Where do I report my client who provided suspicious excuses for not paying?

[mconicx]

I've recently published my work for my contract and my client claims to be using their own private tool to verify whether the product matches their requirements and they claim that it does not. Their claims and excuses are nowhere near convincing and I would like to report that, since I myself cannot verify using their methods. The client did pay me in the end, but I'm not willing to take it as a bribe (Even if it seems unintented from their perspective).

I've got all the screenshots needed.

[prestonhunter]

re: "The client did pay me in the end, but I'm not willing to take it as a bribe"

If a client pays you for the work you were hired to do, that is not a bribe. That is what should happen.

If the client has already paid you, then why did you post this thread?

You can't report a client for paying you what he was supposed to pay you.

If you simply found a client to be annoying, then don't work for him again.

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re: "Where do I report my client who provided suspicious excuses for not paying?"

You can not report a client just because he sent you annoying excuse messages just prior to paying you.

There is no such thing as a "suspicious excuse for not paying."

There is only "paying" and "not paying."

There is only "freelancer is using Upwork correctly" and "freelancer is not using Upwork correctly."

When it comes time for me to pay my rent, the landlord does not care if my Upwork client said "blah blah blah" or if my Upwork client said "This that and the other."

Excuses don't matter.

Nobody wants to hear your client's excuses.

re: "I've got all the screenshots needed."

Nobody wants to look at your screenshots.

Some GENERAL CONCEPTS, not about your specific situation:

You always have the option to decide if you want to waste more time with a client or not.

You can close the contract yourself and if you haven't been paid for your work, you can walk away from the contract and keep your work for yourself.

Or you can tell your client he needs to pay now.

No matter what, you must always communicate in a polite and professional manner.

If necessary, if a client actually refuses to release an escrow payment for work that you did, you have the option to file a dispute:

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068528-Dispute-Non-Release-of-a-Milestone-Payment

[mconicx]

Thanks for the swift response, Preston.

I understand the "either do or don't" part of the terms for this service which I have agreed upon and do not want to bother with the conversation, which obviously concerns neither than the client and myself. This is not what it is all about, I apologize for scrambling my question out with many possible reduncancies.

I only fear that if I do not report suspicious activity, it might not end well on my end if a newer worker for my client suffers from something I could've reported to the staff and get it resolved.

I chose to intervene for my concern. If you claim that the successful payment itself is enough to walk away, and that nothing else should concern me about the client or their newer workers, then that is good news, we can go back to our duties. 🙂

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

You have nothing to worry about with regards to what happens between this client and other freelancers.

[mconicx]

Thank you so much, Preston. I hope you understand that I was only curious and feared for my account. I had to intervene. 🙂

[moonraker]

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Marko C wrote:

I only fear that if I do not report suspicious activity, it might not end well on my end if a newer worker for my client suffers from something I could've reported to the staff and get it resolved.

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How is it suspicious? 

[mconicx]

I've been provided with a link the client claims that it shows irregular behavior of the product, which I myself cannot verify through the link and have suspicion of it. However, during interrogation, they were very broad and I have my doubts. This is why I chose to report to someone who can assess to the situation. But if you think that I should not bother and that I will not suffer the consequences if I did not report, then we're good.

I can tell by other responses that I am being too paranoid haha, however, I had to ask just in case.

[moonraker]

Clients can close contracts for whichever reason they like. That you don't agree with the reason does not make it suspicious activity. 

[petra_r]

You did the work, you were paid in full, there is absolutely nothing to report the client for. Stuff like that is between you and the client.