08/02/2025
🚨 My First Upwork Experience – A Warning to Fellow Freelancers 🚨
I wanted to share my experience as a new freelancer on Upwork in hopes of raising awareness and hearing your thoughts.
I started freelancing with the goal of building my career on Upwork and achieving 100% JSS (Job Success Score). My first contract went well, so I took on a second one because I need two successful job to show a 100% JSS on my profile:
📌 Contract Terms: Photo Editing & Online Research/Admin Tasks (7 days)
📌 What I Delivered: Video & Photo Editing + File Compression
📌 What Happened: The client asked me to extend for another week, which I politely declined due to prior commitments. After that, her attitude changed drastically,
❌ Gave confusing instructions
❌ Scolded me over the phone
❌ Threatened to leave a bad review
I requested to end the contract, but she refused and continued threatening a 1-star review unless I extended my work. I reached out to Upwork Support, and they told me that if I ended the contract myself, I wouldn’t receive feedback if the client didn't release the payment.
💥 What they didn’t tell me: The client can still leave a private feedback, which impacted my Job Success Score.
🔹 The Real Issue: The client violated two key Upwork policies:
1️⃣ Refusing to close a contract unless I worked more days than agreed.
2️⃣ Paying below Upwork’s minimum rate ($3/hr). Since the contract required me to work 2 hours per day for 7 days (14 hours total), the minimum should have been $42—but the contract was only $20. (I didn't know this at first, I just researched about this recently)
Despite these clear violations, Upwork’s Escalation Team and Trust & Safety Team refused to resolve the issue. Instead, they sided with the client, leaving me stressed, frustrated, and feeling unprotected.
I’m sharing this to warn fellow freelancers, especially those who are aspiring to be one, be extra cautious with job posts like this. The client frequently posts under the job title: "Admin Assistant for Brief Project" so please be careful!
What are your thoughts on Upwork’s handling of situations like this? Do you think they protect freelancers enough? Would love to hear your experiences.