My contract has been temporarily suspended due to the client being investigated

[sarahjrogers]

Please forgive me if this has been addressed elsewhere, but I could not find it anywhere. My contract has been suspended due to the client being investigated by Upwork. My contract was only for five dollars, and I am not as concerned about the contract, as I am concerned with defending this client in any investigation they may be involved in. I have found this client to be exceptionally honest where others have not been. I was hired to give feedback on a product and was refunded the cost of the product immediately after sending the proof of purchasing. This client has clearly stated that they would like to have honest feedback, not just positive, but honest reviews to be able to provide the best product they can. This client has followed all rules and been honest and a very positive person to work with. I normally would not take the time to involve myself, but I really believe this client has great intentions and is wonderful to work with. He has always been responsive, honest, paid quickly, put money in escrow, and released payment quickly. He has asked for honest reviews, not just a positive and has not seemed like he is just looking to pay people to write nice reviews. I would continue to work with this client as long as they request help, and I think he deserves to still have the ability to work with freelancers on Upwork. I do not know how to contact anyone to share my opinion. I really hope that he is not being investigated on my behalf, as I think he is great. 

I recently had to report a very upsetting situation and a clearly dishonest client. I am worried that somehow this client may be investigated because of that reporting. I do hope that reporting the dishonest client did not have a ripple effect on this very honest person.

Thank you,

Sarah Rogers

[tlbp]

Was the feedback placed on a third-party platform or the client's website? Did you diclose in your feedback that you had receive reimbursement for the product and therefore received it free? 
Paid reviews that are posted on third-party sites, even honest ones, are not allowed. 

[sarahjrogers]

I placed a review on Amazon but was not paid to do so. I was reimbursed for the product but did not disclose this in my review. I was not aware we are not allowed to do paid reviews. It did state clearly in the job description and by the client to me directly that they were specifically not paying me for a review. They were reimbursing me for the product and five dollars for my feedback to them directly. He asked for honest feedback on the item, which I gave him through Upwork messages. He did ask me afterward if I wouldn't mind writing a review, but this was not part of the job. Was that wrong for me to do? I don't want to do anything that is not allowed or immoral.

I was hired to be paid for a review on another product by another person. It is now suspended also, and I hadn't been reimbursed yet the money I spent on the product or paid for the job. I will definitely never take a job like this again. I do not want to violate any rules on any site at any time.

[jr-translation]

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Sarah R wrote:

I do not want to violate any rules on any site at any time.

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Then you better start doing your homework.

[sarahjrogers]

Wow. I must just be too new here, I thought this was more of a friendly community. I had better start doing my homework then.

[petra_r]

Sarah R wrote:

 This client has followed all rules 

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No, he hasn't, and neither have you.

Amazon do not take this kind of nonsense lightly, and nor should Upwork.

I buy on Amazon and I am all for them taking a hard line on this kind of scam (Let's face it, that's exactly what it is,)

I want to read reviews from real buyers, not bought ones.

If you think for one minute that your Amazon review was not paid for, you need a reality check. Of course it was, or why do you think you were asked to buy the product from Amazon with your own account, rather than being sent the product by the "client?"

It was so there would be a "verified purchase" tick when you were eventually asked to leave an Amazon review, which was the entire point of the whole exercise. The song and dance about "giving an honest opinion" was a mere ruse to disguise the fact that the real purpose was the Amazon review. You were duped into duping Amazon buyers.

The mere fact that you were reimbursed for the product makes this "not allowed." Do not take such "jobs" again. It's forbidden, and it's plain wrong.

[a_lipsey]

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Sarah R wrote:

I placed a review on Amazon but was not paid to do so. I was reimbursed for the product but did not disclose this in my review. I was not aware we are not allowed to do paid reviews. It did state clearly in the job description and by the client to me directly that they were specifically not paying me for a review. They were reimbursing me for the product and five dollars for my feedback to them directly. He asked for honest feedback on the item, which I gave him through Upwork messages. He did ask me afterward if I wouldn't mind writing a review, but this was not part of the job. Was that wrong for me to do? I don't want to do anything that is not allowed or immoral.

I was hired to be paid for a review on another product by another person. It is now suspended also, and I hadn't been reimbursed yet the money I spent on the product or paid for the job. I will definitely never take a job like this again. I do not want to violate any rules on any site at any time.

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I know it may seem unfriendly, but there's a lot on this, and it gets overlooked. Anything that breaks the TOS of another website is prohibited. Amazon and most sites prohibit paid reviews, and the jobs you are taking either border on that or are that. People don't mean to be unfriendly, you'll just find a lot of us are to the point. Try not to read into it, and take it that if someone replies with links, etc., that they are trying to help, quickly. 🙂 

Don't worry about the client. Let them defend themselves. In the meantime read up on the links provided and look for new gigs. You'll be okay.