Upwork Suspend You Anytime They Wish

[7bd0d548]

I don't feel safe and trust upwork, how can you convince me that upwork is a reliable place to hire people or work on ?

I got suspended, by posting a job that includes our website/app in the job post. But here's what the policy team had stated : 

'included your direct contact information'

That is our app that we are making and there is no any contact information directly toward us!, that is not our contact information !.

This job posting stated: Please check our social media platform, in google type in xxx.

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Whereas we are making a social media platform website/app.

See here in upwork's terms policy, it said it's fine to share our company's website !

https://prnt.sc/ndxN_nKvAvd0

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051749534-Keeping-your-contact-information-safe

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I'm a client and need work done on my website. Can I share the link?

Yes. Just remind the freelancer to only contact you through Upwork until the contract starts.

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Ely Baker

Today at 09:38

We never shared email, phone numbers etc !!

but we just want to let the freelancers know what we are making, website/app, hence they'd know if they have the skill and understand the job's project. !

If you need to share an email address to get access to systems so you can scope a project. Examples would be:

• Github/Bitbucket/Gitlab or other code repositories
• Google/Facebook or other ad analytics programs
• Quickbooks or other bookkeeping/accounting programs
• Cloud drive folders
• Online e-signature programs
• Website host or builders

https://prnt.sc/LzvbrddSBnRP

-----------------------

So now my question again, 

I don't feel safe and trust upwork due to this,  so how can you convince me that upwork is a reliable place to hire people or a place to work on ?

first, you guys can suspend us at any time as you wish eventhough it's not against your platform's terms & policy, so how would I trust and feel safe hiring here ?

[PradeepH]

Hi Ely,

Thank you for your message. I am sorry to learn about the recent action taken on your account and how you feel about the same. I can see that you're already communicating with the relevant team via a support ticket regarding your concern. You can access your support tickets here. Please don't hesitate to follow up with them on the same support ticket if you have additional questions regarding your concern. Note that support requests are responded to in the order they are received. Kindly allow 24-48 hours for the team to follow up with you and assist you further.

Thank you,
Pradeep

[7bd0d548]

Please answer my queries here :
https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/Banned-by-error/td-p/1254314

[7bd0d548]

I am very confused with how upwork unfairly treating us recently. In the policy stated 'no direct contact before hiring'. So I understand that means, it's included in the job post that, it should not state your contact information. But if we were asking to see their social media or see our social media app, then upwork all the sudden made an assumption if that is an intentional attempt to make the freelancers to reach out to your social media pages (linkedin, instagram, etc) to make direct communication.

Here's what upwork has deemed as a direct contact statement's violation : 

a. We are making a social media app, please find in google and type in our social media app 'example : asdf' in google to find it.

(Because to work on this project, you must have the app be in an installed state, but upwork assume this to make the freelancers type in your social media account page 'asdf' in any social media sites such as instagram,linked, etc. Isn't this means, it's the upwork english's problematic english side ?)

b. We need to know how familiar are you with social media app's UIUX, because we are making a social media app, So send me your social media profile Url please ?. 

(Because this is how we evaluate your UIUX exposure experience. But upwork had assumed this for us to reach the freelancers in their social media page. But isn't it clearly state, it's to evaluate their UIUX exposure experience ?).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While in our head, our self, we feels insecured for any direct contact or direct hiring process beyond off the platform.

So my question is, why the policy stated as 'no direct contact before hiring', that's it, as there's no further explanation to it, while they still can suspend/banning you, for unintentionally asking for and/or showing  social media url before hired which completely has no intention for direct contact before hiring. So why did not the policy stated as otherwise to be more clear because it's very unprofessional to ban/suspends you while you are not violating.

Can upwork suspend/ban you for any unintentional violation ? because as a human, there's always be a human error or missed understanding unlike a machine with lower error possibilities. 

Can upwork suspend/ban you for any such missunderstandings ?

It is why, I made this post :  https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/Upwork-Suspend-You-Anytime-They-Wish/m-p/1243952 

Problem with suspension is that, it will causes delay to the projects, so  I would advise to make a post management feature, whereas; user can post then have the upwork's team to review it before publishing instead of making an auto direct ban / suspension because it will lead to waste of time. Then after upwork's side have reviewed it and found no violation, only then; we can post to the public. Why did not upwork has thought of this idea, instead of very wrongly made unprofessional assumption of violation hence suspending/banning an account  ?!

[25005175]

---

Ely B wrote:

Here's what upwork has deemed as a direct contact statement's violation : 

a. We are making a social media app, please find in google and type in our social media app 'example : asdf' in google to find it.

(Because to work on this project, you must have the app be in an installed state, but upwork assume this to make the freelancers type in your social media account page 'asdf' in any social media sites such as instagram,linked, etc. Isn't this means, it's the upwork english's problematic english side ?)

---

Emphasis mine.

Ely, it is really hard to understand the root of the communication error. You claim that Upwork's legalese is problematic English, but your own post is full of broken sentences, improperly formulated clauses, etc. Basically, the post is full of broken English. How then is anybody who reads the post supposed to be able to determine whether the root of the issue lies with Upwork's policy publications and not your ability to correctly read/interpret them?

[7bd0d548]

---

Jonathan L wrote:

---

---

Emphasis mine. How then is anybody who reads the post supposed to be able to determine whether the root of the issue lies with Upwork's policy publications and not your ability to correctly read/interpret them?

---

First of all, I am not a native English speaker. But this issue might be caused by missunderstanding/human error. What I am saying is that, what I did is definitely not a violation nor an attempt to seek communication off the platform. But upwork assumed that I was asking/making that to happens.

So the missunderstanding here is that, Upwork thinks by typing in your brand name here any where in the platform, hence it will gets people to search for it in google then sought or find me. Yet I did not know that, so Upwork should have explicitly explained that, that's where the missunderstanding is. Because in fact, like I said, I don't want anyone to direct contact me due to my privacy and safety concerns.

[williamtcooper]

Ely,

Please state in one short sentence how we may assist you? Have a great day!

[7bd0d548]

I had questioned in the first post :

A. Can upwork suspend/ban you for any unintentional violation ? because as a human, there's always be a human error or missed understanding unlike a machine with lower error possibilities. 

B.  Can upwork suspend/ban you for any such missunderstandings ?

C. A feature suggestion. Why did not upwork has thought of this idea, instead of very wrongly made unprofessional assumption of violation hence suspending/banning an account  ?!

The idea of this thread is that, I felt unfairly got blocked, the notification was permanent account blocked. While it was all imposed based on missedunderstand and/or human error. So upwork should have made such a feature in point C, wheras; to mitigate all of that.

[25005175]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. I don't understand what your feature suggestion is. It sounds like an appeal/escalation. Upwork already has these processes, for use at their discretion.

[7bd0d548]

A& B They were permanently banned me, but they let my account unbanned because it was unintentional. So they warned me for the first missunderstanding.

What happened was, I made a job post, then there was a missunderstanding. Then I reposted an old job post, which was not warned earlier. When I was reposting, I forgotten to check and read the interview questions which contains what they've perceived as a violation.

--------------

Missunderstanding:

We are making a social media app, please find in google and type in our social media app 'example : asdf' in google to find it.

Unintentional :

We need to know how familiar are you with social media app's UIUX, because we are making a social media app, So send me your social media profile Url please ?. 

-----------

C.  No they don't have this, it's why I was suspended. It's a publishing managing feature where you can post your content, but before it goes public, the AI/ML/manual human would review it firstly. If violating, then it will not goes public and creates a warning to the poster instead of just suspending it right away.

-----------

What I am saying is that, it's bad for everyone, if it was unintentional/misunderstanding hence you get suspended/banned. If an honest and good user had an unintentional/misunderstanding activities hence get suspended/banned, then that would be bad for upwork's business right??.

[25005175]

---

Ely B wrote:

C.  No they don't have this, it's why I was suspended. It's a publishing managing feature where you can post your content, but before it goes public, the AI/ML/manual human would review it firstly. If violating, then it will not goes public and creates a warning to the poster instead of just suspending it right away.

-----------

What I am saying is that, it's bad for everyone, if it was unintentional/misunderstanding hence you get suspended/banned. If an honest and good user had an unintentional/misunderstanding activities hence get suspended/banned, then that would be bad for upwork's business right??.

---

Oh, you meant a warning system. That would be nice.

[yofazza]

if it was unintentional/misunderstanding hence you get suspended/banned. If an honest and good user had an unintentional/misunderstanding activities hence get suspended/banned

Most Clients and Freelancers will not get banned for sharing URLs.

• Clients share their websites in job posts all the time.
• Upwork provides templates, to let clients ask for freelancer's social networking sites.
• In many occasions mods confirms sharing websites that risks a contact sharing before contract, is allowed.
• Contact sharing before contract itself, is allowed on a few exceptions.

Related to my other post below, Upwork has their rules for their convenience. They will use rubber terms or bend some vague terms, to ban someone who only ask freelancers to do a Google Search, while allowing others who blatantly ask for an email address  or provide direct link to their websites. I honestly don't read all of Upwork's lawyer-languaged terms, but I'm certain they are allowed and protected from doing those "discriminations". They ARE allowed and protected from suspending people anytime they wish.

[yofazza]

Rules/laws made by humans and will follow the current social condition. There were legal rules about how to deal with slaves, where all of them are obsolete now because slaves itself are illegal.

The paragraph above is an extreme example about how hard it is to create rules/laws. Even nation laws requires complex discussion, still will not satisfy everyone, and must change overtime. Let alone the rules in Upwork.

Here's a post in another thread. It mainly talk about freelancer but it's related:

it is something out of my control (at their "mercy"). I'll just make sure I'm being careful and not too dependent on them.

You're in Indonesia so you should know Tokopedia. That's the one I mentioned in the other thread, where you might be able  to take your money back from a bad seller even when you already clicked the "Received without problem" button (money released from escrow). The seller will protest which might be responded by "you've been having many complaints and we decided to help the buyer this time"  (something like that).

They own this place, they have terms for their convenience and protection. Not ours.

[1c5288a4]

does this mean you can't have an interview with a freelancer before you hire them?? That seems ridiculous.

[25005175]

That is ridiculous. Which is why it isn't true.  The only restrictions are that the interview needs to remain on the Upwork platform, without the sharing of contact details until your first contract with the freelancer begins.

[7bd0d548]

yes,  the missunderstanding.

[1c5288a4]

Phew thanks!

[7bd0d548]

Hi,

My account got suspended but I can not find any emails, nor in my spam box either. I am so worried, because my account was already being closely monitored due to unusual activity, excess dispute, which strain Upwork’s resources. So I made a post in https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/Excessive-Disputes/td-p/1254664. Where I found the solution to reduce my dispute is just by releasing the work eventhough it is not satisfying.

Before that I was suspended for an unintentional/missunderstanding about direct contact policy violation, so I made a post about it here https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/Direct-Contact-Policy-Violation-Flaws/m-p/1254669#M91069.

Now I am worried that even any kinds of unintentional mistake and missunderstanding from the TOS can leads you to a suspension, so if that would means I should just hire less people here or minimize my hiring here to prevent any further upwork's action to my account  ?

Could also the unintentional activity was because my account got hacked ? because recently, a freelancer hacker, is hacking to my account and work which intentionally trying to delete my work.

[LuiggiR]

Hi Ely,

I'm sorry about any inconvenience caused by your recent account holds. I can see that you've already raised a support ticket regarding your concern. You can access your support tickets here. Note that support requests are responded to in the order they are received. Kindly allow 24-48 hours for the team to follow up with you and assist you further.

[7bd0d548]

Is my account banned by error ?

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

I believe this is an error, I do have so many active contracts Why is my upwork account permanently blocked as it saying I am posting a job post with a direct contact which I did not do ? which job post are you referring to? if that was an old job post, can you remove that job post ?

If you are reffering to this job post **Edited for Community Guidelines** and the screenshot in it **Edited for Community Guidelines**, then that is not my direct contact. The job was to find a VA data extractor for them to contact the hotel owners not my contact.

Here's what I've said in the job post : You can find your own way in how to retrieve the data, but here's my method that you'd want to know : Just go to google, ex : 'find a hotel for sale in Bali'. Then reach out to the property seller's Person In Charge, **Edited for Community Guidelines**. Then you can ask them all of the details I've specified in the Gsheet hence fill in the Gsheet accordingly.

Will that be a violation ? you can just remove that job post because it's seems I have failed to get any qualified freelancers in that job post anyway.

Can someone explain to me what does it mean by direct contact ? I was looking for a property for sale,
If in the job post explaining how the job instruction should be like, contacting the property owner, will that be a considered as a direct contact ?

------------------------

Might it because of my question email to upwork ? **Edited for Community Guidelines**. I really do not want to direct contact either, because these guys keeps spamming me. 

well then this is unfair if my account is permanently blocked knowing that I have no any intention, nor conducted any such activities to post a direct contact in a job post. Because I do not want people to start spamming my email or any of my contact like that also and feels unsafe for direct hiring someone abroad.

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A. if it's includes a link to google sheet which contains people's phone/emails will that be considered a violation ?

B. please explain what does it mean by direct contact exactly ?

C. so is the suspension/permanent blocked can still be uplifted or not ?

D. I really do not want to direct contact either, because these guys keeps spamming me

E. see this **Edited for Community Guidelines** ? I don't want to contact/hire off the platform, Why am I getting spams like this ? 

see this **Edited for Community Guidelines**? I don't want to contact/hire anyone off the platform, Why am I getting spams like this ?

you guys should be the one ensuring that my contacts information be always hidden because it's my privacy

So why am I banned because it's upwork can't secure my privacy data ?

F. If any of my old job post contains a direct contact, or any violation, then can you remove it permanently and/or not make it so that its should not be showing in remake job post ?

G. Which job post was a violation ? I believe was this one ? **Edited for Community Guidelines** **Edited for Community Guidelines** I am sure it does not has any direct contact there because it was reposted from : **Edited for Community Guidelines**

Regarding point G, **Edited for Community Guidelines**, it seems was because of this question ? problem is, I may have missed it because I reposted that from the old job post before the first direct contact violation warning. So, in terms of point F, I believe it's should be removed from the remake job post process to avoid such a mistake. Because I had forgotten to went over to edit that interview question when I was reposting it and that old job post was never removed either

I am sure it's because of that, I was reposting it and that old job post was never removed either. So the mistake should not be entirely coming from my side.

[AndreaG]

Hi Ely,

Thank you for reaching out. I can see that you've already raised a support ticket regarding your concern. You can access your support tickets here. Note that support requests are responded to in the order they are received. Kindly allow 24-48 hours for the team to follow up with you and assist you further. Please avoid creating several tickets or posts for the same concern so that the team could assist you more efficiently.