by Hope
In my last post, I mentioned that our dryer is now dead. I am still waiting to hear from the possibly handyman and History Buff is scouring his workplace for good deals/clearance dryers that might get me a better price, delivery and a warranty. Thank God for a hefty emergency fund, I don’t have to worry about the cost of this issue.
But the same day that my dryer died, I woke up to an email from Upwork indicating a client had done a chargeback on the 3 payments they made to me this summer (last payment was June, I believe.) So Upwork was 1) removing that money from my account and 2) asked that if I wanted to fight it I write them back. Believe me, I wrote them back!
This is the first time EVERY I have had a client pay me and then dispute it. Especially one that I completed the work for…a brand new website for a brand new business.
Project Background
I got this client via Upwork. I was hired to create a brand new website and he was going to provide all the content – copy, images and videos. I gave him a great price because this is a super simple, straightforward project. Or so it seemed…
It should have taken a week, maybe two. I completed the site within a week of receiving all the documents.
Round 1 of revisions. Okay, no problem.
Round 2 of revisions. Understandable and not atypical.
Round 3 of revisions. “Thank you for all the great advice and extra work, I definitely want to compensate you for your time.”
Round 4…5…6.
He wanted to change colors, fonts, videos…he wanted me to edit videos. He wanted images switched, new testimonials added…and on and on. It took months of back and forth.
Then he wanted more…set up a CRM for me, create a lead magnet and no on. I finally put my foot down because these were outside of the scope of work.
By this time, he had approved all the work and paid me in three separate payments based on milestones I had set at the beginning of the project.
Then after all that, he filed a complaint with Upwork. And he wanted me to refund him monies because he hired someone else to edit videos and on and on.
The dispute was closed after over a month of mediation and no action was taken.
Fast forward over a month, maybe closer to 6 weeks.
Chargeback
And this morning I receive a notice that even thought he willingly released payment to me on 3 separate occasions. Even though I have text messages and emails of him saying how much he loved the site. And even though we spent over a month in mediation. He’s still trying to get my work for free…
And as of now, he succeeded…
I did write back, attached text messages of his “thrill” with the work done including him stating he was paying me, etc.
And Upwork has said that they will file the dispute but it could take up to 45 days. Meanwhile, they will take the money from my pay account…
Oh, and let me tell you the best part…I went to look at the site. He has taken it down. Like completely, not even redirected the URL. But a quick Google search of his name and the business type…I found his new domain name. And it has the website I created, same branding, everything.
I submitted the information with the dispute and I am praying they find in my favor. So we will see…
Now I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop…2 crisis in one day. Praying there is not a third.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
