Need Help with a Dispute Ruining My Life

[#1]

Hello

So, I got a direct message from a client, asking for a script. We discussed the requirements and I said I do have other projects so, his will take some time. He said ok. So, He asked me talk with his team and they were another group of developers doing same work as me. So, they told me to contact through skype and both sides exchanged the ideas about how to make the script work. The script was created in client's apify account and I completed the work and tested it. And suddenly he said his inhouse team is making more progress than me and threatened to end contract. I said if he is not satisfied with the work pace, he can end the contract, since I have already said, I have other contracts I am working on simultaneously and cannot prioritize his. Without replying to me he ended the contract in the middle of night and cut my access to his apify account. When I contacted his team on skype they told me my work was slow, I asked them we talked everyday, no one told me it was slow, and the work was urgent. They just blocked me on skype and client filed a dispute. Upwork allowed the dispute saying my memo was too short, since I have put only the project name on memo. Since it was my first dispute and i decided to move on realizing there are people like this too in this world, lesson learned. But, I was so sad about upwork finding a minor fault on me and ignore all other things I did right. So, I mentioned client cheated me and upwork supported this. The client went crazy and said lots of bad things about me and asked upwork to ban me. 

Now I got a mail saying upwork is investigating me. I have been working at upwork as a freelancer around 10 years and this was my first dispute. Lots of happy clients and lots of long term clients. I do have all the messages between me and client, my work, screenshot of my work in client's account except the skype calls, since I dont record calls. So, what should I do now?

[#2]

Hello 

[#3]

It sucks that you are going through this. It's kind of amazing that you went 10 years without dealing with an unscrupulous client. Since this was an hourly job, it was up to you to follow the criteria for Hourly Protection - including detailed activity memos. No clue which way this will go.

Advice: 

1. Make sure to quickly respond to the mediator. Provide all evidence for the mediator to review, but remember that they may not review it.
2. Move on with the rest of your work. Prepare for this to be a loss and a learning experience. 

Bonus advice: post this kind of stuff in the Freelancer forum - you will get more visibility there.

[#4]

I took the dispute as a lesson and thats not what I am dealing with. I guess you guys missed the part where I mentioned about the investigation. I will elaborate, I got a mail today saying upwork received a flag of a possible violation on Upwork and investigating and asking the client to share mine and clients chat and documents etc. I didnt do anything incriminating and the client got the work I did, his money back and why he still trying to hurt me.

Ps: Isnt this freeancer forum?

[#5]

We have no way of knowing why you're being investigated. I assume that if a client makes a complaint, Upwork needs to look into it, but if he's just being vindictive and you didn't do anything wrong, then you've got nothing to worry about.

[#6]

Oh ok. This was my first experience and I was overwhelmed and confused. Thank you.

[#7]

Ps: Isnt this freeancer forum?

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It was just before I went to sleep, so I may have mistaken which forum I was in. At the time, I would have sworn that this was at the top of the Support forum.

I guess you guys missed the part where I mentioned about the investigation. I will elaborate, I got a mail today saying upwork received a flag of a possible violation on Upwork and investigating and asking the client to share mine and clients chat and documents etc. I didnt do anything incriminating and the client got the work I did, his money back and why he still trying to hurt me.

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I would take the investigation as due diligence on Upwork's part. It sucks, because it was instigated by a spiteful client. And that is why your client is still trying to hurt you - they are spiteful, maybe even narcissistic. They hate you for calling them out and defending yourself. Which is their problem - you did well.

[#8]

Thank you Jonathan for replying. I didnt notice much which section I posted, but, I remember I was in freelancer forum, may be some moderator moved my post to correct section.

Since it was a first experience, I was pretty brokenup, Thank you for your support.

I had dealt with lots of clients like the one ask you to do a $50 work for $5 because they have 100 more works for you, and the client ask you to do a big part of a job as a test and then disppear. And the client acts as a great one from the beginning and when you submit the work they say, if you refund the money, I will give you a good feedback. But, this one was a first. Lesson learned, I will be more careful in the future.

[#9]

I had dealt with lots of clients like... And the client acts as a great one from the beginning and when you submit the work they say, if you refund the money, I will give you a good feedback.

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That is feedback abuse. Anytime that happens, report the client's messages to Upwork. It is a violation of the ToS - subsection 3.4 of the Terms of Use Agreement.

[#10]

I have already reported that when it had happened, but, nothing happened to that client as far as I know.

[#11]

I think that you should treat it as a learning experience and move on; it's unavoidable to get difficult clients every now and then, and shouldn't "ruin" your life. Be sure to read up on the payment protection rules and follow them carefully in the future. Also, I never take on a new project if I'm already busy with several other projects; clients are generally not going to be thrilled if they're at the bottom of your list of priorities, and "availability" is one of the criteria upon which your feedback is based.

[#12]

Thank you Christine for the reply. I also dont accept work when I am too busy. This one was a similar project I had done previously and thought it wont take up much time. I had also mentioned the client, I am busy with other works, if his project was really urgent he could have ended the contract in the beginning itself not to wait till I finish the work.

[#13]

Hi Neena,

Sorry to know about your bitter experience. I have gone through such situations too, and I would say, this is the mistake which I did, and you too, - "So, they told me to contact through skype"-

Please keep all your work, communication on Upwork. 

For me, the first sign of a bad client is, they ask you to take the communication outside of Upwork. Perhpas this is not the case iwth other freelancers, but I have always faced problmes whenever the client asked to talk via Skype or any other medium.

I hope your problems will be solved quickly, and you can move on with your work.

Best wishes

[#14]

Hello Jyoti

Yes, I understand about the communication outside upwork is risky, I do all the work related communication through upwork itself, especially if the client is new. The skype calls and google meets werent part of the issue, nothing essential were shared through them. 

Thank you for your wishes.