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4ffefd3c
Community Member

Can we share email address with a prospect for a google meet invitation?

Hi 

I am sure(and sorry) this must have been asked before but I could not find it in the context that is relevant to me.

If a prospect wants to interview over Google Meet and is requesting email address to invite for the meeting. Is it a violation to share our email to them?


I see that an exception applies to clients with business or enterprise subscription but my prospect is just an upwork plus client. Is there any exception to them. It's not mentioned here 

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051749534-Contact-Information-Sharing


6 REPLIES 6
g_vasilevski
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Hi Yash,

 

At the moment, clients on our Plus plan are not exceptions like Business or Enterprise clients. Communicating outside of Upwork before an official contract it is not allowed and it is in violation of our TOS. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork

Hi I'm a buyer on Upwork. I hire Upwork freelancers to help me build websites for my clients.

 

During the setup process, I will need to specify what email addresses my clients will need set up on their hosting accounts. The login info will also include an email address.

 

Will I run into probelms sending these email addresses back and forth in the Upwork chat? Will your algorithm detect these messages and cause problems for me?

 

I have had some very frusterating experiences on Fiverr with this kind of thing.

 

I have no intention of taking anything outside of Upwork. I just want to know what to expect.

 

Cheers! 🙂

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Clark, 


It sounds like you'll benefit from reading this announcement post. I've also copied a section of the announcement here for you, and other Community members' reference: 

 

"We know at times it is necessary for a freelancer or client to provide an email address so the other party can gain access to critical systems (for example, an ad analytics account, code repository, etc.). This access allows a freelancer to review a project prior to a contract so they can determine if they have the needed skills, how many hours it will take, etc. 

 

Because the Terms of Service changes are about preventing off-platform communication (rather than blocking freelancers from reviewing projects in advance), we are making the following exception:

 

Users may share email addresses for the sole purpose of providing access to a system that contains information about the project. If the system can be accessed without sharing an email address (such as via a link), it should be shared that way.  

 

If an email address is provided, it should not be used for any communications, including discussions about the project, until a contract is in place. Off-platform communication creates a risk of scam, fraud, other harmful behaviors, and can lead to circumvention, which is a violation of our Terms of Service. 

 

As always, email addresses cannot be requested or shared in a profile, proposal, invite, or job post."

 


~ Avery
Upwork
2c22daaf
Community Member

Thank you for sharing this announcement post and the section about emails. It sounds like Upwork understands the needs of both clients and freelancers. I appreciate this.

 

If I understand right, I will not suddenly have my account suspended because the system detects an email address in the chat? This is excellent news.

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Clark, 


Yes, that is correct. As long as you keep communications on the Upwork website before a contract starts, you should be okay.

To add to that, it would be best to share this information only when you begin interviewing freelancers, as any job post with contact information may be flagged. 


~ Avery
Upwork
2c22daaf
Community Member

Thank you so much for explaining this up front. I one time had a Fiverr account permanently disabled without warning because of a flagged word I didn't know about.

 

You guys are way more transparent. You've got my business 🙂

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