Trial Test Scam experience

de1ac251 · ‎12-12-2020

I have a Client with a 180$ Budget, She have a Good background so she got my trust. She talks so friendly so I though I was in a good hands. She immediately send a offer and we agree on the trial test for 15$, after I accept the offer she discuss the trial test and It is really hard, it is almost like a Job excactly. I have been working on it for almost 2 and half days to get it all done, so I though that it is the Whole job, then if she would love it she will pay fair, but to make sure I put a watermark on it. after she recieve my work, She loves it and ask for Unwatermarked Version, So I told her that this might be happen then she said that I will be working on other stuff, Since she have a good background I send over the Unwatermark Version and paid me for only 15$ which I fee so Unfair for my Other Clients and also for myself, But she said that she will talk to me about the agreements tomorrow morning but she did not response to me at all. Please someone help me report this client.

prestonhunter · ‎12-12-2020

When people hire you to do work for them, you don't put watermarks on the work that they commissioned from you. That is wrong.

If she set up a $15 task, then you do the work for $15 and you provide the work to her.

If you were discussing a larger project, one that you would charge $180 for, then that is how much should be funded in escrow before you accept the contract.

Clients can not change a task after it has been agreed to.

If the client hired you to create two A-27 files for $15, then that is what you do. And you don't watermark them.

If the client hires you to do two of these files for $15, and then changes her mind and says she needs 10 of them... you politely explain that she needs to release the payment for the first two files, and then if she wants more, you can discuss a contract for doing more.

de1ac251 · ‎12-12-2020

Do you get the whole Point here Mr. Preston? It was a "Trial Test", It is more wrong if I ask for a full payment for a trial test.. My work is Illustration, I have send her the Unwatermarked Version then she leaves paying only for the Trial test, also she said that I will be working for other stuff for me to complete the whole budget and ask me to send over the unwatermaked version, and she follows up that we will start in the next day but she did not respond to me at all next day. Also Who needs a Unwatermark version for a trial test? Most of my clients preffer to send a watermarked Version for a trial test so they can assure that it is my work.. TRIAL TEST is only to show the skills and to show that I can do the Job. You cannot say that it is wrong..

feed_my_eyes · ‎12-12-2020

Skyle A wrote:
Do you get the whole Point here Mr. Preston? It was a "Trial Test", It is more wrong if I ask for a full payment for a trial test..

Why? You say that the "trial test" required a great deal of time and effort, so why didn't you ask to be compensated fairly? If you agree to do a job for a small amount of money (whether it's called a "trial" or not), then you have only yourself to blame. If you're not happy with the amount of payment for the amount of work that you're doing, then don't accept the project in the first place.

kinector · ‎12-12-2020

This platform doesn't really recognize and trials or tests. The only thing that can be done is to set up a small project and execute it in full. That's the test, then. If the test project went OK, you can start a bigger project after closing the first one.

Watermarks and such things are acceptable elsewhere where there are no escrow services. Here on Upwork they are simply not needed.

By using watermarks you have created an impression that your not a real Upworker. Even if that is accidental. The client might have reacted badly because of that.

If you did more work than what your milestone was paying for, you can only blame your own business skills.

It doesn't look like the client did anything particular strange or tries to scam you.

Client starts a project with a funded milestone, you accept the offer, you do the work, you submit the milestone results, the client verifies the work is done correctly (and if not perfect, might ask for a revision which you would need to resubmit), and then releases the money from the escrow.

When done correctly, you would get a good review for a good job done.

All work you have submitted belongs to the client upon payment.

It is quite simple. Communication is the key and it doesn't take long to learn how this platform works. If you need to learn it the hard way, it is of course a but frustrating.

All guides about this platform were available to you before you started the work.

In your situation the only thing I would do is try to make sure my client is happy with the work and willing to write a good review. No point fighting about peanuts if that means putting your reputation in jeopardy.

petra_r · ‎12-12-2020

Skyle A wrote:
You cannot say that it is wrong..

You accepted a contract for whatever the "test" was at $ 15. It is your responsibility to check the deliverables carefully before accepting. If you accepted it and then asked for more money afterwards, it is the client who would be within their right to report YOU for "bait and switch". In other words, you did this entirely to yourself.

There is nothing to report the client for, at all.

abinadab-agbo · ‎12-12-2020

Hey. Remember to leave an honest review.

If you feel you've been double-dealt with, be sure to extract your pound of flesh to discourage such behaviour and make the marketplace a better one for everybody.

prestonhunter · ‎12-12-2020

re: "Please someone help me report this client."

I understand that you are feeling disappointed right now.

But based on everything I have read in your original post and in what else you wrote, I haven't been able to find any way in which the client broke any rules.

There is nothing that you can "report" the client for.

This appears to be a situation in which the freelancer did not fully understand how to use Upwork properly.

re: "then she said that I will be working on other stuff"

For future reference:
Experienced freelancers do not adjust our rates when a client says there will be more work in the future after we pass a "test" or "trial." We charge the right amount for the trial work.

If a client tells us:
"If you do this test for $15, after that I will pay you to work for me for 40 hours a week for 3 months and I will bake you a 6-layer cake decorated with your favorite animals expertly piped in buttercream"

...all we hear is this:
"I want you to do this task for $15"

ashrafkhan81 · ‎12-12-2020

Hey!

I hear you, I know exactly what you are trying to say but here is the catch!

Before you started to work on the project you knew:

- That it was a trail job

- That you'd be paid $15

- And that the job was big enough to be considered a full project with $180 value.

You knew all that before you started the job, and yet you started the job "hoping" she would pay a fair fee, so you took a risk and it did not pay off well. What you really should have done is, after getting the trail project details you should have informed her the task cannot be completed for $15 and you should have negotiated a fair price and only after getting a confirmation from her and Escrow funded you should start the job.

Now look at it from a different perspective, you have a client that likes your work and is willing to hire you for other projects so there won't be any more of those trail projects.

You learned a lesson so that you can be careful in future.

I don't think she scammed you either. Let's look at it from her perspective. She was clear in her communication, She offered a trail project for $15 and she sent the job details so you could have a look at it and you agreed. She paid what she promised. She did not promise to evaluate and pay a fair price, the price was fixed and she paid for it.

She got a deal. Be careful next time.

tlbp · ‎12-12-2020

Skyle A wrote:
I have a Client with a 180$ Budget, She have a Good background so she got my trust. She talks so friendly so I though I was in a good hands. She immediately send a offer and we agree on the trial test for 15$, after I accept the offer she discuss the trial test and It is really hard, it is almost like a Job excactly. I have been working on it for almost 2 and half days to get it all done, so I though that it is the Whole job, then if she would love it she will pay fair, but to make sure I put a watermark on it. after she recieve my work, She loves it and ask for Unwatermarked Version, So I told her that this might be happen then she said that I will be working on other stuff, Since she have a good background I send over the Unwatermark Version and paid me for only 15$ which I fee so Unfair for my Other Clients and also for myself, But she said that she will talk to me about the agreements tomorrow morning but she did not response to me at all. Please someone help me report this client.

I believe that you have found yourself in a situation where the client understands the language of contracts and the rules of the platform better than you and has used this to their advantage. Yes, it is unfortunate that you did more work than you wanted for the price--but you are presumably an adult and free to contract at will. So, you agreed to do it.

The way to avoid these situations is to be very careful about the language you use when negotiating and look at what is finally agreed with a skeptical eye. Did you at any time say anything that would communicate "I will only deliver a watermarked sample for $15"? You assumed that the words "trial" and "test" had specific meanings and acted on those meanings, but unless you and the client agreed to what those words mean--then you are stuck.
Before you agree to a contract, be very clear and in writing.
"Okay, client, we have agreed that for $X, I will deliver Y product or service. Delivery will be due by Z date and I will provide # revisions. Any additional edits or revisions will be charged at an hourly rate of $$."

Do a quick search of the forums here for other posts about clients who didn't pay or that the freelancer believes were scammers--read others' experiences so that you can become more familiar with what can go wrong with a contract and protect yourself.