Abinadab A wrote:
It's a violation of Upwork TOS to
- offer free work
- ask for free work
Wrong. It is only a violation of the terms for a client to ask for free work. It is not a violation to offer it.
Abinadab A wrote:
In this case both you and the client have violated Upwork TOS, but Upwork typically won't suspend your account for this, especially so freelancers don't feel afraid to report bad raps like this.
Upwork will never suspend a freelancer for it because it isn't a violation.
Abinadab A wrote:
As for the client, like Preston said, their account could be suspended.
Most unlikely unless the client had a long history doing naughty things.
Michael S wrote:
If asking for free work is not allowed, it should then be inferred that providing free work is not a good idea either.
In most cases, it is not a good idea. In some cases, it *is* a good idea. Telling the difference between when it is, and when it is not, is the tricky part.
It never ends well for the one doing the work.
I wouldn't say that. Done sparingly, rarely, in only the right circumstances, it can end perfectly well.
In fact, one thing I *never* do anymore is paid tests...
Obviously first doing free work, and then whining about not having been paid for the free work, is ridiculous.
This thread shows that in the OPs case it was not a great idea. That said, had the OP been paid for the sample, given how much the client hated it, it would have resulted in an unsuccessful contract, poor feedback, and a drop in his JSS.
Sometimes it is far better to find out that a client is a pain in the proverbial before you are stuck in a contract with them because without a contract you can (politely) tell them to go to hell with impunity...
