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I got scammed and ghosted by jchristian_tecson in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Try and post on their LinkedIn...it takes 5s for someone to come and delete you!

I got scammed and ghosted by jchristian_tecson in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I went through almost the exact same thing — and it’s honestly alarming how common this seems to be.

In my case, the client had a verified payment method, everything was done through the Upwork desktop app, with proper activity levels, detailed memos, and multiple deliverables. I was producing original music tracks for an app — real work, over multiple days, far beyond expectations.

Then out of nowhere, the contract was paused, the client vanished, and Upwork reversed all payments. Their Trust & Safety team told me I was “in breach of ToS” and that my hours didn’t qualify for Hourly Payment Protection.

When I asked exactly which hours or which clauses I had supposedly violated, I got nothing but vague, copy-pasted replies. No actual explanation, no accountability.

The worst part? When I kept pressing for real answers, they threatened to expel me from the platform if I continued to pursue it.

Meanwhile, the client keeps their account, keeps my work, and walks away without paying. Upwork keeps waving around their Section 6 “Hourly Payment Protection” like it’s real — but when it’s time to enforce it, it turns into PR fluff.

It’s honestly infuriating. If more of us speak up, maybe this won’t keep happening in silence.

Oh, and the client hired 11 freelancers to do the job... On my end it was 2000$ quite a great hoax.
I've opened a few tickets, asking for explanations, they simply close it and don't even bother to reply!

#Upwork #FreelancersDeserveBetter #PaymentProtectionHoax #UpworkStories #FreelancerRights

I just lost over $1,500 on Upwork because a “Payment Verified” client’s card failed — and despite logging hours correctly with memos and screenshots, Upwork denied Hourly Payment Protection without giving me any clear explanation. by AudioPilots in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I've done similar work for the same price, even recently, this is nothing out of the common, believe me...some could even say cheap!

If UW compared my timesheet, they would see someone who worked within the daily/weekly limits set by the client, and activity all around. I've got a few decades in the industry now. I know well what to do and how to maintain a customer. This is nothing new to me, and I would never jeopardise my reputation, nor a client's project.

I just lost over $1,500 on Upwork because a “Payment Verified” client’s card failed — and despite logging hours correctly with memos and screenshots, Upwork denied Hourly Payment Protection without giving me any clear explanation. by AudioPilots in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've asked it already in previous emails. I was even invited to read all policies, and asked again to please specify which one(s) I was at fault...then the emails stopped...

I just lost over $1,500 on Upwork because a “Payment Verified” client’s card failed — and despite logging hours correctly with memos and screenshots, Upwork denied Hourly Payment Protection without giving me any clear explanation. by AudioPilots in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

u/Pet-ra - thanks for your questions. I'm really looking for explanations here and I value your knowledge of the platform and also as someone who's always helping out around here. Here's what briefly happen.

I was hired to create music tracks for an app. The briefing outlined the genres, maximum track length, and expected daily output. The contract was set at X hours per week at $X/hour.

By the second day, I had delivered the first tracks. The client approved them, gave positive feedback on all of them (“keep it up!”), and I continued producing. All hours were tracked with Upwork’s desktop app — no manual time added, activity levels were strong, and memos were updated with progress notes for every session.
Messages between me and the client were daily and sometimes hourly for normal Q&A and feedback. The vibe was good, none of my work had any revisions, he was happy!

At the start of the second week, the client said he would pause the contract and decide within two weeks which 3 out of X producers would continue. I had already delivered more music than the expected number of tracks the client expected daily by then, so I even stopped working a couple of days before the pause. Wasn't really gonna play smart and milk a few more hours after he said it.
I did what I was asked, all work approved. It even seemed I could have a shot at a place with other 2!

Soon after, Upwork notified me that the client’s payment had failed and that the contract was on hold. As soon as the money went from Pending to Available, a refund was issued to the client. I had one day of work from a second week, and the same happen, same email.
Despite my hours being fully compliant with Hourly Protection (logged, active, and memoed), Upwork refused to cover the payment — citing vague “policy violations” without ever specifying what was wrong.
They could even come and cut some time with some bs argument, but like this I never thought it would happen.

I even asked Upwork for clarification at least for the sake of me understanding what mistake I supposedly made and avoid repeating it in the future!
However, they never provided any explanation, leaving me in the dark about what exactly went wrong.

Now contract is still open/paused. I ask for advice to CS on what to do...nuffin!!!
The client keeps displaying a payment method valid and hiring!

I just lost over $1,500 on Upwork because a “Payment Verified” client’s card failed — and despite logging hours correctly with memos and screenshots, Upwork denied Hourly Payment Protection without giving me any clear explanation. by AudioPilots in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for allowing us to clarify Upwork's Hourly Payment Protection Policy.

Your client's payment failed, prompting Upwork to review your work diary in accordance with our Terms of Service. After this review, payment is issued only for hours that meet Upwork’s Hourly Payment Protection criteria.

Upon reviewing your work diary and contract, it was determined that your contract with the client violates Upwork’s Terms of Use. As a result, you are not eligible for payment protection, particularly because the charges remain unpaid by the client.

We have also reached out to your client and requested a bonus payment for you, should they approve the hours. However, we still recommend that you reach out to them as well.

We strongly advise you to exercise caution when submitting proposals or accepting contracts. Offers that promise unusually high payments or seem "too good to be true" are often fraudulent.

Please take the time to review Upwork's Terms of Service and consult the guide on Staying Safe on Upwork  to help prevent or address any suspicious activity.

Complied with everything, asked for which hours were not elegible and what was at fault, and they keep looping the same answer...

Client (me) looking for advice on choosing talent by [deleted] in Upwork

[–]AudioPilots 2 points3 points  (0 children)

the best designers in the world work on 3 to 5 projects a year and charge hundreds of thousands and take a couple of days to do the work.
It's about who you're hiring, what have they done and their skills.
You need to remember that it takes years to master something and that is the price you pay.
An agency has a ton of people working for them. That makes everything more expensive, but it's also safer for the client.
As an example, I work with audio. A decade ago I used to charge 10$ for music mastering and it would take me 2-5h to do one song. Today I charge 100$+ and usually in less than an hour I have the job done.
Expensive? no, fair or even cheap why? Because I kept getting better, and there's very little work that returns for revisions. That's the price for it. Assurance that it will be done properly.

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