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acamacho11
Community Member

Contractor asked for work before hiring

 Hi all,

 

I posted for a translation job recently and the contractor mailed me sending his file. I thanked him and asked him for deadline, he said: ASAP. So I started making the translation and sent it about 4 hours later.

The guy never hired me nor replied me any of my messages on that message screen.

Have I been scamed? Can I report him? how? The contractor seems to have very good reputation by other freelancers. Could it be possible that he never read my messages? Can I contact him some other way?

 

Thanks!

 

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
tgstudio
Community Member

Yes, you have been scammed. 

 

Never, ever, ever work without a contract is in place. I don't care if the client is jumping up and down and says he needs it in 2 mins. You bascially worked for free. 

 

 

View solution in original post

12 REPLIES 12
tgstudio
Community Member

Yes, you have been scammed. 

 

Never, ever, ever work without a contract is in place. I don't care if the client is jumping up and down and says he needs it in 2 mins. You bascially worked for free. 

 

 

But I still can open the message window where I left him my work, is he able to read my messages? Or I might be writing to nobody?. I even see his green light when he's online... I just don't know if he is able to read my messages or not.

holymell
Community Member

You're the contractor. He's the client.

Never work without a contract. Upwork can't do anything because you didn't insist on a contract.

Never do work before you are officially hired. I used to be more trusting, but it's just not worth the consequences.

You've lost time and effort that can't be regained. You could report him for asking for free work, but you essentially agreed to free work without a contract in place, so learn from this and move on.

If he stopped replying to you, that should have been your first red flag. He probably found someone else but you still continued to do the work. Unfortunately, you're at fault here, too.

I just want to tell him 2 or 3 things before forgetting the issue. Is he able to read my messages? He hasn't replied me since the ASAP message...

unostar
Community Member

Just try to contact the guy again before making any conclusions.

I made work prior to contract several times and always was paid for, usually with bonus. Maybe i's my experience to select only good clients, or may be I'm lucky, idk 🙂 

 

Anyways, you've at least got invaluable experience 😉

Good luck next time!


@Alexei D wrote:

I made work prior to contract several times and always was paid for, usually with bonus.


 This is totally stupid. And more stupid is to encourage others to do the same thing.

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

How can I report him?


@Rene K wrote:

@Alexei D wrote:

I made work prior to contract several times and always was paid for, usually with bonus.


 This is totally stupid. And more stupid is to encourage others to do the same thing.


Unjustified arrogant statement. Not encouraging anyone here to do the same.

versailles
Community Member


@Arturo C wrote:

 

Have I been scamed?

 


Absolutely not. You did a volunteer work and you sent a translation to someone for free. If you wanted to be paid for it, you would have waited for a contract. You didn't.

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
jojomo
Community Member

Arturo,

 

There's not much else to add except that you didn't really get scammed as you didn't mention anything about a contract.

It's not because he answered "ASAP" that you shoud start working on it ASAP, without a contract. If he wants it ASAP then he needs to start a contract ASAP.

 

NEVER EVER EVER start work without a contract. Even if you are almost certain that they want to use your services... you don't know who else they are talking to or interviewing and they might find someone else they like better.

 

Did he actually ask for you to send him a sample or do the job or did you do it on your own accord?

If he didn't ask for "free work" then I don't see why you should report him since the fault isn't his.... you just jumped the gun here and assumed he would hire you. Big mistake.

Arturo, you made a mistake. Learn from the mistake and move on. It is important that you NOT think about that person who did not pay you. Don't try to communicate with him. Don't look for him. Don't think about that. You can't succeed unless you let that go and move forward.

 

YOU are the person who matters. Not him.

Arturo,

 

You could, in fact, flag the job, which you will find with the job post and give your reasons. Although Upwork cannot help you at all (because you did not find out how the system works before taking the job), they might take note of this so-called client, if he stays around.

 

Before you bid on any more jobs, please do yourself a favour and read everything there is to read about starting on Upwork (and all the links) in this thread:https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Getting-Started-on-Upwork/m-p/264214#M2460

 

 

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