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Upwork has a rating of 2.5 stars from 2,120 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Upwork most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and job success problems. Upwork ranks 6th among Freelancing sites.
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Upwork has been my trusted platform for finding freelance opportunities and connecting with clients from around the world. The platform's vast network of clients and freelancers, comprehensive job listings, and secure payment system make it easy to find meaningful projects and build a successful freelance career. I appreciate Upwork's commitment to transparency and professionalism, as seen in its dispute resolution process and feedback system, which ensure fair and equitable transactions for both parties. Moreover, the platform's collaboration tools and communication features enhance teamwork and streamline project management. With Upwork, freelancing is not just a job—it's a rewarding and fulfilling career.
I've been on Upwork for a month and now I want to leave. In the past month, I've submitted 18 proposals, but only 5 were even viewed. Out of the 4 clients who contacted me: 2 asked me to register on a suspicious virtual currency website (I flagged these posts, but they keep messaging me). 1 wanted to pay outside of Upwork and ghosted me when I insisted on a contract. 1 rejected me for a reason that contradicts their own job posting (they require freelancers from City A & City B, and I'm in City A!). Upwork support told me connects aren't refunded for unresponsive clients or unfair rejections. I understand the challenge of building a reputation without prior reviews since the platform is designed to perpetuate a frustrating cycle: no reviews, no contracts, no reviews. However, the problem already goes beyond just lacking reviews. Despite targeting jobs well within my expertise, most of my proposals aren't even viewed. I accept rejections if they are due to my profile or skills, but the constant stream of scam messages and wasted connects on unviewed proposals is unacceptable. Investing time and resources into a platform that seems rigged against new users is demoralizing. I'm not opposed to fair competition, but Upwork's current system creates unnecessary obstacles for those trying to build a freelance career. This, combined with the prevalence of unresponsive and unscrupulous clients, has led me to give up on this platform.
I am a skilled Tekla Draughtsman with over 12 years of experience. I worked as a project manager and drawing office manager but somehow, I am not skilled enough to join Upwork. I resubmitted my application 3 times, but they still think that I am not skilled enough. They wasted my time. Don't even bother with them big time waste.
Date of experience: April 2, 2020
Hello,
Elance is the biggest scam I have come across, my account had loads of connects which came with my membership.
I was accumulating them for few months, they suddenly suspended my account. This came wthout any warning or notification to me. There is no appeal process as well. I have lost connects worth months of membership money which they charged to my
Card. Biggest scammers, shameful company, I would never register in their workplace again.
With Regards,
Kscoped
Tip for consumers:
Please do not use this site, they are scammers who run away with your money
Date of experience: October 1, 2014
After eLance was acquired by Upwork, we were forced to use this site. From the low level of support to the platform, everything has been a huge step back for us. And we can't even close our account since their system has been down since yesterday!
I wonder how worse a service company can be. STAY AWAY FROM THIS!
Date of experience: June 4, 2016
I joined Upwork or Elance as it was called then in 2014, when we started IoT solutions development and was looking to reach customers; clueless as we were, as to who they were and what they were looking for. Upwork not only gave us customers who were looking for cutting-edge solutions; the rating system kept us agile and sharp.
I am very happy with Upwork without which we wouldn't have developed our IoT capabilities.
The only issue I have is the lack of transparency in the rating system - we have had 100% job success score most of the time, but some times it is just reduced for a client not having communicated for long and keeping a project open. If we are given some warning before hand then we could take action; as we are not deliberately doing it. We stick to all the Upwork terms. Client responses to bids drastically comes down when the rating is anything less than 100.
Date of experience: July 27, 2020
I want to know which FEDERAL AGENCY I can ask to investigate this group. They take money into escrow and then it magicallly disappears. Freelancers write with complaints about money and completed work disappearing. The site is IMPOSSIBLE to navigate, with tabs and labels that make no sense. Oh! Do NOT enroll or sign up. So much of my outsourced work has been lost, incomplete, late or never even received by the bidder. On a side note, the freelancers are non English speakers who really cannot handle even mildly sophisticated projects.
Date of experience: November 14, 2015
They withheld the connects that I had subscribed for just because they were carried forward and though I was applying for the proposals clients did not respond. They do not have a stron policy for the payment that a freelancer makes. Very bad policy.
Date of experience: August 22, 2017
I started off way back when Elance and oDesk were still a thing, they were great but something was missing and then UpWork came to be. Rarely will you see a platform skyrocket to success like UpWork did but this is well justified. From the clean design, easy to use interface and lots of must-have features to a professional community that keeps on giving, super-friendly and helpful staff and plenty to explore, UpWork has it all and thereby remains in top of my list of best freelancing platforms that a freelancer must be on. For the 4 year's I've been a Top Rated member I have met some truly amazing people to work with. It's that one site where you enjoy your profession like you're meant to and earn extra needed to help you and your family. I have only the best of recommendations for UW!
Date of experience: July 4, 2020
I had 200usd from a job that wsn´t done and was refund and I left in my account. Now my money is not in my balance and upwork refuse to transfer my money to me.
According to the support:
"As we have not received any response nor action from our previous communication, the funds have already been sent to the state of Delaware on 02/18/2021."
They can´t give my money and if this is true, they have to pay to me.
Tip for consumers:
Plesae don´t use this site.
Products used:
Was a IT service.
Date of experience: May 12, 2021
To be honest UpWork is different than any of other applications, the high level security make upwork unique the quality of the clients and freelancers in the site are different, rarely to see inappropriate posts or tricky clients and freelancers, it the best olace to work in
Date of experience: January 30, 2021
At any moment they closed my account for verification. After passed verification could not import my profile from elance.com. After i put 5-6 bids they decided again to close my account - had not picked after 5-6 bids. Arrogant and greedy managers
Date of experience: January 29, 2017
Working on upwork was a wonderful experience, I started from newbie who has no working experience with clients and upwork helped me reaching wonderful clients all across the globe and now working as a freelancer is just wonderful feeling.
Date of experience: January 5, 2021
I spend over $******* on Upwork but when I hire (most Indian) freelancers they where all a disaster. No deadline reached, they lie about the work which is not done to get a payment, they log in for more hours. They drag the project to keep your for long time to benefit the payment.
I hired a Indian company who had a good feedback on Upwork. But then I found out they gave my work to students so they can focus on getting more projects.
At the end you pay triple the price than developing it in your country. No outsourcing for me anymore.
I WILL NEVER EVER USE UPWORK ANYMORE!
*******@hotmail.com for proof
Date of experience: March 4, 2017
I had this account on 2013 and I had some clients at that time. I have to leave to join BPO industry. This time I'm planning for a full time hombased set up and I came back to this platform as it is the best since then. Upwork, please give me time to digest everything before getting a client, it's been a while and there's a lot of changes (^_^)
Date of experience: July 12, 2020
I went to work on the platform Upwork (then it was called oDesk) from platform Elance in 2015. Gradually gaining experience in communicating with customers and in software development, I gained confidence in the future. I see the movement of the platform Upwork in the direction of improvement of work with clients and freelancers. I hope that my work with Upwork will last a very long time.
Date of experience: December 10, 2020
Let's see... I pay elance.com a monthly fee to apply for jobs, if I want to apply to more than 40 jobs a month... Hmm, I average 30 applications on oDesk to land one gig (now, oDesk was purchased by eLance...)... STOP! Paying a monthly fee as a poor freelancer to apply for jobs that take a % fee that were posted by multibillion $ corporations is just a way wrong business model. Period. STAY AWAY from pay-to-play.
Date of experience: January 25, 2014
Elance was a good place to work for both clients and freelancers. UpWork, on the other hand, is absolutely terrible. Not only is it the WORST freelancing platform, but it seems like generally worst place to work online.
Scams, bugs, bugs, more scams, upselling, lead generation, scam, bugs, and more bugs.
Support is the worst I've seen. They promise you the world and literally don't do anything.
Incompetent, completely lacking logic, and feels like it was developed as a high school project - I've done better in my first year of programming.
DO NOT SIGN UP to UpWork - promote better platforms out there, and let UpWork die the slow death that it deserves.
Date of experience: April 17, 2016
I couldn't think of a title but will, when I get to the end of this review.
We live in an era when humans feel more isolated than connected.
Covid-19 made sure of that.
It came with blessings - Family. Spending time with family and really connecting with them.
The Family is a Unit or Node. Every Family on Earth are Billions of Nodes.
If every family is happy and in turn billions of nodes happy, The Earth is Happy, No more wars - one day!
The Business of Upwork is in making sure that we all while seemingly being disconnected or isolated, are connected with remote work we love to do while being with the people we love.
Upwork helps to facilitate and support your growth.
As a Freelancer on Upwork, all you need is to be professional, honest, mature and play by the rules.
If you do a great Job, your work touches lives of people in remote parts of the world.
So Upwork provides you with a delivery mechanism for you to touch the world.
Date of experience: October 10, 2020
Fees, fees and then more fees... after a freelancer submits all of their information.
In addition to charging 20% of anything earned, Upwork.com (or UpCHARGE.com) charges $1 for each job applied for. If it looks like a scam and smells like a scam...
Date of experience: March 17, 2017
They approve payment to freelancer without my approval and the freelancer did not do the job nicely. And the help center asking me to pay 290usd to help me to get the money back. I hate their help center. IF you going to use upwork do not pay dispute money without the job complete so they can not steal your money. Guys use separate credit card for the payments just use the exact amount.
Date of experience: December 27, 2016
The world around us is changing and our workspaces are evolving. Upwork has provided us with the perfect platform, according to the constantly evolving technology, to connect businesses and business owners with freelancers.
Date of experience: September 16, 2020
I have not violation any rules issues by work but my upwork account suspended due to submitted proposals for jobs. Freelancing work is the part of sending proposals and Upwork suspended my account for sending proposals; What a non-sense decision from upwork. Really BAD and POOR decision from upwork.
Also I am not able to withdraw my money(USD $380) from upwork account to my bank.
Guys beware about upwork fraud. Please do not use this site/company.
This is Fraud and Scam company. I will report to FBI and upwork will suspend.
Please contact here to report FBI:
https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.upwork.com#299
Upwork name will be Downwork.
Tip for consumers:
Scam company Please do not use this site/company.
You will get loss of money and time.
Date of experience: January 31, 2017
Agreat onlne marketplace for freelancer to make carrier. Great site with great help. You no need to worry about bringing clients, looking for job. What you have to do is sit with your comfort and logged in upwork.
Date of experience: July 26, 2020
I recommend you to work with Upwork 100%. As a freelancer from Central America, I have been able to connect and do business with companies in the US very successfully, creating many new opportunities for my work life and increasing my income. Helping businesses and their owners to achieve their goals and creating long term business relationships is very easy and fair with Upwork. I highly recommend business owners to find the professional talent they need for their business on Upwork. You wont regret it! Freelancers around the world Upwork is the future; Work smart and create the life you want using this amaizing tool.
Benefits for freelancers
*Payment protection
*Clear contracts terms
*International Clients
*Easy payment methods
Benefits for clients
*Qualify professional
*Reduce your operations cost
*Provide life changing opportunities
*Grow your team faster
*Easy payroll execution
And more
Silvia N
Date of experience: October 26, 2021
Upwork is a very good platform and very secure platform for freelancers.
I love Upwork, I want to become Top rated freelancer on Upwork because I love to work from my home and have more and more clients to work with.
Date of experience: October 2, 2020
I had dreamed of being a published author since I was 12 years old, but I lacked the confidence to try. A friend introduced me to Upwork. It was so easy to submit proposals, and the clients genuinely valued my skills and talents. I liked that Upwork guaranteed payment, so clients couldn't rip me off. Upwork handled all the payroll and administrivia, so that I could concentrate on producing quality results for my clients. I love that I'm able to get quick answers to my questions via their online chat. Highly recommend Upwork!
Date of experience: July 30, 2020
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