Chat Policy

[#1]

Hello There,

I've a query regarding the Chat Policy of the Uwprok Platform.

I want to confirm that we should continue to deny clients who are asking to have a call on Google meet/Skype/WhatsApp and any other third-party platforms. There are 5 out of 10 clients who want to use other means, and many of them are even not okay with Upwork or zoom.

**Edited for Community Guidelines** recently I denied for Skype call to one of my clients & shared the Upwork policies of pre-contracts, he hired someone else. I am losing business on daily basis because of this policy. So, please confirm the policy terms in detail.

Regards,
Gautam

[#2]

Hi Gautam,

Yes, I can confirm that it is still a violation of the Terms of Service to communicate outside of Upwork before a contract is in place. We find that when users communicate outside of Upwork there is an increased risk of fraud, scam, and other harmful behaviors. When communications (and work) stay on our platform we can better track, verify, and help address any issues that emerge, and as a result, the potential for these behaviors to cause harm decreases dramatically. For example, the vast majority of scammers that successfully take advantage of talent do so by going off the platform. To learn more about staying safe on Upwork, click here.

[#3]

Once you have a contract in place, you can communicate with clients any way you like.  Before a contract, no way unless they are an Enterprise client which will be obvious from the start.