UpworkReviews 2,128

I am Top Rated with a 100% job success rate on Upwork. I have been very badly treated by upwork support and they have admitted that they have done me wrong, stil no resolving of the matter or any compensation, but the opposite.
Upwork do not care a bit about its freelancers and the company should be brought to their knees so they can appreciate making free money on other peoples hard work.
Tomorrow I will call the headoffice before proceeding with the legal matter.
STAY AWAY FROM UPWORK IF YOU ARE A SERIOUS FREELANCER

We used Upwork for 56 jobs outsourced. In the past, we would refer them to others as the best freelancer resource. A few years ago, the candidates found were always higher quality than other sites.

Now the GREED has set in:

1. Upwork changed their pricing model, most candidates either decline jobs so they don't have to pay for a connection, and the ones that apply to your post are lower quality because they are trying to scam or find a long paying client. They generally have done several jobs for low amounts of money to get a 5 star rating. The top talent recommended ones, most of the time, have had several complaints against them, that Upwork has hidden because of many of the honest, good talent have left. Read other reviews about how many scammers still work there.

2. SCAM- Upwork forces clients to upgrade and pay $30 to have their talent specialist help you find talent to complete your job. If you do not do this, they limit who you can invite unless you do the upgrade. So either You have to buy the upgrade, or you are limited to inviting 3 people which is useless. And all the specialist does is click "invite" to more people. In the past, you could've done that yourself for FREE.

3. BEWARE- the rating system is rigged! You as the client have a very difficult time finding your own company rating and what the con artists review about you. The Upwork developers that scam people can manipulate the rating system to read - no review left. Therefore whatever dispute you had and you try to warn others- it goes unpublished and allows the developer to victimize more business owners.

4. DO NOT trust what you read. Upwork stopped testing skill level of candidates, Changed the vetting process and basically could care less while they make money off you. Anyone can say they have experience. Read others reviews of nightmare broken websites.

DO NOT GET ROBBED! You pay Upwork to assist con artists to take your money.

I used to love Upwork for my outsourcing. I referred people to it as the best freelancer marketplace. I've used it regularly for 6 years. The candidates were always higher quality than other sites.
Now that they've changed their pricing model, most applicants either decline my job so they don't have to pay for a connection, and the ones that came through are lower quality than they've ever been... maybe because the smart ones are leaving.
Also, they have an upgrade of $30 to have a talent specialist help with your job. But they limit who you can invite unless you do the upgrade. So either I have to buy the upgrade, or I'm limited to inviting 3 people which is useless. And all this specialist does is click "invite" to more people. I could've done that... it's not helpful.
I'm pretty bummed I have to find a new spot to outsource.

Upwork is a complete is sketchy... Be careful...

They claim that you are liable if you pay without the reviewing the work, yet they allow freelancers to ask for deposit before starting work.

One freelancer took my deposit of $1,710 and did not provide any work. They basically stole my money. I complained to upload and disputed with my bank. In the end, my upwork account was suspended and the freelancer is still working on upwork waiting to scam someone else.

I have never seen that Upwork user service rules or what ever they call it until I had my dispute, then they sent it to me.

There is absolutely no protection. On top of that, the freelancer started threatening me for no reason. Yet Upwork is ok with this, unbelievable.

Hiring upwork without some programming experience is an absolute waste of time. They allow programmers to bill without producing anything. Then you cannot charge them back even if they have nothing to show and then programmers laughter because they can just delete the bad reviews. They "recommend" nest matches but do not choose to stand behind their recommendations. The do not enough any contract other than taking your money. So go ahead leave it on the nightstand pull you pants up and leave the room. Because that's what it feels like working with upwork. The are money grubbing prostitutes.

Upwork allows freelancers of all sorts to apply for jobs posted by clients. The freelancers can have free accounts where they purchase "connects" that can be used to apply for jobs, OR the freelancers can have a paid account and he/she will be given 70 connects each month. It used to cost two connects to apply for any job, but Upwork has now started charging 2,4, or 6 connects to apply for a job, depending on the value of the job. Upwork used to charge freelancers $10/month for a "Plus Account" (where they would get 70 "free" connects) and they have now started charging $15/month. Freelancers can buy additional connects for 15 cents each in various quantities.

What all this really means is that freelancers are now paying WAY MORE for the privilege of bidding on jobs. On top of this, Upwork charges 20% commission to the freelancers for the agreed contract price. This is DOUBLE what Freelancer.com and some other freelance websites charge!

Upwork pushed a video explaining the price increases, saying that the new system would decrease the number of freelancers bidding on jobs and therefore increase a freelancer's chances of getting a job. THAT WAS TOTAL BS! The exact opposite has turned out to be true. Many freelancers are now only applying for low value jobs in order to only be charged two connects rather than 4 or 6 connects.

Bottom line: Many of us are paying way more to work on Upwork and we are getting fewer and fewer jobs. WHATEVER YOU DO, STAY AWAY FROM UPWORK! HORRIBLE! GREEDY! AND THE WEBSITE IS ALWAYS HAVING PROBLEMS!

I should add that many of the clients who post jobs on Upwork are looking to have work done at RIDICULOUSLY LOW PRICES. Some ask to have designs submitted before hiring the freelancer. Be VERY careful and try to judge the client before you bid on a job!

Be very careful on how you will choose the freelancers. It is easy for a freelancer to scam a client, especially with a long term contract and Upwork will most likely side with them. The freelancer's reviews do not reflect reality. Upwork will side with the freelancer even though the proofs are evident. I hired a freelancer to build an app. In the length of a few months, I paid him a deposit and few milestones. After I paid him over $1800 he told me he has some health issues and that the delivery of the next milestone will be delayed. Not only that the milestone was past due but I couldn't leave feedback anymore. When I looked at his profile again I notice another client gave him a bad review and that the freelancer took his money without delivering the work.
I contacted Upwork and gave them all the proofs and screenshots they need it to see how the whole contract proceded. In fact, those were not even necessary since everything happened on the platform. Escalated to a supervisor and she said she will forward the information to a Trust and Service department but nothing happened. I asked the freelancer to at least provide me the source files for whatever he worked until now so I can take the files to another freelance/company to finish the app. No response from freelancer. Now a few months have passed and the freelancer has 5 more contracts opened and he is "Top-Rated" with 100% job success. UPWORK should realize that clients are the ones that bring money to the platform and with situations like this not only that clients will leave the platform but will also discourage others from using the company. So my advice to you is to get files throughout the process in case something will happen before the contract will end or better yet use another website that will give you more protection.