Refunds, cancellations, and extensions
The three ways a project changes course, who has to agree to what, and where the money ends up in each case.
Projects change. Someone needs more time, the scope turns out to be wrong, or an engagement simply should not continue. There are three separate mechanisms and they are not interchangeable — picking the right one decides how fast it resolves and where the money goes.
| You want to… | Use | Needs the other party? | Money outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move the deadline | Extension request | Yes, they approve | Unchanged — escrow stays held |
| End the project by agreement | Cancellation request | Yes, they respond | Unreleased escrow refunded as agreed |
| Get held money back | Refund request | They accept, or it disputes | Refunded, or split by decision |
| Resolve a real disagreement | Dispute | No — we decide | Released, refunded, or split |
Extensions
An extension moves the delivery date and changes nothing else. Either side can request one; the other approves or declines. Escrow stays exactly where it is. If a deadline is going to slip, request the extension before it slips — an expert who asks in advance is negotiating, and one who asks afterwards is explaining.
Cancellations
A cancellation ends the engagement. Either party can request it, and the other responds. Where partial work has genuinely been delivered, the fair outcome is usually a partial release rather than a full refund, and that is worth agreeing explicitly in the workspace before either of you clicks anything.
- 1
Requested
One party asks to end or refund, with a reason the other can read.
Other party responds - 2
Accepted
Both agree. Unreleased escrow is returned on the agreed terms.
- 3
Declined
No agreement. The project continues, or the requester opens a dispute.
Escalate - 4
Disputed
We review the record and decide: release, refund, or a split.
Refund requests
A client can ask for held escrow back. The expert can accept, which resolves it immediately, or decline, which routes it to a dispute for a decision on the evidence. Money that has already been released is not held by us any more, so it cannot be recalled this way — a released milestone is a completed transaction, and a complaint about it belongs in a dispute or a review.
Agree changes in writing, in the workspace
A verbal or off-platform understanding is not something we can act on. If you agree to a partial refund, a reduced scope, or a new date, say so in the project messages — that record is what a dispute is decided on.
Refunds return to the original payment method and take a few business days to appear, depending on your bank. The delay is on the card network’s side, not ours.
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