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3e318a20
Community Member

AVOID *Edited* -Client Extorts Freelancers Looking to Build Reviews

Dear Upwork Freelancer Community:

 

I want to bring to your attention to AVOID this particular client: **Edited for Community Guidelines**

 

He has writing gigs posted at extremely low rates ($0.01/word) - if you choose to work with him, he locks you into a contract, even though it says DAILY on his job page.

 

When you complete several writing projects and desire to move on to higher paying work, he will essentially EXTORT/BLACKMAIL you into staying with his near-zero rates, otherwise he will write you a negative review (not on the quality of your work, but simply because you want to leave). 

 

This is exactly what he did to me, and I am sure to other freelancers looking to build their 5 star reviews in the hopes of obtaining better pay.

 

I notified Upwork about this incident and they did nothing - they allow this sort of unethcial behavior to propagate freely.

 

Thus be careful when jumping on low-paying work to jumpstart your reviews - AND AVOID THIS CLIENT **Edited for Community Guidelines** AT ALL COSTS.  And shame on Upwork for allowing these **Edited for Community Guidelines** to take advantage of freelancers. 

5 REPLIES 5
petra_r
Community Member

Taking that contract was a really poor decision on so many levels...

 

1.) Cheap clients are, more often than not, bad clients. 

2.) You must have known that the pay is not sustainable. You live in New York for crying out loud.

3.) You now have a contract on your profile that shows any visiting client just how cheap they can really get you. At first glance no less, as the rate in included in the title...

 

Furthermore....

 

Asking for a rate rise a handful of days after a contract started is a really bad idea, especially with a client who is set on their rates. That was never going to go well.

 

Leaving bad feedback being all indignant about the price you agreed to be paid does not look good to future clients. You accept a contract at a certain rate, knowing it's a long term contract at a crap rate, and then walk away a few days later, is also not a good look as far as prospective future clients go.

 

On Sunday you will likely get a Job Success Score. This contract, being the biggest contract of the 4 you had and the JSS being Dollar-rated, will weigh heavily. 

 

You really, REALLY shot yourself into the foot royally with this.

 

Did the client really ask you to give him a couple of days to find someone else? 

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Brian,

 

I see that your concern has been escalated to our Executive Escalations team and they have provided a reply via the support ticket #31352837. Unfortunately, we will not be able to discuss private details of the case here in the public Community. I'd like to note that including names of persons or companies in an accusation of misconduct, incompetence or other wrongdoing is against the Community Guidelines. 

I would also encourage the participants of this thread to review the Community Guidelines for more information on what content isn't allowed on these boards and may be removed.

 

I would also like to note that at Upwork, the terms of any contract, including the rate, are for clients and freelancers to decide upon together. Any freelancer who is not satisfied with the rate offered can negotiate a higher rate or find a project they consider to be more suitable.

~ Valeria
Upwork

Yeah **Edited for Community Guidelines**  - that's what I did - and the client was pissed that I was
leaving and therefore left me a negative review. Because he was pissed
that his cheap labor was leaving,

The fact that this is allowed on this platform is sick. **Edited for Community Guidelines** 

petra_r
Community Member

You misunderstood my post, Brian. I wasn't blaming you and I really don't think it's OK at all and I can't stand "clients" like that. Sadly they only exist because they find people to feed that kind of behaviour and train clients to think it's fine.

 

Then other clients see that and think, "Oh, why should I pay 5 or 8 or 10 Cent when I can have someone so well qualified for one Cent?" and so it goes on.

 

It's that nasty bottom level swamp of the freelancing pond you need to avoid going forward. Nothing good comes from working there. The idea that you must take cheap work to gain traction is as wrong as it is dangerous, as you have unfortunately found out at your cost 😞


Brian K wrote:

Yeah **Edited for Community Guidelines**  - that's what I did - and the client was pissed that I was
leaving and therefore left me a negative review. Because he was pissed
that his cheap labor was leaving,

The fact that this is allowed on this platform is sick. **Edited for Community Guidelines** 


You're shooting yourself even more by pointing to the review in your profile text. Leave it be and move on. Don't draw more attention to it. 

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