How to Dispute Payment for Hourly Contract

[rapidcif]

I hired a freelancer to do YouTube SEO for me. I very explicitly told them last week after a specific video to not do SEO for any more new videos for now. They went on to spend 3.5. hours doing SEO for new videos, directly contrary to my instructions.

I am willing to still allocate half of the payment to the freelancer (in the future I will make sure to specify in the contract terms that I have the right to withhold payment in its enitrety in any such cases) but would like to dispute the other half. However, Upwork's article on how to dispute hourly contracts literally doesn't work as there is no 'dispute' option. Is my understanding correct that I have to first end the contract to dispute the payment? Is the payment even disputable? Thanks!

[abede143]

In this situation, if you are using Upwork, you may need to follow these steps to dispute the payment for an hourly contract:

1. **Communicate with the Freelancer**: Before taking any formal action, try to resolve the issue directly with the freelancer. Clearly explain why you are disputing part of the payment and see if you can reach a mutual agreement.

2. **End the Contract**: If you cannot resolve the issue with the freelancer, you may need to end the contract on Upwork. Ending the contract will allow you to leave feedback and review the work that was done.

3. **Contact Upwork Support**: After ending the contract, if you still wish to dispute the payment, you can reach out to Upwork support for assistance. They can provide guidance on the next steps to take in order to dispute the payment.

It's important to review Upwork's terms and conditions regarding payment disputes to ensure that you are following the correct procedures. Remember to document all communication and details related to the dispute for reference.

[rapidcif]

After ending the contract will you be given the option to dispute the payment yourself (is there any such button on the contract page or upon ending the contract)? Or would you have to specifically contact Upwork Support in order to do so?

[wlyonsatl]

Hi, Jim.

You can certainly dispute monies you've paid out under an hourly contract.

But if the freelancer properly tracked their work time using the TimeTracker app a dispute is hard to win from the client's side. If the freelancer enters additional work time using manual entry, that is much easier for you as a client to dispute.

In the future, if you don't want a freelancer to book any more time on a project then "pause" (or close) it on Upwork's system. You can "unpause" it at any time. A freelancer cannot book work time on a "paused" contract.

[spectralua]

FL cannot books on a paused contract, it is not possible.