your logged hours are not assured

[richshamy]

Upwork always says: An hour worked is an hour paid! It's a lie, it's not a guarantee that you will be paid. It did not happen on my end, my employer disputed my pay of $50 because I ended my contract early because they are asking too much from me. I was not happy during the training because the trainer made me feel inferior and I am not good enough for the job. They were asking too much for a cheap pay. Upwork gave it back to the client. I spent 7 hours working with valid screenshot from the timetracker and they did not give me my pay. I used my internet, electricity and my time. what a disappointment. There is no guarantee for freelancers even if your time is logged. I thought I would be protected because of this but NO! That is not true! A client can just dispute all the hours you have worked!

[prestonhunter]

I am very sorry that you had a disappointing experience.

Upwork Payment Protection works.

It has worked for me.

Upwork has paid me out of its own pocket when a client's credit card could not be charged.

So, based on everything I have read in the Forum, in Upwork's Help documentation, and based on my own experience, I have to assume that you did not qualify for Upwork Payment Protection.

What we need to do next is figure out why.

When you look at your work diary for these 7 hours, what do you see:

- Are your memos adequate? Or are they too short, too simplistic, or not present at all?

- Are your mouse/keyboard activity levels adequate? Or quite low?

- Do the screenshots show you working on the cilent's project, or doing something else?

[richshamy]

Yeah, it was such a disappointment. I logged my hours with proper memos because I was training that time. Upwork just sided with the client and not me as freelancer, that's all. They don't follow their own rules. I will not recommend Upwork to any of my friends who are looking for online jobs. 

[lucioric]

You should aggree with the client, through the Upwork mesagges, so that is evidence, whether the training is covered by the hourly payment or not. And you should review the work diary to delete the low activity time segments. And the client should make clear the expectances before a contract, and the freelancer decide whether to take the job or not.

[richshamy]

I have been with Upwork since 2010, I have worked with so many clients in the past and it is the first time it happened, and definitely the last because I will not anymore look for a job here. I was just unlucky to have a cheap client and does not value the hours I spent with them.

It's so disappointing! Upwork will always side with the clients because that's where the money at.

[prestonhunter]

I can not explain why Upwork allowed this client to successfully dispute these seven hours of work and not pay you the $50 total in earnings that you expected.

If you

- used the automated time tracker

- wrote adequate memos

- had decent mouse/keyboard activity

- all screenshots showing you working on the client's project 

...Then Upwork Payment Protection should have been in force, and you should have been paid.

There are only two possibilities:

- The picture you have painted in my mind with your description is incomplete, and if I saw your work diary I would see something that I would recognize as the reason you were not paid

[or]
- Upwork did not follow the rules for Payment Protection as I understand them. It is possible that I am missing something in my understanding. Some readers of this thread may wonder if Upwork's operative made a mistake when evaluating the client's dispute request.

[richshamy]

I have been with Upwork since 2010, and it is the first time it happened, and definitely the last because I will not anymore look for a job here. It's so disappointing! They will always side with the clients because that's where the money at.