Moderate Duplicate Job Postings??

[kadwadkar-pankaj]

Here are 2 job postings by a client that are exactly the same (and hence duplicate).

Only difference being that they were posted on different days, one was 11 days ago & the recent is 3 days ago.

https://www.upwork.com/jobs/Long-Term-Freelancer-For-Writing-viral-Headlines_~017e038bb4b2b31904

https://www.upwork.com/jobs/Creative-Headline-writer-for-viral-content-blog_~016493f7e8c73645d0

Is this some sort of a *miss* on the client's part or some other issues involved that these 2 were posted prompting different proposals and interviews??

The pertinent question is: Does Upwork moderate duplicate job postings and delete/act on the duplicate ones??

I had applied to one of these jobs (the earlier date posted one) and today i stumbled on the recently posted job. I could have easily applied to the newest one (had I forgotten the earlier one) and in-effect all my efforts would have been double in this (not-so) frutiful endeavor 🙂

With due respect to the client, I hope nothing's fishy .....

(I STAYED CALM & did a Sherlock-ish deduction)

[miles2831 · Accepted solution]

Hi!

I'm just a freelancer here as well and has no connection with the Upwork team. But I will try to answer your inquiry regarding double posting with what I understand.. 

I opened the 2 links that you gave and I see that the texts are the same, but if you take a closer look.... The links on the 3 videos on both posts are different.

I also checked the client and saw that they have ongoing projects and have hired freelancers already meaning that there is nothing to be alarmed about the client.

The reason I think why there are double postings is that they have the same projects needed to be done over and over again and to save time for creating the details they just copy and paste from their previous job post. Then they just edit the part which needs to be changed.

Before applying, double check the job posting if it is the same as the one you saw earlier. We don't want to waste our connects to fraudalent clients.

I hope I was able to help.

🙂

[kadwadkar-pankaj]

I do not understand whether the client is actually *testing* his/her candidates or doing something else. I agree with you that the links are different, but if the client keeps on posting different Job Titles everytime and just changes the links for which he/she needs the headlines, then this is a very clever idea to get the job (or some part of it) done sneakily.

And as you say, "I also checked the client and saw that they have ongoing projects and have hired freelancers already meaning that there is nothing to be alarmed about the client."...this impresion could even be *false*. you never know. 

My points for discussion are:

1. If a client keeps on posting jobs with different titles and with each one of them needing some samples (in the above case it was 'viral headlines' ), then in a matter of a few or more job postings, the client will have got some work done in a sneaky manner. Some could be substantial also. How can we stop this?
2. We as freelancers are surely losing our valuable connects unknowingly.
3. A client may be doing it unkowingly, but the Job Feed would eventually turn confusing not only for them but for others too.
4. This is a waste of time and effort on behalf of all parties involved.
5. Can it be stopped @ the client's end or even before it appears in the Job Feed by means of some filter/approval/authentication?
6. Last but not the least who approves what the client posts and some of those crazy posts keep floating around in everyone's feed. Does Upwork have a questionnaire in-place for the client too?

[VladimirG]

Hi Pankaj,

Yes, posting the same job multiple times is prohibited and we do remove duplicate job posts. If you suspect a job post might violate our policies, report it to us so we can review and take appropriate action.

[oluyemisi]

Okay,  ill like to report a duplicate with the title :**Edited for Community Guidelines**

The first was posted yesterday and for unknown reasons the job is no longer available.  It wasn't awarded to anybody so why waste my connects?.  The same job was posted about two hours ago. I reapplied now,  hopefully it won't be removed for any unknown cause again.  Its something I'm particularly interested in hence i applied again but isn't there a way to return the connects since the job wasn't awarded?  Please look into the reason behind the duplicates 

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Yetunde,

If the first job was cancelled without hire, you will get the connects you used to apply for it back. It sounds like there were some issues with that first posting so the client had to correct it and publish a new listing.

[oluyemisi]

Thanks for the clarification,  i hope the client gets it right this time

[khan-nuruzzaman]

Hi there and Hello everyone!

I am not that much experienced but visited this community page couple of times before. And I am sorry to reply after a long time on an old topic. Fact is, I was busy and started looking for jobs again and then I started facing this problem.

First, I thought that my detail oriented nature is making me ill slowly but it was disturbing me. I avoided my doubts and stayed away from those.

Second, I became upset and judgemental started to go with the flow, helped me 50%.

Third, I stopped replying to the invitations to make sure if the clients are serious or not, making my

Responsiveness 3+ day response time. It used to be less than 24 hours.

Fourth, I started to look for options to send them a notice but found none except sending a message knowing they might not even see it! So tried Flagging, No exact option to do so. Could not make myself to Flag a client with 100K + spent as a SPAM. Yet, might start to do so as an impulsive action.

Fifth, Started to make a list of links, same job+descriptions+client posted many times and hired no one, not even interviewed in real (i believe just accepted)  And came to Demand a solution from CS to help me save my time digging deep, my connets, from waiting for hours/days with hope to get accepted/declined and most importantly keeping my workplace clean.

Sixth, I dont complain without any ideas of solving it. So I came up with an Idea (I believe you all knew or already submitted it) and found this place also to put my feelings here as well. Then I will go to CS with this same problem.

Demand: I need OPTIONS for the same job posts from same client having same title or contents in it.:

01: I can see when the job was posted but I also need to see if the job was Posted before? If yes then when it was first posted and what is the current number of this Re-Posted job. Why it is being reposted?

Solution: I know its hard for upwork to help me with this so I try helping my market-place to stay clean, for my own sake.

For the clients, in their clients TAB: Give them options:

01: Do you want to repost this job? Yes/No

02: Do you want to Edit few parts of its description: Yes/No

A:- If Yes, then the Visibility on my side should show: Re-posted with updated/added requirements.

B:- If No, then ask them for a reason:

i) Need Replacement of previous worker. ii) Could not find a good fit yet iii) Others-Blank space to type reason.

C:- After they select the reason, my side should show these:

i) Job first posted on DATE Ex: Dec 31, 2009.

ii) Number of repost/s: 11.

iii) Reason for the current Repost: REASON.

iv) Number of freelancers hired previously for this same Re-posted Job (if there is/are/were any): Ex: 0-100.

03:- OR, Give me an option so I can mark it myself as "RE-POSTED JOB"

i) If you dont want to let me help my other freelancer bros/mates in advance by showing the mark on their side as: Marked as "RE-POSTED JOB" by other freelancer/s.

ii) At least show my own MARK for myself, for the same client, for that client's every posts in future so I know that I have previously Seen that client's same or any different post/s and found his Re-Post loving nature. It will help me save my time, make me cautious, protect my connects.

At least, I could help myself to be HAPPY!

Example I found couple of hours ago: **Admin/s please check and edit/remove the links if needed and pardon my mistakes.**

**edited for Community Guidelines**

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

**edited for Community Guidelines**

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And you will find many other posts by the same client spent over 100K+ (Personally: Few running jobs and Member Since and some other facts made me doubt my luck with this client so I am not risking my connects at all)

I am a telemarketer, Having almost same type skills and experiences just getting older and brighter. Even then we are always asked for Resumes, Recordings and from our Upwork's Best Practice/Rules we are suggested NOT TO COPY PASTE our Cover letters. Well, I am not that good enough but surely others are not Copy-Pasting.

Why the clients should not get help to save their time by spending just couple of CLICKS and post a RE-POST? They would not have to COPY and PASTE from the archived past posts!

Pardon me and would love to be corrected and always open to suggestions as well. Best of luck to Upwork and everyone who loves it!!!

Regards,

Khan

[AveryO]

Hi Khan, 

Client are not allowed to excessively post jobs that are identical. Identical job posts should be reported to the team so that actions can be taken against them, and just the same, I've reported the ones that you shared on your post. 

[mohamedhph]

There is no delete button. Please delete my old dublicated job post.

Please delete this job posting: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01891eff0f94c9865f

I cancelled it but still it it affects my hiring rate displayed. Please delete.

[shyam524]

Hi 

I am also getting same thing for client. They are just waisting connect of freelancer. I am also posting some link here 

**edited for Community Guidelines**

and 

**edited for Community Guidelines**

are same job and just collecting post 

[AveryO]

Thank you for sharing this here, Shyam. 

I'll go ahead and share this with the team so that it can be investigated further.

[rozroz13]

I realized this was "solved" (even though a solution means the problem does not recur but it recurs so often that it becomes slightly annoying as if Upwork wants to allow such clients to continue posting jobs and end up wasting connects) but here are a few more such fishy examples. I have reported them but it is sad to see that despite so many resports there isn't a "duplicate job listing" radio button in the report as inappropriate. If upwork is serious about this, it makes sense to have that button.

Here is another example of such a duplicate post that is identical in everything but the hourly rates. Sounds fishing if not fishy:

**Edited for community guidelines**

[BojanS]

Hi Ashish,

Thanks for reporting this. I'll be sure to share your report with the correct team for their review. 

[petra_r]

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Ashish R wrote:

it is sad to see that despite so many resports there isn't a "duplicate job listing" radio button in the report as inappropriate. If upwork is serious about this, it makes sense to have that button.

---

There is a finite number of radio buttons that make sense, and they were allocated to the issues that were most often reported. This means there are less people concerned about the duplicates than you think.

[battershall-ramo]

Just charge clients a nominal fee for posting a job. Reputable clients wouldn't care, and most of the rubbish would slink off somewhere else.

[miles2831]

Oh yes Pankaj, I understand your point on those clients who ask for samples but little did we know they're getting things done thru our applications.

I also agree that there should be some filtering done before a job is posted on our job feed.

Also , I want to suggest in addition to approving a job before being posted is the veirified payment method of the clients. It would be for the good of both clients and freelancers. Freelancers would feel ssfe and protrcted to work with clients who have verified payment method. For the clients, this will let them go on with hiring and paying freelancers rather than delaying the project because payment is not set up.

[roberty1y]

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Mary Aisles M wrote:
Oh yes Pankaj, I understand your point on those clients who ask for samples but little did we know they're getting things done thru our applications.

I also agree that there should be some filtering done before a job is posted on our job feed.

Also , I want to suggest in addition to approving a job before being posted is the veirified payment method of the clients. It would be for the good of both clients and freelancers. Freelancers would feel safe and protrcted to work with clients who have verified payment method. For the clients, this will let them go on with hiring and paying freelancers rather than delaying the project because payment is not set up.

---

I think the payment verification situation is fine as it is. Freelancers can always ensure that clients have their payment verified before they start a contract, and ensure a milestone is funded. It's a bad idea to prevent a client from posting a job just because they didn't verify their payment method. They might want to do that later when the proposals are in.

[petra_r]

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Robert Y wrote:

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Mary Aisles M wrote:
Oh yes Pankaj,.

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I think the payment verification situation is fine as it is.

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The post is 6 years old and the person who wrote it hasn't been active on Upwork for a looong time.

😉

[roberty1y]

Thanks - fooled by a zombie thread again. 😂

[petra_r]

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Robert Y wrote:

Thanks - fooled by a zombie thread again. 😂

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That's clearly your superpower.... 😉