Disrespectful Treatment and Demand for Refund

[d71e8ad0]

Dear Upwork Support Team,

I am reaching out to express my profound sadness and disappointment regarding an upsetting incident that occurred during my recent video verification process. As a loyal and dedicated member of the Upwork community, I never imagined I would experience such deplorable treatment, particularly from one of your representatives.

For your reference, my account username is**Edited for Community Guidelines**, and the incident took place on 3/29/2023 during the video verification process with Agent **Edited for Community Guidelines**. To help you better understand my situation, I would like to share some background information. I am a transgender individual and also suffer from Alopecia, a medical condition resulting in hair loss. To manage the impact of Alopecia, I typically wear a scarf to cover my head.

Throughout the video verification process, Agent **Edited for Community Guidelines**. callously demanded that I remove my scarf, entirely disregarding my explanation of my medical condition and the emotional anguish it would provoke. I felt as though the agent sought amusement from my predicament, which I find utterly offensive and unacceptable. I firmly believe that everyone deserves respect and dignity, and I am deeply disheartened by your representative's conduct.

As a result of this incident, I have decided to terminate my relationship with Upwork. I hereby demand that you withdraw all funds  from my Upwork account and refund any unused credits... Please send to the address that's on file. I also implore you to investigate this matter diligently and take appropriate action against the agent involved. No one should have to endure such treatment, especially on a professional platform like Upwork.

Additionally, I explicitly instructed **Edited for Community Guidelines**. not to change my name to my past name, but she blatantly disregarded my request. This act is absolutely disrespectful.

Please confirm the withdrawal of my funds, the refund of my credits, and the steps you are taking to rectify this situation. I appreciate your swift attention to this matter and trust that you will prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Lex

[d71e8ad0]

It has been hours since I was coerced into exposing my Alopecia to the agent just to access my money, and I can't shake the feeling of being violated and humiliated. The hurt and embarrassment I am experiencing is overwhelming, and I have found myself in tears on multiple occasions.

The fact that I had to endure such a degrading experience on your platform, where I expected professionalism and understanding, has left me deeply disheartened. As a transgender individual with Alopecia, I have faced my share of challenges and adversities, but I never anticipated that I would be treated so poorly by a representative of a reputable company like Upwork.

It is incredibly difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that I was made to feel like a commodity, forced to reveal a deeply personal aspect of myself, just to access the funds that I rightfully earned through my hard work and dedication.

[d71e8ad0]

As I continue to grapple with the emotional fallout of the humiliating video verification experience on Upwork, I can't help but notice that "Pradeep H" seems to be deliberately concealing the identity of the agent who embarrassed and degraded me. This evasive action only adds to the frustration and disappointment I feel towards Upwork, as it raises questions about the platform's commitment to transparency and accountability.

It is imperative that those responsible for causing such distress are held accountable for their actions. By shielding the agent's identity, it feels as if Upwork is prioritizing their interests over the wellbeing and dignity of users like me. I hope that my experience will serve as a catalyst for change, pushing the platform to prioritize empathy, respect, and transparency, ensuring no one else has to endure a similar ordeal.

[PradeepH]

Hi Lex

Thank you for your message. I am sorry to learn about your experience with the verification team. I have to edit your post to remove the agent name as the Community Guidelines do not allow including names of persons or companies (or other identifying information) in an accusation of misconduct, incompetence, or other wrongdoing. You can always report this information directly to Upwork if you suspect an issue, but posting it in Community is not appropriate.

I would like to inform you that we fully support members of the transgender community and we do our best to help them at every step. Once again, our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience caused to you during video verification. I will be sharing your report with the appropriate team. I can see that you've already raised a support ticket regarding the same concern. You can access your support tickets here . Note that support requests are responded to in the order they are received. Kindly allow 24-48 hours for the team to follow up with you and assist you further.

Thank you.
Pradeep H.

[d71e8ad0]

Pradeep,

I understand your position, but I cannot help but feel that hiding the identity of the agent who caused me distress is not a justifiable action. This situation bears resemblance to the agent's decision to expose my past name, disregarding my request as a trans woman.

It is disheartening to see that Upwork does not seem to apply the same principles of respect and privacy to its users that it does for its agents. I urge you to consider the parallel between these situations and practice the empathy and understanding you expect from others. Treating people the way you would want to be treated is the foundation of a fair and inclusive environment.

[wlyonsatl]

Chris L.,

I am sorry to hear about your recent experience. Upwork is largely driven by algorithms and check lists; there is no coloring outside whatever box that responsible and respectful human beings should be able to thoughtfully and sympathetically deal with.

I hope you find peace with this soon. 

Will

[d71e8ad0]

Will, Thank you for your uplifting support. I appreciate your empathy as a fellow freelancer. I'd like to clarify that the interaction I had was not with a bot, but rather a real person during a Google Hangouts video call. The agent forced me to remove my scarf and essentially strip down to prove my identity, all for the sake of accessing my hard-earned money. This happened while the agent watched from the other end, making the situation even more humiliating and distressing for me.

I hope that sharing my experience can help prevent others from facing similar ordeals.

-Lex

[fe9b8d82]

Naming and shaming "Agent X" isn't going to help Upwork be a better place.  Let's all work to make Upwork a more inclusve place, but let's respect each other's privacy when doing so.

[d71e8ad0]

Miles,

Frankly, your comment lacks understanding of my situation. My intention isn't about "naming and shaming," but accountability and raising awareness to prevent others from experiencing the same degrading ordeal.

As a trans woman, I face challenges you likely haven't encountered. Are you trans? Have you lived a day as a trans woman? If not, you're in no position to judge my actions. It's easy to be part of the peanut gallery when you haven't walked a mile in my shoes.

Let's focus on creating an inclusive Upwork environment, but don't assume you know what's best for those who have endured humiliating treatment.

[fe9b8d82]

You posted on a public forum, so replies will happen.  I've got no interest in debating the issue with you, but I wish you the best of luck in your resolution of this matter.

[erinvega2016]

Hi Lex,

I am so sorry you had to endure this and you are 100% correct that creating an inclusive Upwork environment is needed here. Not making any excuses for the agent, but did it seem like they were sticking to a script while doing your verification? Using a script does not give anyone the right to humiliate another human being. It's as if computers have taken over our brains and common sense is thrown out the window because if it doesn't say it on the screen in front of us we can't do it. 

I am not trans, my daughter is, I have alopecia, I hate the peanut gallery, and I am pretty darn sure you can rock those stilletos like a boss the whole mile!! 😁

[AndreaG · Accepted solution]

Hi all,

A number of comments have been removed or edited because they were in violation of Community Guidelines and this thread has now been closed. Please, be mindful of the Community Guidelines and respectful toward other members when posting. I'd like to clarify that while profile photos on Upwork must be an actual picture of you showing your full face, we do allow for certain exemptions.

Lex, I checked and can confirm one of our team members has reached out to you via this support ticket in order to assist you personally. Rest assured that proper coaching will be done.