What can I do when my client doesn't want to ...

Abu b · ‎03-04-2023

I was working with my client on a project and everything was going well but one day he asked me to proceed to work and he will create a new milestone and he did but he never activated the milestone and I didn't notice that because I trusted him. Due to this, I am about to lose $350 for my hard work. am I responsible for this laziness or Upwork can help me to recover my amount?

NOTE: The contract is still activated and I can see my client online but he never replies to me.

Noro T · ‎03-04-2023

If you worked on a milestone that was not funded, then you made a mistake. You used Upwork terms of service incorrectly. Upwork can not help you in such a situation. You are allowed to ask the client to pay you, but whether or not he pays you is up to him. Nobody can force him to. If you haven't submitted the work for the second millstone that should be good enough reason not to bother wait, until your client response to you about the second millstone.
Thanks.

Preston H · ‎03-04-2023

re: "What can I do when my client doesn't want to pay the money?"

It's fine. If the client doesn't want to pay more money, then you don't do more work.

re: "I was working with my client on a project and everything was going well but one day he asked me to proceed to work and he will create a new milestone and he did but he never activated the milestone and I didn't notice that because I trusted him."

Um... Okay.

You made a mistake.

If the client didn't create a new milestone, then you should not have done any more work.

The client is not obligated to create new milestones.
The client did nothing wrong.

re: "Due to this, I am about to lose $350 for my hard work."

Sorry.

Learn from your mistakes and don't make the same mistake again in the future.

re: "Am I responsible for this laziness?"

Yes.

You are 100% responsible for this.

This is your fault.

re: "Can Upwork help me to recover my amount?"

No.

Upwork won't do anything.
Don't contact them.

Upwork doesn't think the client did anything wrong.

re: "NOTE: The contract is still activated and I can see my client online but he never replies to me."

Do not look to see if the client is "online" or not.

Do not send messages to the client.

You should close the contract.

Abu b · ‎03-04-2023

Hi Preston, thanks for your reply.

Are you from Upwork offocial team?

If not, how do you know that the client is not obligated to create the new milestones?

If this is my fault, is the client still innocent? who deliberately got more work from me without paying me.

Maria T · ‎03-04-2023

Abubakar A wrote:
Hi Preston, thanks for your reply.
Are you from Upwork offocial team?
If not, how do you know that the client is not obligated to create the new milestones?
If this is my fault, is the client still innocent? who deliberately got more work from me without paying me.

The customer is not required to create new milestones, but if they don't after saying they would, they're just a crook.
Apart from this, you are the one who should worry that the milestone is really created and financed before starting work, here the fault is yours.
Preston is right. Upwork can't do anything. If the milestone was not created and financed, for them it does not exist.
But, the work you did for that "second milestone" cannot be used by the client. You should warn him.

Abu b · ‎03-05-2023

Hi, Maria thanks for the reply. yes, I know the fault is mine. but Preston was trying to say that the client is still innocent. that's what I have assumed from his reply. because as he has mentioned my fault, he should have mentioned about client's scam.

Christine A · ‎03-04-2023

Abubakar A wrote:
Hi Preston, thanks for your reply.
If not, how do you know that the client is not obligated to create the new milestones?

This screen appears every time that you accept a fixed price contract, and you have to check a box saying, "Yes, I understand". (See the part that I underlined in red.) If you don't use Upwork correctly, you won't get paid. You need to protect yourself and not just "trust" clients.

Abu b · ‎03-05-2023

Hi Christine. thanks for your reply. you are right. I should have not trusted him or should have not started the work without getting my milestone funded.