Are posts being censored?

83bb8cb6 · ‎08-30-2018

I posted on 8/28 Tuesday my experince of hiring someone through UPWORK which turned out to be a disaster. But I cannot find the post now unless by search word. I thought the posts are listed in chronological order? I am posting it again.

The William **Edited for Community Guidelines**, ex-Navy engineer, whom we hired turned out to be a Cambodian online from Cambodia who kept saying "the project is going very well" and "make the milestone payment". After the project delay which the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**explained to be due to being in Cambodia, we found the true William **Edited for Community Guidelines**in Florida with some detective work using Google. The true William **Edited for Community Guidelines**said he has 7% heart functioning left due to a heart attack and he is working with a partner. The William **Edited for Community Guidelines**of Cambodia also said he had a heart attack and that was the reason for his poor job rating of 71% at UPWORK when we hired him at first. After 2 weeks of delay, during which we offered our carrier account and was told four times "the working sample will be shipped tomorrow", the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**finally shipped a box today via EMS from Cambodia which will take another 30 - 45 days to arrive here in US according to UPWORK. We do not know what is in the box. UPWORK clarified to us that it is not responsible for the $3005 milestone payments which we made to the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**. We need to spend another cost of Arbitration which will result in no refund if the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**does not cooperate to return the money. UPWORK promises that it will hold the UPWORK account of the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**in suspension until the refund is made, if the arbitration is in our favor. We do not think that the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**will be convinced of refunding due to the account being suspended. The damage to us could have been less at $2005 if our last payment $1000, which was on a 5 days hold at the time of our reporting the sham to UPWORK, was blocked by UPWORK. But UPWORK would do no such thing, even at our repeated request. This has been our first and very disappointing experience. It wasted our money and our time.

colettelewis · ‎08-30-2018

Posts are censored in that they get edited to conform to community guidelines. They also get deleted if they are too inflammatory.

However, I can see your post and if you look at your posts page you will find it too. https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/Ex-Navy-Engineer-in-Florida-turns-out-to-be-someone-in-Cambo...

prestonhunter · ‎08-30-2018

re: "Are posts being censored?"

Thank goodness, yes.

Have you seen the message boards, comments sections, and forums on some other websites?

(ugh)

83bb8cb6 · ‎08-30-2018

As I said, I can find the post when I search by word but the post is not where I thought it should be chronologically. Aren't the posts listed by dates?

emiguelina · ‎08-30-2018

@Aaron H wrote:
As I said, I can find the post when I search by word but the post is not where I thought it should be chronologically. Aren't the posts listed by dates?

Posts are listed by date, but when a new replay comes in, it goes up, so after a few days with new posts and new answers, it can be buried deep down.

83bb8cb6 · ‎08-30-2018

I can see on the first page of the Client site the posts dating back to 8/24, but not my post of 8/28. What happened?

colettelewis · ‎08-30-2018

@Aaron H wrote:
As I said, I can find the post when I search by word but the post is not where I thought it should be chronologically. Aren't the posts listed by dates?

If you scroll down on the "clients" page, you'll find it where it should be. (This doesn't apply to your post, but sometimes posts are merged under one subject heading and it is not always easy to find by scrolling.)

kat303 · ‎08-30-2018

Aaron- Parts of discussion posts are censored such as the freelancer's (or client's) names such as all the names in your posts. Entire discussion posts are censored if they violate the TOS for discussions. (derogatory remarks, profanity, racism and so on.)

Having said that I have to wonder why you continued to work with this freelancer AND send them money without receiving any work/or package especially when.

1. You found out that they deceived you by indicating they were located other then where they actually were.

2. When you found out they were inpersonating another person.

3. When their JSS score was so low.

4. When they refused to use your carrier.

5 And after ALL of that, you release payment to them without receiving the work you hired them for.

83bb8cb6 · ‎08-30-2018

Stupidity. But you seem to have the order of the events mixed up.

We found out the identity sham on 8/15 after having paid $2005 on previous milestones and also paying $1000 on 8/14 for the sample delivery. We found the real William in Florida contrary to the claim of being in Cambodia on 8/15 and reported to UPWORK on 8/17. UPWORK informed us to call back by 8/17 evening as the $1000 payment was still on the 5-day hold.

We called back on 8/17 evening to confirm the identity sham, and on Satruday 8/18, and on Sunday 8/19 asking for interjection. UPWORK still went ahead to release the fund.

UPWORK told us that given our agreement of the project, we had to wait until 8/27 at which time UPWORK will verify the shipping of the sample delivery. On 8/27, UPWORK and I found that the William made the shipment by EMS from Cambodia, which may take 30 - 45 days to arrive in US. UPWORK informed us then that the case is a dispute and we can file for Arbitration after 5 days grace period.

In our opinion, UPWORK did not take the identity sham seriously to pull all stops and freeze the transaction. Its main focus was to somehow lead to a resolution of the contract. UPWORK upon our report of the sham and upon talking the true William in Florida should have protected the client by freezing the transaction for more carefully review. Our damage could have been less if the identity sham is taken more seriously.

You asked why we overlooked the William's JSS score of 71%. We asked the William and he said that it was due to his heart attack which unexpectedly delayed some the previous projects. Our hearts went out to the veteran who seems to have also physical issues.

Looking back there are many things we could have done better. But UPWORK can do better to protect the clients besides saying "it is not our fault".

colettelewis · ‎08-30-2018

@Aaron

Just to point out that the replies you have received to your exremely long and muddled posts are by forum members not the Upwork staff. I would suggest you contact someone at Upwork by phone or pm one of the moderators, who might be able to sort this out for you.

83bb8cb6 · ‎08-31-2018

Hi Nichola,

Sorry for the "long and muddled" post. It is meant for clients who are committing or consider committing valuable time and money through UPWORK.

I am in contact with UPWORK but without much result.

colettelewis · ‎08-31-2018

@Aaron H wrote:
Hi Nichola,
Sorry for the "long and muddled" post. It is meant for clients who are committing or consider committing valuable time and money through UPWORK.

I am in contact with UPWORK but without much result.

___________________________________

Many freelancers are also clients. Clarity is all when trying to help out. However, I do agree about scammy freelancer profiles, and I hope you get some satisfaction from this.

kochubei_valeria · ‎08-30-2018

Hi Aaron,

Sorry to hear you are having issues with a freelancer you hired. Unfortunately, we won't be able to discuss the details of the contract and dispute here in the Community due to the Community Guidelines. However, I see that you have a ticket about this issue here and Goran followed up about it with the team when you posted here originally. Please, feel free to reply to the team's messages via that ticket.

Thank you.

~ Valeria