Withdrawn by you: Job application is cancelled by Upwork

[grayfragments]

I just found out that my 3(first) proposals were withdrawn with status "Withdrawn by you: Job application is cancelled by Upwork" and i don't quite understand what that supposed to mean, does anyone know?

[jpcarty]

Upwork had me do a video chat verification this morning.  This afternoon, I found out that they withdrew my proposals.  How do I get my proposals reinstated?  I submitted a request to support.  Is there anything else I should do?  

[cylver1z]

Hello John,

Your proposals are withdrawn because of the Video Verification process you just encountered. You should be able to submit proposals again.

[jpcarty]

How do I get the connects back?  I paid for the additional connects, so ... would I get a refund or would all the connects be restored?

[jpcarty]

The real issue is losing out on a project because my proposal was withdrawn.

[versailles]

While the video verification is a great iniative, this proposal withdrawal thing is not funny at all.

[lysis10]

They said it's a bug and it's a pretty crappy one tbh.

[pandoraharper]

---

@Jennifer M wrote:

They said it's a bug and it's a pretty crappy one tbh.

---

 They? Who?  This has been an ongoing problem for months.

[lysis10]

Valeria said it's a bug. Iti's not supposed to withdraw your applications. It did at first, and they changed it, and now it's happening again.

[kochubei_valeria]

Pandora, Rene and others,

I'd like to confirm that it's not our intention to have proposals withdrawn when a freelancer is asked to complete video verification. However, currently we are experiencing an issue when some proposals (not all) are withdrawn. The fix for this issue is already is scheduled to be released. 

When a freelancer is asked to complete video verification, their account isn't suspended but their ability to submit new proposals is limited. Only if the freelancer doesn't respond to the request to verify, their account can be suspended.

[pandoraharper]

---

@Rene K wrote:

While the video verification is a great iniative, this proposal withdrawal thing is not funny at all.

---

You should see the similiar (and recent) report from another member, who got caught in the same mess, and actually heard from a interested, perspective client who asked her WHY she withdrew.

Not quite as bad as having a current client ask "why did Upwork tell me your account is suspended", but still pretty 'ffing bad.

[jpcarty]

This isn't just a bug or not a funny thing.  This is the thing CEO's hate.  It's a liability.
 
If one of my proposals wasn't accepted because it was withdrawn by Upwork as a part of the Identity Verification process, I think it makes them liable for a breach of contract. (I'm not a lawyer, so it's just a guess.)
 
Why would they be liable?  First, withdrawing proposals is not listed as an action Upwork can take in their Identity Verification process.  They say:
 

If you are unable to verify your identity, Upwork may, at our discretion:

• Suspend payments from your account
• Suspend all of your contracts
• Revoke the Upwork Payment Protection for your existing contracts
• Suspend or close your account
• Suspend or close suspected duplicate accounts

In effect, they are violating their own policy by withdrawing proposals before giving people a chance to verify their identity.
 
The size of liability is what is most troubling.  I submitted a proposal for a project that had 3-6 months of work.  I submitted a rate of $35/hour.  That puts the total cost to the client at roughly $17,000 to $34,000.  That is one project for one person.  Assuming several other indepent contractors have similar situations, the costs multiply.
 
Upwork needs to consult with their compliance/legal team.  I'm guessing the legal team will at first say they are in full compliance with whatever laws apply.  When they look more into it, they will revamp the process.  I am guessing they will move the identity verification process to occur before contractors are allowed to submit proposals. 

[yitwail]

A more logical and practical approach to verification would be to allow freelancers a grace period of several days to verify identity, before imposing a suspension. 

[versailles]

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@John K wrote:

A more logical and practical approach to verification would be to allow freelancers a grace period of several days to verify identity, before imposing a suspension. 

---

I concur. If the verification process of a profile is due to something suspicious enough, then I totally agree with the immediate suspension.

If, however, it's a part of the reasonable initiative aimed at verifying all the profiles across the board, then yes, a grace period should be allowed.

[jpcarty]

I submitted a request to support, and they gave me back my connects.

I looked at some stuff on avvo.  The keyword in my last statement was "if" a proposal would have been accepted.  Because of the "if", you would not have actual damages.  

But it still looks bad.  It sends the message:

"Welcome to our site.  At any point in time, we will suspend your account for no reason."

It's a big sign to not put your eggs all in one basket.

[monikals]

I have proof of losing an actual hire:

This is what the client sent to me:

Were you still interested on working on this? I saw that you withdraw your application.
I don't have any ideas at this point.
I already hired another freelance for the job because I thought you didn't want to apply.

She was going to hire me but when she thought I withdrew the offer, she hired someone else.  Her message is what led me to see 8 offers were canceled and 16 credits were lost - and one actual hire.  This cost me actual money.

If anyone talks to an attorney and considers a class action, count me in.

[vladag]

Hi Monika,

I understand your frustration and apologize about the problem the issue we're having has caused you. It looks like the client in question hired you already for the job and our team refunded the Connects used for submitting proposals which were withdrawn automatically. We're really sorry about your experience and will reach out to you directly with an update regarding the issue.

[carlosbstatu]

HI.

I was asked to verify my account and all my proposals and active candidacies were moved to the "archived" section. 

Job application is cancelled by Upwork... 

I got the "Plus membership" and paid extra in order to get a few more connects this month and now Upwork canceled around 28 of my proposals...

Really? I was very interested in the last proposal I submitted. That's very dissapointing. I spent a lot of time on it. I'm surely gonna submit another proposal for that specific job, but I'm afraid this client won't take me into consideration anymore..

How is Upwork going to fix this?

[vladag]

Hi Carlos,

To clarify, the recent action on your account is related to the identity verification request you received recently. Please complete this process in order to reinstate your account and our team will follow up regarding the automatically withdrawn proposals, which is a procedure our team uses in certain cases. We apologize for the inconvenience and feel free to follow up on your open ticket with any questions you might have.

[music_city_seo]

Hi Admins,

This is a really tough thread for everyone. Following up on my situation:

• My bids were spontaneously withdrawn. It wasn't an ID verification issue. 
• I still don't have my credits back.
• I also lost out on a client interview.
• And the pitching/success average have still not been adjusted.
• And I still have heard nothing from tech support.

What's happening? What can we expect? Is the root issue fixed? How will we be remedied for what we lost? 

People are, clearly, very confused and put off by this. We're hoping to hear from the team. 

[vladag]

Hi RuDee,

We apologize for the inconvenience and angst withdrawing your active proposals and cancelling your interview has caused you. Our team will follow up with you directly soon and issue courtesy Connects as replacement for the ones used for the affected proposals.

The fix for this issue should be implemented soon, we'll follow up with an update once we receive a confirmation from our team that it has been resolved.

[juliet-h]

Like everyone else here, some of my proposals were randomly withdrawn due to this technical glitch. The sad part is, this is not only costing people connects but TIME AND MONEY. Example: on at least one of those proposals I created a sample specifically for that proposal... proposals take time! No doubt some people lost jobs they would have been offered. A reimbursement of connects really isn't enough in this situation.

[parabrupesh]

This issue hasnt been fixed yet, lost 6 opportunities because of this withdrawal bug and haven't received the connects back

[monikals]

Update: They gave me back half of the lost connects and haven't addressed the lost job at all.  

[michaelsapp]

I received an email from Upwork at 7:27am that I needed to verify my profile/identity via a brief video chat.  Immediately thereafter, ALL of my 10 pending proposals were marked "Withdrawn by You" when I did no such thing.  I chatted with Upwork at around 9:30am which took all of 30 seconds and then I was told "Sorry, we can't do anything about the withdrawals."

How is this remotely a good idea?  This is punishing the freelancers that properly follow the rules, and now I either look like an idiot because I have to resubmit my proposals or I've missed out on opportunities.  Either way, not great for Upwork's customer service.  I can understand doing this to someone suspected of fraud, but this was billed as a "Oh, just randomly verifying profiles, no big deal" process.

Who would come up with such a terrible verification process?  Has anyone else experienced the same thing?  

Thanks,
Mike

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Mike,

Proposals can get withdrawn due to account holds. A technical issue that causes for some proposals to be withdrawn because of the video verification process is currently being fixed. 

We'll have somebody follow up with you regarding the withdrawn proposals.

Sorry about the inconvenience.

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Rupesh,

One of our agents will contact you directly and assist you with this issue.

[carlosbstatu]

Well... Upwork moved all my proposals to the archived folder and I'm not even able to submit a new proposal for a Job Post I was very interested in... 

[kochubei_valeria]

All,

This issue has been fixed and proposals shouldn't be withdrawn automatically for freelancers who are requested to complete profile verification going forward.

Thank you for your patience.

[carlosbstatu]

---

@Valeria K wrote:

All,

This issue has been fixed and proposals shouldn't be withdrawn automatically for freelancers who are requested to complete profile verification going forward.

Thank you for your patience.

---

 Mine were withdrawn.

I got the following message:

Congratulations! Your identification has been reviewed and accepted. 
Thanks for helping us maintain a trusted workplace for all. 
You can now submit proposals. If you need tips on getting started, check out A Freelancer's Guide to Upwork.

BUT MY ACCOUNT IS STILL SUSPENDED

I already submitted a ticket and I asked them to review my account, I also asked them if I would get my connects back, but they did not answer my question....

Do I need to submit a new ticket since the one I submitted is about my Identity verification?

Thanks.

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Carlos,

I see your verification submission has just been approved. The team will process it further and update you about the status of your account shortly. We'll also address the issue with connects directly via the ticket.

Thanks.

[researchediting]

---

@Valeria K wrote:

All,

This issue has been fixed and proposals shouldn't be withdrawn automatically for freelancers who are requested to complete profile verification going forward.

Thank you for your patience.

---

Just breaking protocol by bumping this, Valeria—in case anyone missed that (possible implementation bugs not withstanding) Upwork has Done The Right Thing. 

Thanks to the team!

[monikals]

My lost job and connects have still not been addressed, waiting for anyone from support to contact me but they don't seem to care.

As a paid member, those connects cost me money.  I have a message from a client saying she was about to hire me when I withdrew from the job, which also cost me money.  No contact from support.  Has anyone got a satisfactory answer from Upwork on your losses?

Monika 

[kochubei_valeria]

Monica,

I checked and see that the team contacted you about the issue on September 25. You can see the ticket on this page. You can also see the credit in your Connects History.

[d34c4369]

Hello, five (5) of my proposals were withdrawn because it was canceled by Upwork.

My account was briefly suspended last night because I accidentally removed my primary billing method. It was resolved within hours, but my proposals weren't able to survive the suspension (lol). 

Please let me know if you can reactivate the proposals, or at least return my connects (I bought them, because I didn't receive my 10 free connects.).

[759e32fa]

**Edited**

Hi Ross,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Generally, we return Connects when a client closes their job without hiring or we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. This usually takes 24-48 hours to reflect on your account. If it has been more than 48 hours, please let us know so we can further assist you.

In this case, I shared your report with our team and one of our agents will reach out to you via a support ticket to assist you further. You can access your support tickets here.

[ede63c36]

Client created a job and sent an invite to me and a few other freelancers to choose from. I applied and sent clients samples of my work.But then my acc ount was hold, and  after identiy verifiyng, this job and all other submitted proposals was marked: "Withdrawn: Job application is cancelled by Upwork".

So, I have question, does the customer now see my offer, or the messages and attached files i was send to him before my account was frozen?