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leeannmerrill
Community Member

after executing contract, client asked to pay me off Upwork - better to log hours or not?

I just need a tiny piece of advice.....

 

I started a new contract with a client and worked 4 hours until late on Sunday night (on my birthday - ha).  I forgot to log the hours before the work week ended. Yesterday I noticed the payment method was not verified and asked him to please complete that step. Today he said the company CFO asked if they cold pay me off Upwork, and I said no. I still haven't logged the four hours - is it better for me to do that now or refrain for any reason given the circumstances?

17 REPLIES 17
mtngigi
Community Member


Lee Ann M wrote:

I just need a tiny piece of advice.....

 

I started a new contract with a client and worked 4 hours until late on Sunday night (on my birthday - ha).  I forgot to log the hours before the work week ended. Yesterday I noticed the payment method was not verified and asked him to please complete that step. Today he said the company CFO asked if they cold pay me off Upwork, and I said no. I still haven't logged the four hours - is it better for me to do that now or refrain for any reason given the circumstances?


You should report the client for circumvention - in this situation maybe Upwork will let you close the contract without being penalized because of the client's behavior. You'll lose 4 hours ... so there's that.

 

I'll flag your post to get a mod's attention.

petra_r
Community Member


Lee Ann M wrote:

I just need a tiny piece of advice.....

 

I started a new contract with a client and worked 4 hours until late on Sunday night (on my birthday - ha).  I forgot to log the hours before the work week ended. Yesterday I noticed the payment method was not verified and asked him to please complete that step. Today he said the company CFO asked if they cold pay me off Upwork, and I said no. I still haven't logged the four hours - is it better for me to do that now or refrain for any reason given the circumstances?


You can't add hours for last week either way (only to this week)

If the client's payment method is not verified, you won't get paid anyway unless/until it is. An unverified payment method can not be charged for your hours.

 

Manual time with a new client is very risky.

 


Virginia F wrote:


You should report the client for circumvention - in this situation maybe Upwork will let you close the contract without being penalized because of the client's behavior. You'll lose 4 hours ... so there's that.


Nothing to penalize here. Either the client verifies their payment method and pays her on Upwork = problem solved, or the client does not verify their payment method/sort out their problem, then the client gets or stays suspended and contracts with suspended clients are excluded from the JSS calculation = problem solved.

mtngigi
Community Member

The client offered to pay her off-site ... that's not something that should be reported?

petra_r
Community Member


Virginia F wrote:

The client offered to pay her off-site ... that's not something that should be reported?


Personally I tend to give (especially new) clients the benefit of the doubt and the chance to do the right thing by explaining how it works and how all payments have to go through Upwork to them.

If they agree and behave, I let it go. If not, I report them (AFTER extricating myself from the relationship, obviously.)

 

What possible benefit would there be for me to get a client 1) suspended and 2) really angry at me when I have a contract with them?

 

 

a_lipsey
Community Member


@petra_r wrote:

Virginia F wrote:

The client offered to pay her off-site ... that's not something that should be reported?


Personally I tend to give (especially new) clients the benefit of the doubt and the chance to do the right thing by explaining how it works and how all payments have to go through Upwork to them.

If they agree and behave, I let it go. If not, I report them (AFTER extricating myself from the relationship, obviously.)

 

What possible benefit would there be for me to get a client 1) suspended and 2) really angry at me when I have a contract with them?

 


I have also had a few clients suggest this and have explained it's a violation of TOS, to which, mostly they just didn't realize and are fine staying on UpWork. One client though informed me that she takes everyone off of UpWork after the initial work and continued to pressure, to which I responded no again. I probably should have reported her. She declined to work with me further bc I wouldn't go off UpWork. I should note that I also had trouble getting her to fund milestones sufficiently ahead of time so I could begin work on them early enough to meet the external submission deadlines. 

 

I don't know if she left internal negative feedback. I suspect she did, although my JSS is above 90%, she was my only unsatisfied client and that wasn't because of my work quality but because she wouldn't play by the rules and then was upset when I set boundaries. Is it possible to find out if she left any bad feedback internally and have it removed? But also, is it even necessary, since I'm above 90% and top-rated? How often can we use that top-rated perk? Should I report her now and see if I can get the feedback removed regardless? I'm certainly not working with her again, but she was terrible to work with. 


I don't know if she left internal negative feedback. I suspect she did, although my JSS is above 90%, she was my only unsatisfied client and that wasn't because of my work quality but because she wouldn't play by the rules and then was upset when I set boundaries. Is it possible to find out if she left any bad feedback internally and have it removed? But also, is it even necessary, since I'm above 90% and top-rated? How often can we use that top-rated perk? Should I report her now and see if I can get the feedback removed regardless? I'm certainly not working with her again, but she was terrible to work with. 


https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/219801228

Requests may only be made every 3 months and after 10 or more completed contracts from the time you submitted your previous request

The other day the advice given to someone close to your situation was save it for the next one.


Mark F wrote:

I don't know if she left internal negative feedback. I suspect she did, although my JSS is above 90%, she was my only unsatisfied client and that wasn't because of my work quality but because she wouldn't play by the rules and then was upset when I set boundaries. Is it possible to find out if she left any bad feedback internally and have it removed? But also, is it even necessary, since I'm above 90% and top-rated? How often can we use that top-rated perk? Should I report her now and see if I can get the feedback removed regardless? I'm certainly not working with her again, but she was terrible to work with. 


https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/219801228

Requests may only be made every 3 months and after 10 or more completed contracts from the time you submitted your previous request

The other day the advice given to someone close to your situation was save it for the next one.


Thanks, Mark! Much appreciated! On to bigger/better clients with more respect for their business partners!

petra_r
Community Member


Amanda L wrote:

I don't know if she left internal negative feedback. I suspect she did, although my JSS is above 90%, she was my only unsatisfied client and that wasn't because of my work quality but because she wouldn't play by the rules and then was upset when I set boundaries.


That kind of client I *DO* report.... (after the contract is over)

 


Amanda L wrote:

1) Is it possible to find out if she left any bad feedback internally and have it removed?
2) But also, is it even necessary, since I'm above 90% and top-rated?
3) How often can we use that top-rated perk?
4) Should I report her now and see if I can get the feedback removed regardless?

1) No. Did your JSS drop at the update after the contract closed? When did the contract end (how long ago?) What public feedback did she leave?

2) You'd have to use your perk. The contract will fall out of your 6-month window 6 months after it closed, so depending on how long ago that was it may not even be worth it.

3) Once every 10 contracts and 3 months

4) I'd report her if you can prove she said she takes everyone off Upwork. People like that hurt us all. As do the freelancers who work with them.

 

 

a_lipsey
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Amanda L wrote:

I don't know if she left internal negative feedback. I suspect she did, although my JSS is above 90%, she was my only unsatisfied client and that wasn't because of my work quality but because she wouldn't play by the rules and then was upset when I set boundaries.


That kind of client I *DO* report.... (after the contract is over)

 


Amanda L wrote:

1) Is it possible to find out if she left any bad feedback internally and have it removed?
2) But also, is it even necessary, since I'm above 90% and top-rated?
3) How often can we use that top-rated perk?
4) Should I report her now and see if I can get the feedback removed regardless?

1) No. Did your JSS drop at the update after the contract closed? When did the contract end (how long ago?) What public feedback did she leave? - No public feedback. I don't recall my JSS before. 

2) You'd have to use your perk. The contract will fall out of your 6-month window 6 months after it closed, so depending on how long ago that was it may not even be worth it. Seems not worth it at this point.

3) Once every 10 contracts and 3 months Thanks

4) I'd report her if you can prove she said she takes everyone off Upwork. People like that hurt us all. As do the freelancers who work with them. I can prove it, I have it in writing. The only point to this at this point would be to save others from having to work with her and the violation of TOS and also that she can/could stiff them (she tried to stiff me). 

 

 


 

petra_r
Community Member


Amanda L wrote:


1) No. Did your JSS drop at the update after the contract closed? When did the contract end (how long ago?) What public feedback did she leave? - No public feedback. I don't recall my JSS before. 

2) You'd have to use your perk. The contract will fall out of your 6-month window 6 months after it closed, so depending on how long ago that was it may not even be worth it. Seems not worth it at this point.

3) Once every 10 contracts and 3 months Thanks

4) I'd report her if you can prove she said she takes everyone off Upwork. People like that hurt us all. As do the freelancers who work with them. I can prove it, I have it in writing. The only point to this at this point would be to save others from having to work with her and the violation of TOS and also that she can/could stiff them (she tried to stiff me). 



1) As it is impossible to leave private feedback without leaving public feedback on a contract with money paid she did not leave any feedback at all, so you must have ended the contract and the contract has no effect on your JSS at all.

 

2) Absolutely not

 

4) I would report her.

 


Mark F wrote:

But I a little iffy on rules and morals and stuff.


Ah, rules and morals and things.... I take a somewhat practical approach to those...

a_lipsey
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

 

4) I would report her.

 


Mark F wrote:

But I a little iffy on rules and morals and stuff.


Ah, rules and morals and things.... I take a somewhat practical approach to those...


Okay, when I get a free moment I'll send the correspondence over to UpWork support and let them deal with it. 

 

Thanks also for the note about the public and private feedback. I did not know that. You guys are so helpful! And sorry for hijacking the thread!

kbadeau
Community Member


Amanda L wrote:

@petra_r wrote:

Virginia F wrote:

The client offered to pay her off-site ... that's not something that should be reported?


Personally I tend to give (especially new) clients the benefit of the doubt and the chance to do the right thing by explaining how it works and how all payments have to go through Upwork to them.

If they agree and behave, I let it go. If not, I report them (AFTER extricating myself from the relationship, obviously.)

 

What possible benefit would there be for me to get a client 1) suspended and 2) really angry at me when I have a contract with them?

 


I have also had a few clients suggest this and have explained it's a violation of TOS, to which, mostly they just didn't realize and are fine staying on UpWork. One client though informed me that she takes everyone off of UpWork after the initial work and continued to pressure, to which I responded no again. I probably should have reported her. She declined to work with me further bc I wouldn't go off UpWork. I should note that I also had trouble getting her to fund milestones sufficiently ahead of time so I could begin work on them early enough to meet the external submission deadlines. 

 

I don't know if she left internal negative feedback. I suspect she did, although my JSS is above 90%, she was my only unsatisfied client and that wasn't because of my work quality but because she wouldn't play by the rules and then was upset when I set boundaries. Is it possible to find out if she left any bad feedback internally and have it removed? But also, is it even necessary, since I'm above 90% and top-rated? How often can we use that top-rated perk? Should I report her now and see if I can get the feedback removed regardless? I'm certainly not working with her again, but she was terrible to work with. 


I agree with Petra, both in that I give clients the benefit of the doubt if they suggest it once, because very few clients, new ones especially, seem to have no idea how this place works.

 

And I would DEFINITELY report someone who does it all the time. Maybe I'm in the minority but I think the 10% I pay to UW to handle all my billing is more than worth it.

florydev
Community Member


What possible benefit would there be for me to get a client 1) suspended and 2) really angry at me when I have a contract with them?


I can't think of one.  I am not even sure it is to Upwork's benefit if they are willing to not circumvent.  But I a little iffy on rules and morals and stuff.

I had a client hint at this, I said I thought freelancers who do this are short sighted and  since my outside rate is the same as my UW rate I am not sure how a client is benefited other than saving the 3%.  But I didn't report them because they just didn't know better.

 

florydev
Community Member

I think in this case the client was offering to pay her off books because she forgot to log the 4 hours, I am not sure, cannot be sure, that they were trying to circumvent UW.  The title makes it seem that way but what she is suggesting does not.

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Lee Ann, 


It looks like the communication was taken outside of the platform. If you haven't already, please report the client so that the team can review the client's account against the Terms of Service. 


~ Avery
Upwork

All is well now Upwork Community, thank you! They withdrew the request when I told them no. I'm afraid I didn't clarify my original post enough though - mostly I was wondering: if they had said no, would it be better to have a contract with 0 hours that needed to be canceled or a contract with 4 hours that needed to be canceled?


Lee Ann M wrote:

All is well now Upwork Community, thank you! They withdrew the request when I told them no.


Great! Much better this way: You get to earn money!

 


Lee Ann M wrote:

 if they had said no, would it be better to have a contract with 0 hours that needed to be canceled or a contract with 4 hours that needed to be canceled?


With 4 hours as 0 paid contracts can (mostly do) hurt your JSS. Contracts with something, anything paid on them tend to be JSS neutral even if closed without feedback or long term idle.

 

 

 

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