Client is accusing me of using ChatGPT

[bb192c85]

I have been working with this client from the beginning of this month, he asked me to write two articles for him at first. He didn't like my work, then he gave me another chance. Did not pay me for the first two ones, its fine. He then gave me more work, and he told me that he checks for plagiarism and AI content, I said fine. Then I did the work for him, he had no complaints. I carried on working for him until today all of a sudden he says to stop what I'm doing and that I'm using ChatGPT. I told him to prove it, he gave me an example of a ChatGPT paragraph that did not even remotely match mine. Then he started ridiculing me and laughing at me. He said one or two sentences in one article were not correct, hence it proves that I'm using ChatGPT. I gave him the links of my sources where I collected information from and proved him that I did not use ChatGPT. He's still adamant, and wants ALL of the money back. What should I do in this case?

[prestonhunter]

re: "Did not pay me for the first two ones, its fine."

No. It is not fine.

You made a mistake.

This is about YOU, the freelancer.

This isn't about the client.

When you work for a client, they need to pay you what was agreed.

It doesn't matter if they say they like the work or not.

You should not be working for clients who won't pay you for your work.

[bb192c85]

I'll be careful next time. Do I have to return his money even though his accusations are false? He seems very rude, can he leave negative feedback on my profile If I do or don't return his money?

[wlyonsatl · Accepted solution]

Preston's comments are spot on. You don't have to, and shouldn't, return money if you've done the work you agreed you'd do.

But a client can always leave negative feedback for you, regardless how a job is ended. You can refund all of the money he's paid you and that will remove his public feedback from your profile, but his private feedback will remain and will have the same effect on your JSS whether or not the public feedback is removed.

So, is it worth giving up your pay by removing only public feedback? Only you can say, but I'd keep the money and respond, professionally and succinctly, to the public feedback. 

You haven't indicated whether or not you are Top Rated. If you are, of course, you can have Upwork remove both public and private feedback without returning any money to the client.

Good luck!

[sajal36]

Ask client to employ AI usage tool identifier to provide proof that these are AI generated content. 

[tlsanders]

Don't give the money back. Let him dispute and see if you can work something out in the dispute process. I'm sure he isn't paying enough to make it worth going to arbitration. 

In the future, respond to red flags faster. The client didn't "give you another chance"--they took two free pieces of work from you and then strung you along planning to steal more of your work. And, consider not working with clients who "check for AI content" because none of the current AI detectors are reliable and clients who rely on these tools tend to be both uninformed and hyper-suspicious.

[sajal36]

I belive this may be a overstatement "none of the current AI detectors are reliable and clients who rely on these tools tend to be both uninformed and hyper-suspicious." 

 I believe you overstep on the evolving technologies as both AI Conversational and AI detector are evolving and both model are being trained and will evolve over period of time. However for detecting AI content there are stats like - Perplexity,  Burstiness, plagiarism score and others are measured to detect AI generated content.

[lysis10]

81 hires, $1k spent and with those reviews lol

Lessons in reading things first.

[bobafett999]

Yup.....seems people are so hungry they jump like zombies for any chance.  Those earlier upwork ads with zombies were very appropriate - Upwork is cultivating army of brain dead zombies.

[bb192c85]

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions! I'm not returning the money, since he's no longer responding to my messages, I have filed a dispute. Next time, I'll stay aware of those red flags. 

[wlyonsatl]

MD Navid A.,

The learning curve with using Upwork as a freelancer is very steep - and never levels out. We all make mistakes; the best you can do is try to keep them small.

[bobafett999]

Yup, but them will never invest time to learn. 

Most likely bots apply.