Client took the work and released 50$ out of 300$

[jamal-ab]

We agreed on everything about the project and we sat the price for this job which is 300$, after that, I send him a sample of the prefinal work to see if he want to add something and I added what he wants but when I submitted the final result he released the payment less than what we agreed for. And now I filled in a dispute. WHY I always feel that Upwork tends to the client's side, Just because he/she give us money?

[leyre1988]

Hello! If you keep the conversations within Upwork, everything will be written. So wait for the result of the dispute, I´m sure everything will be fine. If the payment method was verified, you are protected, so you will get your money!

[jamal-ab]

Yes, we talked about everything in Upwork and what I did is I took a screenshot of the part when the client said: "Yes I feel comfortable with 300$". Now I filled in the dispute and I don't know what is gonna happen next?

Thanks, Leyre.

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

Jamal:

It is important that you understand how Upwork works.

You may have made a big mistake in how you set things up for this contract. If you DID make a big mistake, then that is a GOOD THING. Because it means you can learn from your mistake, and you will never make that same mistake again.

What is the mistake I am referring to?

"Working on a milestone that is not fully funded in escrow."

I DO NOT KNOW if that is what you did. We need to figure that out.

Which of the following applies to your situation?

a) The client and I agreed to a $300 payment for this job. The client set up a milestone with $50. I did all the work, and submitted it to the client. The client only released $50.

[or]

b) The client and I agreed to a $300 payment for this job. The client set up a milestone with $300. I did all the work and submitted it to the client. The client released $50, and I received a reqest for a refund of the rest of the money ($250).

====

If (a) describes what you did, then you're done. The cilent funded $50 and released all the money to you. What matters is what is funded in escrow. The "budget" does not matter. The "promised" payment does not matter. Upwork only cares about what is in escrow. If $50 was in escrow, then that is all that you can dispute. If $50 was in escrow, and you received $50, then there is nothing to dispute.

If (b) describes what you did, then it means you can reject the request for a refund, and you can dispute the remaining escrow money.

[jamal-ab]

Case B applies to me and yes that's what I did, I filled in the dispute and I don't know what is gonna happen next?

Thanks, MR Preston.

[prestonhunter]

re: "I filled in the dispute and I don't know what is gonna happen next?"

Jamal:

If there was $300 in escrow, and the client wanted to only pay you $50...

He CAN NOT DO THAT without your approval.

You did NOT approve the refund. That means you prevented this refund from going through.

There will now be a "dispute."

It is important for you to understand that in a dispute, Upwork CAN NOT MAKE ANY DECISION. No matter how much proof you think you have, and no matter what the client says, Upwork CAN NOT make a decision about the case.

The Upwork mediator can only encourage you and the client to come to an agreement.

If you did the work that was agreed upon, then you should not be giving the money back. Why did the client even ask for most of the money back? That is just bizarre.

All you need to do is stand firm and NOT agree to giving any money back to the client. If you do that, there is no way for the client to get any money back. The money (full $300) MUST go to you.

What would happen next is that the client caves in. OR it moves to arbitration. if the client agrees to pay $291, AND you agree to pay $291, then the case moves to arbitration where an independent arbitrator looks at the situation and decides who gets the money. Nobody gets the $291 fee back.

If YOU agree to pay $291 and the client does NOT agree, then nobody needs to pay $291 and you win the case, and you get all the escrow money. If you do NOT agree to pay $291, and the client agrees, then nobody pays the $291 fee, and the client gets all the refund that he requested.

[jamal-ab]

Those are what I call clients from hell, they trying to Nike and dime you and every time they negotiate the price, anyway, I totally understand and Thank you so much for your explanation.

[prestonhunter]

Yes, I agree.

If a client hires a freelancer to do a task for $300.

And then the freelancer does that task and gives the files to the client.

And then the client tries to pay the freelancer only $50...

Then how can we classify that client as anything other than a bad client, and a bad person?

What kind of person does that? YOU would never to do that to another human being.

All of us - freelancers and clients - should be united in our refusal to tolerate that kind of behavior.

[jamal-ab]

I just checked my inbox and saw this message said: "We want to let you know that your client has rejected the dispute you recently filed on Upwork".

It seems like the client rejected the dispute and I hope that if I accept to pay he will not accept the payment of 291 too.

[lysis10]

---

Jamal A wrote:

I just checked my inbox and saw this message said: "We want to let you know that your client has rejected the dispute you recently filed on Upwork".

It seems like the client rejected the dispute and I hope that if I accept to pay he will not accept the payment of 291 too.

---

No, that's not what it means. That email is very confusing. It means he rejects paying you and you're going into mediation. So now you have to wait for a mediator. The $291 only comes into play if you both can't agree, so it goes into arbitration.

If the client has money, it might be worth settling for a lower amount or they can put $291 on the table and if you don't have the money, you lose it all.

[jamal-ab]

Thanks Jennifer, I got it.