First Job - Concerns About Client

[b3f264d2]

So I was contacted about a job. They want to pay thru Paypal or Direct Deposit because they want to avoid fees. They want to email me on my gmail account regarding the job. They talked to me here but it looks like most interaction is through Google Chat. Feeling uneasy about it. This is my first job and feeling nervous as well.

Any suggestions or input?

Thank you

[martina_plaschka]

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Monica M wrote:

So I was contacted about a job. They want to pay thru Paypal or Direct Deposit because they want to avoid fees. They want to email me on my gmail account regarding the job. They talked to me here but it looks like most interaction is through Google Chat. Feeling uneasy about it. This is my first job and feeling nervous as well.

Any suggestions or input?

Thank you

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Yes. When you communicate outside of upwork before hire, you violate the terms of service you agreed to when signing up. Go and read them now. Stop talking to this client. You are in the process of being scammed. Aside from that, do you believe it's reasonable to avoid paying upwork fees, since this is how the platform earns money? That's the kind of thing that will get you permanently suspended. 

Now go back to the job posting and flag it so that upwork can kick this guy out. 

[b3f264d2]

Understood and that's why I came here. It just seemed suspect. Going back and flagging it. Thank you for the confirmation.

[b3f264d2]

I believe it was caught because the job isn't listed anymore.

[BojanS]

Hi Monica,

I’ve checked your report and the project has already been taken down because it was in violation of Upwork TOS and action has been taken on the client account. 

Please note that it is a violation of Upwork’s Terms of Service to request or share contact information before a contract starts.  You can check this help article for crucial information that will help you have a safe and successful journey on Upwork.

Thank you! 

[b3f264d2]

Thank you.

[data_divas]

I agree with everything already said.  In addition, read this discussion board and the New To Upwork one daily. You'll learn so much on what to do and what not to do.

Best of luck! 

[prestonhunter]

re: "I already did the job and Upwork is not letting me get paid? Would trying to charge him outside of the platform violate my working agreement?"

If you are caught doing that, you could be terminated permanently from Upwork.

That is a very serious violation of Upwork ToS.

All payments must go through Upwork.

It is also a serious violation of Upwork to look up information about a client and contact them outside of the platform if they haven't invited you to do so.

It is a violation of Upwork ToS to communicate with a client prior to having an official Upwork contract in place.

re: "How does this work when I am trying to contact someone at Upwork, but they will not give any customer support? Any advice?"

You can ask any question you have right here in the Forum.

You do not need to talk to anybody in Upwork Customer Support about these questions.

I certainly don't recommend that you contact Upwork Customer Support and ask them about getting paid directly, off-platform. How do we know they won't click a button right then and there to suspend your account?

[data_divas]

Do you have a contract on Upwork?  Fixed price or hourly?  If hourly did you track your time using the Upwork app?

No you cannot be paid outside of Upwork. 

[gilbert-phyllis]

Stop. Don't do anything else until you've reviewed the information available for new freelancers sufficient to recognize the three huge red flags you've encountered so far. (Two of them could get you permanently banned.)

UW isn't a jobs board--you shouldn't expect legitimate clients to seek you out until you've established a track record here. As a new UW FL, assume any unsolicited contact from a client is a scam.

UW also isn't an app that you can figure out as you go along. It's a complicated platform with rules and policies that are sometimes counterintuitive and it's easy to wrongfoot yourself early on if you don't understand the details of how it works. (You only get one UW account per lifetime, they don't let you bail out and start over.)

There's great info on the New Freelancers page as well as throughout the Freelancers threads. Start with the Help & Support pages, of course. IMO it's also useful to check out other FLs in one's own category. Search for the ones doing the same kind of work you do, with comparable credentials to yours, earning what you want to earn, and check out their profiles and how they are presenting their services.

Good luck!

[b3f264d2]

Thank you Phyllis!

[tlbp]

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Monica M wrote:

So I was contacted about a job. They want to pay thru Paypal or Direct Deposit because they want to avoid fees. They want to email me on my gmail account regarding the job. They talked to me here but it looks like most interaction is through Google Chat. Feeling uneasy about it. This is my first job and feeling nervous as well.

Any suggestions or input?

Thank you

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That's not a client. At worst, it is a scammer who will steal your ID or trick you into working for free. At best, it is someone whose request will get you banned from Upwork permanently. 

Study the forum posts, read about online scams, and don't allow your excitement about finding a gig overcome your protective instincts.