Client Removal of Feedback from a Freelancer

[wlyonsatl]

I see Upwork has made an important change to its Feedback Removal policy...

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/219801228-Feedback-Removal#:~:text=Top%20Rated%20and%20...

... with the highlighted change to this message for freelancers: "The feedback you provided to the client will remain visible, unless the client requests that it be removed."

It always seemed unfair to me that a client couldn't remove unwarranted negative feedback from the occasional freelancer, but now clients can apparently do so without limit (compared to freelancers having to be Top Rated to remove client feedback and then only every three months and at least 10 completed contracts).

This means freelancers will effectively have no way to communicate to one another problems with any consistently difficult-to-work-with clients.

Clients' new ability to remove freelancer feedback should be very limited, as it is for freelancers.

[a_lipsey]

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Will L wrote:

I see Upwork has made an important change to its Feedback Removal policy...

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/219801228-Feedback-Removal#:~:text=Top%20Rated%20and%20...

... with the highlighted change to this message for freelancers: "The feedback you provided to the client will remain visible, unless the client requests that it be removed."

It always seemed unfair to me that a client couldn't remove unwarranted negative feedback from the occasional freelancer, but now clients can apparently do so without limit (compared to freelancers having to be Top Rated to remove client feedback and then only every three months and at least 10 completed contracts).

This means freelancers will effectively have no way to communicate to one another problems with any consistently difficult-to-work-with clients.

Clients' new ability to remove freelancer feedback should be very limited, as it is for freelancers.

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This only applies to instances where the freelancer is Top Rated and has used their perk. Clients cannot do it without limit. They can only do it in instances that have to do with the Top Rated perk being used when the freelancer has removed their feedback from their profile. Clients will have this option in that instance. I am not sure why you would read into a help article on how to use the Top Rated perk as a free for all for clients. 

[wlyonsatl]

I see what you're saying. I suppose what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

I'm glad to see my first interpretation was wrong. 

[a_lipsey]

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Will L wrote:

I didn't read anything into the text; Amanda. You've provided information that the text doesn't contain.

But your interpretation is interesting. Where did you get that additional information?

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It's called context. The entire page is about using the Top Rated feedback removal perk. You took the portion you quoted out of context of the entire page. The part you left out says this right before the bullet you quoted: 

"Remember, if you remove feedback, certain details will remain in your client's history." 

[2a05aa63]

I agree with Amanda. The client can request the removal ONLY if the freelancer used their perk to remove their feedback.

Interesting though. Didn't know the client could do that. 

[jr-translation]

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Viacheslav K wrote:

I agree with Amanda. The client can request the removal ONLY if the freelancer used their perk to remove their feedback.

Interesting though. Didn't know the client could do that. 

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I had a different situation. The feedback I received as a client disappeared when the freelancers I call out as scammers in my feedback decided to refund me.

[2a05aa63]

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Jennifer R wrote:

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I had a different situation. The feedback I received as a client disappeared when the freelancers I call out as scammers in my feedback decided to refund me.

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Full refunds do remove feedbacks from both sides.

[jr-translation]

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Viacheslav K wrote:

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Jennifer R wrote:

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I had a different situation. The feedback I received as a client disappeared when the freelancers I call out as scammers in my feedback decided to refund me.

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Full refunds do remove feedbacks from both sides.

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Yes, but both left me 5* because they though I cannot spot a machine translation. Needless to say that they are still scamming other clients.

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Will,

Amanda is correct. That sentence is referring to situations where the freelancer used the perk to remove client's feedback. I can confirm that feedback may be removed from the client's work history upon their request if their feedback for the same contract was removed by the freelancer using their Top Rated perk. 

[wlyonsatl]

Thanks for the confirmation, Valeria.

[feed_my_eyes]

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Valeria K wrote:

Hi Will,

Amanda is correct. That sentence is referring to situations where the freelancer used the perk to remove client's feedback. I can confirm that feedback may be removed from the client's work history upon their request if their feedback for the same contract was removed by the freelancer using their Top Rated perk. 

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That seems fair. 

[vitcher]

Hello. Can you tell me if there is a record - "this review deleted" in the client's profile?

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Vitaliy,

Up until recently, if the client requested to remove feedback given by the freelancer who's also removed client's feedback for the same contract using the perk, it would say No Feedback Given. However, we're changing that and for any requests going forward, it'll say Feedback has been removed.

[lizablau]

This isn't fair if the client doesn't require the 3 month/10 jobs wait period to remove feedback that we do.  What if a client has a pattern of leaving irrationally bad feedback, and a few different freelancers use their perk to remove those comments at around the same time?  If clients are allowed an unlimited ability to remove the honest feedback from unhappy freelancers they've worked with whenever they please, their profiles will soon become scrubbed clean of their history of leaving negative feedback.  And freelancers will lose an important way to not only warn each other about difficult clients, but gauge which ones to work with. 

[wlyonsatl]

You're right, Lisa B.

That would be a fairer and more informative setup.

What's sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.

[1cac6772]

I had this happen to me where I received a very good 5 star review with explanation. However, I left negative feedback for the client because they were extremely difficult to work. Several months later I was looking at my profile and noticed that contract had "This Feedback Has Been Removed". But when I go to my contracts, the 5 star feedback they left is still there. 

When I contacted Upwork they said this client requested to remove their feedback and we can't tell you anything else. And that you should contact the client for further explanation. Like ya I'm going to contact a client I left negative feedback for and who then requested the removal of their 5 star feedback. I'm sure that they would love to talk to me about it. 

But this was clearly an example of the client getting mad I left negative feedback for them and then they requested the removal of their 5 star feedback for me. Isn't this an exact example of retaliatory feedback? I thought this was not allowed on Upwork? Now instead of having a 5 star review like I initially had, it looks like I had to personally request the removal of this feedback when that's not the case.

Upwork is basically telling freelancers that they DO NOT want them to leave negative reviews for clients. It doesn't matter if it's honest feedback or not. Because if you do, then we are going to allow those clients to remove the 5 star feedback they may have left for you. 

You talk about a complete double standard. Upwork clearly favors clients over freelancers to the point it's not even funny. And clients clearly don't have to play by the same rules that freelancers have to play by. 

[yofazza]

Upwork favoring clients more is understandable. It's basic logic. If you need to deal with two groups of people for your business, where you have only one person in one group and 17 in the other, you need to prioritize the first group no matter how "just" (fair/justice) a person you are. Not to mention 'fairness' is something some company can or should legally put aside, because they are for-profit that aim for money, not the well-being of humanity.

But this is an old thread. Right now I think all of those are 'overshadowed' by other issues. I think Upwork doesn't prioritize clients as well now. They are truly focusing on 'utilizing their resources materials to the fullest'.

The people are the ones who need to be careful not to get caught in the game. Being too attached to this third-party broker will not do you all any good. People IRL don't know about Upwork, it's like when yesterday someone here tries to convince people about their great profile on some mentoring site you only heard from that person at that time, no.