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Sara's avatar
Sara S Community Member

Unresponsive client

Hi,
I have been working with this client on a milestone basis. I have submitted the first part of the job and she said she loved it and asked for some more changes. But after that became unresponsive. I haven’t completed the project and the final files are not released. I’d like to know what I need to do at this stage?
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Nikola's avatar
Nikola S Retiring Moderator

Hi Sara,

 

If you are working with a client and they become unresponsive for a long period of time, it may be best to stop working on the project and wait for contact from the client. In some cases, you may also reach out to Upwork to contact the client on your behalf.

 

On a fixed-price contract, ending the contract forfeits any funds remaining in escrow. Instead, it is often best to complete your last milestone before you end the contract. If your client fails to respond to your submission, funds will be automatically released after 14 days. If they respond but refuse the work and you believe you have completed the work according to the agreed terms, you have the option to file a dispute.

 

You can find more information in this help article

 

~ Nikola

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241 REPLIES 241
Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Thank you Preston for your thorough reply. I understand that there's nothing I should/can do in this case. At least I was paid for the hours I worked. 

Would you mind reviewing my profile? I would love to know if it looks like a freelancer's profile that you would hire.

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

Not sure if I can view it.

Is your profile public?

Screen Shot 2021-05-20 at 9.13.13 AM.png

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Oh it was set to only upwork users. It is public now.

Ioannis's avatar
Ioannis T Community Member

Hi Lemya

 

Your profile is Not Public, you need to change it to Public, to become visible to forum members.

Regarding your situation with the client, it's not rare that some client gets silent for many days, even weeks and this can happen for multiple reasons.

As Preston said, if there is no more work to do, you would better avoid charging any additional hours, especially when the client clearly asked you to work for 5 hours and review. The 40 hours/week means nothing at all in this case, just ignore it

Regards

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Thank you Ioannis. It's settled now that I should just ignore it.

My profile is now public. I just realised it was set to only upwork users.

Ioannis's avatar
Ioannis T Community Member


Lemya M wrote:

Thank you Ioannis. It's settled now that I should just ignore it.

My profile is now public. I just realised it was set to only upwork users.


Your profile is still Not Public

Can you please confirm that the change to Public was applied in your profile? I think the change has immediate effect, so it should be visible now

 

 

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

It was set to public immediately! 

Georgi's avatar
Georgi V Community Member

hello commnuity
I am a new freelancer here. I have a issue 

My client is not response for some days. I  have completed his job and sent him full source code

How can solve it?

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Georgi V wrote:

My client is not response for some days. I  have completed his job and sent him full source code

How can solve it?


So what is the problem?

If it is an hourly contract, and you have correctly tracked your hours, you get paid automatically.

If it is a properly funded fixed price contract and you submitted the work correctly through the "submit for payment" function on the contract, you also get paid automatically unless the client requests changes.

 

PS, when you copy someone else's profile overview, you should remove parts that don't apply to you, such as "I am a top rated...." (because you are not top rated.)

Georgi's avatar
Georgi V Community Member

thanks for your support, Petra

I have a fixed job 

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Georgi V wrote:

I have a fixed job 


So did you submit the work through the official "Submit for payment" function on the contract?

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Thank you Christine. Yes, I tracked and memo'ed my hours and they all show mid to high levels of activity. The diary was reviewed, and I was paid all while the client is still absent. I guess this means that I shouldn't care if the client shows up. I was hoping that I would at least get a rating or a feedback since I still have only one. 

On a side note, would you please review my profile? I appreciate any feedback on how I can improve it.

Ioannis's avatar
Ioannis T Community Member

Hi Lemya

It's not my field, but as a general notice, I would say that your profile looks decent enough. 

Try to apply to as many jobs as possible, even some tiny ones, in order to increase your jobs/hours/money-paid history, which will help you look more experienced

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Hello Ioannis, thank you for your feedback. It's very nice of you. 

I will be a optimistic and persistent as possible. All the best wishes to you.

Amanda's avatar
Amanda L Community Member


Lemya M wrote:

Hello Ioannis, thank you for your feedback. It's very nice of you. 

I will be a optimistic and persistent as possible. All the best wishes to you.


Lemya, I took a look at your profile too, and I think it's pretty strong. My only concern is that your hourly rate seems low for your competency level. That may just be your starting rate to get in the door. I can understand that. You might want to test different rates (even higher rates). Sometimes clients won't take you seriously if you charge too little. 

 

Keep chugging away. You will get more work as you go, just keep at it. 

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Thank you Amanda! I appreciate your reply.

I will check what other freelancers from my category usually charge per hour and tweak mine accordingly.

Md Shah's avatar
Md Shah J Community Member

Hi Amanda<
Can you also take a look at my profile?
If any advice needed to make it more strong

Tiffany's avatar
Tiffany S Community Member


Preston H wrote:

 

 

Q. But how do I know that the cilent wants me to continue donig this weekly task?

A. You know that the client wants you to continue doing this weekly task because of these three reasons:

a) That's what the client asked you to do

b) The client has not told you to stop

c) Every week the client keeps paying you

 

It's not what the client told her to do. The client told her to work 5 hours one day and they'd "see how it goes." He has not weighed in on how it went. 

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "It's not what the client told her to do. The client told her to work 5 hours one day and they'd 'see how it goes.' He has not weighed in on how it went."

 

I agree.

 

The part of my post that you are referencing is part of a general FAQ. It is not about the original poster's specific situation.

Jennifer's avatar
Jennifer V Community Member

Hi Lemya, you have already received good advice, but I wanted to share an experience I had when I was a brand new freelancer here.

 

A client hired me (hourly) to do a specific task. I finished it in a matter of a couple hours and he asked if such-and-such a second task would be possible. I responded yes it would be possible and I would be happy to do it, but never heard back from him. I could not just go ahead with the task as I needed files from him to do it. I followed up once or twice, still never heard back.

 

Being so new, I can tell you I analyzed every word of the messages I sent him, wondering if there was something wrong I said or something in the tone of the messages I sent that put him off. I really worried over the situation and what I should have done differently.

 

I heard from him, I believe more than a year later. He messaged to apologize for never getting back to me, that he was very happy with the little bit of work I had done, but something major had come up for him personally that put this project on the back, back, back burner of his priorities.

 

It had nothing to do with me at all, lol.

Lemya's avatar
Lemya M Community Member

Thank you Jennifer! I understand where you're coming from and I  agree. 

Methsiri's avatar
Methsiri H Community Member

Hi.

I have recently worked with a client. He shows me some error in the message and I fixed it after logging using any desk after that he was vanished and never speak with me. How should I act here what I'm done? wrong. I just got confused, please help

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "Unresponsive clients. I have recently worked with a client. He shows me some error in the message and I fixed it after logging using any desk after that he was vanished and never speak with me. How should I act here what I'm done? wrong. I just got confused, please help"

 

Methsiri:
That is fine.

Clients are not obligated to respond.

As freelancers, we get paid automatically, regardless of if clients are "responsive."

 

Of you do NOT get paid, it is because YOU made a mistake.

 

re: "How should I act here what I'm done?"

 

You do not need to DO anything.

 

If you used Upwork correctly, by accepting an official Upwork contract and logging time using the desktop-based Upwork time-tracker, then you will be paid AUTOMATICALLY. There is nothing else left for you to do.

 

If you did not use Upwork correctly, then what you need to do is LEARN.

You need to read more about how to use Upwork correctly. Read Upwork Help documents. Watch Upwork Help videos. Read all of this: https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Getting-Started-on-Upwork/m-p/264214#M2460

 

ASK questions here in the Community Forum if you don't understand what you did wrong. Keep studying and asking questions until you understand how to use Upwork properly, in a way that ensures that you get paid.

Methsiri's avatar
Methsiri H Community Member

I was confused here, So when they told me to look at the issue after login in there PC and do the work without giving the offer. In what stage I'm getting the offer.

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


Methsiri H wrote:

. In what stage I'm getting the offer.


You almost certainly won't get an offer now. You already worked for free.

 

In future, do not start working until you have been properly hired, and stop applying for work until you have read all the material about how Upwork works.