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chindryross
Community Member

Refund request after completed the project

Hi, I can’t sleep with the problem I have now because a client of mine had ended the contract and requesting for a refund.All communications are good at that time until it comes that he’s no longer communicating on me and after a month he ended the contract. As a firstimer on this, I ask the client why he’s requesting when I already finish the work and completed the task. I really don't have the knowledge that I need to file dispute for disapproval of request. I really don’t know about this because there are no instructions on the ended contract. Now, my problem is I saw that the refund request is alreadt approved. What shall I do no now? It’s very unfair because I already finish my work for that client, it’s just that I didn’t know that I need to file a dispute on that. Need help!

13 REPLIES 13
prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "Refund request after completed the project"

 

Without actually reading your message yet, but just reading the subject heading, I can tell you this:

 

Nearly all refund requests that I read about in the Forum represent unethical, unprofessional, immoral behahavior on the part of the client.

 

When a client hires a freelancer to work for them, and then the freelancer works for them and gets paid, that is supposed to be the end of it.

 

This is not a unique or unusual concept. This is how "work" and "pay" has been conducted for thousands of years.


The fact that there may be a button or method through which a client can ask for a refund does not justify a client trying to steal money from a freelancer.

 

Regardless of what you do going forward, it is important to understand the moral footing that you are on in this situation.

 

Did a client ask you for a refund?
The basic answer to what you do next is:
If you did the work, you should not give the client a refund.

 

Is the contract ALREADY CLOSED?
If the contract is already closed, then the client has no way to leave you feedback based on whether or not you provide a refund. The feedback HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN and can't change.

 

You said that the client already ENDED THE CONTRACT.
That means the client has very little leverage here.

 

YOU NEED TO BE POLITE and professional in you communications at all times. But that does not mean you need to send the client money.

 

re: "Now, my problem is I saw that the refund request is already approved. What shall I do no now?"


Well, if the refund request is already approved, then you have simply been notified. And there is nothing left for you to do.

 

There is no reason for you to communicate with the client at all if the refund has already been processed.

 

Note that sometimes Upwork uses the word "refund" in situations where it never actually obtained money from the client, but it tried to charge the client's credit card and failed to do so, or there was a credit card-based chargeback or clawback of funds, perhaps because the credit card was stolen and was being used fraudulently.

 

What kind of work did you do on this contract?

It's a milestone contract where I do video editing.

 

Here's a message I got:

08381B9C-5890-4E0B-B73E-4AF118142A07.jpeg

0218FE6A-6D66-4E60-AFF4-0F5B17A480A5.jpegWhat's the meaning of this? 

 

 I immediately ask the client as to why he requested a refund and just wait on his reply. I did nothing like "filing a dispute"  I just realized it when a friend of mine who's a upwork freelancer too tells me. Is there a chance that I could file a dispute?

 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Any help?

 

 I immediately ask the client as to why he requested a refund and just wait on his reply. I did nothing like "filing a dispute"  I just realized it when a friend of mine who's a upwork freelancer too tells me. Is there a chance that I could file a dispute?

martina_plaschka
Community Member

There are pieces missing, but it seems after you requested payment for the milestone, there was money left in escrow. Or you never requested payment. 

In the first case, of course the client should get money back, if there are no more tasks.

In the second case, you need to use upwork as intended to get paid, meaning submit for payment when you send the work. 

Not sure what case applies, it's a bit unclear from your account. But what happened for sure is you clicked accept to the refund request, otherwise it wouldn't show up like that. 

**Edited for community guidelines**

Oh, So I think that was the last milestone. He just activated it but did'nt complete this work because he does not give me the files to work on. But why is that it appears that upwork will going to refund from 1st milestone up to last milestone? I completed the 1st-8th milestone. The 9th was the only pending

Did you submit the work you were doing though the 'submit work for payment' for each milestone?
How were you submitting the completed works? In the screenshot you attached it only shows the milestones being activated and paid for.

I did not click accept at all. I did nothing at all, I did not respond to the refund request because I am just waiting on the clients response. After 5 days it automatically approved and don't have idea why. 

You did not work on the milestone. The money is escrow was refunded. 

You want to get money for not working? This is not what upwork intends. You only get money when you worked. 

There is nothing to dispute. You might consider apologising to the client. He might be either puzzled, or very annoyed, or anything in between. 

Read up how upwork words to avoid further missteps and risk losing clients. 

Hey, I did all the works! He is even happy with my works. 

When you submit work to a client through your contact page, the client has 14 days to respond to the payment request otherwise it gets automatically approved. I suspect the same is the case when a client asks for a refund, that is, if you dont decline - it does so automatically after a certain amount of time

I just upload the files on his folder and tell him that everything was already one. I forget to put it on submit work for payment. In this case like this, what will happen? 😭 I'm just a freelancer who don't really how this works

What will happen is when the client ends the contract, an automatic request to return money still in escrow is created. Exactly what happened in your case. 

You should now read all about how upwork functions, so you can avoid missteps like this in the future. There is no short-cut to doing your homework. 

The contract is ended, you can't submit anything any longer. The client can still pay you a bonus. 

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