Complaint

[ana-lira]

Hi, 
I'm a upwork freenlancer.
I know this plataform by **Edited for Community Guidelines**. He had a agency - “think it.”

**Edited for Community Guidelines**closed his virtual company and said to the team that he was very exausted and no time left for this. 
He took us all out of “Think It”, dont’t pay anyone and i want to do complaint on The UPWORK plataform. 
Besides that, on last days it’s almost impossible talk with him and now we ( me and some colegs) are thinking that we were fraud victims.
I have every messages from **Edited for Community Guidelines**, if i need To prove this situation.
Please find link, **Edited for Community Guidelines**Profile’s: **Edited for Community Guidelines**

At this point I will go to court, through a lawyer and a mock complaint.
Please, if anyone knows of a direct contact to grieve complaint here on the platform. Send me.
Thank you.

[petra_r]

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Ana L wrote:

Hi, 
I'm a upwork freenlancer.
I know this plataform by xxxxxxxxxxx. He had a agency - “xxxxxxxxxx.”

xxxxxxx closed his virtual company and said to the team that he was very exausted and no time left for this. 
He took us all out of “xxxxxxx”, dont’t pay anyone and i want to do complaint on The UPWORK plataform. 

---

But you don't seem to have been hired by any clients through that agency, which also does not seem to exist anymore?

[ana-lira]

Me and my colleagues worked for Client **Edited for Community Guidelines**. Which I also contacted.
After Mr. **Edited for Community Guidelines**received the client's money, he closed the company, cut off all contacts with the freelancers who worked and he did not pay us!

[petra_r]

---

Ana L wrote:

Me and my colleagues worked for Client xxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Which I also contacted.
After xxxxx received the client's money, he closed the company, cut off all contacts with the freelancers who worked and he did not pay us!

---

But you never actually had a contract with the client or on Upwork, so really there is nothing Upwork can do.

The correct way would have been for the client to have hired you through the agency.

It sounds like the client hired that guy you mentioned, who then farmed the work out to you guys, which means you have no protection at all, unfortunately...

[ana-lira]

Petra, Unfortunately, we are all new to the upwork and so we were cheated.

We realize that we have been deceived and that we can do nothing but denounce Mr **Edited for Community Guidelines**.
In Portugal, these virtual scammers start to be many and so we have a police for these **Edited for Community Guidelines**.
However, we think that the community upwork, should know that has a mocker. Because at this time, he may be planning to open another agency and fool more people.

[prestonhunter]

So... This is not really an Upwork issue, but it is a matter for special Portuguese police to handle?

If so, then this thread should be removed, or moved to the Coffee Break section.

[ana-lira]

I'm sorry if I was wrong.
I did not know where to turn for help.
Forgive me.

[VladimirG]

Hi Ana,

Speaking for myself but also believe other users who posted on this thread feel the same way, we understand the confusion your recent bad experience and not knowing how the platform works created. You sound enthusiastic and motivated, and my advice would be to review the resources we compiled here in order to understand how you can build a successful career on Upwork and put the past experience behind you. Feel free to follow up in the Community with any questions you might have and receive direct advice from experience users and Community moderators.

[joywriter]

Hi Ana,

you should never start working for someone and do any work without a contract.

There is nothing you can even legally do. It was your mistake and that of your friends to accept to work with someone without a contract or active milsestones.

Let this be a learning lesson for the future. Wasting additional time, money, energy and resources on this will just be useless.

Good luck with future contracts and clients!

Best,

Hugo

[VladimirG]

Hi Ana,

Thank you for reaching out to us. I checked the information you shared and understand you had an issue with the agency owner, which seems to have affected the disbursement of funds from a client on whose project you participated in via the contract they had with the agency.

As you already know, when you work for an agency, all contract earnings are paid to the agency's financial account on Upwork. You as an agency contractor agree with the agency owner about how they will pay you. Payments from agencies to agency members are not protected or facilitated by Upwork so unfortunately we can't advise or take action in regards to the issue you reported.

I understand your frustration and would like to invite you to PM me any questions you might have regarding using Upwork, so I could help you navigate Upwork and find success as an individual freelancer.

[ana-lira]

Thank you for your atention.

For now, we need (myself and the freelance team that Pedro hired) to resolve this issue.
The internet is a world of opportunities and a world of potent delusions.
But we are always learning.
Thank you very much for your help.