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chgraffeo
Community Member

Does the client need to accept your proposal for job to be accepted by both parties?

SInce this is my first freelance job on this site i don't know or not if the client needs to accept my proposal. My current job is under Active Candidacy, doesn't this need to change to a new status like. Job accepted or something before i should start the work?

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imakeinternet
Community Member

Hi there,

 

You should never start work on a job unless the client has sent you an offer and you've accepted the offer.  You'll also not want to start any work until the client has pre-funded a milestone and the requirements are clear.  If it's an hourly contract, don't start until you've accepted the offer.  Then you'll just log your time spent on the project through the Upwork time tracker.

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18 REPLIES 18
imakeinternet
Community Member

Hi there,

 

You should never start work on a job unless the client has sent you an offer and you've accepted the offer.  You'll also not want to start any work until the client has pre-funded a milestone and the requirements are clear.  If it's an hourly contract, don't start until you've accepted the offer.  Then you'll just log your time spent on the project through the Upwork time tracker.

This project is an pay at the end of the project type of plan. He wants me to complete this in under 21 days and ill get a bonius for it. Can you give me a suggestion on how to deal with this? IM going to talk to him now and tell him he has to send me a n offer and have me accept it so i konw im the only one working on the project. What else should i tell him?


@Charles G wrote:

1) This project is an pay at the end of the project type of plan.

2) He wants me to complete this in under 21 days and ill get a bonius for it.

3) Can you give me a suggestion on how to deal with this?


 1) That means you need to tell the client to fund the entire (!) amount in Escrow when setting up the contract.

2) Fine, just make sure it is FUNDED and you have an ACTIVE contract on your My Jobs page and the client's payment method is verified.

3) Do not do any work until you were hired.

 

Is the client's payment method verified?

 

Ok so i need to tell him to put the full amount in the escrow account adn then say he accepted my offer correct? I want to see what happens when i tell him that

I just emailed him and told him the rules for the type of project on UpWork i wanna see what he says now.

And yes his payment method is verified. But now that i told him what he needed to do it looks like he blocked my number im starting to not trust him. THis is the second time something like this happened to me. The first time i was almost scammed from someone else posing as another company. Im not going to start the project until he does what you said he is supposed to do. 

Yeah if it's fixed rate, make sure it's 100% funded and if hourly make sure the client is verified , that you use upworks tracking app to track your hours as you go, make note of what you are doing when you start the clock and that you have good activity levels on your screenshots as you should if you are working. 

I wish this info was put into a guide for newbies. I'm totally new to freelance work. Just got my first proposal accepted. The client then asked me to get started on his project via the Upwork messaging system, and sent me the excel spreadheet with his instructions. Wish there was a more structured guide to walk us newbie freelancers through once the client and I both agree to a project within the messaging system. I had to search the community on what to do next. Little did I know the client is supposed to send me a formal offer.For some reason, I thought it would be more structured. Perhaps put a bot in the messaging system to recognize when the client and freelancer agree on a proposal. For example, the bot would tell the freelancer to wait until a formal offer is sent (and explain how that is done and give advice on making sure the funds are put into escrow) before starting on the project, and send a reminder to the client to send a formal offer to the freelancer prior to starting so the frelancer can log time and get paid. idk I just assume since we are being matched on Upwork, and Upwork gets a cut, that Upwork would make sure each party is fulfilling the requirements on each of their ends. 

mtngigi
Community Member


Rebecca S wrote:

I wish this info was put into a guide for newbies. I'm totally new to freelance work. Just got my first proposal accepted. The client then asked me to get started on his project via the Upwork messaging system, and sent me the excel spreadheet with his instructions. Wish there was a more structured guide to walk us newbie freelancers through once the client and I both agree to a project within the messaging system. I had to search the community on what to do next. Little did I know the client is supposed to send me a formal offer.For some reason, I thought it would be more structured. Perhaps put a bot in the messaging system to recognize when the client and freelancer agree on a proposal. For example, the bot would tell the freelancer to wait until a formal offer is sent (and explain how that is done and give advice on making sure the funds are put into escrow) before starting on the project, and send a reminder to the client to send a formal offer to the freelancer prior to starting so the frelancer can log time and get paid. idk I just assume since we are being matched on Upwork, and Upwork gets a cut, that Upwork would make sure each party is fulfilling the requirements on each of their ends. 


 

At the very top of this forum is a post called "Getting Started on Upwork". It contains a wealth of information  -  unfortunately, many people just sign up and jump right in without bothering to read up on how things work on this site. It is your responsibility to learn the ins and outs before doing anything else. I suggest you take advantage of all the help articles to be found in that thread as well as elsewhere on the site.

yitwail
Community Member


Virginia F wrote:

At the very top of this forum is a post called "Getting Started on Upwork". It contains a wealth of information  -  unfortunately, many people just sign up and jump right in without bothering to read up on how things work on this site. It is your responsibility to learn the ins and outs before doing anything else. I suggest you take advantage of all the help articles to be found in that thread as well as elsewhere on the site.


I agree with that, but currently, if you go to https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Getting-Started-on-Upwork/m-p/264214#M2460 then click on the first link (Getting Started as a Freelancer)

you momentarily see "The page you were looking for doesn't exist" and then you're redirected to Upwork help center. That needs to be fixed. Cat Frustrated

 

I also think the Getting Started article should be updated so it includes Petra's flowchart somewhere.

__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce
AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Appreciate the flag, John! 

I'll go check this with the team so that the link can be updated. 


~ Avery
Upwork
e9e4e3ba
Community Member

Is there something that can be done, in case the issue above happens?


John K wrote:

Virginia F wrote:

At the very top of this forum is a post called "Getting Started on Upwork". It contains a wealth of information  -  unfortunately, many people just sign up and jump right in without bothering to read up on how things work on this site. It is your responsibility to learn the ins and outs before doing anything else. I suggest you take advantage of all the help articles to be found in that thread as well as elsewhere on the site.


I agree with that, but currently, if you go to https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Getting-Started-on-Upwork/m-p/264214#M2460 then click on the first link (Getting Started as a Freelancer)

you momentarily see "The page you were looking for doesn't exist" and then you're redirected to Upwork help center. That needs to be fixed. Cat Frustrated

 

I also think the Getting Started article should be updated so it includes Petra's flowchart somewhere.


Wonder how long that link has been broken? You'd think new FLs would be complaining about it--if, that is, any are trying to use it.

Very true, I had similar experience, mine was showing pending all through even much after ive finished the work.

I had go scout through to be sure why it's like that and that's what brought me here
almost sad though

kat303
Community Member


Rebecca S wrote:

I wish this info was put into a guide for newbies. I'm totally new to freelance work. Just got my first proposal accepted. The client then asked me to get started on his project via the Upwork messaging system, and sent me the excel spreadheet with his instructions. Wish there was a more structured guide to walk us newbie freelancers through once the client and I both agree to a project within the messaging system. I had to search the community on what to do next. Little did I know the client is supposed to send me a formal offer.For some reason, I thought it would be more structured. Perhaps put a bot in the messaging system to recognize when the client and freelancer agree on a proposal. For example, the bot would tell the freelancer to wait until a formal offer is sent (and explain how that is done and give advice on making sure the funds are put into escrow) before starting on the project, and send a reminder to the client to send a formal offer to the freelancer prior to starting so the frelancer can log time and get paid. idk I just assume since we are being matched on Upwork, and Upwork gets a cut, that Upwork would make sure each party is fulfilling the requirements on each of their ends. 


---------------

It is https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us

it's also the first post on this discussion forum. (Getting started) Problem is that new freelancers think they know it all and feel it's a waste of time to read. 

How do you accept an offer? and how do you know if the client as pre-funded a milestone?

BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Moriah,

 

Once the client sends you an offer, you should review it and accept. Once you have reviewed the offer and accepted the terms, a contract will be created. You will be able to see your contracts under the 'My jobs'. You can check this help article for more information about the interviewing and negotiating process. 

 

When working on Upwork, please make sure that you have a contract with a client before doing any work, and ensuring that they have a verified billing method so that the work you do can be covered by Upwork Payment Protection. For the fixed-price offers, clients deposit a milestone payment into escrow before you begin working. Upon receiving and approving the work, your client releases the payment to you. Please check this help article for more information about the Upwork Fixed-Price Protection.

 

Thank you!

~ Bojan
Upwork
kat303
Community Member


Charles G wrote:

SInce this is my first freelance job on this site i don't know or not if the client needs to accept my proposal. My current job is under Active Candidacy, doesn't this need to change to a new status like. Job accepted or something before i should start the work?




Charles G wrote:

SInce this is my first freelance job on this site i don't know or not if the client needs to accept my proposal. My current job is under Active Candidacy, doesn't this need to change to a new status like. Job accepted or something before i should start the work?


---------------------

I'm going to get right to the point. If you don't know the procedures of this site, you need to read the help section. It is on your home page, click the question mark ? and then click the Help and Support link. 

I will make it easy for you.   https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us 

Read ALL the information in the 9 links. When you're finished, come back on here and search for scams. Once you have read about the various scams going on here. then and only then are you prepared to submit proposals and you will know exactly what needs to me done and how to do it.

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