If I make file a dispute can contractor leave review/rating on my profile?

[alekstojak]

Hello everyone.

I have an unresponsive client that hasn't talk to me since March. I have done 90% of the work, and when I was finishing the work, he told me that they are turning off their website for a while.
He didn't turn it off but I didn't make a fuss about it. It's his business.
Anyway, he filed a dispute for the work I did and never replied to any messages I sent him. He was responsive at the beginning though.
I see him online but he just ignores me.

If I file the dispute with Upwork, will he be able to leave a review on my profile? Because he will rate me low on purpose if I bill my work.
I have a good profile on Upwork and client comments and ratings say the rest.

I am just concerned about him leaving his review and rating as it will ruin my overall rating.

Thank you in advance.

Aleksandra

[prestonhunter]

re: "I have an unresponsive client that hasn't talk to me since March."

Hasn't talked to you since March?

If the client is truly gone, then there will be no reason to file a dispute.

And there will be no need to worry about feedback. If the client is completely gone you can close the contract yourself and the client will never leave feedback.

re: "I have done 90% of the work, and when I was finishing the work, he told me that they are turning off their website for a while."

You should have clicked the Submit button a LONG time ago.

Click it now.

If you don't want to ask for 100% of the payment, then edit the amount to be 90%.

re: "Anyway, he filed a dispute for the work I did and never replied to any messages I sent him. He was responsive at the beginning though."

Now I am confused. He already filed a dispute? AND you want to file a dispute?

What kind of contract is this? Hourly or fixed-price?

re: "Because he will rate me low on purpose if I bill my work."

If there is any payment for this contract, it is possible that the client can leave public feedback. Not guaranteed that he will. But possible. If you receive zero pay for the contract, it will be impossible for the contract to appear in your work history. That means public feedback won't appear.

re: "I am just concerned about him leaving his review and rating as it will ruin my overall rating."

If that is what you are concerned about, then close the contract now, and don't tell him you are doing so. There is a chance he does nothing and you never get any feedback.

[alekstojak]

Hi Preston.

Thank you for your response.

The client is active. I can see when he is online and he has other jobs open.
I didn’t finish our contract as I thought he will definitely need my help with setting up things for his emails for the store.

And now he is closing the job and he want’s the money is the escrow back. We have fixed price contract. He wants everything back.
I have messages that I wrote him about what I did and all my work and his replies as well.

Just I am worried if I file a dispute for him to pay me for my work, he will want to get a revenge by giving me low rating and who knows what kind of testimonial.

I would like to talk to him and clear this up but he is not responding to my messages.

He seemed to be a nice guy.

[prestonhunter]

You need to decide if you want the money or if you want 100% certainty that he won't leave bad public feedback.

If he already closed the contract then he already left feedback, and can't change that feedback. The private feedback is what affects JSS and you can't change that.

If you agree to his refund request, then there will be no way for his public feedback to appear in your work history.

If you want a chance at receiving the money, then you need to say no to the refund request. That will create a dispute, and you can block him from receiving the escrow funds.

Note that if you DO get his public feedback on your profile page, you can later issue a refund for what he paid you and that will remove the public feedback. (But that won't remove private feed and its impact on JSS.)

==========

If he hasn't initiated closure of the contract yet, then do this:

If you want the money, stop trying to talk to him. Click the Submit button. Send the files.

If he clicks the button to request changes, then dispute.

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068528-Dispute-Non-Release-of-a-Milestone-Payment

If you want 100% certainty that he won't leave public feedback, then close the contract now and release all escrow money back to the client.