To and From oDesk
Loading
If you ever have a problem, question or suggestion, please let us know! oDesk offers a ticket system that is monitored by Support staff around the clock. You will receive a reply within 24 hours (usually much less), though some issues do require escalating to departments that are not on duty at all hours.
A live chat option is also available most of the day (8:00 AM to 1:00 AM UTC) to connect you directly to our Support team.
- Go to Help > Contact Support.
- Pick a topic (reason for contacting oDesk) and press Next.
- Write to oDesk in the Support Ticket box or click Live Chat. Please either file a ticket or start a chat, not both.
All Customer Support issues should be submitted through a ticket or chat. Alternate contact information for other purposes is linked below.
- Press inquiries
- General corporate information
- Check payment processing address
- Careers at oDesk
- Community forums (to ask your fellow users for advice)
Most routine oDesk communication is sent through the Message Center. That's where you'll find account alerts, updates, and ticket replies. You may adjust your preferences to determine which of these are also sent to you via email.
oDesk Support may need to contact you directly by email if there's an issue with your account. You are welcome to reply through the ticket system if you are uncomfortable replying by email (or use live chat to confirm that the email is legitimate). In some cases, the Support team may need to speak to you on the telephone, especially for security-related issues.
You may occasionally receive other messages from oDesk such as user surveys, special announcements, and the monthly newsletters. Some users also subscribe to daily job alert emails.
oDesk does not sell or share your contact information with third parties! (Read the Privacy Policy.)
Account alerts are the most important types of automated messages sent by oDesk. They are kept in Messages > Account Alerts. There are four categories of alerts:
- Billing & Payment: Deposit and withdrawal confirmations, changes to payment methods
- Account Status: Password and security question changes, suspension notices
- Assignments: Hiring, termination and rate change confirmations
- Invitations and Referrals: Invitations to interview and join a team, new user referral confirmations
All account alerts will be deleted from the Message Center after 90 days unless you star them. You can opt out of receiving the Assignment or Invitation and Referrals alerts by email, but they will always be delivered to your Message Center.
Updates are more common (and less urgent) types of automated messages sent by oDesk. They are kept in Messages > Updates. There are three categories of updates:
- Job Applications: New candidate notifications
- Job Openings and Candidacies: Changes to candidacies and their associated job openings
- Other Updates, Tips and Tricks: All other reminders, general updates, tips and tricks
All updates will be deleted from the Message Center after 90 days unless you star them. You can opt out of receiving any type of updates by email, but they will always be delivered to your Message Center.
Tickets are a way to communicate with oDesk's Customer Support team (learn more about contacting Support). They are kept in Messages > Tickets. Once a ticket is filed, the user, Support and other departments within oDesk can update the thread, adding information and sending attachments as necessary. You will be sent an email confirmation each time you or the Support team posts an update to the ticket thread.
Opening a live chat is essentially the same as submitting a ticket - the Support team member will automatically file a ticket for you at the end of the chat so that you have a copy and both sides have a place to reply and continue the conversation.
When you want to follow up on a ticket you've already submitted, find it in Messages > Tickets and reply to it. Please don't submit another ticket or open another chat about the same issue - that will actually slow things down. Keeping all the information within the same thread makes it much easier for the Support representative to track the status and resolve the issue - and you'll know that anything new you write is going directly to the right person.
Tickets remain in the Message Center indefinitely. You cannot opt out of receiving ticket notifications by email.
The inbox is where you'll find messages from other oDesk users - either members of your team or as part of an interview. They are kept in Messages > Inbox. (Learn more about messages to and from other users.)
It is not possible to add attachments to these user-to-user messages.
All account alerts, updates, and ticket replies from oDesk are sent to the Message Center. You may opt out of receiving notifications of some of these messages by email.
- Go to Messages > Preferences.
- Uncheck the Receive via Email box next to the category you wish to stop receiving and press the Save button. You can opt back in anytime.
Some other messages from oDesk are not managed in this preference pane. Please follow the Edit link to adjust your Job Digest subscription. You'll need to use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the monthly newsletter email to unsubscribe from that mailing list.
