One of the very basic things that one needs to know while working at freelance sites is that: no one is allowed to post contact information in private messages[PM]. No matter what happens, you will never give your contact information to other people.

Contact information includes: giving your email address, your phone number, your postal address, some chatting ID, some website URL [where people can communicate] and any other thing that can be used to communicate with other party, outside the freelance site.

Why freelance sites do not allow, posting contact information in PM?

There are many reasons for freelance sites, to not allow communication, outside their site.

The most important reason is that: when a buyer and service provider complete work on a project, then both parties give some small amount of money [FEE] to the freelance site. Service providers do not give this fee from their pocket: freelance site deduct the fee from the money they get from the buyer. However, buyers have to pay the fee to freelance site from their pocket.

Sometimes, buyers or service providers or both of them think that: instead of paying this fee, why not work outside the freelance site. In this way, they think that: they can save the money which they need to give to freelance sites.

Why this kind of thing is bad for service providers?

Many new comers make the mistake of giving their contact information to the buyers, so that they can work outside the freelance sites. These new service providers do not realize: what kind of mistake they are making.

First of all: what is the guarantee that, the buyer will pay service provider? The money for the work that service provider will do for the buyer, outside the freelance sites?

There is no surety that, people working outside freelance sites, gets paid for the work.

Majority of people, who decide to work outside freelance sites, get scammed by the buyers. Most of the buyers do not pay anything.

This is the reason why, many new comers quit freelancing, after having such a bad experience. Some of these new comers do not know that, they are not allowed to post contact information at freelance sites, where others do such thing, intentionally.

Anyway: like I said, there is no guarantee, outside freelance site, that the buyer will pay the money for the work [that service providers will do]. On the other hand, freelance sites have ESCROW system, which protects both the buyer and the service providers. Buyers will have to pay service providers, if the work is done through freelance sites.

The other big reason why doing jobs for buyers, outside freelance site is bad, is that: freelance sites have a rating system. This system is created to distinguish between old service providers and new service providers: it distinguishes, less experienced people from highly experienced people.

Because of this rating system: service providers with high ratings get work for high rates at freelance sites. Where people with less or zero ratings get work for cheap or low rates.

So if a service provider works outside freelance sites, then he/she will not get any rating at all. Without ratings, one cannot get work for good rates.

Also, as soon as the freelance site staff finds out that a person has posted contact information in PM, then they will suspend or terminate the service provider’s freelance account.

The bottom line:

Do freelance work honestly and you will make money online. Doing anything against freelance site’s rules, will leave you banned or terminated or suspended.