u/llcoolf

Hi, I'm looking for advice on how to handle the below situation.

I recently applied for a potentially lucrative job on Upwork. The client said they'd like to move forward with me and work together. Then they sent me a document asking me to review it. I opened it and the only thing in the doc is a message asking me to contact them via their personal phone number to work outside of Upwork so that both of us can save on fees.

This client has a 5-star rating on Upwork with quite a few reviews. I'm bummed about this because this feels like it could be a nice paycheck. I want to keep this on Upwork because I don't want to risk getting banned and prefer having the added security if anything goes wrong. But I've also seen stories on here about the people reporting this behavior getting banned anyway, because the client had spent quite a bit of money on Upwork.

What’s the best way to proceed in this situation?

WTF is up with these dudes? And why do they all have fringes? Is that a requirement for the job? I had the same person ring and knock on my door three times today. Sometimes they even yell "hello, hello" through our front door window. They are literally the only door to door salespeople I encounter at my home. I've told them repeatedly that I'm not interested and to stop coming. I've said it politely. I've said it rudely. But. They. Wont. Stop.

It's so off-putting. And the funny thing is, I actually am interested in getting solar, but I'm just so annoyed by them and their tactics that I would never consider them.