Freelancer fails to respond to messages after idle contract

[8b726f75]

I have hired a freelancer with a fixed-price contract, some 3 months ago.

I received a message from Upwork that my contract has been idle for 82 days.

I have sent messages to the freelancer twice, through Upwork and his personal mail, but he failed to respond.

What should I do? Can I cancel the contract with him?

Thank you for your suggestions!

Best,

Umberto

[LuiggiR]

Hi Umberto,

To clarify, Fixed-price contracts with money in escrow and no activity for 90 days are considered "dormant." Messaging alone with a client does not constitute activity. We consider contracts that have logged one of the following actions as active: payments, bonuses, or milestone updates.

You don't need to cancel the contract unless you wish to close it immediately. If after 90 days there's still no activity, a refund request for the funds still in escrow will be sent to the freelancer. They will have 7 days to dispute this request; otherwise, the funds will be refunded back to you. You can check this article for more information. 

[57ff20c0]

Hi Umberto G,

I recommend for you to do those actions 

1,Give a deadline:Let them know that if they don't reply by a certain date, you may need to end the contract.

2, End the contract:If the freelancer still doesn't reply or fails to meet the deadline, you can choose to end the contract from your Upwork dashboard. Go to the contract page, click on the "..." (ellipsis) menu next to the contract, and select "End Contract." Follow the prompts to provide a reason for ending the contract and confirm the closure.

3, leave feedback:After ending the contract, you'll have the option to leave feedback for the freelancer. Be honest and constructive in your feedback, focusing on the reasons for ending the contract and any areas where the freelancer could improve.

5, Consider escalating: If you encounter any issues or disputes during the contract termination process, you can reach out to Upwork's customer support for assistance. They can provide guidance and help resolve any issues that may arise.

Alferid Abrar

Sincerely

[williamtcooper]

Usually waiting 90 days will fix the issue if the freelancer will not respond. It's unlikely the freelancer will dispute and win if they have not performed the work.