Not enough funds to make a payment....?

[c2ac131d]

So I had a client who needed an urgent work done in 5 hours. He had hired 4 other freelancers for the same job (but I asumed it was to get multiple options in a short time).

I recieved no feedback on the work, weather he liked it or not. He just abruptly closed the contract. Okay, undertandable. Maybe he really was short on time and coludn't. 

Today I recieved a refund request from him stating - "Currently, my bank account does not have sufficient funds to make payments. However, on the 1st of August, I will receive my salary, and I assure you that I will promptly make all the pending payments."

This is the first time this has happened with me, any advice on what I should do next? 

[celgins]

This sounds like a scam.

A refund request implies a payment was made to you and the client is requesting the payment be returned. If you completed the job and was paid for it, and the client closed the contract, his bank account issues are not your concern and you should not submit a refund.

[c2ac131d]

Oh the Client actually closed the contract. And it says the payment is 'in review'. So does that mean that the payment has already been made on the client's behalf? 

[celgins · Accepted solution]

If the payment is in review, you will have to do what Anna said--wait until the issue is resolved. In the meantime, do not send a refund.

[anna_babicheva]

Do not refund! 

There's another post on the community forum with the same issue, it's a scam. 

Just ignore the client. Wait till the issue will be resolved. You will either not get paid at all, or Upwork will pay for your time if the time tracker was used correctly. But don't refund. 

[c2ac131d]

I just saw the other post. I believe I used the time tracker correctly and manually logged the hours for the work done on my iPad, as I had informed them earlier and even provided a separate screenshot of the activity log. However, to be absolutely sure, could you please clarify the checkboxes required for the time tracker to qualify for guaranteed payment on Upwork?

[spectralua]

Manual time is free time, won't be paid. Use only tracker to have protection.

[c2ac131d]

But what do i do when I need to sketch concepts? That can only be done on ipad or on paper. 

[spectralua]

This is question to Upwork. Them think that you must klicking like monkey at your PC with tracker. Anything else is not a work (covered by protection). You can accept this as-is or not, but you cannot bypass it.

[c2ac131d]

I guess they just can't launch a time tracker for tablet.