Is that connects are incresed to 16 to 19 connect

[soniakash77]

I have recently seem that my proposal are about to 19 connect is that true? 

[eddy-patrik]

Just opened the upwork to check jobs.
There is job for which it is asking 16 connects and there is no reviews of client, Client is not looking even promising as he has 50% hire rate, $30 Spent and No reviews. Now applying for this job is like 20-80 ratio of getting reply but in the end we lost our 16 connects.
Upwork is now just focusing on earning money from everywhere client, freelancer and other services which looks bogus to me. I spent connects on availability batch, I got 2 interviews but client never replied. Sometimes i think with AI technology upwork is posting such jobs themselves to keep freelancers happy.

Come On Upwork, We have given you 10 years of our life, We don't know what an corporate culure, we don't know offices and all. We need now something in return.

Think about it ?

[3945485e]

I completely agree.

Upwork prioritizes money over freelancers.

It's unfair—only top-rated freelancers get hired. What can we do? What is our fault?

[cakker78]

Lately I noticed that the number of connects are changing. Yesterday this job would cost me 23 (ridiculous) now it "costs only" 16.
I saw the contrary that it is increasing by time. Did anyone read something about these changes?

[khushbu_gohil]

I seen many time in same job post from couple of days.

some time it's 12 sometime it's 16, then 19 and again 16 at other day, now 22 and again 19

Upwork have to clear about logic behind it

[ae125c83]

This is insane. I just checked for the jobs I applied yesterday, They cost me 15,16 connects and now they are 8 connects only. But now, the number of proposals are 50+ and when I applied, it was only 5-10.

So if we are being active and apply on job, we have a disadvantage now because we have to pay more connects comparisons to all next freelancers who will apply. Now we should not active also on upwork to apply asap?

[cakker78]

I have something similar in my mind also because this is not fair, no information so far how connects are changing since 21st March.

[3945485e]

Upwork only offers 10 free connects per month but charges 23 connects per job. Seriously, Upwork? Is this fair to us?

[shibajyoti]

Upwork thinks F/l's are its pets, and will manipulte them the way it wants to !!

[parag2pratim]

I also saw the same happen, first a project was requiring 8 connects to bid, when I was ready to submit it said 16 conects required. I think this is happening because the client made some changes to the hourly rate budget of the job.

[celgins]

Yes--the number of Connects required for a job might increase or decrease if the client makes changes to their job. Also, the required Connects for a job might go up if the job receives more bids and go down if the job attracts fewer bids.

[d9b70cd1]

Hi Clark,
"Also, the required Connects for a job might go up if the job receives more bids and go down if the job attracts fewer bids." - Can you please explain it in brief? In this case, will I receive the remaining connects back?

Do you mean if I submit a proposal for 16 connects and the no. of proposal reaches to 50+, will this go up or down with the connects?

[celgins]

Hi Jyoti,

Upwork's algorithm (or some other function) determines the number of Connects required to apply to a job. Like Christine stated below, it's like "surge pricing" where Upwork may increase the number of Connects required if the job is attracting a lot of bids and decrease the number if the job fails to attract bids.

For example, if a job requires 10 Connects and receives 50 bids and continues to receive more bids, Upwork might increase the job to 19 Connects. If a job requires 16 Connects and only receives 3 or 4 bids, Upwork might decrease the job to 8 Connects.

So... Upwork might lower the number of Connects required to encourage more freelancers to submit proposals when a job isn’t getting much interest. Similarly, if the job is getting too much interest, Upwork might increase the number of Connects needed.

As far as I know, freelancers do not receive their Connects back if the number goes down. Similarly, freelancers are not asked to bid more Connects if the number goes up. For example, you bid 19 Connects and the number goes down to 15 Connects--I don't think you get 4 Connects back. Similarily, if you bid 10 Connects and the number goes up to 19 Connects, you are not asked to add 9 Connects to your bid.

I'm not sure if Connects increases and decreases happen with every job but it happens due to demand or lack of demand for a job.

[d9b70cd1]

I happened to this increase in connects randomly but I guess Upwork has resolve this issue. For the past few days, I see the same amount of connects even if the proposals reaches 50+

[d9b70cd1]

Thank you so much for bringing this to attention. Yes, I just noticed it. Yesterday, I submitted proposals on a few job posts. One of them required 10 connects the other required 8 connects. I just checked those job posts, it shows 8 connects required.

Seriously, this isn't fair.

[krawec-mike]

Hi all,

hope everyone is keeping well and managing to find some success through Upwork.

I wanted to touch on the cost of bidding for jobs, which seems to have risen again - I'm now seeing jobs which cost 20 or more connects to bid on, and this is another substantial increase when there are no guarantees of even getting the job.

What are everyone else's thoughts on the bidding costs? 

[harjeewan_vikash]

I canceled my subscription i m also the part of protest

[cakker78]

I will do the same on the 14th April, mine will end on the 15th April.

[rozroz13]

Has anyone noticed this scam being perpetrated? 

I was applying for a job and got called away. 20 minutes later, the connects required jumped from 4 to 9. Looks like this was because the job had attracted bids and the least bid for the 4th place was 9 connects so Upwork, in all its greed, upped the connects assuming no one was going to be wiser.

Apply URL: https://www.upwork.com/ab/proposals/job/~01726e38984318ecc0/apply/

[feed_my_eyes]

It's surge pricing, like Uber does. If a job attracts a lot of bids, the price goes up; if it attracts too few, the price goes down.  

"The number of Connects you need to use varies per job and we consider a range of factors, including project size, scope, and market demand."

[ahusein]

TBH, I'm very disappointed with Upwork’s latest changes with all the connects, bids, and friggin boosting. It’s apparent that the management decided to make their money off of job seekers’ hopes, plus a cut if they actually get hired.

I thought it would’ve been more rewarding after decades of hard work, and after paying more than $10K of commission money, that I wouldn’t be expected to pay to play 😕

Taking my clients away from Upwork sounds more feasible to me at this point. I feel cheated and I no longer trust this platform and whoever making these decisions.

It's becoming a platform employing cheap tactics, catering to the cheapest of clients, ripping off the most valurnable of us.

Curious to know your thoughts, how come you’re still here?

[hstanciulescu]

I feel the same. Instead of thinking of a way to encourage high payed top rated upworkers with 100 percent success to access better jobs they make all of us pay a lot just to be able to apply. There is no incentive now to keep looking on this platform as it seems to favor the freelancers less and less. At least Fiverr has a platform for pro freelancers. Here you only pay the pro prices with no real advantage. 

[ahusein]

That's why I believe that it's deliberate and by design, there's a lot of thought been put into this to cheat us:

1. Visibility is no longer tied to the job success score;
2. Priority given through bidding;
3. Advertise it as "simplified freelancer fee structure, an industry-low rate";

Now any John could open a client account and post a "job" with no intention of hiring and Upwork would still make money off of that post. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there are bots "posting" and "applying".

[lisaannburke]

I have also considered there's a lot of job posting by bots. How would Upwork know? Very uncomfortable thought but with the number of suspicious posts it did enter my mind. Clients should be required to provide the name of their company when posting. Why hide it? That's suspect in itself. 

[7ba9aa11]

I generally don't apply to anything without seeing reviews that go back a little ways, and a verified payment method.  Basic vetting.

[7ba9aa11]

This is a regular shift in American business models, and it's disgusting (as is most American capitalism). Even review sites are shifting to this model (I'm not going to name names to avoid potential legal ramifications, but I have a business listed on a particularly well-known review site, and am regularly asked to pay for higher ratings).  The moral here is never trust an American corporation.  Upwork doesn't exist for the freelancers, it doesn't exist for the clients/employers.  It exists for itself, and cares about nothing more than its profits.  If people stop buying additional connects or subscriptions, the market will dictate they lower pricing.

[7ba9aa11]

I've basically stopped applying for jobs on Upwork.  I generally get enough invites and direct message requests, along with consultations, that I don't bother anymore paying to submit proposals.  The fees / connects required have become insane.  Upwork killed Elance and made things worse, now they're killing themselves.  It only penalizes newer members who aren't invested enough to spend that kind of money.  The more established freelancers don't need to submit cold proposals, more likely.  So it's really just killing their own business model.  I have a feeling they're going to have to backtrack at some point.

[shibajyoti]

21 connect for a job applcation  ? and then no reply back from the cleint ?

Either Upwork thinks $$ are spawning in our backyard garden, OR, they are incapable of handling the present day freelancing market.

Even after fooling freelancers with unneccsary charges and price hikes , they couldnt make a profit out of it.  😄 😄

[ian55home]

My only plea to freelancers do not accept 5$ 10$ jobs it's not worth it.. paying for the connects is no longer a good investment for those type of projects.. Especially those below minimum wage hourly jobs. 

[d9b70cd1]

Hello,

Yesterday, I submitted proposals on a few job posts. One of them required 10 connects the other required 14 connects. I just checked those job posts, it shows 8 connects required.

To ensure this, I just checked the connects history page and yes it shows 14 and 10.

Seriously, this isn't fair. What you guys are doing? Is it something that you are putting in as you want or is there any standards?

I really need this fixed ASAP or refund the extra connects that you have deducted.

[feed_my_eyes]

They raise and lower the connects required according to demand. If lots of freelancers apply, the connects price goes up in order to discourage more bids. If too few people apply, the connects price goes down. It makes sense to me.

[d9b70cd1]

But how can they do this to us? I saw both of the job posts, the proposals are in between 20 and 50.

I think Support will not respond.
A logical solution would be helpful.

[ArjayM]

Hi Jyoti,

We understand your concern about Proposals Connects Pricing and genuinely appreciate your feedback. Please know that we balance growing interest in high-demand projects and supporting freelancers with access to work opportunities.

Our model may adjust proposal submission costs based on a range of factors, and in some cases, these proposal model adjustments can result in a lower cost of proposal submission. I hope this clarifies.

[d9b70cd1]

Hi Arjay,
Thank you so much for your repsonse.

I understand that proposal costs can vary, my concern lies in the lack of prior notification or communication regarding this change. Why there's no announcements or emails or any prior update in the product release notes?

Example: if a job post required 16 connects for proposal submission, but the next day the cost decreased to 8 connects due to receiving over 50 proposals. In this case, what are the possibilities to get my remaining 8 connects back?

Please respond with genuine answer.

[d9b70cd1]

Hi Arjay,

Can you please respond to my last message?

[crart]

No, this does not clarify anything (as usual).
What factors decide on initial amount of connects to be paid to apply? Clearly there must be something magical as some obvious scams are priced 19 connects. I assume they are farming bots for UW money gain then because no logic can justify asking to pay more than the "job" is worth to apply for it.

What factors decide when to increase/decrease amount of connects needed to pay to apply?

How is "supporting freelancers with access to work opportunities" actually working? Note: personally I feel shadowbanned, discriminated, moved aside, thrown to trashbin. Support should be mutual if the business is to survive, otherwise it is abusing one side and you are just doing that, abusing me so I cannot, in my right mind, support this predatory business you are running.
"Our model may adjust proposal submission costs based on a range of factors" - what factors and how wide is that mystical range?

Please note, in EU where you also operate, transparency of the company is taken very seriously. I am in the process of reporting many things happening here and so far I am receiving quite interesting answers. Kindly note that in order to remain active in EU you will be required to follow EU law and this law does not endorse false advertisement for example.

[parag2pratim]

We should be given proper logic for this don't you think. If the connects go up for a project posting where many have sent proposals and let us assume a hypethetical situation that now lesser number of proposals are submitted, that doesn't solve the problem. The client is going to post another job again and again until he gets proper talent, clients don't care about hiring percentage, simple

[parag2pratim]

Also due to this reason the clients are posting the same project twice, thrice or even more than that, so just think we we are un aware or some changes are made to the job posting we are actually ending up with almost 60 - 70 connects for the same project

[lisaannburke]

Guesss it's better to get in early. 

[f04b7330]

At dawn, I applied for a job that required 15 connects, and I added 2 connects to boost it to 17 connects. I just rechecked and the connects on the job have been reduced to 12 connects. What's the story here? Do I get my connects back?

[d9b70cd1]

Yes, I experienced the same thing. Tried to get the solution, but there's no response.