For me, answering this question is quite difficult. When I was working at different freelance sites, I got a job where the buyer did not communicate with me.
Obviously, after placing my bid, I sent a private message [PM] to the buyer in hope to get a reply. This was the time when I only had 2 or may be 3 ratings. It was quite difficult to get any job as 2-3 ratings were not enough to attract a buyer’s attention
Anyway, I forgot about that project and was searching for more online jobs at different freelance sites. After about a week, I got an email saying that I have won a project at GAF.
I was happy but was also quite surprised too: as I was not expecting to win any project this day. There was no job where the buyer was interested in hiring a new comer like me.
Anyway, I opened the project and was more surprised to see that the buyer never sent a single PM to me.
There were many questions in my mind. Like: Why is the buyer choosing me when there are many other bidders: many with high ratings?
How come the buyer knows that I am capable of doing the given job for him?
Why he did not gave me more details about the job?
Plus many other questions:
The real problem at GAF at that time was that: buyers could easily scam service providers as there was no Arbitration System. Even these days, we need to use the Escrow in order to qualify for using arbitration system. If the buyer does not put the money in escrow, then a service provider can still get scammed by a buyer as No Escrow means No Eligibility for using the Arbitration System.
Many service providers only work when the buyers put money in Escrow: but these users have high ratings and they can afford to demand the use of escrow.
But a new comer with zero or low ratings does not have many options. If a new SP demands the use of escrow, then the buyer will most probably never reply back : )
Back to the main topic: I decided to accept this project and then I sent a PM again. After few hours [most probably, after few days : ) ], I got a reply from the buyer with more/final project details. The buyer was not fond of talking and only said limited things about the job which I needed to do [but the instructions were complete and exactly to the point].
Anyway, I completed the project [it was a copywriting job] and delivered it in time. Then I heard nothing from the buyer for few days and I realized that may be I got scammed. But after a week or so: the buyer paid me the money and also gave a 10/10 rating.
This was the only job which I did with no initial communication. If I ever start working at a freelance site again, then one thing is for sure: I will never accept a job if the buyer does not first communicate and talk about all the details regarding the project. Also, in the initial communication, I will demand the use of escrow.
I will continue to talk about this issue in the next post:
