client

[#1]

my client is asking me to do a part of the job before officially starting the contract, should I connsider it as a scam?

[#2]

Consider saying "no". Why would you want to say "yes"?

[#3 · Accepted solution]

Hi Tajriana,

Thank you for reaching out to us. You were not hired for this job and shouldn't provide any work until your client sends you an offer and a contract is created under your My Jobs tab. Please note that any request for free work is not allowed on Upwork, and it is a violation of Upwork's Terms of Service. 

It is always good to communicate and politely explain everything to your client to avoid any misunderstanding. You can discuss the terms of further engagement on the contract and attempt to resolve the situation amicably.

Please check this post for the freelancer resources and tips for avoiding questionable jobs that we put together to help freelancers make decisions whether to work with a client or not. You may also want to check this page to help you stay safe on Upwork. 

[#4]

If you feel uncomfortable, blame Upwork. Tell the client it’s against Upwork’s rules to do that or Upwork staff have advised you not to. If you want to keep a smooth relationship with a client, sometimes it helps to blame a conflict on someone who isn’t in the room.

[#5]

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Anthony H wrote:
If you feel uncomfortable, blame Upwork. Tell the client it’s against Upwork’s rules to do that

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 **Edited for Community Guidelines** It is not against the rules for a freelancer to work for free. It *is* against the rules for a client to ask for free work.

Why not just be professional about it and tell the client that she will be thrilled to get started just as soon as the contract is in place and the first milestone active. That gives the client a chance to do the right thing.

If the client refuses, she can withdraw the proposal and flag the job post as inappropriate, using "client is asking for free work" as the reason.

[#6]

It's a very old negotiating tactic that falls under the category some  folks call diplomacy. Not for the feint of heart, I guess.