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angloo
Community Member

cancel contract (as a freelancer)

I can't believe this is not a topic. I accepted a contract with very vague instructions, and the more I learned about it, the more time I realized it would take for the project, and the less worth it it would be for me to do it. No money has changed hands as yet. I wrote the client without reply 9to cancel, not previously) thus far. There does not appear to be an option to cancel the contract from the POV of the freelancer.  I do not wish to leave her a poor review (although she grossly underestimated how much time it would take), and I want to be able to wipe the slate clean so I can move on to other work. Please advise.

I am still pretty new to Upwork. I have applied to probably 30 jobs and landed a total of 1, and there was a problem with that one as well (since resolved).

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
ericaandrews
Community Member

Yes. You absolutely can end a contract as a freelancer at any time.

 

Here are the exact steps for cancelling a contract as a freelancer.  (I don't know if the instructions that were provided on how to cancel as a 'client' will work when logged in as a freelancer, since the screens are different.)

 

1. Use a WEB BROWSER, not a phone/tablet

 

2. Go here:

ericaandrews_0-1675284452300.png

 

3. Next, do this:

ericaandrews_3-1675284674856.png

 

 

4. Then, do this:

ericaandrews_2-1675284497161.png

 

View solution in original post

15 REPLIES 15
prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "There does not appear to be an option to cancel the contract from the POV of the freelancer."

 

There IS an option.

A client may cancel a contract AT ANY TIME.

For any reason.

Or for no reason at all.

 

Navigate to the contract listing. Click on the "Three Dots" icon.

Select the option to "Cancel" or "Close" or "End" the contract.


All of thse mean the same thing.

 

re: "I do not wish to leave her a poor review (although she grossly underestimated how much time it would take), and I want to be able to wipe the slate clean so I can move on to other work. Please advise."

 

Can you cancel a contract WITHOUT LEAVING FEEDBACK?

Yes!


Here is how:
Close the contract yourself.

There is a big text field. Leave it blank. Type nothing in it.
If a dialog box asks if you want to continue to close the contract WITHOUT WRITING FEEDBACK, confirm that you do. It will let you.
As for the 6 "skill areas" you are asked to leave star feedback, click on 5 for every one of them, but DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT.


This will let you close the contract without leaving feedback.

What are you talking about? If you give the client five stars across the board, then you obviously are giving them feedback - good feedback, at that. 

No, you are not giving feedback. You are clicking buttons in order to bypass the screen.

 

I specifically stated that you should not think about the ratings while you click these buttons.

 

For the freelancer who wants to close a contract without leaving feedback, this counts as NOT giving feedback, in a moral sense, while allowing him to accomplish his goal.

ericaandrews
Community Member

Yes. You absolutely can end a contract as a freelancer at any time.

 

Here are the exact steps for cancelling a contract as a freelancer.  (I don't know if the instructions that were provided on how to cancel as a 'client' will work when logged in as a freelancer, since the screens are different.)

 

1. Use a WEB BROWSER, not a phone/tablet

 

2. Go here:

ericaandrews_0-1675284452300.png

 

3. Next, do this:

ericaandrews_3-1675284674856.png

 

 

4. Then, do this:

ericaandrews_2-1675284497161.png

 

Finally, someone who actually read what i wrote! Thank you. This was a perfect answer, and easy to follow instructions. I could not have asked for a better format. I am grateful for people like you and your response! I was able to cancel the contract and move on. THIS is the solution.

Good 👍

 

williamtcooper
Community Member

Lou,

 

Both the freelancer and the client can't leave a Public Review if no money has exchanged hands only a Private Review that goes to Upwork.

Very true: I remember I cancelled a contract under similar circumstances about 2 years ago when the client changed the entire scope of the project and nature of work/deliverables immediately AFTER I accepted the contract.  The milestones were all for one deliverable, and she wanted to 'pivot' and 'work on something else' with those same milestones - something completely different and unrelated. I just cancelled it before doing any work. The job just never even showed up on my profile, disappeared like it never even existed 👍

re: "The milestones were all for one deliverable, and she wanted to 'pivot' and 'work on something else' with those same milestones - something completely different and unrelated."

 

Wow.

 

This is what I mean when I say that some clients do not understand the fixed-price contract model, and never will understand it.

Exactly.  I have nothing against clients 'pivoting'....so long as they do so on an hourly contract.  If I'm getting paid by the hour, the client is welcome to 'pivot' as many times as they want: I'm on their time and they're paying for it. Fixed price contracts are intended for specific, clearly defined tasks where length of time/effort is known and when they client knows exactly what they need. Hourly contracts are for clients that want the freedom to 'add scope' as needed, 'pivot',  'change priorities', and 'try out different approaches' before settling on a final direction.

Not looking to leave a review, just leave the contract. According to
Upwork, I wasted however many connects I sent to the original bid,
which really stinks, and I will have limited opportunities going forward.

re: " Not looking to leave a review, just leave the contract."

 

You don't need to leave a review. Leaving a review is optional.

Lou,

 

Click close Contract. The RISK is that the client can leave a private review to Upwork which can affect your JSS.

sofia2008
Community Member

If you receive a contract without coming to an agreement with the client, you can (and should) send him a message to get more details about the project before commiting to it. If this doesn't work for you, you can simply decline the offer. No feedback needed as there was no accepted offer. 

 

It is not for clients to estimate the time it will take for the work you will do. Some clients have no idea, that it is why they are asking professionals in the matter. 

 

The adverse effect of cancelling a contract after accepting it (compared to declining an offer) is the private feedback that both freelancer and client can leave. A positive feedback won't count towards the JSS, but a negative one will. If it was a fixed price budget, ending the contract will return the escrow money to the client.

 

As for the Connects spent, you would have been charged even if you did not get the job.

tlsanders
Community Member

You're right not to believe this is not a topic--it's definitely been discussed before. I agree with you that it's a significant problem that neither a client nor a freelancer can end a contract on which no work has been done without leaving feedback. Whichever person closes the contract is forced to lie. It's a terrible system, and most freelancers and clients who have commented on this in the past agree, but Upwork doesn't seem to because they don't change it.

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