Client wants free work

[saniaj424]

there was a job post i applied for, the client is asking me to work for free and is not hiring but saying to hire after the work is submitted.

[timefighter11 · Accepted solution]

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Sania J wrote:

there was a job post i applied for, the client is asking me to work for free and is not hiring but saying to hire after the work is submitted.

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Hi Sania, 
Take a look at client's profile and read the reviews from past freelancers. If you find it trust worthy then you can take a chance. But it's not recommended afterall to work free. 

[lysis10]

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Muhammad Zeeshan H wrote:

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Sania J wrote:

there was a job post i applied for, the client is asking me to work for free and is not hiring but saying to hire after the work is submitted.

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Hi Sania, 
Take a look at client's profile and read the reviews from past freelancers. If you find it trust worthy then you can take a chance. But it's not recommended afterall to work free. 

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Don't listen to this guy. You're getting scammed. 

[varungs]

Wrong. Never work for free, no matter how good a client's reviews are. Sania, quote your price for the task your client needs. If they decline, tell them to have a nice day, report their message to Upwork, and move on.

[robin_hyman]

Please flag the post.   As others mentioned, never work for free.  

[williambernal]

SJ,

Please pay strict attention to Upwork's Terms of Use-

"4.1 EXAMPLES OF PROHIBITED USES OF THE SITE

The following are examples of uses that are prohibited on the Site or when using the Site Services:

Requesting or demanding free services, including requesting Freelancers to submit work as part of the proposal process for very little or no money or posting contests in which Freelancers submit work with no or very little pay, and only the winning submission is paid the full amount"

Do not provide free work under any circumstances, and please report any client who repeatedly requests you to do so.

Work smart, work safe!

Best,

wb

[prestonhunter]

If a client posts a job posting... and right there in the job posting he is saying he wants the freelancer to work for free, or submit the work first, before getting hired... I do not see any way that such a job posting can be redeemed. I don't see any value at all in applying to the job posting. I would definitely recommend using the "Flag as inappropriate" link button, and selecting the option that tells Upwork that the client is asking for free work.

My hope would be that such a job posting would be investigated and removed quickly. Furthermore, I would hope that Upwork would help the client to understand more about how to use Upwork properly. I would hope that the client would learn that the way to accomplish her goals is to post a legitimate job posting, and hire freelancers. That is how successful clients work. Successful clients don't try to get people to work for free.

I don't necessarily think every client needs to be reported immediately. If a client sent me an invitation, whether in response to my proposal or out of the blue, and asked me to do any work for free... then maybe that's a new client who doesn't understand Upwork fully. I could decline to work for free, and let them know that they can hire me officially and pay me for my work. If the client agrees, now that a freelancer has put them on the right path, then such a client does not need to be reported. If a client really is going to pay me money, I don't need to interere with things by reporting them. But if the client is given an opportunity to do the right thing and still asks me to work for free, then yes: Such a client should be reported.

[joansands]

Sania - It is against Upwork's Terms of Service for a client to ask for free work. You should flag that job post - your connects will be returned to you and the job post will be taken down.

[williambernal]

JS,

That's a very optimistic view of Upwork's Help & Support Team.

I've had root canals that were less painful--and much less time-consuming--than attempting to get UW H&S to remove inappropriate job posts and/or return Connects on fraudulent posts.

Work smart, work safe!

[moonraker]

There's no reason for a client to not hire you and fund escrow before the work is submitted. 

[alexandernovikov]

What's even the question about it? Just report him to Upwork support immediately and he's gone. There's a button for that next to every message in Upwork chat system.