How should you handle clients that don`t have verified payment on?

[orzac]

Hello

I`ve just stopped and read this thread

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/List-of-red-flags-for-scams/m-p/1017044#M158742

Which makes me ask another question how to handle job proposals for clients that don`t have their payment verified? Do I let it slide? Do I ask them politely to make sure that their payment is verified and not start work until I see that they have changed their status?

Also, how many days have passed since re-checked their job listing. How much time will be a pretty safe bet that they haven`t found someone else to do the work and are still waiting for the right person for the job?

Thank you very much

[pgiambalvo]

Never communicate off of Upwork until after a contract is in place. The payment verified method does not mean the client is legitimate or that you will be paid. Scammers have found a work-around by only using bonuses to pay people which are never paid after Upwork finds out the client is a scammer.

[orzac]

Hello,

So they can scam me even if they have payment verified?

[martina_plaschka]

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Orza C wrote:

Hello,

So they can scam me even if they have payment verified?

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Yes.

[marc_compte]

You can probably get different answers from different people with different perspectives. I can only give mine.

Relating to the payment verification. I don't look at that when I send proposals. I often overlook it also when accepting a job offer. If you have a fixed-price contract then you must wait anyway for the milestone to be funded on escrow before working, and then the method will already be verified. For an hourly-based contract there is no milestone funding, so you may want to tell the client that you can only work with a verified payment method. Alternatively, depending on the job you can do other things. When my project does not have a deadline and it takes a reasonable amount of hours, I sometimes work for 1 or 2 hours on the first week, then see if the payment goes through, and then the next week I work more if the client so wishes. If the entire job takes just those 2 initial hours or the deadline does not allow it, then this is not an option.

Relating to the resolution of the job, I never do a follow-up of my proposals, but you can see when was the last time a job posting was visited by the client in the job posting page and wheher they already hired someone. I don't reserve my time for any of my prospective clients. As long as I have spare time to work, I send proposals, sometimes I do it even if I don't have the time now but I'm closing some projects. If then they all come at once, I will decline the ones I cannot attend. So I get nothing from checking whether they hired someone or are still looking at the freelancer proiles. If your question is, for how long do you keep your proposals open? my answer is for ever. They will cancel themselves when its time.

[pgiambalvo]

This is good advice.

[orzac]

Whats a milestone. I will be only doing work that paid hourly

[feed_my_eyes]

Martina already tried to tell you in your other thread that you should do some reading to find out how to use Upwork, and you rejected the link as being too much information. But wouldn't it be would be a lot better for you to do that, instead of asking one question at a time in the forum? 

[orzac]

My head hurts. Too much reading I need to take a break

[martina_plaschka]

But if somebody replies you need to read that too.

[martina_plaschka]

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Orza C wrote:

Whats a milestone. I will be only doing work that paid hourly

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Then you don't need to know about milestones. 

[orzac]

Yes but it`s not that much to read. And it`s all stuff I`m interested about on the point. You gave me a lot of freelance articles that I don`t need to know. Like the scam article, I already knew all of that I`m not trying to brag or anything but it was time wasted. I looked on the other thread there were a lot of articles on subjects I don`t know about or CARE

[feed_my_eyes]

If there are specific things that you want to know about, such as milestones, it's pretty easy to look that up. Knowing how to get paid and how payment protection works is pretty important.

[martina_plaschka]

Come on Christine! Now he has to read your reply! I think we should stand back and not bother him with words, since he really resents that. 

[orzac]

Please don` make fun of me. You gave me an entire book of information. I don`t believe anyone has read it all. To prepare for a job as a freelancer. There is too much useless information in what you`ve sent me. You sent me to a page where there are ten`s of articles. Why should I read them I don`t need them I need to know how the payment works and how to get my money that`s. I couldn`t care less about Upwork and all of its regulation I respect the fact that they need to take their cut, now I don`t know for what since it can guarantee that you won`t get scammed and doesn`t have an escrow which is the only reason i`m choosing it over Linkedin

[martina_plaschka]

Nobody is making fun of you. It's just interesting to follow your upwork experience and where all of this will end up. 

Most people are at least willing to do their homework....