Can clients ask you for a free test?

[bce75377]

Hi there. I am new to upwork. I had an interview offer for a transcription project and, after the interview the client asked me for a test. I didn't get any feedback from the client for about two weeks and only after insisting he got back to me saying that my test was a bit below the expected. They have been asking me to give them my skyope number for the conversations, which I did not provide. what do you think of this? Can the clients ask you to do a test for free? Thanks. 

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

re: "Can clients ask you for a free test?"

Well... They're not supposed to.

It is a violation of Upwork ToS for a client to ask a freelancer to work for free.

That includes asking a freelancer to crate free custom tests.

Those are the rules.

But you know what?

It doesn't really matter to you.

Because you know that those "clients" who ask for free tests are just scammers who never intend to pay you, no matter what you do. They are trying to trick you into working for free. It's a waste of your time.

So no matter what Upwork's rules are, you are not going to fall for this trick.

This is what I recommend:

Tell the client:

"George: Thank you for your interest in working with me. Yes, I can do the test work that you described, as soon as you hire me with an hourly contract, to pay for that work. You can limit the if you want by setting the maximum number of hours. You can even set that to  just one hour. As soon as you click the 'Hire' button, I will accept the contract and work on the sample."

Then:
If the client hires you, that's great. You get paid for your work.

If the client doesn't hire you, then you will go to the job post and use the "Flag as inapropriate" to report the client/scammer for "asking for free work."

[bce75377]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is very helpful. Regards.

[kc001]

 **Edited for Community Guidelines**

this client is asking for you to complete a test before applying to for the job

[martina_plaschka]

---

Katherine C wrote:

 **Edited for Community Guidelines**

this client is asking for you to complete a test before applying to for the job

---

You need to go into the job posting and flag it there. Posting this on the forum is not the right way to report a client. 

[prestonhunter]

re: "They have been asking me to give them my Skype number for the conversations, which I did not provide. What do you think of this?"

You did not provide your Skype number.

That is good.

"Clients" who ask for a freelancer's Skype number at this point are nearly always scammers.

It is a VIOLATION of Upwork ToS for you to provide your Skype number to a client before you have been officially hired. You could be suspended for communicating via Skype (or any non-Upwork method) before you have been officially hired.

[BojanS]

Hi Ana,

Asking for free work or requesting freelancers to submit work as part of the proposal process is a violation of our TOS. Also, 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. In a case like this, we encourage you to use the Report Suspicious User Activity feature to report a violation of the Upwork Terms of Service. 

Your profile must represent you as an individual and all the information in your profile including your name needs to be accurate, truthful, and verifiable. 

Thank you! 

[fc6b2a71]

Thank you , a client just for a test of my skills even though my portfolio showcase my skillset.