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moniba_writer
Community Member

Query regarding refund.

Hello,
I need some help urgently. I landed this job where I was supposed to write an article on the topic "mood and microbes".
Instructions I got from the client's assistant were very simple.
- Word count 1800+ words. Semi academic article. Vancouver style referencing.
I followed the instructions and wrote an article. The quality was same as of the samples I attached with my proposal.
Now the assistant is telling me that her boss doesn't approve my work because that is not what she expected, also the quality is not acceptable.
I asked her to send me a sample of what she was expecting so that I can revise the article, she replied that her boss wants to write the article herself and requested refund.
I don't know what to do. How am I suppose to know what she was picturing in her mind. I spent time doing research for the article and writing it. Now I have to approve refund request and also suffer from the impacts of negative feedback on my profile! What should I do?

ACCEPTED SOLUTION


@Muneeba A wrote:

Hello Petra,

Thanks for replying.

Just wanted to clear these queries.

1. Will there be a negative impact on my JSS, If I choose to file a dispute and the results come out to be in my favor.

2. Will I get public feedback from the client?


 1. The impact on your JSS is the same whether you dispute or not and the outcome of the dispute is irrelevant. Remember that there is no such thing as as a dispute being "decided" in anyone's favour.  Dispute mediates, but does not "decide." - If the dispute does not get resolved you'd have to go to arbitration which would cost you, the client and Upwork $ 291 each. What is the value of the funds in Escrow?

2. If you get paid the feedback from the client will show. If nothing is paid nothing will show on your profile but the impact on your JSS (for better or for worse) remains.

View solution in original post

11 REPLIES 11
joanbonjoc
Community Member

Hi Muneeba,

I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience you had, one of our agents will contact you directly where you can share more details about this and we will investigate the client further.

In order to be eligible for our Upwork Payment Protection you will need to be hired on a official contract and fulfill the criteriums required. Upwork Payment Protection consists of two sub-programs: Protection for hourly contracts and fixed price contracts. Giving refund won't affect your JSS. Thank you!

 

~ Jo-An

Untitled

Thanks, Jo-An. 

That would be extremely helpful. 

I understand refund won't affect my JSS ( which I don't have yet because I'm new on Uwork and completed only 4 jobs), but what if I approve the refund and client still leaves a bad feedback? In that case, I would be losing both, my chances of getting a rising talent badge and money.


@Muneeba A wrote:

Thanks, Jo-An. 

That would be extremely helpful. 

I understand refund won't affect my JSS ( which I don't have yet because I'm new on Uwork and completed only 4 jobs), but what if I approve the refund and client still leaves a bad feedback? In that case, I would be losing both, my chances of getting a rising talent badge and money.


 The job will contribute to your JSS which you will soon get, depending on the feedback the client has already left when ending the contract.  The feedback the client left will not show on your profile if you refund (because fully refunded contracts do not show.)

Any chances you may have had of getting a Rising Talent badge are already gone so what you do about the refund makes no difference to either that or your JSS.

Hello Petra,

Thanks for replying.

Just wanted to clear these queries.

1. Will there be a negative impact on my JSS, If I choose to file a dispute and the results come out to be in my favor.

2. Will I get public feedback from the client?


@Muneeba A wrote:

Hello Petra,

Thanks for replying.

Just wanted to clear these queries.

1. Will there be a negative impact on my JSS, If I choose to file a dispute and the results come out to be in my favor.

2. Will I get public feedback from the client?


 1. The impact on your JSS is the same whether you dispute or not and the outcome of the dispute is irrelevant. Remember that there is no such thing as as a dispute being "decided" in anyone's favour.  Dispute mediates, but does not "decide." - If the dispute does not get resolved you'd have to go to arbitration which would cost you, the client and Upwork $ 291 each. What is the value of the funds in Escrow?

2. If you get paid the feedback from the client will show. If nothing is paid nothing will show on your profile but the impact on your JSS (for better or for worse) remains.

60$ 


@Muneeba A wrote:

60$ 


I'd have discussed it with the client and tried to find a solution before it got that far but that ship has sailed now.

If you are convinced the work was 100% what you were asked to do without errors etc and that you deserve that money go ahead with the dispute.


@Muneeba A wrote:

 

Just wanted to clear these queries.

1. Will there be a negative impact on my JSS, If I choose to file a dispute and the results come out to be in my favor.

2. Will I get public feedback from the client?


 1  Yes, there will be a negative impact on your JSS. The client will probably give negative feedback in both your Public And Private feedback because, they already told your style wasn't what they wanted and if the results come out in your favor they will be very unhappy with that result and it will reflect in the feedback they give to you. 

2.  If you refund that is in escrow the public feedback will disappear BUT the private feedback will remain and that affects your JSS more then the public feedback.

 

If you file a dispute, it goes into mediation. In this phase Upwork's mediator will basically tell you to try and work out a suitable arrangement with the client that is agreeable to both of you. If that can't be done then the next step is arbitration. In this phase an independent arbitrator will review  your case. If you go this route, it will cost you $291 and it will cost the client $291. Neither of you will get that fee back even if it's determined you should get shat's in escrow. 

BUT

if the client doesn't pay that fee, you not only get what's in escrow but you get your fee back. It's a gamble. Do you think the client would accept losing $291 just to get $60 back? 

prachi163
Community Member

My two cents on this in addition to what Kathy said.

 

Reading different threads here about disputes, I see that Upwork does not think it is worth their time to try and mediate low-dollar disputes. So, in such cases, they refund the client as well as reimburse the freelancer for their efforts. 

This issue going for arbitration is extremely unlikely. The chances of Upwork letting both parties have the money are more. However, I suspect Upwork will carry out at least some checks before taking this action. 


@Prachi T wrote:

My two cents on this in addition to what Kathy said.

 

Reading different threads here about disputes, I see that Upwork does not think it is worth their time to try and mediate low-dollar disputes. So, in such cases, they refund the client as well as reimburse the freelancer for their efforts. 

This issue going for arbitration is extremely unlikely. The chances of Upwork letting both parties have the money are more. However, I suspect Upwork will carry out at least some checks before taking this action. 


 ______________________________

Prachi,

 

You are way, way off base here. Upwork does not judge work when it comes to mediation. It tries to get both parties to come to some sort of agreement themselves. Upwork most certainly does not refund the client as well as reimbursing the freelancer in a dispute.

 

If a dispute (and this only applies to fixed-rate jobs) goes as far as arbitration then a fee is paid by Upwork, the client and the freelancer to an independent body to judge the case. Upwork has no say, whatsoever, in the final outcome. 

 

I strongly suggest that you read Upwork's terms of service before making these kinds of misleading statements.  

 

Thank you for your reply Nichola.

My apologies if anyone was misled by my statements, I did not intend to do that.

 

I was merely speaking from having read about courtesy payments in threads such as these:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Disputes-not-credited/m-p/292671

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Dispute-ended-by-upwork/m-p/489068

 

Clearly, I missed some crucial points, but I'll try to do better next time 🙂 

 

Prachi

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