Urgent HELP! Clients changed the details, double works at the same bid

[e9e39fae]

Hi, I'me new coming here, NEED HELP!

1. Clients double the works but keep the same bid, but he said to me twice in the meeting room that keep the original work quantity. But I worry about this is not protected and cover the detail in the offer(contract).

2.We agreed with a sum, client put 3 milestone with the same sum, but he put a total as only one sum+100dollars，and only one milestone put IN Escrow. So i'm very worry about it. 

So does anything client said in the meeting room valid as whole contract?

Any one can help me? Thanks a lot!

[ifeyori_daniel]

Try clarifying this with the client. Call his attention to it, it could be an error.

[luqman_mak · Accepted solution]

You should only work for the amount of money deposited (funded) into the active milestone. 
Lets say you agreed for 10 jobs for $150 and your client made three milestones, each for $50 and then funded the first milestone with $50 - then only do jobs that are worth the $50, submit to your client and wait for them to fund the other milestone and so forth.
You would still be fulfilling your contract but keeping yourself safe at the same time by making sure you only work for what is under payment protection. 

[prestonhunter]

Here is an example I made up for illustrative purposes:

John is a client.

John asked me to do 4 modules, for $100, using a fixed-price contract.

While working on the task, John asked me to do 2 more modules, for a total of 6 modules.

I said: "Yes, I can do that. It is out of scope, so I can not do that as part of the original contract. You may release the money in escrow and close the current contract, and set up an hourly contract to pay for this work. This will be flexible, and you can ask for what you need."

John said he wanted me to do the extra work as part of the original contract and original price.

So I closed the contract myself, and I did not send him any files, and I did not do any more work.

A week later John set up an hourly contract and hired me to work on the project. I finished working on 6 modules for John and went on to do more work for him using the hourly contract. Before I did that, I required John to pay me $100 as a bonus payment, to cover the escrow money I refunded when I closed the original fixed-price contract myself.

I just don't believe in playing games with fixed-price contracts. I would rather lose money than become a client's indentured servant.

[prestonhunter]

No, clients can't do that.

If a client wants to change ANYTHING, then I recommend you stop working on the project.

Tell the client that he needs to release all money currently in escrow and set up an hourly contract.

Don't play games with clients asking for out-or-scope work. They are violating Upwork TOS.

[e9e39fae]

Thanks every Upstarter here, you are all so nice, and that's all helped me. I will do it as you all told me. Thank you all very much, and wish you all have a nice day 🙂