Bidding system

[b9afba30]

Hi I hope you're all doing well. I'm new to the platform. I'm a graphic designer and I've been looking for work from home options for a while now and I think I've found it. I won my first client after 2 submitted proposals and I thought great, there is no better way to start this new adventure. Of course it's been 2 weeks since then and I'm still looking for the second one. But about this bidding system, well I think I somewhat understand this whole idea about this system, but I'm already skipping the 4th project because someone bid with more than 30 connects. I see that if you are out of the top 4 they will be returned to you, I don't even know if all of them, but I don't think that manages to motivate me in any way. I'm new here and like everyone else I'm trying to build a good profile so I can do what I love, but when I see someone bid 3-4 times more than the ad is worth and I don't see the point in bidding too, I lose the battle before it's started. I don't know if anyone can help me with this problem I'm facing or I just want to know if I'm not the only one. Have a nice day or evening wherever you are in the world.

 

[ArjayM]

Hi Ivan,

We certainly understand your concern. And yes, we do receive reports from other users also needing clarification with our bidding system. Allow me to explain; It’s straightforward — you place a bid for the amount of Connects you want to spend, and if either of the below happens, you’ll pay exactly what you bid:

• You are among the top four bidders at the end of the auction
• The client interacts with you while your proposal is boosted. We consider eligible interactions as the client opens your proposal, shortlists your proposal, messages you, archives your proposal, declines your proposal, or sends you an offer.

Please visit this help article for more details and examples to understand better how the bid system works.

[a6ae9cf6]

So the client still sees all offers, no matter how much i bid, correct? So this is literally making us pay for something we already get, an offer infront of the client. Boosting it means nothing as the client wil read all proposals, so actually, there is no need to offer a high bid, a low bid still gets me seen by the cleint and, the client has no idea you are making us bid for their offer?

If i low bid, does the client still see my proposal? Yes. it is added to the bottom of the list. In other words, if the client is doing their job corectly, and reading all offers, there is no need to bid more than the minimum as your boosting system is definetly not what is good for the client or the freelancer, only what is good for Upwork. It actually makes no difference. Does the client know the bids he sees in that order is down to you forcing freelancers to pay to play?

[netramvtech]

Hello Arjay,

I have some observations and based on that I humbly request to Upwork to take some steps to keep Genuine Freelancers interested and motivated : 

After the minimum required connects increased to 8/12/mostly 16 per job, 

as per the Freelancer Plus plan we are getting 80 connects per month

Which turns out Freelancer plus member can apply to only 5 jobs and that also without any boost and for a month

He/She is required to buy connects to apply to new jobs

I can understand that Upwork is also doing Business as us but I want to put light on one thing which waste freelancers' money(connects) - "Not serious clients"

I have observed many of the jobs are posted but client never hire any one for more than a month and sometime not even interviewing anyone 

So my humble request to Upwork that please do something for this topic and atleast return the connects of freelancers who applied for that specific job post 

Even well reputed clients also does this- I understand that sometimes they get busy but there must be timeline after that Job will be automatically closed(if not by client in case of no hiring) and connects should be return to the freelancers who applied to same

Or Upwork should ask for some initial fee from Client who wants to post Job so we can assure that only Genuine client posting the job

I really hope Upwork look into this

Regards,
Krutik

[jekolsvik]

I got Plus membership and I think I used my 12 connects unworhted. That job post looked like representetive, because the client interviewed only 1 person out of 50 and maybe would work with their already hired freelancer.

I wish if client and freelancer knows each other, they do a close job offering and we don't jump like carp fish.
I felt like loosing in gambling...