Regarding the original poster's situation:
Was it acceptable for the client to use a button that sent a refund request to the freelancer, while making outrageously untrue claims about the freelancer's work?
Answer: No.
This is not acceptable behavior.
For one thing, the client should not have made untrue claims. I am not sure what the client thought he was accomplishing by making such claims. The person who is going to read those claims is the freelancer himself. The freelancer knows what he did and did not do. So making such claims is pointless.
Also, there was PLENTY OF TIME for the client to object to the freelancer's work.
While the freelancer was working, the client could see screenshots showing the work and could read memos describing the work IN NEAR REAL TIME.
The client was able to constantly see how much time was being logged, how much money he would need to pay, etc.
The client had the ability to pause the contract and prevent further billing AT ANY TIME.
If the client had concerns or questions about the work, the client could have asked the freelancer about the work at any time.
And then, AFTER a week's work was done, the client had 5 full days within which he could dispute any time segments.
That would have been the time to ask the client to stop working or ask for a refund.
The client literally has NO LIMITS on when he can end a contract.
Literally for any reason.
Clients have total power over a contract.
There's no way to give a client more power than that.
If freelancer had used the word "Autumn" but the client prefers the word "Fall," the client could have fired the freelancer for that. No limits at all.
So to come back weeks later and ask for a refund?
No. It makes no sense.
Thankfully Upwork doesn't aquiesce to such a request. But it is unfortunate that the client made such a request at all.
It is like the person who goes to a restaurant and orders a slice of carrot cake. And eats it all. And then orders another slice. And eats it all. And then orders an entire cake to take home. And eats the entire cake (well, not ALL of it; he shared part of it with his mom).
And then three weeks later, the person goes back to the restaurant and DEMANDS that they refund him all of the money he paid for his meal and the slices of carrot cake and the carrot cake he bought to take home, while claiming that the carrot cake tasted HORRIBLE (!!!) and it gave him an STD.
No. That is simply not okay.
If you didn't like the carrot cake, why did you eat the entire slice?
And why did you order ANOTHER slice? (?!!)
And why on Earth did you then purchase a WHOLE CAKE to take home.
I don't belive you that you didn't like the cake. I don't believe you that the cake gave you an STD. Carrot cake doesn't give people STDs.
What kind of person does something like that?
Finally let me point out this:
If the client was wronged IN ANY WAY... Then he could come here to the Forum, whether he did so weeks ago OR EVEN NOW, and he could explain his situation. And if he had just cause for receiving a refund, then I would personally tell the freelancer that he SHOULD issue a refund.
Both freelancers and clients should be treated fairly on Upwork.
Clients shoud be treated ESPECIALLY fairly.
Clients are the most important Upwork users.
Upwork as a platform should cater to clients.
But that doesn't mean that preposterous behavior on behalf of a client is okay.
