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hoverlyn
Community Member

Connects

Why connects didn't refund when the job post is closed or expired? even the client did not hire anyone.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
AndreaG
Moderator
Moderator

Hi all,


This thread has been closed from further replies due to its size. We appreciate your participation in the Community and welcome you to continue the conversation here.


Thank you!

~Andrea
Upwork

View solution in original post

573 REPLIES 573

I see.

And why aren't connects refunded if a job expires after 30 days?

Hi Babar,

 

Connects are only refunded when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service.

 

Thank you.

~ Aleksandar
Upwork

Hello Everyone!

 

I am facing this issue that when a project is cancelled which is happening a lot of the times these days, I do not receive the connects back. I just evaluated the closed job and realized that I haven't received the connects back for 12 cancelled projects within this month. Can anybody please help me? I can provide the links if needed.

 

Thank you!

BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Shabbir,

 

We return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. You can find more information here.

 

Thank you!

~ Bojan
Upwork

Hello,

 

I believe it is unfair of Upwork to just archieve our connects when a client is unresponsive! The cient does not choose one of the offers neither close it and we as freelancers pay for that with our connects.

 

At least, Upwork should return our connects back to us.

 

 

Best regards

Hi Abdullah,

 

Please note that we return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. You can find more information here.

 

~ Nikola
Upwork

Hi Upwork Community,

 

I am here once again. I am reaching you because I sent lots of proposal everyday but I didn't get proper response from any clients. So my question is that will I get my connect back what if I withdraw my proposal that I already submitted to the clients? Since, I haven't earned yet on single penny from Upwork that's why I am little bit worry about to invest for buying connect again and I already invested lot of money for that without getting any profit. Please suggest me. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Warm Regards,

Mintu M 

1 - No, you don't get your connects back if you withdraw the proposals. You only get them back if a job that you submitted a proposal to, is closed or expired.
2 - You can wait for the next month to get free connects or buy more.
3 - If you write good proposals and attach photos of your past work and properly communicate with clients on interviews you may get hired.

Good luck

Hi Elyes,

 

Thank you for you feedback and I appreciate it. Like you said that I only get them back if a job that I submitted a proposal to, is closed or expired. There have many proposal that I submited to, is already closed or expired, that means I should get them back right? I have attached a screenshot of my total proposal.

 

Thanks,

Mintu M


Mintu M wrote:

Hi Elyes,

 

Thank you for you feedback and I appreciate it. Like you said that I only get them back if a job that I submitted a proposal to, is closed or expired. There have many proposal that I submited to, is already closed or expired, that means I should get them back right? I have attached a screenshot of my total proposal.

 

Thanks,

Mintu M


That information was not correct. You don't get connects back when a job expires. 

Hi Mintu,

 

Thank you for reaching out to us. I would like to clarify that we return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. You can find more information here.

 

Let us know If you have any further questions. 

 

~ Nikola
Upwork

Hi Nikola,

 

Thanks for the clearification.

 

Could you please tell me one more thing, how would I know whether the client closes the job the I submitted but the client doesn't hire to anyone?

 

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

 

Thanks,

Mintu M

 

 


Mintu M wrote:

...how would I know whether the client closes the job the I submitted but the client doesn't hire to anyone?


It's automatic. So if you get Connects back, you know that the client closed the contract without hiring. If the connects don't come back, the client didn't and the job post simply expired after 30 days.

 

Hi Petra, 

 

Thanks for the clearification. Everything is clear now.Smiley Happy

 

Thanks,

Mintu

So recently I applied for this job where I was invited for an interview, which went well but I hadn't recieved any reply from the client after that and today there appears a notification saying the job is no longer available and when checked client cancelled job posted without hiring anyone.

 

My concern is regarding connection invested in applying for this job, not just this job posting alone, past few days I have recieved 3-4 notification saying that the job that I submitted a proposal is no longer available.

Can anyone please help me with this problem?

 

petra_r
Community Member


Apoorva P wrote:

today there appears a notification saying the job is no longer available and when checked client cancelled job posted without hiring anyone.?


Are you sure the job post didn't expire?

How do you know the client cancelled it?

 

You do NOT get connects back when job posts expire after 30 days

 

I have a question or more of a suggestion that needs to be implemented.

Upwork has introduced that connects will be bought by freelancers and free connects are no longer available.

I think Connects used on the job on which clients did not hire even a single freelancer and they also did not close the job and Job is archived. Connects used on such Jobs should be reverted back to freelancers as there are clients who posts the jobs and disappears.

 

It will help all freelancers and also encourage them to apply on the Jobs posted by new clients Joining Upwork. It is also the hard earned money of freelancers if we are buying connects and applying on jobs and someone is hired on that job that is good. But for the fake jobs posted and for the jobs clients do no bother to close and also not hire any freelancer and those Jobs Connects should be reverted back to freelancers after appropriate time like when job is archived.

 

 

with almost 95% (in my category)  projects that are never awarded to anyone, I think that paying for connects would make no sense if connects are returned. we will simply juggle the same 80 connects for months .

and I keep seeing "hard earned money" - I don't think being a freelancer is that hard. I mean - let's face it...most of us are sitting in front of the computer - it's not like we're working in a coal mine, or as firefighters, or...whatever. 

we're comfy,  we're our won bosses, we decide when to "go to work", we don't have a dress code, our lives are not in danger every time we're on the job. So - it's not that hard, IMO


Sanja D wrote:

 

and I keep seeing "hard earned money" - I don't think being a freelancer is that hard. I mean - let's face it...most of us are sitting in front of the computer - it's not like we're working in a coal mine, or as firefighters, or...whatever.


Ha! Well said, and so true. 🙂 

"If a client never hires but doesn't close the job, your Connects are not returned.  In this situation, we continue to encourage the client to hire or close the job, but ask that you consider the cost of Connects as part of your business expenses "

 

Provideing free connect on each month its your promotional maketing that 's not acceptable as cost of that connect.

 

Why we consider this cost as our bussiness expenses?

Facility Client and Freelancer its your job.

 

If there client does not close job and keep then its become our expences great plan.

 

Think twice its your planing which not work and fail not our, we paid to you for bid please take a responsiblity to provide service againts that. we alreday paying you 20% on job done. now its beome twice charges vice versa on job

 

If client does not hire and keep job open for archivied, upwork have to charge them, encourage not acceptable which client will never follow. Freelancer applied to job by paying hard earned money as action of client "Not hire or closed job", we can't bear cost.

 

Your reply not acceptable.

 

Guy please give kudos to this reply so every one aware of this.

 

Thanks


Qaisar T wrote:

I have a question or more of a suggestion that needs to be implemented.

Upwork has introduced that connects will be bought by freelancers and free connects are no longer available.

I think Connects used on the job on which clients did not hire even a single freelancer and they also did not close the job and Job is archived. Connects used on such Jobs should be reverted back to freelancers as there are clients who posts the jobs and disappears.

I do not agree.  The point of paid connects is to have them have a real cost to propose on a job and, as we all know, a good amount of jobs are never hired on Upwork, so that means there is no real cost at all.


 

It will help all freelancers and also encourage them to apply on the Jobs posted by new clients Joining Upwork. It is also the hard earned money of freelancers if we are buying connects and applying on jobs and someone is hired on that job that is good. But for the fake jobs posted and for the jobs clients do no bother to close and also not hire any freelancer and those Jobs Connects should be reverted back to freelancers after appropriate time like when job is archived.

 

 


I find this assumption that just because they don't hire on a job that the job is fake to be ridiculous.  Maybe they went somewhere else and found someone else?  Maybe they were turned off by the amount of unqualified proposers, maybe they changed their mind, maybe the hired off book.  In a perfect world they would close their project but ultimately they are still the client.

 

Regardless, you are like the 1 Milliontheth person to suggest this and Upwork has not done it yet.  I suspect they are not going to.  I think it would be better for all of you who think this way to consider the cost of connects as a business expense, use them wisely, but I would personally not use them sparingly.  If you cannot win enough work to justify the expense then Upwork is no longer the platform for you.

 

 


Qaisar T wrote:

I have a question or more of a suggestion that needs to be implemented.

Upwork has introduced that connects will be bought by freelancers and free connects are no longer available.

I think Connects used on the job on which clients did not hire even a single freelancer and they also did not close the job and Job is archived. Connects used on such Jobs should be reverted back to freelancers as there are clients who posts the jobs and disappears.

 

But for the fake jobs posted and for the jobs clients do no bother to close and also not hire any freelancer and those Jobs Connects should be reverted back to freelancers after appropriate time like when job is archived.


If you think that a job is fake, flag it and Upwork will remove it and refund your connects. Apart from that, I wouldn't hold my breath about Upwork implementing your suggestion, since - as Mark also pointed out - about a million other people have already been complaining about this every single day.

 

Look at it this way. Say you had to actually go out and get a job in the "real" world. If you're asked to go in for a job interview, you need to pay for petrol and parking, or fare for public transportation. If the company doesn't hire anyone, do you demand that they refund your money? If you take out an ad in a newspaper, do you demand your money back if nobody hires you? If you get promotional flyers or posters designed, can you get a refund if they don't result in new business? 

 

Part of running a business is that you need to invest time and money marketing that business. If you're not getting a good return on your investment, then the best advice is to change your strategy.

 

If I had a connect for every post I see asking for connects to be refunded, I'd never need to buy any connects.


Richard W wrote:

If I had a connect for every post I see asking for connects to be refunded, I'd never need to buy any connects.


This one took it a step further and spammed it by PM as well


Petra R wrote:

Richard W wrote:

If I had a connect for every post I see asking for connects to be refunded, I'd never need to buy any connects.


This one took it a step further and spammed it by PM as well


Well I just messaged you not any one else so its unfair to say i spammed it i think you took a step further by assuming that i spammed it


Richard W wrote:

If I had a connect for every post I see asking for connects to be refunded, I'd never need to buy any connects.


haha Not askign or every post though. Point is there are people posting fake jobs and there should be a kind of check on that if Connects refund mechanism is not implemented. Specially after we are paying for these connects and at end we are realizing we have been applying on Fake Jobs


Christine A wrote:

Qaisar T wrote:

I have a question or more of a suggestion that needs to be implemented.

Upwork has introduced that connects will be bought by freelancers and free connects are no longer available.

I think Connects used on the job on which clients did not hire even a single freelancer and they also did not close the job and Job is archived. Connects used on such Jobs should be reverted back to freelancers as there are clients who posts the jobs and disappears.

 

But for the fake jobs posted and for the jobs clients do no bother to close and also not hire any freelancer and those Jobs Connects should be reverted back to freelancers after appropriate time like when job is archived.


If you think that a job is fake, flag it and Upwork will remove it and refund your connects. Apart from that, I wouldn't hold my breath about Upwork implementing your suggestion, since - as Mark also pointed out - about a million other people have already been complaining about this every single day.

 

Look at it this way. Say you had to actually go out and get a job in the "real" world. If you're asked to go in for a job interview, you need to pay for petrol and parking, or fare for public transportation. If the company doesn't hire anyone, do you demand that they refund your money? If you take out an ad in a newspaper, do you demand your money back if nobody hires you? If you get promotional flyers or posters designed, can you get a refund if they don't result in new business? 

 

Part of running a business is that you need to invest time and money marketing that business. If you're not getting a good return on your investment, then the best advice is to change your strategy.

 


So Finally some one responed the way it should be responded. My whole point in posting this is like i see alot of clients have payments methods un-verified post 10 Jobs 0 Percent hire rate. So i am suggesting that Upwork should do something about these clients as well. They just post and disappears i mean just for misguiding other freelancers or to mimize competetion i dont know so its not dificult for the persons working on here like me i mean i am earning good and can pay for the connects but for beginners its very difficult to distiguish they just keep spending money and have no idea and at Upwork end nothing is done to prevent that?

or there is something i am un aware of ?

I totally agree with  Qaisar T. 
We are paying mostly 6 connects for each job we apply. In case, the job has been archived by the client with no hire, the connects should be rolled back to Freelancer account. 
Please make Upwork freelancer friendly also. Since, Freelancer is paying 20%, 10%, 5% fee plus paying for connects/membership. There is no harm in doing this small favour to freelancer.
Also, Freelancers are already suffering and facing consequences because of Fake clients. 
It's very hard to judge which job/client is fake or spam. Moreover, if you are hired by the client and they just hired you and not paying you or paused the contract without any payment, then Freelancer's Job Success Score (JSS) gets affected. Here also freelancer's are suffering unnecessarily. At least Upwork can consider this suggestion positively and make some small favour to freelancers also.

Thank you so much.

I spent connect on 40 jobs in last 2 weeks, 90% job were archived, here people suggest to "flag it and Upwork will remove it and refund your connects". As freelance for this job, I will charge upwork for that task.

 

Christine A  wrote:

If you think that a job is fake, flag it and Upwork will remove it and refund your connects. Apart from that, I wouldn't hold my breath about Upwork implementing your suggestion, since - as Mark also pointed out - about a million other people have already been complaining about this every single day.

Mahesh J wrote:

people suggest to "flag it and Upwork will remove it and refund your connects".


This is not true. Upwork will take down job posts only if they violate the terms of service. THEN you can (but don't have to) flag them and get your connects back.

 


Mahesh J wrote:

 As freelance for this job, I will charge upwork for that task.


No, you (obviously) won't.

 

Mahesh J wrote:

If client does not hire and keep job open for archivied, upwork have to charge them


No, they very much must not do anything of the sort. It would simply stop clients from posting jobs, and no freelancer in their right mind would want that.


It is also a fallacy that more freelancers having more connects means anyone gets hired more. The opposite is true because more connects just means more competition and LESS chance of being hired or even seen in the flood of proposals clients are drowning in.


You haven't been on Upwork for 2 years. It's a completely different beast today compared to 2 years ago. Massively more competitive.

I think Time to leave upwork, some people here fight back to feedback. 


Mahesh J wrote:

I think Time to leave upwork, some people here fight back to feedback. 


You already left two years ago.

 

I am not "fighting feedback", I am informing you of basic facts.

My profile is active, don't consider by just viewing last date of work history.

There is a milestone system on inprogress work.

 

Yeh there is no new project because of bid policy on project. Freelancer force to keep going on exsisting project otherwise they charge 20%.

 

Thanks for aware me.


Mahesh J wrote:

My profile is active, don't consider by just viewing last date of work history.

There is a milestone system on inprogress work.

 

Yeh there is no new project because of bid policy on project. Freelancer force to keep going on exsisting project otherwise they charge 20%.

 

Thanks for aware me.


You're refusing to use the free connects they give you to bid on new projects? Or are you just not getting new jobs when you do bid? Are you not using any of your earnings to buy more connects when you need them?

Only 10 connect, able to apply on mostly 1 or 2 job each month, purchased 4 time connect for job bid. 90% of bid archived. we ready to pay for connect, but connect must gone on genuine post not on expired job.


Mahesh J wrote:
 I can't pay more to Upwork already from earning 30 - 40% going as fee. 

How do you pay 30 to 40%?

Freelancer is paying 20%, 10%, 5% fee plus paying for membership, paying for connects. avg will be near about that. Not only i am here saying this please see above post many people complaint and given feedback about paying for connect which applied on expire job, on this platform i am working many years and i know where upwork charge fees very well.

Imho not giving connects back for expired job posts is literally to slowly force freelancers to buy connects and build a business model..... 

 

There is no difference between a job being closed due to expiration or due the client closing it manually.  In both cases the connects of all freelancers were completely wasted.

It would be wonderful if freelancers who report instances of attempted cheating were refunded the Connects needed to acquire the contract. This would have two strong benefits:

1) The freelancer would no longer be disincentivized from reporting the cheating since no Connects would be lost in the process. 

2) Many, many more instances of this cheating would be caught, increasing the reputation of Upwork and its clients. It is so easy to make an ambiguous job post that bypasses whatever moderation Upwork currently has, only for the revealing files/attachments to be shared directly after the contract has started.

Hello Anthony,

 

Yes, we return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service (https://www.upwork.com/legal).

 

Thank you.

Pradeep H.

Upwork
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