Technical Issues With Dispute Plus Lack of Contact Us Feature on Upwork...

[2c6c4359]

I'm not new to Upwork but this seemed the only relevant location for this query.

We have an upwork client page and we've enjoyed mostly great interaction with writers but our recent hire hasn't worked as we'd have hoped. We wanted to cancel the contract and the freelancer disputed the claim. 

However every time we attempt to get to the 'open dispute' leads us to a dead end, where no dispute exists. On top of this there is no live chat facility and therefore no easy way to resolve the matter.

If we can't fix this then we'll have to opt for another platform, which would be shame. Any help would be gratefully accepted.

Thanks

[prestonhunter]

If you don't like the work done by any freelance writer, then stop working with that freelancer. If you like a freelancer's work, then continue working with that freelancer as much as you want to.

Do you have any additional questions about this?

If so, feel free to ask your questions right here in this thread.

[2c6c4359]

I think you may have missed the 'meat' of the query we had. Namely not what to do with a freelancer we are unhappy about, rather to resolve/complete a dispute issue, which is further complicated by the fact that we can no longer reach the dispute to resolve/retract/reply...

[AleksandarD]

Hi Mark,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with all this. Please allow a bit more time for our dispute team to review the case and reach out to you. Once they do, you'll be able to see the ticket. In the meantime, you can check out this Community thread to learn more about the dispute process.

Thank you.

[2c6c4359]

Hi Aleksandar,

Great. So you are saying that reason I can't access the dispute, or it not also appearing in the relevant area in our dashboard, is because you haven't responded? I.e. this isn't a technical fault? To be honest if that's the case, then you might want to improve your interface as that's not at all clear.

Thanks

[AndreaG]

Hi Mark,

Could you please confirm what you see when you're trying to access the dispute? If you're taken to this page, could you please try this link instead? You can also navigate here by going to All Contracts and clicking on the Review Dispute button.

[2c6c4359]

Hi Andrea,

When we click on the first button we end up (here), check first screenshot and when we click there we are taken (here) second screenshot, which is essentially our main page again, which doesn't show the dispute..

If we look via our contracts we can see a contract in dispute (here) see third screenshot...

When we click on the review dispute it goes back to screenshot one...

We need to resolve this as the writer has now completely vanished and we want a full refund. Multiple deadlines were missed and edits were not made. This is a real shame as previous contracts with this writer were fine, i.e. on five other occasions the job was completed to our satisfaction and we even gave the freelancer glowing reviews.

Now we want the money returned to our account as we have grown tired of waiting.

Please advise as soon as possible.

Regards

Mark

**Edited for Community Guidelines** 

[2c6c4359]

We are resending the screenshots in case they were missed

**Edited for Community Guidelines** 

[petra_r]

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Mark A wrote:

Now we want the money returned to our account as we have grown tired of waiting.

---

That's not how it works. If the dispute mediation does not find an outcome both you and the freelancer can live with, you will have to proceed to arbitration (at a cost of $ 291 each).

Upwork can't decide over the funds in escrow and can't just unilaterally return disputed funds.

[2c6c4359]

Sure, we get that. Our issues are as follows.

1) the freelancer has literally vanished, not responding to any messages, even those relating to conversations they started

2) Upwork guidelines say they will follow up on disputes within two working days, it's been far longer, and we've heard nothing

3) The facility for tracking/checking disputes, isn't working..

But thanks for your response 🙂  

[petra_r]

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Mark A wrote:

the freelancer has literally vanished, not responding to any messages, even those relating to conversations they started  

---

Clearly she resurfaced long enough to dispute...

I understand you can't access the dispute, which sounds like a technical glitch. Your hope would be that the freelancer is not responding to the dispute, which would mean that the dispute will be closed in your favour, but without being able to access the dispute you obviously can't tell...

Hopefully a moderator will ask the disputer mediator to bring you up to speed on what is happening and help sort out your access issues.

[2c6c4359]

Precisely, they vanished, we requested refund, they resurfaced to dispute, then vanished...

[2c6c4359]

We've been told we'd get a response in relation to a dispute within two working days, this hasn't happened. We've attempted to have some type of communication with Upwork admin, seemingly that's impossible (for technical reasons or poor functionality). 

We can't open a support ticket and therefore we are left waiting, which seems a totally unworkable system. If there are Upwork employees on this chat, please respond ASAP and DM us.

[PradeepH]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your message. I see that you have already reached out to our support team and have been assisted via a support ticket on your query. Please don't hesitate to follow up with them if you have additional questions regarding your concern. On our end, we will also follow up with the team so that they can continue updating you on your support ticket.

Thank you.

Pradeep.