Chargeback

[#1]

I was still confused and worried about who would pay for my hard work and determination. When the client filed a chargeback the freelancer got stuck for 90 days. Is this justice or what? I did work for a client from Singapore, and he paid me $750. After another job, he offered me the same $750, but after five days, I came to know he filed a chargeback, and I still need to withdraw that fund, which is still pending. But my profile shows that I earned $795.12 for this job. My question is, what is my mistake? Who will pay for all my work that is stuck and ruined? The biggest platform is not supporting freelancers by saying this; it will depend on the bank's decision. These things blow out freelancers' morale, work, and lives. I have been mentally disturbed for the last two weeks due to all of this.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Malik,

This is a difficult situation and I understand your frustration. Some reversals (chargebacks) are a result of the client contacting their bank and asking them to reverse the payment.

In these cases, we look to our Terms of Service (TOS) for guidance and follow it by taking two steps:

1. We seek reimbursement from freelancers/agencies in cases where their client makes a payment, asks their bank to reverse it, and the bank does. (see more detail in sections 6.3-6.5 in our TOS).

2. We review the client’s Upwork account because reversing a payment, in most cases, is against our TOS and can result in us permanently suspending their Upwork account.

Aside from these steps, the Upwork team also helps the freelancer or agency challenge the reversal.

Our team can submit a rebuttal to the client’s bank on the freelancer’s behalf if they provide a proof of the work or deliverables. They would need to move quickly, so please provide the requested proof within 48 hours of being notified of the reversal if you’d like us to proceed. Keep in mind that it can take the bank up to 90 days to review and provide their final decision. The client’s bank will have the final say regarding the rebuttal and we have no control over the outcome.

[#3]

Nikola the thing is where is justice?

[#4]

Did you submit the requested documents, or not?

[#5]

Yes i submitted the all requested doucment everything

[#6]

Well, hopefully the bank will take that as proof, then. But as for justice, you've so far paid Upwork less than $5 in commission, and now you expect them to pay you $1,500 after your client - who you found and brought here yourself - ran off. Where is the justice in that? 

[#7]

No no i am not asking upwork to pay me i have got $750 withdrawn but next $750 are still pending i am confused that the payment made on 11 Aug he filed chargeback on that and payment made on 18 Aug he didn't filed chargeback you are most senior and most respectable i need your help and opinion about this

[#8]

If your client didn't pay you, then your client is the one who has treated you unfairly, and you should resolve this with him. 

[#9]

Your client may still file a chargeback on that second payment. I recently went through this, too -- after 8 years on Upwork with no issues, I had my first chargeback this month. The client filed a chargeback on Milestone 1 almost two months after I completed the work. Never mind that the client didn't ask for any changes, expressed satisfaction with the deliverable, released he payment within hours, and then activated another milestone. Two weeks later, the client issued a chargeback on the second milestone...again, despite indicating satisfaction, requesting zero changes, and releasing payment within hours. It's total crap. I'm out the money I rightfully earned on both milestones, and it's likely you will be, too.

[#10]

both those jobs look sus

[#11]

how can we say that?

[#12]

You were hired for these jobs and finished them two days later, yes? Were you working around the clock to have earned so much money in less than 48 hours? At your current hourly rate, this would have meant about 75 hours of work, not 48. But since you worked so hard, at least you must have some really great results that you could put into your portfolio, instead of the two short articles that are currently in there.

It sounds like you're interested in crypto, so did either of these jobs involve you buying crypto for the client?

What I'm also curious about is that all of your three previous jobs were for tiny amounts of money, apparently for the same client, and you left them bad feedback each time, saying that they didn't respond to you after you submitted the work. Why did you accept two additional jobs from this client, if you had such a bad experience the first time?

[#13]

Christine, I honor all you said. First thing, I am not interested in crypto or any trading. I am a straightforward guy who loves to work. I have done nothing wrong; I work 20 hours daily as an Ex-army cadet. The first job I did was for ting amount because it was a startup after that client went unresponsive. This job was done on any hire. I found a client outside Upwork. I wasn't sure about his payment, so I brought him to Upwork for payment protection about my portfolio. I have a lot of work to display, but I cannot update due to workload. I will update my portfolio, but due to this, I am mentally disturbed. I have been working on upwork for the last 1 years.

[#14]

You may have been here for a year, but have only completed three tiny jobs for the same client, then suddenly landed two substantial contracts at double your usual rate (even assuming that you worked 40 hours with only a 5-hour break in between) from a client that you already knew outside of Upwork - was this client in the same country/city as you, by any chance? I would obviously never accuse anyone of wrongdoing here in the forum, but I think you can see why it might look suspicious to Upwork.

[#15]

• No Christine i am from Pakistan and he was from Singapore i met him on linkedin i haven't done anything wrong I came here to get help from you people  because you people have more experience than me 

[#16]

---

Malik H wrote:

how can we say that?

---

Cuz this ain't my first rodeo. You about to be $1500 in the negative and you'll really have a reason to cry. Bad idea to think you're getting one over on the system. Rookie mistake.

[#17]

Yes but i am not putting on system i asking that if you work hard spend 20 hrs a day and you are not paid how you feel

[#18]

Everything looks sus. I feel a NO REASON coming on. Upwork is never getting that money back either.