Suspended Contract

[snoviasaleem]

Hi Everyone,

I want to know that if you are working with a client who is not putting money in escrow and asking you to complete work. He says complete your work show me if it will  be ok then I will put money in escrow and finish milestone. In this way, you are stuck in a situation.

It was happening with me, I was thinking about what to do during this time my I got an email and my contract suspended. When I persued I found that he got the latest long long feedback from a good freelancer who was discussing the same issue in feedback and asking people not to work with him until he put money in escrow.

Now my contract is suspended by upwork, please suggest to me what to do now?

1. Should I wait for next upwork email?

2. Should I close the contract (as I have delivered work but he is not responding)?

Thanks,

Snovia

[michael_skaggs]

If the client isn't putting money into escrow, you shouldn't be doing any work for them. Period. Working without a funded milestone defeats the entire purpose, and the client is just trying to get free work from you.

From what you've told us, it seems like Upwork suspended the contract because of other issues with the client. I don't know exactly how it pans out if you close a suspended contract, but that could still allow them to leave feedback, which might not be positive if they're demanding free work and you haven't given it to them. For now, I'd wait and see what Upwork does. There's always a chance that the client gets their account suspended, in which case the entire contract might end up cancelled and not affect you at all.

[abinadab-agbo]

Hi!

In addition,

You can read more about the what makes up your JSS  and what kills the JSS.

[petra_r]

---

Snovia S wrote:

2. Should I close the contract (as I have delivered work but he is not responding)?

Thanks,

Snovia

---

Do not close the contract until you have been paid for the first milestone.

The client must have funded a first milestone to hire you, get that money first, before you close the contract.

There really is no need to rush into closing it anyway.

---

Abinadab A wrote:

You can read more about the what makes up your JSS  and what kills the JSS.

---

With the client (currently) suspended, the contract would (currently) be excluded from her JSS calculation anyway

[snoviasaleem]

First little startup milestone he paid, larger amount which is 80% he has not paid and took work. I know he will not pay. But I want a safe exit so that my JSS does not affect. (I will leave money just for sake of JSS whatelse I can do, I am struck)

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

---

Snovia S wrote:

First little startup milestone he paid, larger amount which is 80% he has not paid and took work. I know he will not pay. But I want a safe exit so that my JSS does not affect. (I will leave money just for sake of JSS whatelse I can do, I am struck)

---

In future, do not accept such nonsense...

As long as you have been paid something (released to you) I'd leave it open for the time being. Give the client a chance to go away and forget all about Upwork. The contract can't hurt you while it's open because you have been paid.

[abinadab-agbo]

From what the OP said, it's the contract that she knows is suspended, not the client.

She can't gurantee (or sit there hoping)  that the client will be suspended.

Since she's been paid anything from the contract, it's better for her to close it, rather than leave it open for the client to have a chance to sort out the issue that caused a suspension of the contract and come back and give terrible feedback to her.

[petra_r]

---

Abinadab A wrote:

From what the OP said, it's the contract that she knows is suspended, not the client.

---

A suspended contract means the client account is suspended.

---

Abinadab A wrote:

She can't gurantee (or sit there hoping)  that the client will be suspended.

---

The client is (currently) suspended. Suspended contracts are a result of the client being suspended (temporarily or permanently)

You also clearly missed the part where I said "currently" - right?

---

Abinadab A wrote:

Since she's been paid anything from the contract, it's better for her to close it, rather than leave it open for the client to have a chance to sort out the issue that caused a suspension of the contract and come back and give terrible feedback to her.

---

The client can "leave terrible feedback" whether the contract is suspended or not. The client is less likely to do so if allowed to gently fade away rather than being poked with the "The freelancer ended the contract, give feedback now!" stick.