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pedroed
Community Member

5 Things to improve Upwork

5 Things to improve Upwork (in my point of view).

 

1-Refund connects if a client doesn't hire in 15 days (or even 30 days?).


2-Remove 5 days security policy to withdraw money from Upwork (or reduce it to 24hours), and reduce the review time  for hourly contract  (10 days to get payments? really?)


3-Specifying in a fixed price contract how many times a client can click on "request changes" button, client and freelancer can both agree on how many revisions are included in the price.


4-After a client hires, they can't cancel the job until they contact Upwork to see if freelancer is responding and giving updates about the work.


5-For disputes, make clients pay arbitration fees before the freelancer. (some scammers use this gap to get work for free)

5 REPLIES 5
prestonhunter
Community Member

1: I like the idea. I don't think Upwork will do it, but I think freelancers would feel a lot better about paying for connects if they knew that a client who didn't hire ANYBODY would reasult in connects being returned for that job posting.

 

2. Meh. Who cares. The money is the same amount whether you get it in zero days or 5 days or 10 days.

 

3. I totally understand your frustration with this, but it isn't practical. You'll have to learn to manage this one yourself. There are limitations due to software and algorithms now being able to know if a project is really done, and due to the fact that Upwork uses a true "escrow" system, which has requirements that prevent Upwork itself from "deciding" when money can be released. There are BAD CLIENTS who abuse the "request changes" button, but I don't think Upwork itself can prevent that by limiting how many times the button is clicked.

 

4. I disagree. I like the fact that clients AND freelancers can close a contract at ANY TIME. Right now there are ZERO requirements. That is a very pure system. I don't want to require clients to justify their decision to fire a freelancer or jump through any hoops in order to do so. If a client closes a contract, the freelancer has been paid for ALL of the time she has logged on the contract. She's not being ripped off or anthying. She has simply been fired. ALL contracts are meant to end eventually.

 

5. That's a very interesting idea. I would support this. Once again, this probably won't be implemented. But it is compelling. And you're right, there are BAD clients who abuse the system in order to get work for free. There is currently too much abuse of the system by dishonest clients and scammers. I think it is going to cause problems for the overwhelming majority of clients who are honest. Because Upwork might crack down on disputes and refunds and make it much, much less likely that a client can use such tools. Anyway, a true professional client who knows what they are doing manages their project proactively. They never use disputes or request refunds. They simply stop working with any freelancer who doesn't measure up.


2. Meh. Who cares. The money is the same amount whether you get it in zero days or 5 days or 10 days.

 

I care, sometimes i'm broke and i need my money immediatly, only full-time freelancers will relate to this.

 

 

4. I disagree. I like the fact that clients AND freelancers can close a contract at ANY TIME. Right now there are ZERO requirements. That is a very pure system. I don't want to require clients to justify their decision to fire a freelancer or jump through any hoops in order to do so. If a client closes a contract, the freelancer has been paid for ALL of the time she has logged on the contract. She's not being ripped off or anthying. She has simply been fired. ALL contracts are meant to end eventually.

Happened to me many times, client hires me for fixed price contract, then i start the work on the project , and after a while they come back to me telling we need to cancel contract for a reason, and yes they don't pay a cent. and i know if i dispute it i will be the first paying arbitration fees of +$299 for a $100 job, if i don't pay the fees at first; they get the refund.

re: "I care, sometimes i'm broke and i need my money immediatly, only full-time freelancers will relate to this."

 

Point taken. You have explained your reasoning well.

 

My position on this is that freelancing via Upwork is simply NOT a sufficiently stable revenue source to justify counting on it with such precision. Upwork is unlikely to do away with its security period any time soon. Even if it does, I would say that any Upwork users - full-time or not - should maintain a cushion of financial reserves because freelancing work can ebb and flow.


Preston H wrote:

re: "I care, sometimes i'm broke and i need my money immediatly, only full-time freelancers will relate to this."

 

Point taken. You have explained your reasoning well.

 

My position on this is that freelancing via Upwork is simply NOT a sufficiently stable revenue source to justify counting on it with such precision. Upwork is unlikely to do away with its security period any time soon. Even if it does, I would say that any Upwork users - full-time or not - should maintain a cushion of financial reserves because freelancing work can ebb and flow.


i agree 100%

re: "Happened to me many times, client hires me for fixed price contract, then i start the work on the project, and after a while they come back to me telling we need to cancel contract for a reason, and yes they don't pay a cent. and i know if i dispute it i will be the first paying arbitration fees of +$299 for a $100 job, if i don't pay the fees at first; they get the refund."

 

My position on this is very simple:

 

Such behavior from a client is inexcusable. And should not be facilitated by Upwork.

 

Here again is how I say clients may properly close a fixed-price contract:

 

If you are a client, and you want to close a fixed-price contract (for ANY REASON) then you may do so, at any time. Simply release any remaining escrow funds to the freelancer and close the contract.

 

If you want to get some of your money back, then you should probably NOT want that.

 

If you REALLY want to get some of your money back, then you should discuss this with the freelancer. Ask the freelancer what percentage of the task is done, and ask if he will be willing to stop work now, and accept your request to refund a percentage of the escrow funds equal to the percentage of the task not done.

 

The freelancer SHOULD AGREE. In that case, close the contract, requesting a percentage of funds to be refunded to you, and the client will grant that request.

 

If the freelancer does not agree, then release all remaining escrow runds to the freelancer and close the contract.

 

This freelancer was NOT acting as a team player, so do NOT hire that freelancer again.

 

A client who cancels a fixed-price contract and tries to get money back through a dispute or arbitration is a bad client and probably a bad person. Any client who does not want money "tied up in escrow" should simply use an hourly contract. If a freelancer has not done any work on a fixed-price contract, and refuses a client's request for a full refund, then that freelancer is a bad freelancer.

 

[These are my opinions on the matter. Not all of this would be considered "official Upwork policy."]

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