Issues with freelancer

[63e2f66f]

Last year, I embarked on a project with a Django developer through Upwork. We had a clear agreement outlining the scope of the project, the milestones, and the payment schedule. The project was estimated to be completed in three months. However, it's been over a year, and the project remains unfinished.

Initially, the developer assured me of his abilities as a full-stack developer. However, midway through the project, he admitted that he was unable to handle the frontend aspects. This led to delays and complications as we had to hire an additional frontend developer to complement his skills.

Communication became a significant issue as the developer started to ignore the project's critical issues whenever I raised them. Instead of addressing the problems, he suggested closing the current contract and starting a new one with increased budget demands. Despite complying with his requests, the project remained stagnant, with minimal progress.

The developer's unresponsiveness worsened over time, leaving me in a state of uncertainty and frustration. Despite hiring another frontend developer as per his suggestion, the project continued to linger without significant advancements. It's evident that the developer's inability to fulfill his responsibilities has resulted in a significant loss of time and resources on my end.

Recently, he even suggested purchasing templates from ThemeForest to expedite the project, which I obliged in hopes of seeing progress. However, this tactic proved futile as the project remains incomplete, and the developer's responsiveness has dwindled to almost nonexistent.

Before commencing the project, we had documented agreements specifying that if the developer failed to complete the project, he would be liable to refund the full amount paid. I have retained a copy of these agreements in PDF format as evidence.

Unfortunately, the developer is not based in Australia, making legal recourse challenging. Hence, I am turning to Upwork for assistance in resolving this matter. At this point, I am seeking either the completion of the project as initially agreed upon or a full refund of the amount paid, considering the extensive delays and lack of progress despite repeated attempts to rectify the situation.

[spectralua]

It was fixed price or hourly?

[63e2f66f]

Hi Mykola,

I appreciate your response. The situation I'm facing is quite concerning. Initially, we had agreed on a fixed amount of $900 for the project. However, things took an unexpected turn.

The freelancer requested $750 to start building the project, assuring me that we could close that contract and commence a new one for further work. However, once I closed the initial contract, the freelancer became unresponsive and stopped working altogether.

To proceed, I had to initiate a new contract, adding an additional $600 to their payment. At the project's outset, the freelancer claimed to be a full-stack developer, but midway through, they admitted they couldn't handle frontend development.

In an attempt to salvage the project, I hired a separate frontend developer for additional support, which cost me another $900. While the frontend developer is doing fine, the original freelancer is still unresponsive.

Every day, I'm losing money, and I'm unsure about the next steps. Should I consider taking legal action at this point?

I'd appreciate your advice on how to proceed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Best regards,
Sunil Singh

[PradeepH]

Hello there,

I am sorry to hear about your experience with this freelancer. I understand your situation and the frustration that comes with project delays and unmet expectations. It's important to us that our platform facilitates successful collaborations, and we take matters of dispute seriously.

I see that we've raised a support ticket regarding your concern earlier and one of our team members is already assisting you. You can access your support tickets here. Please don't hesitate to follow up with them on the same support ticket if you have additional questions regarding your concern. Note that support requests are responded to in the order they are received. Kindly allow 24-48 hours for the team to follow up with you and assist you further.

- Pradeep

[63e2f66f]

Hi Pradeep,

I hope you're doing well. I need to discuss a pressing issue regarding the project we hired the freelancer for. We paid them a significant amount, AUD1100, which is quite a sum for a startup like ours. However, we're facing some troubling developments.

Initially, the freelancer advised us to close the existing contract and initiate a new one. While we complied with this request, communication has since dwindled, and progress on the project has come to a standstill. It's disheartening to feel as though we've been misled, especially after making substantial payments.

I firmly believe in fair and transparent dealings, which is why I've exercised patience thus far. Nevertheless, if we cannot resolve this matter amicably, I may have no choice but to escalate it to the Fair Trade Commission in Australia. We had legal agreements in place with the freelancer, clearly stipulating that if the work isn't completed, a refund should be issued.

Despite my understanding of potential delays, there has been a concerning lack of responsiveness from the freelancer's end for the past three weeks. This situation is untenable, particularly considering the financial investment we've made.

I remain hopeful that we can find a resolution. If the freelancer is willing to resume work and fulfill their obligations as agreed upon, I am more than willing to proceed. However, if this issue persists, I may have to seek assistance from Upwork to intervene. I want you to richout the freelancer.

Please do not close ticket until resolve.

Please let me know if you require a copy of the agreement for reference.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Best regards,
Sunil Singh