Why so many complaints?

[#1]

Hello everyone,

My name is Toni, and I’m a new freelancer on Upwork. I’ve been here for about three weeks.

During this time, I’ve spent a lot of time in the forums, and I’ve noticed quite a few complaints from freelancers regarding the platform. For someone who’s just starting out, this can be a bit discouraging. The reason I’m writing this post is to encourage new freelancers and offer some thoughts to more experienced ones.

I understand that there’s always room for improvement. Nothing is perfect. However, I’ve come from another platform, and I have to say that my experience on Upwork has been amazing so far.

On the previous platform, I never got a single contract, nor did I feel supported by the system; all I received were scam messages. The difference with Upwork has been extraordinary. From day one, I felt supported by the platform. I’ve already secured several contracts, and overall, things have been very positive. I’m truly grateful to Upwork for giving me the opportunity to grow as a freelancer and to spend my time doing what I love.

I get that there are things that could be improved, but it’s not fair to say that Upwork does everything wrong. There are people behind this platform who dedicate their time, and I’m sure they are doing their best.

So, why create such a negative atmosphere? For many of you, Upwork has provided economic stability and the chance to do what you love. For us, new freelancers, the platform is helping us pave the way to express our skills and, hopefully, make a living from them in the future.

If my humble experience is of any use, I’d like to say to new freelancers reading this: Upwork is a great place to establish yourself. The platform will support you if you put in the effort, and in time, you’ll grow passionate about what you do. Don’t let the negative posts in the forums discourage you.

To the more experienced freelancers, please remember how Upwork has helped change your life. Think about how it has allowed you to grow and find a better life through freelancing.

No platform is perfect, but let’s be positive and work together to create a stronger, more professional community with more opportunities for everyone.

I just wanted to share my experience and thoughts, especially for those who are just starting out.

Thank you all.

[#2]

It's nice to see some positive perspective from other freelancers.

[#3]

Well yes of course!

My advice to those who are just starting out would be, just don't get caught in the game. Don't depend on 3rd parties.

And look up about "the rotation" in here 😁

[#4]

I'm sure you mean well, Toni, and it's great that you've secured 4 jobs.

However, since you're new to Upwork, you have yet to learn how badly it has degenerated and continues to decline. At this rate, all quality clients will be gone soon together with the highly skilled freelancers. 

Upwork didn't change my life. I came here with skills the market wanted and I paid Upwork fees for utilizing their platform. It's a straight business transaction. Now that I see Upwork ripping me off more and more, I'm moving away from the platform and taking my skills elsewhere.

I honestly feel awful for new freelancers who think Upwork is going to provide a stream of jobs. As it is now, it won't and new freelancers will end up out of pocket rather than earning an income. Unless the exective management of Upwork step in to reverse recent policy decisions quickly, this will become a low-payimng, sleazy hangout for scammers and desperados.

Instead of seeing comments from experieced freelancers as creating negativity, a wise person will be cautious and heed the warining signs. Fact is, Upwork has become a scam and in doing so has opened the doors to scamming clients and freelancers.

Best of luck 😉

[#5]

I agree with everything except:

 Unless the exective management of Upwork step in to reverse recent policy decisions quickly

We have yet to see if their current approach will "backfire" or something. It's possible they’re doing everything right from a business POV, even though a "traditional freelancing marketplace" is no longer the main focus.

At the very least, the new management has succeeded in booking net profits over the past few quarters, after nearly a decade of constant losses.

We can't tell them to go back to their years of losses. As a freelancer, just don't get caught in their game, and don't depend on 3rd parties.

[#6]

That's a good point - as a retailer of digital tokens, they are performing brilliantly 

[#7]

What we can do, aside from not getting caught up in the game, is to tell people about the problem, in hope that the saturation point (if it exists) will be reached sooner. Or at the very least, we can hope to see what Upwork will become and what their actual "visions" are. For our my personal satisfaction 😁

There is little chance in my opinion that they will go bankrupt or something like that.

[#8]

I'm taking every change I can to discourage Freelancers here from getting scammed out of Connects by advising against Availability Badge, boosted profiles, Freelancer Plus and overspending on boost / applying to jobs with no intention of hiring.  These 5 things make so many Freelancers waste money.  

[#9]

Agreed. 

But in that case, Upwork execs decided to appeal to a different freelancer and customer base. No decent client or freelancer will stick with this model long term. There's no point in getting AI proposals that don't match your job or, if you do hire, scam you. In the same vein, no skilled freelancer will stay on Upwork, paying a fortune to apply for poor-quality jobs with a high risk of not getting hired or getting scammed.

There were other ways to recoup losses and maintain the integrity and good reputation of the platform. For example, I'll pay a monthy subscription to work through Upwork and a job application fee if I know the job is legit, pays my rate, and the client is genuine. It would save me time advertising elsewhere. To achieve that, Upwork would have to reduce their client and talent pool and focus on quality rather than quanitity.

In my mind, billing fees from top freelanacers, plus their subs and application fees (connects), will by far top the sleazy bids and connects system they've opted for. The platform's professional reputation will also continue to attract top shelf talent and clients.

They've obviously gone the other way - cast the net extremly wide and catch anything you can, includiung the cheap and nasty. Thier choice!

And, I'm not on their board, so - whatever 🙄😉🙄

[#10]

Thank you all for your perspectives, and I genuinely appreciate the feedback from experienced freelancers like Bev C.

I’m fully aware that I’m still new to Upwork and have much to learn about the platform and its changes over time. While my personal experience so far has been positive, I understand that not everyone shares the same viewpoint, especially those who have been here much longer. I respect your concerns and agree that it’s important to be cautious and mindful of changes that could affect our work as freelancers.

That being said, I also believe that each freelancer’s journey is unique. What works for one person may not work for another, and vice versa. My intention with this post was to share my own experience and to offer a bit of encouragement to those just starting, who might feel overwhelmed by some of the negativity.

Personally, I’m really happy with my experience on the platform, and I’m very grateful to Upwork for the opportunities it’s given me so far. From my perspective, I feel supported and have been able to secure several contracts in a short time. I know this may not be everyone’s experience, but I believe that Upwork continues to provide value, especially for those of us who are newer to freelancing.

Regarding some of the concerns raised about the direction Upwork is taking, perhaps we could approach this constructively. Maybe we, as a community, could open a dialogue with Upwork’s management, suggesting improvements or sharing our thoughts on how to better balance the needs of experienced freelancers while continuing to attract new talent.

After all, we all want the platform to succeed. If there’s a way to improve the experience for both new and seasoned freelancers, while ensuring Upwork remains a profitable and sustainable business, that seems like a win for everyone.

I hope that, no matter how the platform evolves, we can all continue to find success—whether it’s on Upwork or elsewhere—and support one another as part of the freelancing community.

Thanks again for sharing your insights, and I wish everyone the best in their freelancing journey.

[#11]

In Mexico, there are some electronic machines for kids to play with that make parents spend a lot of money on chips and in the end give the kids something like a pencil as a prize. The kids get excited at first for the small prize and keep coming back to see what else they can get. This is what this platform is doing now, making you come back and pay until one day you don't get anything anymore.

[#12]

And this folks, is an ChatGPT generated/edited post. Dang it, some authenticity please, you're Spanish, feel free to make mistakes and express yourself normally. 

[#13]

Please update us in 6 months if your view on Upwork is still the same.. just curious.

[#14]

The "rotation" favors newcomers to get them hooked - just wait a few weeks or months until the rotation works against you and you go months without a hire.  

[#15]

Tony, how much were you paid for that heartbreaking letter. I read it in one breath.
Bravo.

[#16]

Toni, Great work in retaining clients - it says a lot about your capabilities as it is often difficult at the start.

I echo some of the comments above: there has been a general decline in the amount of security on the network, and it seems that UW relies too much on the freelancer & client to self-police.  There are also many questionable job postings here for some time: they dont appear authentic.   As well, many of the recent changes to the platform seem to be advantageous to token earnings for UW, not the users of their network.  I recognize the need to make a profit, and how monetization happens, but the method and tactics is what I think give a lot of us some pause.  UW cant be everything to everyone and so balance is likely a struggle for them. 

That said, UW is, on balance, a great place to earn --- and I would suggest that you "learn" (about the pitfalls) while you earn. 

[#17]

Oh just wait! I've only been on Upwork for a few months and got lucky with one client blindsiding me with NEGATIVE PRIVATE FEEDBACK after I finished the contract. They never mentioned anything wrong - and trust me, I would have fixed whatever their issue was. I'd say for any freelancer on here, rating and reputation is everything. Apparently there is nothing I can do about it.. It dropped my job completion to 89% and has removed my rising talent badge (this caused a huge drop in profile views and potential clients reaching out directly). Thanks for looking out for freelancers, Upwork! Thankfully this isn't my main source of income, so I can't help but laugh at the situation. Might just move on from the platform. It shows just how much unhealthy power a client has over a freelancer.

[#18]

Steve,

That is true - there is nothing you can do about negative private client feedback - in fact, you'll never know WHICH client provided it, and tragically: what you need to do to improve, if anything.   It is a perfect mechanism for cowardly clients to burn freelancers - and this occured to me two years ago, tanked my JSS from 100% to 74%.  Client was mad that I refused to continue working with him (unethical) -- and ...well, it took 6 months to recover and cost me thousands on the network.

Private Feedback is a terrible tool in my experience!  I dont use it against clients, ever. 

[#19]

You only had 3 jobs completed and you are asking why so many complaints? lol

Stay longer on the platform, I can bet one day we will see same profile dropping some different stories. Or do you think those "experienced" freelancers are just kidding, 24$ jobs, 60$ jobs and you are heaping praise on Upwork. You are just getting started. Dont be too excited yet. It all starts that way buddy