Arif K.

Ok, my story is as follows.
Back in December 2015 I commissioned a developer to build an app for me. The agreed price was £2700 but Freelancer added hidden charges for the international conversion from USD to GBP and passed them onto me. Disgusting act ONE. This ended up as a final total of around £2912. I disputed this with them and I should have realised what I was letting myself in for when robots (or that's how i can describe them) kept repeating the same line about this being my fault etc etc. In the end, they agreed in writing to waive this fee as long as I deposited another £2700 into my wallet and they would refund the original amount back to. Like I have £2700 lying around to give to this bunch of crooks!

So fast forward 2 months and the app is built and the milestone payments released. I then decided enough was enough regarding the extra conversion charge Freelancer levied on me so I asked my bank to carry out a chargeback on the £212. The bank duly refunded me this money back.

Now, you would think this would be the end of it. NO, not with these thieves. Through their obscure terms and conditions they took wait for it... £2200 out of my developer's wallet blaming my chargeback action for it. Yes, they actually have done that!

The knock on effect of this has been horrendous. I can't get my app off my developer as he is £2200 out of pocket through Freelancer taking his money and I am £2700 out of pocket without an app to show for it. The winner: FREELANCER! Who sit there nice and pretty with other peoples' money.

So, they then ask me to go through their "verification centre" where someone new comes on every 7 days to send one line of rubbish about cancelling the chargeback. This is when they have agreed to waive the charge in writing! If I don't do this, then they will not release my developer's money and therefore my app. Call it a virtual human shield if you like.

My bank are useless to the point where I can't even claim my money back through services not received as there is no "proof" from Freelancer's website on a date of receipt of my product.

This has dragged on and on for months to the point where I've given up hope of ever getting my money back or my app. I have had to lose the initial £212 chargeback by cancelling the investigation through my bank as I need my app. I have to take that on the chin.

Problem is Freelancer now making demands about me providing documents that the chargeback has been cancelled when all they have to do is check their bank statement! Honestly, the nature of these people is INHUMAN.

You know what makes it worse? My app was aimed at helping disadvantaged children who are Dyslexic and Autistic but that doesn't matter to these bunch of crooks. They want their pound of flesh and few measly ill gotten dollars and they don't care if innocent children get caught in the crossfire. Collateral damage I believe they call it. I put all my savings into this project and unfortunately these children will never get to see this app which would have helped them and their families tremendously. When you have no mercy on innocent children then you really have lost all humanity. That is bad karma. It took me a year to save this money up only to lose it in an instant. It doesn't help that my developer is a heartless b... ard who accuses ME of fraud. That hurts even more.

I would love to take these people to court if I could afford it but being in the UK and them being Aussies, I have little chance of success.

I will no doubt get the customary robotic "customer service" email on here for public show of course. Just to show the readers that they take this seriously when in fact they couldn't care less.

So that's my story and all in all, it's a living nightmare. I just wish I never used them in the first place. I implore any readers, please don't use these criminals. They will rob you blind. I have to somehow come to terms with losing over £3000 which took me over a year to save up, bit by bit.

All I have written is factual. If Freelancer want to dispute that, I am more than willing to show the public who is right and who is wrong. I have all the correspondence.

Good luck people and wish me luck too:(

UPDATE: Even after cancelling my chargeback to resolve this, these criminals demand letters which my bank simply cannot provide as it's not their policy. I will NOT stop posting reviews against you Freelancer till the day I die. You are thieves, that's all you are. Return Steven6's £2200 to him so I can get my app back.