Scammed by Client & PPH Approved Their Refund

I provided deliverables that aligned perfectly with the client's specified proposal and inspiration (a 30+ page brand guidelines deck that included a logo, packaging, marketing, etc.). I spent 19 hours on the designs and provided them through people per hour and google drive. The client stated she wanted to go in a different direction, so I explained that we can make changes during the revision process so that it is more in line with what she is looking for. After offering revisions multiple times, she continually refused to move forward.

Additionally, information regarding brand vision, goals, and mission was requested, as this info is essential to the design, but the client did not have this information. Upon hearing this, I politely recommended that she make these decisions before hiring another designer, as it is difficult for a designer to create a branded guidelines deck when key questions regarding the brand cannot be answered. I gave this recommendation in hopes that she can avoid the same issue in the future when hiring another designer. The client now claims this recommendation is considered "offensive statements," but it was simply meant to be legitimate constructive feedback, as I genuinely empathized with her situation.

Lastly, the 30+ page designed deck was provided with a deposit of only half of what was originally discussed and agreed upon. All the deliverables have been provided to the client according to the proposal stated, the hours were recorded and updated in live time for full transparency, and revisions were offered over 3 times. People per hour decided to refund the deposit, so now the client will be able to use all/any of my designs without any payment at all, despite the hours I spent working on the deliverables.

I am completely shocked, as the entire reason I use this platform is to provide safety for myself and my work and prevent issues like this. There is no retribution from PPH to the client and now my designs can be used for free from this scammer. Additionally, I will now have to hire a lawyer to take legal action against the client and people per hour.