I'm sorry to hear that you're encountering issues with a client. It's crucial to handle this professionally and through the appropriate channels provided by Upwork. Here's what you can do:
Communication: Before escalating the issue, try to communicate with the client once more. Reiterate the quality of your work, reference the contract terms, and clearly outline how you've met the requirements. Be calm, professional, and assertive, not confrontational.
Evidence: Gather all the evidence of your work and communication. This includes work files, screenshots, and any correspondence that shows you have completed the work as agreed upon in the contract.
Upwork Support: If direct communication doesn’t resolve the issue, you can contact Upwork support. You can share the screenshots and evidence you've gathered with them. They can review the materials to see if the client's feedback is unjust and to defend your case.
- To contact support, go to the Upwork Help Center, and submit a request. Make sure to provide detailed information about the situation.
Dispute Resolution: If the contract had funds in escrow, and the client requests a refund, you can dispute this through Upwork's dispute resolution system. Through this process, a dispute specialist from Upwork will help you and the client attempt to reach a mutual agreement.
Upwork Terms of Service: Review Upwork's terms of service and payment protection programs to understand your rights and the protections in place for situations like this.
For hourly contracts, make sure that your work diary is complete with memos and screenshots as required by Upwork's Hourly Protection.
For fixed-price projects, ensure that milestones were properly established, and use the submit/request payment feature to ensure all funds in escrow are released correctly.
It's important to act quickly, as there are time limits for submitting disputes after payments or refunds are initiated. It seems from your message that you might have offered to forgo payment, but if you believe the work was completed properly, it's reasonable to defend your right to be paid.
Remember not to share any sensitive information publically, and refrain from taking any actions outside of Upwork's platform to resolve the payment issue, as it can violate the platform's terms and could lead to account sanctions.
