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[wlyonsatl]

If you do the work you agree to do, you should never issue a refund to a client. Nor should you do any significant unpaid "overtime" to a whiny client. 

If you properly documented the time you booked using Upwork's TimeTracker app, the client will not succeed in getting Upwork to force a further refund out of you. If you added manual time to your timelogs, or didn't use TimeTracker properly, Upwork might make a decision to refund money to the client.

Unless you live in the same locality as the client it is highly unlikely the client would actually sic any lawyers on you.

Good luck!

[a_lipsey]

If this was an hourly contract and you kept meaningful memos and screenshots in the work diary then you should just ignore this client. They don't have a leg to stand on. 

[AleksandarD]

Hi Aaron,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience so far. I checked and it seems that you are already in correspondence with our team on this support ticket. Please allow more time for our team to review your case and respond accordingly. You will be notified of their response. In the meantime, feel free to check out this help article for more information on refunds and disputes.

Thank you.

[petra_r]

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Aaron F wrote:

A Support agent told me that this is only Mediation and I cannot be forced to refund monies to a client  

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I really wouldn't worry, especially not if you logged those hours with the tracker and fulfilled the usual requirements for payment protection. Just calmly state that you have refunded all you are going to refund and that you will not refund any more. Say as much as strictly necessary and as little as possible, Your client's own client is their problem, not yours, especially when an hourly contract is concerned.

Aaron F wrote:

but said she would give me 5 stars if I did refund those 10 hours. 

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That's feedback manipulation and a violation of the terms of service. 

[tlbp]

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Aaron F wrote:

Ok is there any possibility that Upwork can make me refund any monies to this client? I do not agree with a refund at all not even $10 as I went on overtime so much that it is definitely not possible for me to refund her anything. and this is stressing me immensely at this point as I have a lot of other work going on. 

Is there any chance of being able to speed up the Mediation Assistance? It's quite stressing especially during a pandemic that Upwork can make me refund this client even $10. 

A Support agent told me that this is only Mediation and I cannot be forced to refund monies to a client and I hope this is true as the client already made me refund her 10 hours because she claimed that the client simply did not "like" the job; but said she would give me 5 stars if I did refund those 10 hours. 

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Your choice to provide free services in the form of overtime and refunding earned amounts will not affect how Upwork handles the dispute. In the future, if your goal is to get paid, don't work for free and don't give back money that you have earned. 

[petra_r]

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Tonya P wrote:

...  don't work for free and don't give back money that you have earned. 

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those 10 hours were refunded as payment for 5 star feedback...

[tlbp]

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Aaron F wrote:

Please understand that it was the client who said "refund me 10 hours and I can give you a 5 star rating" and I originally gave her 1 star but she asked me to change this to higher stars. I  NEVER requested 5 stars it was her who said "give me back 10 hours or I may leave less than stellar feedback if you refund 10 hours IIll give you 5 stars" so obviously I went with option #2 all because she said her client did not "like" the work 

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If I were you, I'd quit writing about how you and the client discussed changing ratings. It is unlikely that anyone will "understand" it the way you want them to. You gave the refund. If the client was the only one breaking the rules, the appropriate response would have been to report them. 

Stick to the facts of the contract. What you agreed to do to try to change the situation and what you gave away for free by your own choice doesn't matter. 

[tlbp]

You should have never issued a refund. But, now you will just have to stop giving money back to this client and see what happens. If they don't pay you, then you can issue a takedown notice to reclaim the content.