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taha-al-lawati
Community Member

Refund Connects

Hi, I have applied to many jobs for which the clients have not hired anyone and the jobs got expired. Is there a way to get these connects back? Thanks.
33 REPLIES 33
petra_r
Community Member


Taha A wrote:
Hi, I have applied to many jobs for which the clients have not hired anyone and the jobs got expired. Is there a way to get these connects back?

No.

Hi Petra. So if the client cancelled the job, I'll get a refund. However, if the client just forgot about the job until it is expired , no refund. Seriously, I can understand this logic. Will the same rule be applied once the new Connect system starts? (the system in which each connect cost $0.15) Thanks.


Taha A wrote:
Hi Petra. So if the client cancelled the job, I'll get a refund. However, if the client just forgot about the job until it is expired , no refund. Seriously, I can understand this logic.

The logic is that Upwork wants people to have less Connects, not more, so clients get more carefully drafted and targeted proposals and are not drowning in them.

 


Taha A wrote:
Will the same rule be applied once the new Connect system starts? (the system in which each connect cost $0.15)

Of course.

ziadbd
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Taha A wrote:
Hi Petra. So if the client cancelled the job, I'll get a refund. However, if the client just forgot about the job until it is expired , no refund. Seriously, I can understand this logic.

The logic is that Upwork wants people to have less Connects, not more, so clients get more carefully drafted and targeted proposals and are not drowning in them.

 



Seriously, Petra! Clients were drowning in proposals and that was the reason behind upwork's commercializing connects? You mean to say, there is nothing in it for them and they are not making a fortune out of our hard earned money? Live and let live. Isn't this how things should work? Get real! I don't see any benefits for us as far as I'm concerned. 

wlyonsatl
Community Member

Ziad,

 

If Upwork makes substantially higher refunds due to the new connects policy that will be apparent in the quarterly earnings reports the company has to publish for the three months ending September 30 and December 31. It might even have some effect on the company's financial results for the three months ending June 30, which will be published soon.

Oops. Not "higher refunds," but "higher revenue".

dzadza
Community Member

here's the situation in the graphic design section... $5 projects (clients didn't specify that their budget is a placeholder, so I'm assuming the budget is real) - 5-10 proposals - up to $100 projects - up to 20 proposals - $100-$250 - up to 20 proposals - $250+ - 50+ proposals so - clients with bigger budgets are drowning again, clients with smaller budgets get a few proposals. looks like freelancers are saving connects for larger projects


Taha A wrote:
Hi Petra. So if the client cancelled the job, I'll get a refund. However, if the client just forgot about the job until it is expired , no refund. Seriously, I can understand this logic.

I can't understand it either. It would be better if there were no refunds in either case. Then there wouldn't be so many people complaining about the inconsistency and asking for refunds when jobs expire.

Hi Richard, I disagree with you on this. Why the freelancer should take the hit if the client cancelled the job or didn't hire anybody and the job got expired?


Richard W wrote:

Taha A wrote:
Hi Petra. So if the client cancelled the job, I'll get a refund. However, if the client just forgot about the job until it is expired , no refund. Seriously, I can understand this logic.

I can't understand it either. It would be better if there were no refunds in either case. Then there wouldn't be so many people complaining about the inconsistency and asking for refunds when jobs expire.


It was actually bug that caused the connects to get refunded when a job post was cancelled. Rather than fixing it, it was turned into a feature.

 

I think it is not fair that Upwork doesn't refund the connects if clients don't hire for a job post. I seen clients posting tens of jobs with no hire in a single month. they don't even look at the job after couple of days. We are losing 6 connects for each of these jobs. 

 

This is serious issue right now which Upwork not intending to solve. Contacted to support but there is proper answers

 

Right now , i am significanlty reducing my job applications on Upwork platform as it is turning some sort of scam (after each connects cost $0.15 )


Ramazan V wrote:

 

Right now , i am significanlty reducing my job applications on Upwork platform as it is turning some sort of scam (after each connects cost $0.15 )


Well, as that is EXACTLY what Upwork intended when they introduced paid connects, you have just confirmed that it's working.

 

We do quality applications on this platform. People like us contirbuting this platform by making "qualified applications" which increases alternatives for hirers. We make money out of this platform and happily paying our commissions to Upwork .

 

Our discussion here totally people creating jobs and don't hire which creates no value to community. Upwork should reduce the numbers of these hirers, not us..

 

isn't that clear?

There’s a flaw to the logic that if nobody got hired, the job wasn’t legitimate. What if nobody got hired because none of the applicants were a fit for the job? Is it the client’s fault that they didn’t “add value” by hiring somebody they didn’t want, receiving a subpar deliverable, feeling forced into paying for bad work and then leaving UW because that would all just be so bizarre? KWIM?

you can open another thread for this. in this thread, we are discussing only connect refund for expiring jobs ?

So Upwork is actively against freelancers? Actively costing them money for jobs that are never, ever going to be filled via Upwork. Pandering to fake or dodgy 'clients' who post jobs and then never return to Upwork to view the proposals? All your responses, Petra, seem to suggest that Upwork is only interested in freelancers cash - not filling design jobs for clients. I respect you for not charging $20 per connect like Bark but it seems this will be your goal.


Andy P wrote:

So Upwork is actively against freelancers? 


No. Upwork isn't "against" anyone, as such.

 


Andy P wrote:

All your responses, Petra, seem to suggest that Upwork is only interested in freelancers cash - not filling design jobs for clients.


Obviously Upwork is interested in making money, that is what companies do. They need to make money or they go out of business. I disagree that Upwork is out there to make money from connects, the real money does not come from connects (only a tiny fraction ever would) but from the percentage the platform takes from the money paid by clients. The freelancers Upwork makes the most money from probably buy the fewest or no connects at all.

 


Andy P wrote:

 I respect you for not charging $20 per connect like Bark but it seems this will be your goal.


huh? I am a freelancer so where did that come from?

 


Andy P wrote:

 Upwork is only interested in freelancers cash - 


I expect they're really rather more interested in clients' cash. That's where the vast majority of their revenues will come from. 

Taha & Ramazan,

 

I can share with you the words of Upwork Moderator Joanne Marie P. re: Abandoned postings/Connects- 
"We regularly reach out to clients who have open job posts to encourage them to close them if they don’t intend to hire. Because we know the move to paid Connects has made this issue more important, we have already ramped up our outreach to clients who post jobs and don’t hire, and are looking into other ways to better ensure these jobs get closed so your Connects are returned in these cases."

 

I would strongly urge you to contact Upwork support and gently remind them of this stated commitment, and then request the prompt return of your Connects in cases of clearly abandoned job posts (anything over 30 days with no activity).

Be aware that this may become a time consuming process, however, but you do have a right to expect a reasonable degree of Upwork support from the "Help & Support" Center.

 

Good luck and work smart!

Rather than spending time and energy moaning about non-refundable connects and unawarded jobs - figure out how much it would cost you to advertise and market yourself/skills without Upwork.  

 

Do a cost and time comparision.  You'll find that Upwork is a whole lot cheaper ...

Well... I DO like the idea of Upwork aggressively searching for clients who post jobs without hiring, and notifying them that they're likely to be penalized for that... and then kicking them off the platform.

 

If a client consistently posts jobs and never hires freelancers, then they're causing problems for freelancers and certainly not doing Upwork any good.


Preston H wrote:

Well... I DO like the idea of Upwork aggressively searching for clients who post jobs without hiring, and notifying them that they're likely to be penalized for that... and then kicking them off the platform.

 

If a client consistently posts jobs and never hires freelancers, then they're causing problems for freelancers and certainly not doing Upwork any good.


 

Amen to that!  It's a terrible system.  Others call it "pay to play".  I call it gambling.


Preston H wrote:

Well... I DO like the idea of Upwork aggressively searching for clients who post jobs without hiring, and notifying them that they're likely to be penalized for that... and then kicking them off the platform.

 

If a client consistently posts jobs and never hires freelancers, then they're causing problems for freelancers and certainly not doing Upwork any good.


I disagree. Who's to say when any of those window shoppers might hire someone? Who's going to define "consistently posts jobs without hiring"?

 

In an ideal world, we don't eliminate the tire-kickers, we convert them to clients who hire. Forget about banishment and punishment. Make it easier for the high-quality clients to find high-quality freelancers, and for everybody to feel confident they can find good-fit business here, regardless of their profession and what level they're operating at. 

this is comment is totally irrelavant to what we are discussing here. "discussion" is being made to make this platform better.

 

what you are suggesting is that we should say everything " yes" without discussing it which doesn't reflect Upwork platform's spirit. 

how difficult it is to refund connects if a job doesn't hire in 30 days. According to upwork "it takes average 3 days for someone hire a freelancer in the platform" so 30 days is good margin. anything above it, just expire the job and refund the "connects if no hire" 

 

if there is hire, i am happy my connects is used as there is purpose on that particular job. that's why this platform exist . Everybody put their commitments (time/money) to make it really useful

 

lysis10
Community Member

Here's my hot take. Refund connects to the winners, not the losers. If you land the gig, you get your connects back. 

mtngigi
Community Member


Jennifer M wrote:

Here's my hot take. Refund connects to the winners, not the losers. If you land the gig, you get your connects back. 


That's perfect.

 

Or better yet, give the winner a fee reduction, maybe 15% ... I'd rather have that than the connects money back. 

 

Okay Wendy, bad idea.

+ 1.  I would love to read some further thoughts on Jenn's 'hot take' -

 

"Refund connects to the winners, not the losers. If you land the gig, you get your connects back."

 

And no - absolutely no - do not change the % due to  U.  This will only allow the lowballers, scams, incompetents, and bots to run rampant.

florydev
Community Member

If I win it...I already got my money back!

Exactly.  And by this Mark means "Earn Money" - not the literal return of .15 cents

svora82
Community Member

Now, as per up work new policy.

have to buy connects that's good but the things are that, If we buy our connect and now up work is taking almost 4-6 connects for the job, Previously for the same job it was maximum taking 4 connects.

My question is, if previously you were taking 4 connects then why have you increase it from 4 to 6?

 

Next question,

If you are taking 6 connect or 4, If the job, where I have applied, is expired then am I getting my connector back? , I think "No", so is that expiry is the freelancer fault? , I think "Not" so you must take the charges to the employer why freelancer suffer for that?

 

If you can show winner of that project in the project description or highlight it so that we can trust more on the employer and can understand it's not facked but the real one post the job and it helps the freelancer to bid for next project.

 

Thanks

wontone9
Community Member

Hi

 

Well the answer is "NO" in upwork but there is a roll back system here. i am thinking it happen when the job get expire.

 

Problem here is upwork measure this connect based on the category and some proposals need around 6 connects . I am also a top coder in freelancer.com but they are having 1 connect 1 bid. 

 

In upwork it is good to have this restriction. Like i lost around around 50 $ in my last connect, out of that 5-6 bids where client took my interview but not choosen any freelancers.

 

Regards

saju

 

 


Saju G wrote:

Hi

 

Well the answer is "NO" in upwork but there is a roll back system here. i am thinking it happen when the job get expire.

 


No, this is not correct - you don't get your connects back when a job expires. You only get them back in the [rare] cases where a client closes their listing or if their project violates Upwork's terms of service. You just need to consider this as a business expense - most businesses don't get to have free marketing.

 

Or, if other websites are working better for you, then it makes sense to just go ahead and use them, instead of waiting around hoping for Upwork to change their policies.

 

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