Upwork is fraud! Upwork is SCAM!

Sana J · ‎08-15-2022

Hi Everyone! I want to raise my voice here! This is happening to me second time on Upwork. This time, I completed a job and did my work for the client and submitted on time. The client paid me $39 for the work! I didn't withdraw my money from account I thought it'll be safe on Upwork. But I was wrong! Today, Upwork refunded all money back to the client after a week! Without any authentic reason! If that client or contract was a scam why do I've to or any freelancer have to suffer for that?? Why it's always a freelancer who has to face all these strict rules of Upwork and frauds. Why Upwork don't keep a check of fraud clients. It means that our money is not safe on Upwork and it's a scam too. Finding ways to steal money of freelancers from their accounts! It's my advice to all freelancers to withdraw their money immediately just after get paid by clients because Upwork is not safe for your money and they can refund money anytime making an excuse that client was fraud or the contract was fraud! How would we know that it was fraud or right. I did work and submitted but Upwork snatched my money from my account! Totally unfair! Unjustified! Too disappointing!

Sana

Radia L · ‎08-15-2022

Can you search the article on google to see if it's posted somewhere? Or paste it here.

As for the refund, it's a long and ongoing discussion. In summary it's not Upwork's doing, the bank took the money back, Upwork has no power.

Sana J · ‎08-15-2022

Why Upwork has made contract with such unreliable bank!

Sana

Wasim A · ‎08-16-2022

If the client's payment was verified and he paid to the Escrow so its Upworks fault .. If the payment was not verified so its your fault to start work with that client ..

Radia L · ‎08-16-2022

Upwork has no power against card chargeback system. It's not logical to tell them to do something they can't. Even if Upwork is a bank (which is way above their current designation), it'll be banned by other banks if it deny chargeback requests.

What you can do:

Make sure the client is really happy, not just pretend to be happy.
If they still file a chageback you can try to take back your work, let the client's family/coworker know about it, or let go.

... asuming the job is not a scam job where you shouldn't work on it at all. And assuming you don't get the payment protection.

> Payment not verified

It is also long discussed that non-payment-verified clients should still be allowed to come and post their jobs. Basically because we don't want to be asked to verify our cards when we're just looking for some possible services.

Annie Jane B · ‎08-16-2022

Hi Radia! Would you like to have a look on the proofs and screenshots! That the client's payment was verified, the amount was in escrow plus client gave HAPPY Positive remarks in messages! How would I know that client is ACTUALLY not happy or what! Stop protecting Upwork on this! This is a genuine serious issue and through this I want to inform every freelancer that your earnings are not safe on Upwork!

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Sana

Raj K · ‎08-16-2022

Radia L chargeback is diffrent thing .

upwork should cover the losess this is totally upwork falt ( upwork have chats and project files so they can easly verify the work ) .

it don't make any sense to after we complete the work they refund the money.

Annie Jane B · ‎08-16-2022

Hi Wasim! The payment was in escrow I've attached here screenshot, you can check. It's always Upwork that makes freelancers unsecure! And now I got know that your money is not safe on Upwork at all!

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Sana

Avery O · ‎08-15-2022

Hi Sana,

I'm sorry to learn about your experience with this client, this is a difficult situation, and I understand your frustration. I can confirm that actions have been taken against the client's account, and the team has reached out to you through a support ticket with more information about your concern.

Note that some reversals (chargebacks) result from the client contacting their bank and asking them to reverse the payment.

In these cases, we look to our Terms of Service (TOS) for guidance and follow it by taking two steps:

1. We seek reimbursement from freelancers/agencies in cases where their client makes a payment, asks their bank to reverse it, and the bank does. (see more detail in sections 6.3-6.5 in our TOS).

2. We review the client’s Upwork account because reversing a payment, in most cases, is against our TOS and can result in us permanently suspending their Upwork account.

Aside from these steps, the Upwork team also helps the freelancer or agency challenge the reversal. Our team can submit a rebuttal to the client’s bank on the freelancer’s behalf if they provide proof of the work or deliverables. They would need to move quickly, so please provide the requested proof within 48 hours of being notified of the reversal if you’d like us to proceed. You can send this through your support ticket.

Keep in mind that it can take the bank up to 90 days to review and provide their final decision. The client’s bank will have the final say regarding the rebuttal, and we have no control over the outcome.

~ Avery

Sana J · ‎08-15-2022

Hi! Thanks for replying yes I want to put a complaint against that client and your system as well where there's no favour for freelancer who put a lot of effort working and building their profiles but Upwork has just one justification for all that, they've their TOS or rules regulations. That's it!

Sana

Anton C · ‎08-16-2022

Sana, it seems you don't understand. Upwork didn't stole your money. It is the client who didn't pay you. Your client cheated both Upwork and you. And Upwork shouldn't pay freelancers with its own money, right?

Sana J · ‎08-16-2022

Avery O wrote:
Hi Sana,

I'm sorry to learn about your experience with this client, this is a difficult situation, and I understand your frustration. I can confirm that actions have been taken against the client's account, and the team has reached out to you through a support ticket with more information about your concern.

Note that some reversals (chargebacks) result from the client contacting their bank and asking them to reverse the payment.
In these cases, we look to our Terms of Service (TOS) for guidance and follow it by taking two steps:
1. We seek reimbursement from freelancers/agencies in cases where their client makes a payment, asks their bank to reverse it, and the bank does. (see more detail in sections 6.3-6.5 in our TOS).
2. We review the client’s Upwork account because reversing a payment, in most cases, is against our TOS and can result in us permanently suspending their Upwork account.

Aside from these steps, the Upwork team also helps the freelancer or agency challenge the reversal. Our team can submit a rebuttal to the client’s bank on the freelancer’s behalf if they provide proof of the work or deliverables. They would need to move quickly, so please provide the requested proof within 48 hours of being notified of the reversal if you’d like us to proceed. You can send this through your support ticket.

Keep in mind that it can take the bank up to 90 days to review and provide their final decision. The client’s bank will have the final say regarding the rebuttal, and we have no control over the outcome.

Sana

Annie Jane B · ‎08-16-2022

Hi Avery! Please check the attached screenshots and proofs that the contract was an authentic and usual contract on Upwork. The client hired me for the job through Upwork. Client's payment method was verified and the amount was in escrow. I received payment in my account a week ago but I didn't withdraw it. Plus client was happy with my work he gave me positive remarks in messages. You can check the attached screenshots for proof. Now tell me how can I make complaint against it? And how can I file a dispute against client for this?? Please send me link for that! Thanks!

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Sana

Annie Jane B · ‎08-16-2022

Hi Sana,

As Avery has shared in her post, actions have already been taken against the client. When a chargeback occurs, we immediately reach out to the client and take appropriate actions on their account based on our internal processes.

~ AJ

Baiju R · ‎02-26-2023

I think there are some clients who is trying to get free work from freelancer platforms. They get the work done, pay the freelancer and after some time file chargeback. If they are blocked on Upwork they will get the work done from other platforms. So upwork should let know other platforms also about these fraud clients.

Luqman K · ‎08-16-2022

Sana, Did you get any notification about refund?

* If a client raised a disput then Upwork will investigate it by contacting both parites.

* If a client ask for refund from their bank because they have escrowed it to Upwork and Upwork either paid you or not. Then bank will take the money back from Upwork and Upwork can not fight with a bank. Because if it does then the bank will ban and black list Upwork to do any transaction and therefore Upwork may lose many clients (may be thousands of them) just for your one project. However, Upwork does not let this go easy either, it ban and black list the client from the platform who did the chargeback because that client not only took your money but it took Upwork earning as well and this client may do the same thing with other projects and freelancers. So to keep their freelancer in safe enviornment, Upwork does what it can and try not to lose a lot because of one bad project or client.

Go ahead and complian about the client and report them, so upwork can investigate and ban such clients.

-----

Luqman Khan

Annie Jane B · ‎08-16-2022

Hi! Please check the attached screenshots and proofs that client's payment was verified the amount was in escrow and it was a proper contract by Upwork plus I already had received amount from client in my account and after a week Upwork sent me mail that your amount is refunded because it was a finfraud or what!

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Sana

Radia L · ‎08-16-2022

Proofs are irrelevant because Upwork did not and did not want to take your money. The banking systems did.

> Upwork dont protect

I kind of agree in other cases but in the chargeback ones they've done what they can and might be more (if they implement the protection).

In my first reply I asked about the job. What is it? Is it searchable on Google?

Sana J · ‎08-16-2022

How can be proofs irrelevant! You think I'm providing you fake screenshots! Then you can or Upwork can check my profile and messages itself! Moreover, It's Upwork duty to check that job is appearing on Google search or not!

Sana

Radia L · ‎08-16-2022

> You think I'm providing you fake screenshots!

No, it's irrelevant because it's useless. We see it, Upwork see it, but useless.

Useless because Upwork has no power to stop the reversion which is done by the banking system. The credit card chargeback system to be specific. It's in the banking law.

Do you understand that?

Jamie F · ‎08-16-2022

Sana J wrote:
but Upwork snatched my money from my account!

No, they did not.

The client would have made a chargeback. THE CLIENT took your money back, not Upwork, and there's nothing Upwork can do about it.

I know it's unfair and I would be irritated, but you won't help yourself making such accusations.

Raj K · ‎08-16-2022

Sana same thing happened to everyone. I think now upwork getting worse day by day.

Radia L · ‎08-16-2022

> upwork getting worse day by day.

Maybe, so just don't depend too much on Upwork or similar. If you build your entire live here, it can be turned upside down with a little algo change. I somehow experienced it in my other life as a retailer.

I mentioned in your thread, in cases like this you should generally:

Make sure the client is really happy
Think something if you really got "scammed". As a web developer you should know some ways to at least leave your signature or even more in apps you created. You can also confront the client in social media, etc. Or you can simply let go.

Sana J · ‎08-17-2022

Hello everyone! As I already put this matter in community. Now I want to know that how can I file a dispute against this fraud client? My job is on hold by Upwork. They've given me a ticket. But despite this, I want to file a dispute against my client. So every fraud client become aware of this action. Plus Upwork investigation and ticket thing is too tedious that anyone can become frustrated! I want file a dispute against this client please tell me the procedure! Thanks!

Sana

Annie Jane B · ‎08-17-2022

Hi Sana,

Thank you for reaching out to us. I can see that you opened a support ticket regarding this issue. Please allow our team 24-48 hours to review your request and reach out to assist you further. You can access your support tickets here.

~ AJ