Let's put an end to this ABSURD bidding war!

[ivydocarmo]

We used to be charged from 2 to 8 connects to send a proposal. So far so good.

But now, not only Upwork is charging 16 connects to do it, but also we have to bid even more connects to have a chance to be seen by the client! I'm a top-rated-plus Brazilian translator and my fellow freelancers are bidding over 60 connects on some jobs! This is simply absurd!

Oh, and Upwork is now notifying us when a client sees our proposal, just to make it clearer that we won't stand a chance without accepting to be explored by this absurd bidding scheme.

I'm already outraged by this change in the fee system (I worked my a** off to achieve the five-percent fee and now they make me go back to the "standard" ten-percent fee? Oh, come on!) but this bidding thing is really making me mad.

How much more money will you guys take from us???

[ashcyp]

Welcome to Upwork. I see you have landed your first jobs and haven't experienced Upwork as many of us have for years. 

When we say "fake" jobs, we don't mean Upwork's making them on purpose. What we mean is a lot of times, clients are just looking at how much things cost, trying to get free samples, or even scamming freelancers. These aren't legit job offers, and Upwork isn't doing much about it.

I've flagged loads of these jobs, but they keep popping up. If you're looking for evidence, many of us deal with these shady job posts all the time. Everyone can voice their issues on any site. When things aren't going right and no one listens, it's frustrating.

There're freelancers who used to earn big bucks, like $30k-50k each month, but now they're making $5k. So are they all just bad at their jobs now? They are bad at submitting proposals? Think twice before calling people out here!

Upwork has changed. I used to get loads of job invites weekly and out of every 10 proposals I would get at least 3 interviews, but not anymore. Out of my last 100 proposals this year, I only got 7 views, landed 2 jobs, and 10 of my boosted proposals weren't even checked.

I'm not blaming anyone, but the numbers don't lie. We want Upwork to vet clients better and give refunds for bogus job posts. Some clients post a job and vanish. How is this fair? Upwork could definitely do more to help out us freelancers.

[llathrop]

Martin, you may be right about the high bids in some cases but not all.

I personally will bid between 40 to 60 on a job.  You may see that as high but I don't just put a proposal up fast.  I spend about 20 minutes putting my together.  And to me I want mine to be first.

For me I normally send it about a day after the job has been listed.  I review how many bods, hire rate, and previous reviews.  This way I can really think if I want the project.

Sending out high bids means less proposals but better quality.  

I have tried to get clients with PPC and those cost way more than the connects. 

And for when I don't get hired after an interview I ask the client what I did wrong or why they went with someone else.  And most of the time it was because I did something stupid,.like not really understand their problem or spelling errors.

And I agree 100 percent Upwork can do better about the scams.  I have no problem reporting jobs I believe might be a scam.  Not sure if it helps but I will help pick up the garbage if it makes the platform better.

[the-right-writer]

Sending out high bids means less proposals but better quality.

No, it definitely does not.

Plenty of highly skilled freelancers are doing well without bidding astronomical amounts. Some never boost at all.

Freelancers must make sure their profile and proposals are perfect. There is no excuse for poor language and spelling. There are numerous editors, and if you must, free but poor spell check programs. Don't bother buying one, because they all make errors.

Applying in haste is a waste. If you don't know you will be one of the top applicants, don't apply. Boosting will not get you where your skills won't. You would be better served by ensuring your proposals did not have errors, than boosting. Do you really think the client will overlook your mistakes because you boosted? No, they will not.

[berg_shari]

There are a lot of fake job posts and outright scams on Upwork now. It didn't use to be this bad. I'm not sure why Upwork is allowing it now. 

[debi-f]

Upwork earns money from freelancers that buy connects, even more if they boost their bids with 50 connects. Also, if the client is a scammer, freelancers (specially the new ones) apply there with a lot of connects. So, why should Upwork avoid scammers if they earn money from freelancers that bid there and buy connects?

[the-right-writer]

Also, if the client is a scammer, freelancers (specially the new ones) apply there with a lot of connects

Surely, with your posting about scams, you learned about this?

You misrepresent the situation. I don't recall you ever mentioning this, so I will help.

If the freelancer is scammed, they contact Support, and they will have every connect returned.

If the freelancer broke the Terms of Service while engaged with a scammer, they do not get connects returned.

[da48367a]

From your point, I will advise you not to apply for every job you see, you should check for the client that hires, not just any job you think you have the skills for and you can deliver

[debi-f]

— Don't waste your money buying connects, and don't waste your connects boosting your proposals. If you do it, you are paying to Upwork for finding a job, and not receiving money from a client. Serious clients will evaluate your skills and not the number of connects you use. I suggest even not paying for a membership. Use the 10 free connects and only buy 10 connects more ($1.5) if you find a job that fits your skills without boosting! If Upwork does not get money from the freelancers, maybe they will care to avoid the scammers, or do something about clients that post jobs and never hire anyone. 

— In the last year, Upwork is not solving the problem of the scammers. So, take care, and don’t apply to them, they are not here for hiring people.

[debi-f]

It seems that Upwork is doing its business selling connects, that's why there are jobs that require 16 connects and they allow people to boost their bids with 50 connects or more (especially the new freelancers), and they keep the scam jobs until people post their bids…using connects, of course.

• DON'T BOOST YOUR BIDS. If you do it, you are paying to Upwork for finding a job instead of earning money from your work. Serious clients will find the best options according to your skills and not according to the amount of bids you use.  
• I suggest NOT paying for a membership. Just use the 10 connects they give you for free and buy 10 more ($1.5) ONLY when you find a good job for you. 
• I recommend your Profile to be visible to Upwork members and not Public outside Upwork. This way you avoid people outside Upwork (for example, scammers) to find you and enter for posting a job or inviting you. 

[ivydocarmo]

I agree with you, Débora! I have been a member of Upwork for 4 years now and I'm feeling very frustrated lately. We should not have to boost our bids or pay for a membership, but unfortunately, it seems that if we don't do this, we won't ever get seen. I've earned over $90k on this platform but lately, I'm not even getting any answers from the clients, because my proposal gets hidden by freelancers who send proposals using more than 60 connects. That's really sad and unfair.

[debi-f]

Ivy,

I work here for 13 years now (previously it was Elance).

Never in 13 years was Upwork so bad. It is not anymore a fiable platform. 

[the-right-writer]

Boosting isn't necessary to get jobs. It should only be used when you know, for certain, you are one of the top two people.

[whitelens]

**bleep** good advice!! thank you

[2ef854e4]

Thank you for saying what we were all thinking, Ivy! I'm a voice artist and it's becoming really hard to keep up with this increased usage of connects. People should hire us because we are a good fit for the job, not because we give more money to Upwork just to be seen! Let's put an end to this!!

[tlsanders]

Of course, people only know you're a good fit for the job if they read your proposal. So, doesn't it make sense to make yours one of the few that gets read?

[jacyle-santos]

Wow, finally someone spoke the truth! I don't wanna have to buy hundreds of connects just to prove to the clients that I'm a good professional. I think Upwork should eliminate this bidding feature and just keep a fixed amount of connects for each job. And it should be only from 2 to 8 because they only give us 10 connects each month.

[luce-neidert]

Jacile, please remember that no one forces you to bid for jobs. Save your money, if you have a good profile and a good cover letter (particularly the 2 first sentences - beware) chances are you'll get jobs. Many of the freelancers that are applying for the same job as you don't stand a chance to get it because they are not at all "a good fit".

On top of all that, many have not even read the job post correctly and should not apply at all.

[joansands]

I do not boost my proposals. And quite often my proposals do get read and I do get interviews. I am also careful on what jobs I do bid on and the required connects to do so. I have been on Upwork for five years and the platform has always been very compeitive because there are so many freelancers, not many clients in relation to freelancers, and many clients are unrealistic in their expectations. One has to just keep plodding along and building up good feedbacks, and those feedbacks really help in getting additional jobs.

[luce-neidert]

I agree with you, Joan. I never boost offers, it's not necessary.

I've been on Upwork for 7 years now, and I have many "repeat clients" that regularly contact me with new jobs anyway.

[tlsanders]

No, it's not necessary. But, in my experience, it more than doubles the chance that a proposal will be opened. That's something I'm willing to pay for, since the vast majority of clients who open my proposals contact me. 

For sure, it's not for everyone and it's being overused and used ineffectively. But, it's nothing more than a business decision that should be made strategically.

[f7546bfa]

dismayed  by the steep increase in required connects for bidding and the added challenge of securing visibility, raising concerns about the fairness of this new system. 

[miriam-ocampo]

The system was not designed to be fair, it was designed so Upwork would make more money...

I see all the time this advice that "You don't need to bid to get jobs" "Please improve your profile" blah, blah, blah, but the truth is that this bidding system is making me get fewer jobs, the few ones that come out have more than 50 proposals in a few minutes,  so most of the time your proposal isn't even viewed, it doesn't matter if you take your time to write it, by the time you send it the customer they already have a lot of them, and I don't think they get to read them all. 

In addition, with all the new unskilled freelancers in the platform, the customer would get what? more than 50% of proposals that are not suitable for them? 

How can you compete in this scenario? I don't know, but it's frustrating. 

P.S. I know complaining doesn't work either, and no one is going to do anything about it, but just wanted to say it. 

[karywiiky]

I agree with you, as a premium member 80 connects a month aren't enough and, despite bidding higher, there's no guarantee that the client will see your proposal. and in my field (video editor) there are freelancers bidding over 50 connects, that's insane 

[the-right-writer]

Karina,

Please go through the Academy and work on your profile. Currently, you are a target for scammers. I don't understand what your beach guide video has to do with being a "film-maker, editor, and screenwriter" but to me, it seems unprofessional. And as someone who has been online and on this platform for years, it is going to attract attention you do not want. Your video is an extension of your profile. If you are not doing videos of yourself, or you are not a "beach guide" then it should be changed. The introduction should be in paragraphs without the emojis/graphics.

What does that have to do with connects? The more you learn, the better you can recognize scams and jobs that will never hire. Don't apply to any job unless you know, that you will be one of the top two. How do you know? Look at the job description. Can you do all the skills to perfection? If you can't, and can do part of it but really need a job - don't apply. It's a waste of connects. And never boost, unless you not only know you are one of the very best, you also really want the job. Look at your return on your investment. If the job pays $5.00 and requires 10 connects, you are losing $1.50 plus Upwork's cut. It would make little sense to apply for this job, and would be pointless to boost. On the other hand, if it's a $500. job, then it makes more sense to apply and consider boosting if you think it might help. Be selective, and don't apply for just any job.

[whitelens]

Hi Jeanne H

do you work for Upwork? just wondering....