Frequently Asked Questions on TOS changes regarding information sharing and interviews

Ralph D · May 28, 2020 11:09:31 AM

Nice, calming all of the honest fellows using your platform since years,

However, one last issue, what about the penalty chain evolving through Upworks robot in the scenario if a client, with whom I have a contract running and he violates the TOS with other contacts and gets his account suspended. Is my running contract gone? Please understand that a contract occupies my time and as full time Upwork freelancer it is a problem to get set free with no prior notice, in worse case it is a long term project.
Can you please allow those clients to fulfill the former contract signed with me ?

Or at least, are my earnings to that incidence are available for me or do I get punished due to something I was not even involved in too?
How are you going to handle this scenario, please?

I went through those in the past here, and I learned from the **bleep**storm that others did too.

Best wishes

Kim F · May 28, 2020 11:15:13 AM

What are we supposed to do if a potential client asks for contact details for a professional reference? Is it now prohibited to provide these?

Jay D · May 28, 2020 11:16:25 AM

I fully agree with Ralph here. Fine, you have all rights to punish / ban those who break the rules, but why should the innocent suffer because of them? Don't know about hourly projects but for fixed ones if they have already funded the amount in Escrow, the freelancer has a right to complete the work he/she promised and get the payment released. That's what "payment protection" means, or at least should mean. The protection involves non-responding clients, and also (kind of?) offers protection against abruptly closed contracts (with disputes). Suspension of client's account should as well be included in this protection!

Mohammed G · May 28, 2020 11:27:31 AM

Well thank you for listening!

Clients are allowed to share links to theirs websites, that's good.

But we can't share our emails to have access to their files, that's still a big problem for me!

Maria T · May 28, 2020 11:14:29 AM

18. What should I do if a client or freelancer shares their contact information or requests mine?
Let them know that sharing contact information before a contract has started is against the TOS and that all communications prior to the contract starting must take place on Upwork. We also encourage you to let us know if a TOS violation has happened by using the Flag as Inappropriate option throughout the platform. You can learn more about user reporting here.

I mean, I get a client to respond to a proposal (yuppie!), And he is interested in working with me. So, he says he has to send me a video that weighs a ton and he is going to send it to me via wetransfer (which is the only system he controls) and I have to tell him that I can't give him my email address, which he must create an account in Dropbox (because it is the one that works with Upwork messaging) so that we do not break the rules, because if he insists that I send him my email I will have to mark it. Are you saying this seriously?

Christine A · May 28, 2020 11:35:42 AM

Maria T wrote:

I mean, I get a client to respond to a proposal (yuppie!), And he is interested in working with me. So, he says he has to send me a video that weighs a ton and he is going to send it to me via wetransfer (which is the only system he controls) and I have to tell him that I can't give him my email address, which he must create an account in Dropbox (because it is the one that works with Upwork messaging) so that we do not break the rules, because if he insists that I send him my email I will have to mark it. Are you saying this seriously?

I can help you with this problem, at least - if your client wants to use We Transfer, they can upload their file, copy the link and paste it into Upwork messaging; they don't need your email address for that. Same goes for Dropbox - they can send you a direct download link in Upwork messaging for that, too.

Maria T · May 28, 2020 11:46:22 AM

Christine A wrote:
Maria T wrote:

I mean, I get a client to respond to a proposal (yuppie!), And he is interested in working with me. So, he says he has to send me a video that weighs a ton and he is going to send it to me via wetransfer (which is the only system he controls) and I have to tell him that I can't give him my email address, which he must create an account in Dropbox (because it is the one that works with Upwork messaging) so that we do not break the rules, because if he insists that I send him my email I will have to mark it. Are you saying this seriously?
I can help you with this problem, at least - if your client wants to use We Transfer, they can upload their file, copy the link and paste it into Upwork messaging; they don't need your email address for that. Same goes for Dropbox - they can send you a direct download link in Upwork messaging for that, too.

LOL, I am so used to sending / receiving directly from the Wetransfer page that I didn't remember that!

Alex T · May 28, 2020 11:16:32 AM

I have added more questions to my first message https://community.upwork.com/t5/Announcements/Frequently-Asked-Questions-on-TOS-changes-regarding-in...

I dont know what to do. Stop 50% of my work because of this?

Kim F · May 28, 2020 11:32:04 AM

Given the increased pressure that will be placed on the messaging system and the importance of a speedy response, is there to be a dedicated helpline/contact point for people who face issues? If so, how do we access it?

If not, why not? The usual response time of several days for an issue isn't adequate.

Pandora H · May 28, 2020 01:03:57 PM

Kim F wrote:
Given the increased pressure that will be placed on the messaging system and the importance of a speedy response, is there to be a dedicated helpline/contact point for people who face issues? If so, how do we access it?

If not, why not? The usual response time of several days for an issue isn't adequate.

Clients are going to have a very rude awakening regarding Customer Service.