unresponsive client

[rommelponferrada]

I have this client who i am working with, we have 2 milestone  i submitted the project on time with a video draft and the first milestone was paid but the second funded milestone wherein the submition of the source file i told him to release the second milestone first before i send him the source file this was on sept.27 and from that on he become unresponsive in the following days until now with a pending milestone can UPWORK release that to me and so i can just  send him the source file after.

[prestonhunter]

Clients are not obligated to respond to freelancers. As freelancers, we get paid automatically whether clients respond or not.

re: "can UPWORK release that to me and so i can just send him the source file after."

You need to send him all files you agreed to provide to him. You do not wait to hear from him. 

You will receive all of the funded escrow money AUTOMATICALLY if the client doesn't respond. This happens 14 days after you click the "Submit Work / Request Payment" button.

You don't need to ask Upwork to do anything.

[barada00]

In "my jobs" page next to the milestone there should be a green button like the image with "submit" text. Click that, upload your finished work and in 14 days if the client does nothing about it your funds will be automatically released like Preston wrote.

[petra_r]

The client does not have to, and in fact SHOULD NOT release the milestone until he received the final deliverable that corresponds to the funded milestone.

**Edited for community guidelines**

The correct sequence (unless something else was specifically agreed previously) is

1. Client funds milestone
2. Freelancer does work
3. Freelancer sends final deliverables
4. Client examines final deliverables
5. Client releases funds from Escrow.

[rommelponferrada]

but petra i already send an animated video to him in the first milestone he can use that already but what bothers me is his non response so probably i will just give him the source file and wait for that 14 day release.

[wlyonsatl]

Don't just send it to the client via email or any method other than using the "Submit" button on the Upwork project page for the milestone(s) he has funded. (Don't submit files for any unfunded milestone(s).)

Then wait 14 days for automatic payment, if the client doesn't manually release payment to you before then.

Do not re-submit the files - that just re-starts the 14-day waiting time for you.

[mystudiomke]

Hi Rommel,

I understand your concern and disagree with many of these comments. **Edited for community guidelines** However, this must be clear with you and your client prior to starting a contract. Take the time to explain how you will go about the project.

I have request for clients to fund the last milestone prior to release of the FINAL work. That doesn’t mean I just request the payment. That means they get to review the final work via the final milestone is just that work is watermarked. My clients never have a problem since I have no reason to withhold the work from them once its paid. Another key here I also send the work immediately after its paid. I never have gotten a negative feedback from this process.

In your case, if its a matter of placing a watermark on the final video (last milestone work) then do so and re-submit via the milestone (which is what you should have done the first time). Note on there is to review and if its all set you will release all high-quality non-watermark files after milestone funded.

To answer your question:

"can UPWORK release that to me and so i can just send him the source file after."

No because you didn’t submit for the work. 

Hope that helps,

[kat303 · Accepted solution]

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@Rommel P wrote:

I have this client who i am working with, we have 2 milestone  i submitted the project on time with a video draft and the first milestone was paid but the second funded milestone wherein the submition of the source file i told him to release the second milestone first before i send him the source file this was on sept.27 and from that on he become unresponsive in the following days until now with a pending milestone can UPWORK release that to me and so i can just  send him the source file after.

---

 Rommel - The first milestone was funded. You completed the requirements/scope of work for that milestone. You sent the completed work to the client and the client released the funds.

The client then funded the 2nd milestone. From what you said, the requirements for the second milestone was to send the client the source files. You NEED to send that work to the client BEFORE he will release the funds for the 2nd milestone. 

A client has 14 days from when they get the work, to look it over, test it out, be satisfied with it and approve the release of escrowed funds. Sometimes a client, when they get the completed work, they just disappear and don't release those funds. That's ok, because Upwork has a solution for that. If a client disappears then all funds in escrow will be automatically released to you at the end of 14 days. BUT. the client needs to get the work FIRST before any funds are released.

A client should not released funds BEFORE they receive the work. You may be totally honest, but there are so many scammers on this site and the client has no way of getting the work, if they release funds, and then the freelancer disappears without sending the work. I am not saying you will do this, but the client has no way of knowing. And that is EXACTLY why Upwork has escrow and why it should be fully funded for each milestone/job. 

You send the client the work FIRST, they approve it (or 14 days go by) and you get paid. 

SO. If you haven't yet, send the source files by clicking on the submit work/release funds button (but if you already did that for the work required for the 2nd milestone don't do it again because it sets the 14 day period back)  And then just wait. The client will either release the escrowed funds, or you'll get them in 14 days.

[richard_wein]

In principle the escrow system should protect the freelancer against a client failing to pay, making such measures as watermarking unnecessary. In practice the escrow system is fallible. But it's the system Upwork is based on, and if I were a client I don't think I would respond well to a freelancer insisting that I release payment before I receive the final product.

[rommelponferrada]

but the thing is he never leave a message if there is a revision of the video so i will assumed its approved already and therefore i will send him the source file. the thing i do not want to happen is the client might respond and send a revision after the 14 day and knowing he has copy of the file.

[petra_r]

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@Rommel P wrote:

 the thing i do not want to happen is the client might respond and send a revision after the 14 day and knowing he has copy of the file.

---

 I don't see an issue with that.

Theoretically the client can dispute up to a month even after releasing the funds anyway.

Fact remains: Asking clients to release funds as a condition of sending the actual work is at best a slippery slope, at worst something that will look very bad should a dispute arise because by definition the deliverables have NOT been delivered.