Upwork should refund connects for jobs that expired but didn't hire!

[#1]

Upwork should refund connects for jobs that expired but didn't hire! This would make the Upwork approach more balanced between clients and freelancers as the system is now a bit less favorable to freelancers and more favorable to clients.

[#2]

So now the conversation can move to, why isn't there a more legitimate system implemented to showcase work beyond just a profile. Where are built-in certification of understanding or "agents" if you will vouching for freelancers at different levels and different prices? Right? Or no?

[#3]

The system of setting up a profile is "legitimate." If Upwork screened the freelancers as they did in the past, 80% would be gone simply from lack of a decent profile. If they got rid of the freelancers who violate the TOS, there would be much less garbage proposals to clog the system, and most of the scammers would go away.

If you are asking if there should be certifications or such for freelancers, then no. I do not expect anyone to run a fine-toothed comb through a profile. Basic business practices apply. Check the profile, the photo and have basic skills tests as well as a real Upwork test for readiness to use the platform.

[#4]

The current system feels inadequate on nearly every level. It's barely functional. Screening needs to take place but not with any AI or systematic approach. If not certifications there need to be agents or a placement test so to speak to assist clients to find the right people for the right performance at the right price. Funneling people in on both ends needs to be looked at. Also, there needs to be a recaptcha or bot deterrent on every job post. That's all.

[#5]

There are already certification and vetting programmes available on Upwork.

[#6]

Yeah and it suck's no one uses that.

[#7]

So, why would you want to add more, when the clients ignore the assistance?

[#8]

You would like Upwork to hire a large team of high-end experts in each of several dozen fields to make these assessments? How much extra are you willing to pay for that very expensive staffing change?

[#9]

Upwork has tools for the client to use in choosing the right freelancer(s). There is no need for a human to help a client. Aside from all the money that would cost, it is not going to change the fact that there are too many unskilled freelancers.

[#10]

We are just witnessing one of the huge downsides of the internet. It was apparent very early on with social media and is now making itself very apparent on freelance and job sites. There is more access and resources than ever before, making it easier for anyone to assume virtually any identity. It puts these sites that were just setup to be an intermediary between parties in a hard place because now they have to invest large sums into cyber security and fraud.

[#11]

Honestly, I think the less connects are floating arround the better it is for us freelancers. Less competition because you really do have to think that job is for you before you start applying because you only get so many. I'm glad when I apply to a job only 20-30 people at most apply.

[#12]

I'm 100% willing to live in this reality but only if the client postings can be templated or at-least guided in some form for clarity, safety of client and freelancer, etc etc. Quality control is what I am seeing as my and many others biggest complaint.

[#13]

It's up to the freelancer to build in the quality of the contract with milestones or tracked hours. I do not want Upwork adding to my fees to have someone help the client post a job. Many clients are here to have a one-off job and do not want to have any hassles.

[#14]

No it's not, especially when the freelancer is aiming for honesty and more than half job posts are fake in one regard or another.

[#15]

That's the nature of being in business for yourself. YOU assess the validity of opportunities. YOU decide whether the client is someone you want to work with. YOU structure the project in the way that best suits and protects you. 

[#16]

Of course, it is the freelancers' responsibility. I don't need or want Upwork holding my hand for a fee while they "help" me. Freelancing is a business. If you don't understand how to establish a contract, you can learn through Upwork and the many great posts in the forum. It is entirely up to the freelancer how they are to be paid and if they are to be paid. If they don't want the responsibility, freelancing may not be for them.

Yep, there are a lot of scams. There are even more unqualified freelancers clogging the client's proposals.

[#17]

Sorry, but during 11 years I knew very well how to establish a contract, I worked with real professional clients all over the world, I'm a professional, I always received excellent feedbacks. And I didn't change. So, don't assume that the problem in getting jobs is because of unqualified freelancers. Of course, there are unqualified freelancers, as in the last 11 years were. But, I never saw in Upwork such an amount of unqualified clients, scammers, cheap jobs and lack of good jobs (at least in my field). 

It should be great if Upwork could avoid and filter unqualified clients and unqualified freelancers. Then Upwork should return to be a good place to work.

But, unfortunately, Upwork Team is not doing it. 

[#18]

I think it depends on the field of work. In graphic design field, I see no difference at all. There are still many jobs with 50+ proposals floating around. I understand why Upwork do this, but I see it do more harm to me personally as my expense is soaring to spend more on connects, while the competition remains the same. 

[#19]

I am with you on this. Their new feature for not rewarding connects have reduced the number of fake jobs but yes there are still clients out there who don't hire anyone. I have seen clients who post the same job 4 times on 4 different dates and still can't find someone after getting at least 100 proposals.

It's not just about bad proposals, they can easily find some expert to invite to their job post. To be honest, I just think those clients are ignorant or simply don't care about what it costs the freelancers.

[#20]

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Time is money, and if it takes several hours to dig through pages and pages and pages of freelancers and sent out invitations and then wait sometimes two or three days to see whether they respond (after already having wasted time going through a bunch of garbage proposals), it would simply be a bad business move to continue the labor-intensive and unpromising effort here--especially when many clients will have posted in a few places at the same time and may have gotten some good responses elsewhere without having to dig through the landslide of crap.

[#21]

Nope, I spoke like someone who knows what he will be getting himself into on a platform like upwork.

The client knows its going to be a lot of garbage but he willingly used Upwork.

And if he couldn't find the perfect freelancer by proposals or invitations then he shouldn't post at all. Because those are the only 2 ways he could have find a good fit. It's time to stop posting the job.

It is simply a matter of wasting his and freelancers' time. 

[#22]

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Muhammad Furqan A wrote:

The client knows its going to be a lot of garbage but he willingly used Upwork. 

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I don't think clients know that "it's going to be a lot of garbage" and they shouldn't have to accept that, or feel obliged to waste their time wading through loads of crappy proposals.

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Muhammad Furqan A wrote:

And if he couldn't find the perfect freelancer by proposals or invitations then he shouldn't post at all. Because those are the only 2 ways he could have find a good fit. 

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No, there are plenty of other ways - ask somebody for a referral, search Linked In or Google, go through an agency (a real one, not an Upwork agency), or use one of the many other freelancing websites. 

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Muhammad Furqan A wrote:

It is simply a matter of wasting his and freelancers' time. 

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If someone feels like they're wasting their time here, they'll leave. In the case of freelancers, it doesn't matter - if unsuccessful people give up and go away, that's a good thing - but nobody wants there to be fewer clients.

[#23]

Ok, first, thanks a lot for going through the work that it takes to quote the right sentences.

Second, I am talking about established clients, not new ones. And yes they shouldn't accept crappy proposals but that is how Upwork works. That is all.

Third, I was talking only about posting on upwork not about all the options in the world.

Fourth, I don't want clients to go leave the platform but I don't want them abusing this platform either.

[#24]

One of the other things not mentioned is some posted jobs already have a freelancer to fill the role.

I have had several clients that have follow up repeat business towards the end of a contract.  Many times they'll approach me with their next project and ask if I would like to start a new contract once the current project is finished.  Personally, I prefer this.  Its a good way to compartmentalize the scope of work for specific projects rather than having months of different jobs and change requests in a single contract.

Those jobs show up on the job board as well, even though the client has no intention of making a new hire for it.  The only difference is that the job will wind up under contract rather than being closed out.

[#25]

This 👏 spoken to many clients that know they have to deal with crap. Upwork NEEDS quality control. And the responses being extremely one sided against freelancers is how platforms like this die.

[#26]

I'm not sure where you got the idea that clients post here expecting a flood of garbage proposals from unqualified freelancers. 

I'm also unsure why you'd want to work with clients who have all the time in the world to waste on garbage proposals and choose to frequent a site where they anticipate that most of the freelancers are entirely unqualified.