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ehsanul_hoq
Community Member

Client Asking for Zoom Interview

Hi,

 

One of my prospective clients asking me for my email address for a zoom interview. I politely told my client to use the Upwork chatroom video meeting  but he refused to do so and said "I prefer Zoom so we could see each other, ZOOM on Upwork doesn't have CALL AND CHAT RECORDINGS." Is it within the Upwork regulations to attend an interview on Zoom by sharing the email address in the chatroom? If Yes, what should I do to stay within the Upwork Terms?

 

Thanks

Ehsan.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
prestonhunter
Community Member

Until you have been officially hired by a client, you need to communicate using the Upwork Messages tool.
Only.

 

This tool has built-in Zoom.

 

If this isn't good enough for the client, then he can HIRE you and then he can conduct consultations, meetings, interviews, etc. with you using any tool he wants.

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14 REPLIES 14
prestonhunter
Community Member

Until you have been officially hired by a client, you need to communicate using the Upwork Messages tool.
Only.

 

This tool has built-in Zoom.

 

If this isn't good enough for the client, then he can HIRE you and then he can conduct consultations, meetings, interviews, etc. with you using any tool he wants.

Hi Preston,

 

Thanks for the suggestion. The client was really pushing for the interview. However, I replied by saying that I have to professionally follow the rules by staying inside Upwork in-built tools. 

 

Thanks again,

Ehsan.

williambernal
Community Member

MEH,

 

Preston is completely correct.

This issue, however, can be a very grey area.

While I always suggest the UW chat function (with built-in Zoom) to all potential clients, many prefer to "do it their way" and consequently I have to politely decline.

 

I personally suspect that these clients are, at best, time-wasters addicted to Zoom due directly to pandemic circumstances, or at worst, scammers seeking freebie info. It's a tricky situation to navigate and most likely one that isn't going to improve anytime soon.

 

I'd say-

1. Very professionally remind any prospective clients that UW's chat function has built-in Zoom.

2. Professionally suggest they engage a UW contract before agreeing to any time-costing "interviews". (which they will almost certainly not be agreeable to)

3. Politely and professionally decline the interview. (until/unless you begin a UW contract)

 

It's a tough one.

Good luck!

Let's get real about this:

If somebody wants to RECORD a Zoom session, then they want to OWN the session.

 

If they want to RECORD and OWN the Zoom conversation, then it is preposterous that they are even thinking about doing so without having a contract in place and paying you for that time.

Again, so far off base it isn't even funny. Many people RECORD meetings to review them again later when they have questions, especially with an interview. When you assume...

Hi William,

 

Your words made me think about the project again. 

 

Thanks.

The only time waster is the freelancer who refuses interviews because they are being done the way the client wants.

It doesn’t matter what the client wants if the client wants to interview in a way that violates Upwork TOS. It is a violation of Upwork ToS for a freelancer to agree to communicate using non-Upwork-hosted Zoom prior to an official Upwork contract being in place.

 

A freelancer caught doing this or advocating for such may be suspended or otherwise penalized.

294862c8
Community Member

Hey! Here a freelancer, thank you all for your pioint of view, I am new in Upwork and it is nice to see that exist decent people. Have a new 2022. 

Daniela, I, too, came here looking for this thread after a prospect wanted to insist on a Zoom meeting out of the UW network.  It was frustrating that she was almost indignant that I wouldn't break the ToS.  I'm so glad I'm not alone.

tmerritt18
Community Member

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your input, this helped me so much today! Had a client ask me for an interview off of Upwork today and I wasn't sure what to do. I'm pushing for all communciation through Upwork, I don't want to lose my account and access to jobs!

Glad to here that.

ec718c13
Community Member

Hello,

I have just finished interviewing one of the prospective clients who has a good track record on Upwork.

In short, we made an appointment for a video call via Zoom, and when I clicked - Upwork already gave me a warning. And I waited in the Zoom lobby 10 minutes before. It turns out the host hasn't opened the meeting yet. Then he sent a message that he had been waiting for 15 minutes. I see my network is full and my zoom status is still waiting.

Is it really blocked from Upwork and not allowed to go out to other communications before the contract?

Has anyone experienced this?

And of course the prospective client got angry, I was already happy at first and the egg would break.

You need to use the Zoom integrated feature on Upwork to comply to the Terms of Service.
https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/217698348-Video-and-Voice-Calls

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