The scammer stole my work and Upwork approved it

[kirillpikalov]

I don't get why Upwork didn't approve all my work hours for the project. I did what the client and I agreed on, but then they decided to take my work without paying. The client doesn't have any reviews and they were rude in messages when I said no to working for free. You can see this in the messaging app. And after all this, Upwork believed the scammer and took my hard-earned money, while they got my work for free. Now they're sending me mean messages about how they got the work for free and Upwork helped them. It's a big disappointment. Why doesn't my Top Rated Plus and good reputation protect me? Why does Upwork seem to favor scammers over professionals who pay a part of their earnings to be safe? I don't trust Upwork anymore..

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[kirillpikalov]

Before we signed the contract, the client and I agreed that designing would take around 10 hours, maybe more if the content was needed. He said he had the content, but it turned out to be a lie. I finished the page in 10 hours, but then he wanted me to add over 25 retailer logos, which meant more work. I told him it would take extra time, but instead of discussing it, he started threatening me and saying he'd complain to Upwork unless I did it for free. This went on for over two days, and the screenshots only show part of it. Eventually, I closed the project because of the situation.

Before I closed it, I shared the finished page with him, and he got it. I wanted to get paid as we agreed, and he was okay with it, but then he demanded his money back or said he'd report me. He insulted, blackmailed, and lied throughout our talk. First, he wanted more free work, then he wanted a refund for the work I'd done. I said no, so he opened a dispute, and Upwork took his side.

My big question now is, why doesn't Upwork protect freelancers? I have a lot of experience on the platform, with good feedback, Top Rated Plus status, and proof that I earned my money and delivered the work. Why does someone with their first project get to blackmail me, and Upwork supports them instead of me, who brought in money and earned a great reputation?

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[elizabeth-nss]

This sounds a bit complicated maybe because we don't have all the details. But, yes, at times it does feel like the client is protected over an agent. Clients are given time to review or dispute your hours, and the tracking system can validate or deny their claims. But the tracking system works both ways too. My advice is to document everything on your end as well, to be able to refute any ill-intended dispute. 

[kirillpikalov]

Thanks for your advice, Elizabeth. I just learned that Upwork didn't approve my work hours because I didn't add memos. But why is that even required? The screenshot already shows my activity, so describing what's already visible doesn't seem necessary. Also, why doesn't Upwork take action against clients who are rude and offensive, and why does it seem like they're more on the client's side even when they exploit freelancers by getting free work? It's really crazy.

[elizabeth-nss · Accepted solution]

Tbh, I think Upwork is helpful in many ways to freelancers. when I started, customer service was very helpful with tips. But I know their policies are being updated a lot. I was sad to learn their talent scout program was discontinued, as I was able to find many clients because of this free service. According to policies, to be considered for the payment protection, you must add memos, which can be a single word. Their system detects if there's no memo and will notify you to add one. Upwork is kinda strict regarding its policies. So even if you already had 5-10 hours tracked, once you add a memo, it will be added to all those hours. Also, Upwork lets you know overtime is not covered and strongly advises to contact the client for approval. Still, the fact the client used this to not pay you, is suspicious and does sound like a scam, because normally, a client will work with you to solve any payment issue. the client can even offer a bonus as a payment method if out of the timeframe. Really sorry you had this bad experience. At the end of the contract, Upwork might send you an email to leave a feedback. If you weren't aware of the payment protection, you can try to contact customer service for assistance but not sure if they can do anything about it. Best,

[kirillpikalov]

Thank you for your response, Elizabeth! I was quite emotional when writing that and I apologize for it. It was my first encounter with a dispute and I was disappointed to lose it simply because I didn't add memos to the screenshots. It would be great if Upwork could set it up so that scammers couldn't exploit this but I'm not shifting the blame as I should have familiarized myself better with Upwork rules.

Thank you for your help!