First propsal response

[bdam9810]

I'm new to Upwork and just got my first response to a proposal but the response asks me to contact them through a gmail account.  I don't believe we can do that am I correct? 

[michael_skaggs]

You can communicate with clients however you like. Just be aware that if they're asking you to do a Hangouts interview, it's likely a scam.

Just be observant, don't give out any personal information (your profile is all they should need), and remember that no matter what terms you agree to via email or whatnot, the only ones that are enforceable are the ones actually proposed and accepted as a contract on Upwork. If it doesn't show up in your "My Jobs" tab, then you don't have a job.

[yitwail]

Betty, actually you can contact them by phone, skype, email, or whatever other method the client prefers, but that doesn't mean you should. You can always tell them you'd prefer to communicate through Upwork. It's unfortunately a fact of life that scammers do generally ask to communicate off platform, so they can entice you to accept payment outside Upwork, which is not only prohibited but the promised payment usually never materializes.

[prestonhunter]

Upwork places no restrictions on how clients communicate with the freelancers they are interviewing or have hired.

YES, you may communicate via gmail or email.

HOWEVER.... If (as you say) you are NEW TO UPWORK, then you should probably NOT communicate with anybody who is asking you to communicate outside of the Upwork messenger tool.

Advice for freelancers:

Somebody asking you to communicate via gmail is probably a scammer. There is no real job. If you're new, stick with clients who communicate using the Upwork messenger tool.

Advice for clients:

Go through the process of hiring and working a freelancer in a safe, reliable way, first. When you have some experience, then you'll be able to use other communication forms while recognizing when a "freelancer" is trying to scam you.

MOST Upwork freelancers are honest, reliable people. But there are some scoundrels out there. When I have posted jobs as a client and had respondents immediately ask to communicate with me via email or Skype, it is because they are trying to get me to pay them OFF of the platform. Most such people are planning to steal your money and never to any work. So those people are definitely to be avoided.