Time disputes - has anybody had a problem?

[jafgmail]

How is it possible that a client can win a dispute where no manual entries were made, only fifty minutes were logged as time and five full pages of academic proofreading was completed. I feel as though my integrity is in question. I have been a freelancer for more than two years and I have never challenged a dispute in the past. There have only been two and they resulted from insufficient information received and payment made upfront, but this client agreed to my terms and then tried to change them. She then attempted to damage my reputation and claimed I hadn't done the work. To my dismay, Upwork agreed with her. The money really doesn't matter to me. My integrity does and I am confused. I am unable to access the calendar for this client to see what the issue is.

[joansands]

Did you use the time tracker and did you enter what you were working on in the memo field?

[jafgmail]

Yes I used the time tracker. I did not put a heading as it was a single
job, proofreading an academic research paper

[petra_r]

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Jenny F wrote:
Yes I used the time tracker. I did not put a heading as it was a single
job, proofreading an academic research paper

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Then that's why you lost the dispute. It is absolutely cut-and-dry.

"No memo" - end of dispute

[joansands]

In my experience, every hourly job I have had has been a single job to do something. Upwork does allow you in a fairly short window to go back in and enter something in the memo field if you forget. So, lesson learned the hard way but sometimes that kind of lesson sticks with you.

[jafgmail]

Thank you for the information. At least now I know the reason and can stop
the constant self questioning. I am not good at reading terms and
conditions so as you say lesson learned

[petra_r]

Hourly disputes are decided purely on the work diary.

If you tracked the time, my guess is it will have been a lack of meaningful memos or very low activity level.

It's very often lack of meaningful memos.

[yitwail]

Jenny, Petra is 100% correct that you’ll lose an hourly contract dispute if you neglected to write memos, BUT, unless I’m mistaken, the client has to initiate the dispute and it’s a cheapskate client who would do so if the work received was satisfactory and the work diary shows reasonable keyboard activity.

[petra_r]

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John K wrote:
Jenny, Petra is 100% correct that you’ll lose an hourly contract dispute if you neglected to write memos, BUT, unless I’m mistaken, the client has to initiate the dispute and it’s a cheapskate client who would do so if the work received was satisfactory and the work diary shows reasonable keyboard activity.

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The client didn't dispute for the lack of memos, it's just that with no memo the freelancer will lose the dispute, whatever reason the client gave for the dispute.

Here's what I wonder:

The client disputed claiming that Jenny "hadn't done the work."

Considering it was a proofreading job and presumably had tracked changes and the Upwork system removes the redlining unless you specifically download the unsanitized original file, I wonder if the client simply didn't SEE the work having been done?

[alekseevpavel78]

... and the work diary shows reasonable keyboard activity.

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For the proofreading tasks? Really?