Connects

[#1]

Why connects didn't refund when the job post is closed or expired? even the client did not hire anyone.

[#2]

Hi Hoverlyn,

When a client forgets to close a job post and doesn’t hire, it is frustrating for freelancers. We know this is an issue and we are actively looking at ways to solve it. Once we find a solution, we’ll be sure to announce it. Connects are refunded only when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service.

Thank you.

[#3]

Hi i would like to know if the job was archived and they didn't hired anyone for the job. May our connects will be returned or connects are wasted ? kindly respond on this.
Provide your feedback on this

[#4]

Hi Waqar,

Connects are refunded only when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service.

Thank you.

[#5]

Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[#6]

I am a new freelancer on Upwork. I have submitted 23 proposals. But I was being called for one job. Most of the other job doesn't call anyone for an interview that I have submitted a proposal. After one month the job is closed at the same time I lost my connects

[#7]

Hi Roy,

We know this is an issue and we are actively looking at ways to solve it. We already look for and remove job posts that violate our Terms of Service. But we understand, for example, that when a client forgets to close a job post and doesn’t hire it is frustrating for freelancers. Once we find a solution, we’ll be sure to announce it. Please note that if you see a job that is suspicious or inappropriate, please click "Flag as inappropriate" in the job post so we can review it.

Thank you.

[#8]

Why would you fix it?

You knew about this a loooooooong time ago, and yet.....no fix.

It costs money to stay active, it costs money to propose jobs, so why would you fix it?

Go on tell the truth, or go on .......fix it !!!!

[#9]

There you go, a solution for jobs that goes no where
TIME LIMIT FOR THE HIRING PROCESS

There should be a limit  of time for the hiring process.( Any time, the client can select that limit) After that if no one is hired connects go back to Applicants.

[#10]

Hi,

I have many proposals archeived on which no one was hired and job was closed. But still my connects arent refunded. 

[#11]

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Wasay M wrote:

I have many proposals archeived on which no one was hired and job was closed. But still my connects arent refunded. 

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They expired. As has been explained hundreds of times, connects are not refunded when job posts expire. That is how the system works. Simply assume that connects, once spent, are gone forever nd ever and will never come back. That is so much helthier than hovering over long dead job posts expecting something to happen.

[#12]

Wasay M.,

Buying connects is part of the price we pay to have access to clients via Upwork. It's a source of income for Upwork that Upwork has recently reduced in some respects (after raising the cost of connects in the not-too-distant past).

And not having a cost for submitting each proposal would not be good for either most freelancers or most clients, as some clients would no doubt receive 100s of proposals on certain projects if there were no cost for connects. Overwhelming clients with proposals might lead some clients, especially new ones, to give up on Upwork - nobody wins in that scenario.

It would be interesting to know the percentage of proposals submitted by freelancers that actually lead to freelancers getting hired, the number of connects freelancers use per proposal, etc., etc., but those are not numbers we'll ever see. That information wouldn't have much meaning for any individual freelancer anyway, since the quality of cover letters and different skill sets, language skills, communication skills, etc. will make each freelancer's proposal success rate unique. 

[#13]

Hello Freelancers!

How will you know if the client rejected your proposal? Will you get a notification?

Warm Regards

[#14]

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Johnpel Q wrote:
How will you know if the client rejected your proposal? Will you get a notification?

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Most of the time you just never hear anything back.

[#15]

I see, another question hope it’s alright, does that mean you can decline your submitted proposal so that you can earn back the connects? Is that how it works?

Apologies for the question, this question may have been answered a few times already.

[#16]

Hi Johnpel,

Withdrawing the proposal will not refund the Connects. 

Connects are refunded when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service.

Feel free to check out this help article for more information on Connects.

Thank you.

[#17]

Has Upwork resorted to becoming a "pay to work scheme" in a bid to sift out "spam"?

In the 10+ years I've worked on oDesk.com now Upwork.com, I NEVER EVER had to pay to work--which is what the "Connects" scheme really has turned out to be. Freelancers and Agencies made countless CONNECTions with numerous Clients, and the winning applicants would get to work; and Deliver. That is how the site grew, in membership and in revenue, with a solid reputation.

"Connects" came to massacre what was the flourishing oConomy, as it was so-called, the building blocks of what is now evolving into an elitist membership club where you basically: pay to work.

In this Covid-19 economy, I could surely and wholeheartedly work for pay, not the other way around...

"When basics is ignored, failure is inevitable."

[#18]

It's not purely P2W. For example, you can get invited.

Anyway -- with a labour market that's increasingly becoming saturated with low-quality freelancers from poor countries, Upwork found (several months ago) that there was a need to protect clients from a barrage of terrible proposals.

There are two primary ways they could've combatted this:
a) Restrict the influx of new freelancers (check, they are now heavily vetted)
b) Put in place a barrier for freelancers to apply (check, Connects)

This barrier ensures that there is a penalty for spam posts. A penalty for mindlessly applying to jobs you can't do or don't want. It makes people choose more carefully, and provides clients with a more curated, appropriate list (n.b., despite this, clients often get over 50 proposals per job).

Additionally... It limits the thousands of proposals from India, Pakistan, Africa, etc. to a more reasonable number by means of a low financial barrier (so nobody can call Upwork racist or xenophobic).

You are welcome to suggest a better solution. I think it's a pretty good one, and I mark Connects off as a business expense. An annoyance, but it beats the alternative (having to compete with thousands of undesirables).

[#19]

I have to also comment that it only partially worked. To a very low degree. As i mentioned in another post, the cost of acquiring clients "from the Internet", without Upwork, is up to 100x more expensive than Upwork connects cost. Upwork is really making a mistake pricing connects that low. They could be 10x the price they are and still provide the cheapest way possible online to get projects - and that will INCREASE overall turnover because fewer clients will leave being frustrated with tons of spam they get. I actually got those complaints from my clients saying like "glad i stulmbled upon your cover letter, coz i spent days sitfting through spam already and my time is not free, was ready to give up". And it will actually invite more high quality contractors, not fewer: many good developers i know are not on Upwork because as they say "haha, good luck competing with mountains of spam there".

[#20]

The system is imperfect, but the cost of connects is so low that it should not prevent you from landing jobs. Build it into the cost of your services just like the cost of your internet and electricity is built into your rate. If you are excelling in your field, or even just maintaining good relationships with your regular clients, connects don't affect you much overall. I think I bought connects once, or twice at most since they rolled out. Anyway, there is some type of free connects plan coming out I heard. 

[#21]

Good day, 

I am newbie in upwork and i lose all my connect in fake jobs. But almost a 2 month I don't receive free connects my account still hopeless to find a job. can somebody explain how free connect work in new account. Thanks

[#22]

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Aries D wrote:

Good day, 

I am newbie in upwork and i lose all my connect in fake jobs.
Do you have any evidence for this claim? If so, your connects will be returned.
But almost a 2 month I don't receive free connects my account still hopeless to find a job. can somebody explain how free connect work in new account. Thanks

The same as in old accounts. Once your new billing cycle starts you receive 10 connects. You can find our more about the billing cycle here.

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[#23]

I am new to Upwork so I want to ask why it is like this that we need connects to apply for a job, but the client came to post a job where he asks for 3 to 6-month duration, where 4 to 6 connects are required to apply. so many freelancers apply there but client hire nobody and job gone expired and we lost ours connects. I have seen many jobs like this where the client hires no one and the job went expires and the client hires no one. so I think Upwork should review this or minimum there should be a maximum of two weeks to hire a person otherwise connects should be refunded. sometimes it took more than a month and the client hires nobody then the job gone expires without refunding us the connects.

[#24]

Hi Muhammad,

If a client doesn’t hire and closes their job post, any Connects used to submit a proposal will be returned to you. However, if they do not close the job, no Connects will be returned. We understand this isn’t ideal, and we regularly reach out to clients who have open job posts to encourage them to close them if they don’t intend to hire.

Thanks!

[#25]

I have not received the monthly free connects yet. What should I do?