: Need advice: freelancer delivered work completely different from their portfolio

Hi everyone,

I need some advice regarding a situation on Upwork. I hired a freelancer to create thumbnails for my agency , thats why i open a contract . Before hiring him, I noticed that the examples he sent me looked very different from the professional-quality thumbnails shown in his Upwork portfolio — they honestly looked like beginner work. I found it strange, but I decided to trust him and go ahead with the contract.

I paid a €10 milestone to start the project.

Now he has delivered the thumbnail… and it matches the beginner-level samples he sent, not the quality shown in his portfolio. The difference is huge. The work he delivered is clearly nothing like what he showcases on his profile, and it feels misleading.

My questions are:

• Is there any way to cancel or reverse just the first milestone that was already paid?
• If that’s not possible, what other options do I have?
• Should I open a dispute?
• Can I simply contact Upwork support and explain the situation to request a refund?
• Is there any recommended process when the delivered work is clearly inconsistent with the freelancer’s portfolio?

My goal is to resolve this in a fair way, without unnecessary headaches, but I also don’t want to lose the €10 for work that doesn’t match what was promised.

Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!