Terms violations by the client

[martas325]

Hi all,

I am relatively new to UpWork, but  I have had a great experience so far, except for 1 client. 

I am pretty sure he violates the Terms of Service. 

Long story short, he wanted to hire me to write a Systematic Literature review, which is a huge job. He has minimum 3 other posts for the same job (Red Flag#1). He hires me and pays me 20$ for milestone #1 to do some preliminary search and then milestone #2 to develop the list of references. I have completed both, but he keeps demanding more work for this amount, even when I went above and beyond and added more than he asked for  (mind you still don't have a contract for the Systematic Review). But he proceeds to tell me I have to do it for the review in a very pushy way (Red Flag #2).

When I ask for the contract, so I can deliver more he is very defensive (Red Flag  #3). And somewhere in the conversation says: "You can trust me" and "I am offering you the 20$ just a sign of goodwill"(Red Flag #4)! 

This is humiliating to me and to my skills because I am working really hard for those 20$ (6 hours in this case)!

Now, because I am really not happy with this arrangement, I have asked for a contact and raised my fees, because the amount of work for this project has changed based on the feedback I received. 

He did not pay me for milestone #2, even though I have delivered it (all that was asked and more). 

What are my next steps? I don't really want to dispute for 20$, I don't think this money is worth the trouble, but I know he probably does it to others as well..

I would appreciate any feedback! 

Thanks in advance! 

[elastella]

Re red flags: did you look at the poor feedback this client received?

And, what's usually more important to me, the abysmal feedback he leaves for providers on a regular basis?

A client who dishes out 1-star feedback like that is to be avoided at all cost.

Other than that: the amount of work detailed in the posting demands a proper budget.

Also, never work against nonfunded/nonexisting milestones, because you'll work for free.

[martas325]

Thanks Ela! I am learning this a hard way 😞 

[JoanneP]

Hi Marta,

I'm sorry to hear of your experience. As Ela mentioned, you should not start working unless you have already accepted a contract and the milestones funded. Also, if you encounter any suspicious activity, you can report it to us by clicking on the flagging option found on each job posts/ profiles. This sends a notification directly to Upwork, allowing us to investigate and take the appropriate measures. You can read more about this here. Please read these  tips to avoid questionable jobs. You can also send me a DM with more information including screenshots so I can share this to the team.

[prestonhunter]

Marta, I appreciate your report. Others have provided great responses already. Let me provide a philosophical outlook....

If this client's actions violate Upwork rules... OR if they DO NOT... How much does it really matter to you? You said the amount of work he is asking for is more work than is worth to you. 

This client and you are not a good fit. You can decide that for yourself, and whether or not he is violating any policies won't change that.

We want all users to follow the rules, but that is not the only factor for you to consider when you choose who to work for.

[versailles]

Cheap clients are demanding, they take every opportunity to scam you and they leave poor feedback. This is what cheap clients do because fundamentally they are scammers.

[dilia1984]

Im totally agree with you. I have not been working on the platform for a long time, I have approximately two years, I have worked with approximately 20 clients and one of them hired me for several projects, it is a wonderful platform, however, there are very unprofessional and cheating clients. 

recently a client ended the contract with me (thank God), insulting me and disqualifying me because I expressed my opinion in such a poor way in how certain activities were being carried out, and my intention was to help improve the sales processes because that is why I was hired In addition to insulting me, of course he left a bad rating and a testimony where he accused me of revealing information within the company, it made me laugh because the only thing he allowed me to do in the company was review the recordings of customer calls services representatives and rate them. It was a 10-hour contract and I wanted it to be connected 24/7 and if he wrote me a message, or called me to a meeting, I had to leave what I was doing at that time and attend to him, when it was never stipulated in the contract this type of clause.