is verified for both fixed and hourly jobs, and escrow funded for fixed rate jobs. Why would Upwork allow a client's account to be "ok" if after a freelancer is hired, the client won't verify. If a client won't verify their account and a freelancer is "forced" to close the account specifically because of that, and especially if the freelancer has hardcopy of the communication, that the freelancer should be penalized.

This clients account should be suspended because of their faliure. It's obvious this client is a scammer and does not intend to pay for the work.