As a freelancer or business owner, having a client refuse to pay you makes for a difficult situation. Fortunately, you can follow a procedure to help make the client hold up their end of the deal. So in this tutorial post, we will learn about how to deal with clients who don’t pay on Upwork? or after disputes.
What if the client doesn’t pay on Upwork?
Communicating effectively is an important part of convincing clients to make payments. If this doesn’t work, you can go with legal options which you can take to secure payment from your client.
This is my real story that happened recently When I was writing this article, I won my dispute successfully. I am writing this article because I want to support and encourage another freelancer who is facing these difficulties. I consider all freelancers, my friend, so I will be very glad if you get help from my blog.
Let’s See: How do I know if my Upwork account is approved?
One day I got a project titled “Convert HTML to Joomla Template.”
So in this project, I talked about it with the client, and he agreed to supply me with an HTML template with all pages like Home, Around Us, Items, and Contact Us.
He mentioned that the template should be responsive with a cost of $50
So, we agreed on that task and budget After that, he said that the website would be multilingual as well and that this task would be included within the same budget. Then I requested to increase the budget because multilingualism is no small task, and it needs to manage all content in different languages I know we don’t care about content because this is not a developer task.
But I will be required to set up a multilingual setup within the backend in the event that you’re a beginner at that point, It’ll not be simple. Client HTML pages were very large, every page had many JS effects, and some pages had banner sliders. So, I want to increase the cost, but the Client told me this is a minor task, and you can easily do that. I told him this was not easy, and it would take time, so I needed $30 extra.
Client Demanding Extra Work
But he was requesting me again and again, saying it was a small task, so please make it for $10 extra, and I will give more projects and want to a long-term relationship. At that time, I never thought this multilingual would take too much time; it would be the biggest issue for me. I just thought I had to set up the multilingual menu module set, and it will be working automatically but I forgot that I have to create all modules that are in English and the same in Arabic (a second language).
And as a freelancer, I thought I would get a long-term client if I accepted this project, like all freelancers and I accepted that project with $60 ($10 for multilingual). The client was given HTML records and I opened the HTML record code, which was in exceptionally terrible condition, it was within the crude arrangement, whereas there were numerous unused codes since it was not created by his creator, as I anticipated.
The Contact Us page was not looking as mentioned, so I informed them about these things to the client, and he told me you could download HTML code files from a website and send me the link. But that website was not providing a download, option directly so the Client asked me, I don’t have any internet file download software.
Read More: Best Upwork Profile Example
I denied it, At that point, he downloaded and gave me a record, but in a few crudes organizes, you know, on the off chance that a proficient architect makes HTML records, at that point, there’s a code structure in well overseen and everything is clean. With this thing, I understood that this client is not good, and he theft HTML from other’s websites, and converting into a Joomla template. But now, I awarded the project, and the contract was started at a fixed price. Otherwise, I will not be working on that project.
So now I had no choice and I started working, and first I make cleaned all the code manually. And converted the Joomla template and I have created the Joomla template in the English language. While I have not started work on multilingualism yet. I informed the client, to please check it if there is anything left except multilingual please let me know. I will fix it.
His reply is always the same, like
All is done?
Multilingual is done?
Let’s See: Top 10 Upwork Tips for Beginners?
My answer, I will work on that after this part is done.
Then he said — finish the multilingual part, then let me know.
And after that, he never replied if I asked anything.
My Upwork client was not responding :
His attitude was very rude.
I did very hard work because of his website. Every single page needs many modules, but it’s ok, I am not happy with that work yet.
Now I have started multilingual functionality and created a language switcher module, and their menus are just double, one for English and the second for Arabic. Now I have created all English modules in the Arabic language, it has taken time to check everything and sometimes things were not working, so I checked again and again and fixed those things. I did a multilingual project a very long time ago only once, so I forgot that, and now,
I searched on Google and found a helpful full article on a website, so I followed all the same steps, and that was working fine.
At last, I made a multilingual site, but as it was on one page that “Products” 2 sliders were running, English and Arabic were both working fine since it’s sliding Cleared out to Right, But in Arabic, it’ll have to slide RTL mode so it’s got to Right to Cleared out but its JS was not bolstered, or ready to say, we got to alter JS code values.
On the off chance that the JS record was cleaned or simple to get at that point, I can attempt but it was also complicated and I can attempt other sliders but the client did not agree to alter a bit. So that‘s the problem I was stuck…………
Read More: How to Write Cover Letter for Upwork?
May be developer can fix it, but I tried my best but was not successful. I tried to help on Google but did not get any help.
And I invested approx. More than 1 week to complete all other things.
While our contract was deal with 3-4 days max. And the interesting thing was that when I was working initially he forced me to complete it soon. When I was stuck there with only 2 sliders, I informed him and said I needed RTL supportive HTML slider that was not working with RTL.
Because our deal basis of HTML to Joomla Template. So HTML is your responsibility, but he denied me, and he just copied his initial project description and past it in the chat.
I tried to explain many times, but most of the of time he has not replied for a long time, and if he replies then same copy and paste.
I was very depressed and worried about the rating.
Sometimes I thought ended the project myself, so I got to relax. but I knew that the client would give very bad ratings, so I didn’t do that, because money does not matter here Now, the review is important…
Hence, a month passed, and at that point, I said that I concurred that the multilingual errand had not been done, but another assignment had been done, whereas multilingual is additionally 90% done, so it would be ideal if you a less additional sum of $10 and make rest of the instalment $50.
But he hasn’t replied…
I have continuously sent messages daily, weekly, etc.
But I never get a response.
So now, I was busy with another project, and I forgot about it.
But I was very disappointed because I wasted so much time and got nothing.
Read More: How to Get Work on Upwork with no experience?
So one day, when I was checking my project, I focused on that project and sent a message again to the client.
Now, I said, “Hello Maroo, I have done your 90% project and got nothing, so please make payment of at least $40 our deal was except multilingual $50, and multilingual was a secondary task for $10. But I have not done your project, so I agree with $40.
And if you can provide me with RTL-supported HTML, I can finish the rest task; only 2 sliders are not working.”
Now, I have clients who reply and still send the same message, and his way of talking is very bad and irritating.
And now he is blackmailing me, as he will report on Upwork.
What do you do if a freelance client doesn’t pay:
But now I have decided, and am not worried about rating, but I will not be working for him. So, I said I don’t care; you can do whatever you want.
He reported it on Upwork and cancelled the project.
But one thing was good: he funded the payment already.
That means the payment of $60 was in Upwork.
After cancelling the project, Upwork asked me about the reason and gave me the option to approve or not approve the return of the payment.
So, I explained my experience and disapproved of the return request.
So that means I created the dispute.
I was fully confident that I was not wrong. So this is very important if you are not wrong then you can always win.
So now Upwork team member was a mediator and sent us group messages to explain our thoughts.
Reply to Upwork on time
Here, the important thing is that you have to always rely on the time in the group. if you got the message from a mediator or client. you have to prove that you are right.
He is asking me about the file that I have created, so I have downloaded it already from the client-server into my local system ( I was working on a client test server).
when I felt there was no good between the client and me. So I sent them to a zip file and explained everything.
They are very sensitive people and understand things. They can sense who she is. I appreciate Guy, who was handling my case.
He mentioned below things
“We ask that both parties respond within 2 business days with their acceptance of the resolution, an alternative proposal, or confirmation that they wish to proceed to arbitration. If either party chooses arbitration, we will arrange payment of each party’s portion of the non-refundable arbitration fee of $291. We look forward to your replies.”
So after communicating with each other, Upwork fellows suggested that a partial instalment be released to the freelancer.
So, I will agree with what you will make a decision.
After that, an Upwork Team member sent me the message below –
Hello,
I can suggest a partial payment of the funds in the escrow which will be $30. I will request both parties to respond to this and let me know how they would like to proceed here.
Thank you!
Best,
Amir
Upwork Mediation Team
After that client did not reply till 1 day and the Upwork team again sent us the message. if no buddy replied within 2 days fund($60) will be released to freelance(me).
Then finally client agreed to pay $30.
And I also agreed to that amount, because I lost hope of getting anything from that client.
But I was correct and honest, so I got to win the dispute.
The purpose of this story is that if we are honest, then we will win, We don’t have to worry about anything.
Thanks for reading my blog please like and share and if you have any suggestions comment, please!
Let’s See: What are Connects on Upwork?