Freelancing isn’t always a happy experience. There are times that you will encounter some problems and misunderstanding with your client. This happened to me several times already and the last one was seriously stressful. So, here’s the story.
Last year, I’ve got a client on Upwork and everything’s really fine at first. However, after few days, my client kept complaining about my high rate. He ended the contract, left me a negative feedback, and he asked for a refund! Of course, I didn’t give a refund because I worked for 10 hours and I have an output for the project. So I contacted Upwork support about this matter.
Here's my message:
I attached the screenshots of my proposal and the offer of the client as proof.
And here's the response I've got from Upwork support:
I was so stressed with this issue because I don't want to have a negative feedback on my profile. I'm still fortunate that I am a Top Rated freelancer on Upwork so I was able to request a feedback removal on that contract. After the conversation with Upwork support, I've finally felt peaceful.
BUT after 4 days, I received a notification from Upwork Resolution Center (powered by Modria) that a case was filed by the client and he is now asking for a FULL refund of $250. I never heard about Modria so I searched about it. All things that Upwork support couldn't handle goes to Modria and there is a mediator between the parties involved. If the issue became a case, it means that it's really a serious one.
Here's how this Modria thing looked like:
$250 is a huge amount so it gave me stress once again. But my mindset was, "There's nothing to be afraid of. I haven't done anything wrong so I will fight back."
And the conversation went on....
From August 25 to September 8, 2016, finally the case has been closed! And the client was the one to back down. Wooooh! I won!
So my fellow freelancers, if you ever experience something like this, don't be afraid to fight especially if you know that you've done nothing wrong and you're not violating any rules. This experience also proves that Upwork isn't one-sided and client is not always right. I often see freelancers who rant to Upwork about being biased because they're on the client's side. It's not the case guys, trust me. Also, remember to keep screenshots because it will really help you as evidence if some conflicts happen.