Account under review

[Jibon Chandra N]

Hello I get a message from odesk Trust and Safety team that my account is under review. They said You will be unable to bid on new jobs until your review is complete. To complete your review, please Successfully complete your current jobs and then message them for review. but the problem is I have several on-going long-term projects which cannot be finished quickly for the review to commence. *another problem is I have some paused contracts. Currently i don't have any new contract all are old paused contract. I am worried about my odesk account because this is the only way in my income source. so i need your suggestion how can i apply for review my account without complete my on-going long-term projects ?? looking forward your valuable advice. Thanks Warm Regards Jibon

[Dianne M]

oDesk has to be clear about paused contracts because if a freelancer ends it just to get the review done, it would look bad since a client may simply not leave feedback or get offended and leave a negative feedback. It's like being held hostage, if you don't end the paused contracts, you cannot apply to new jobs because the review cannot go on. What this system fails to see is the fact that contracts are paused usually because the client has gone AWOL or wants to avoid paying a higher rate when they got new tasks for the freelancer. If you get no feedback or a bad feedback for ending paused contracts, that can be a cause for the review team thinking you suck and therefore needs to be permanently suspended. No one is clarifying how paused contracts can affect this weird review thing going on and of course, oDesk don't even have the courtesy to inform your existing clients about why contracts has to be ended so clients may think the freelancer is making up things.

[Valeria K]

Thank you for your comments and questions Jibon and Dianne! Let me try and clarify the way the review process is done. All jobs, regardless of ended, paused or active, will have an outcome and will be included in the review. However, you are always better off if the client leaves a positive feedback. So if a contract is idle or paused, please contact the client and ask them to end it and leave feedback. If they want you to continue working, spend as much time as the client is asking for and do the work to the client's satisfaction.

[Dianne M]

The problem with paused contracts is the fact that clients have gone AWOL. In fact, I have several paused contracts which the clients won't end no matter how many times I've sent a message over the months. They don't even respond. What is oDesk going to do about that?