Scaming client,please help!

[Damir G]

Hi there

i have a problem withe a client , and i think that he want s to scam me whot should i do?

The thing is at the beggining he told he had a basic video editing, and i said ok no problem, and then at the middle of a project he wanted to add a ton of things that we did not agreed on and it was not on a job post, he wanted me to do smoething withe after effect wich is alot more complicated.

I said i can do that but for a higher price and that i will need more time and to add 4 more days to end project.

He agreed, and he added 2 more days, and told me to send him low quality renders so it goes faster.

So i sent him first example of how i understood he wanted project to be done , he did not like some parts and asked me to change taht, so i did it, and agin he did not like something so i was basicly chaging whot he wanted for 7-8 days.

Finaly today i editted everything like he asked, and he tells me that i am too late withe work and that he wants me to send him all the files  that i have worked on so he can edit it.

And i said to him no, i will change whot you need. And then he said that he has rights for my files that i editted his material and wahts main editted file.

I think that this is a obvious scam and that he doesent want to pay for job done, whot do i do can anyone please help me?

[Petra R]

Are you hired - is it hourly or fixed rate? If fixed rate, is it fully funded?

[Damir G]

 yes i am for 2 weeks now, it is fixed rate and no only 50% is founded.

[Preston H]

Damir:

There are two important aspects of this situation:

1) The client is behaving inappropriately. He is not respecting the meaning of a fixed-price contract. We do not know for certain if he is doing this out of willful intent, or out of ignorance. Either way, it is not acceptable to treat a fixed-price contract as an hourly contract.

2) You are rather new on Upwork, and at this time you have not yet a complete understanding of how to handle fixed-price contracts and how to avoid allowing clients to engage in "scope creep." It takes practice and some study for a contractor to really get a handle on this. I would advise to to read more about fixed-price contracts by doing a search on the subject in the Community Forum.

[Irina S]

But what does mean the "fixed-price" contract? If I make a logo, for example, for fixed price, I correct it if the client wants. If the client doesn't like what I have done, he will put me low rating. 

[Anil K · Accepted solution]

I always start my work with 100% upfront ESCROW Funding and always provide work with watermark until I got paid.

So best solution for you is to ask your client to first fund the remaining 50% and told him that its your policy not to send open source files until you get paid. 

In meanwhile, CONTACT customercare and raise a ticket in this regard. But first ask your client to fund Escrow otherwise Upwork will also not be able to help you in this regard.

[Irina S]

Now I understood how it is important to have 100% escrow. I have a project for $200, only $50 was funded.... The client dissappeared and besides, I have seen that he is already using what I have done. So, all I will have from this - $50 (((

[Valeria K]

Hi Irina,

In order to avoid not being paid for your work, make sure that you don't submit work if the milestone is not funded. Before starting working on that part of the assignment, make sure the client funds at least that respective milestone if not the whole budget.

[Preston H]

These matters are best handled between contractor and client.

There really is no need to open a customer support ticket about something like this.

[Tiffany S]

On a side  note, he is mistaken or lying to you about his right to the files you've created. He has no legal right to your work unless he has compensated you for it as agreed.

That said, he does own the source material, so you also cannot use those files in any other way.