I need help! (freelancer.com)

Hello. I am very glad that I found your community!
I have a problem with freelancer.com website. I got scammed 2 months ago, that I posted a work to be done at their site. A member (Death77) replied, I gave him the job (outside freelancer.com), paid with paypal and got scammed (100% my fault). Right now I posted the same project, freelancers replied. I awarded the project to member Netkunte or Calvinrock from India, released the milestones (the deal was 50% of the price at the beginning and 50% with the deliver) and he dissappeared. I emailed freelancer.com and reported the scammer, and they said that they already banned the member. Then I asked for my money and they avoided to answer. So I opened a dispute in paypal and I got this response:

Your response is noted. Be informed that a reversal of the payment you have released to "calvinrock212" has been processed as a courtesy. A refund of the project commisison fee has also been made. In order to have the deposited funds returned back to your PayPal account, please have the PayPal dispute cancelled and then respond back so the proper department can confirm further and act accordingly. For future reference, it is best to contact Support for any concerns or questions you may have so you can be advised on how best to proceed instead of taking any action that will only complicate the matter. Refund requests can be granted as long as they are justified and in line with the policies of Freelancer.com. Moreover, it is strongly recommended to do a complete profile check of the freelancers before awarding your project so you can ensure that you will be working with a qualified and responsible user.

So please tell me what to do.

Hello. I am very glad that I found your community!
I have a problem with freelancer.com website. I got scammed 2 months ago, that I posted a work to be done at their site. A member (Death77) replied, I gave him the job (outside freelancer.com), paid with paypal and got scammed (100% my fault). Right now I posted the same project, freelancers replied. I awarded the project to member Netkunte or Calvinrock from India, released the milestones (the deal was 50% of the price at the beginning and 50% with the deliver) and he dissappeared. I emailed freelancer.com and reported the scammer, and they said that they already banned the member. Then I asked for my money and they avoided to answer. So I opened a dispute in paypal and I got this response:

Your response is noted. Be informed that a reversal of the payment you have released to "calvinrock212" has been processed as a courtesy. A refund of the project commisison fee has also been made. In order to have the deposited funds returned back to your PayPal account, please have the PayPal dispute cancelled and then respond back so the proper department can confirm further and act accordingly. For future reference, it is best to contact Support for any concerns or questions you may have so you can be advised on how best to proceed instead of taking any action that will only complicate the matter. Refund requests can be granted as long as they are justified and in line with the policies of Freelancer.com. Moreover, it is strongly recommended to do a complete profile check of the freelancers before awarding your project so you can ensure that you will be working with a qualified and responsible user.

So please tell me what to do.

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over 1 year ago

Bob R.

That response from PayPal doesn't make any sense.

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over 1 year ago

Kostas M.

This response was from freelancer.com not paypal. Sorry if i confused you!

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over 1 year ago

Ellis B.

PayPal disputes lock any ability to refund/partially refund/reverse or modify the transaction.

PayPal disputes should only be entered into if the company is not communicating with-in reasonable time-frame (60 days is the life-span of a PayPal transaction - all grievances have to be RESOLVED in that time-frame)

Customer has to close the PayPal dispute to receive refund before the dispute is "resolved" by PayPal.
Resolutions are typically: 100% refund or 0 Refund.
PayPal will grant 100% refund only when no counter proof to the claim has been submitted by the merchant.

Again, PayPal disputes are oriented towards AWOL merchants, not for inner-company policy disputes.

It's best to keep firm and steady communications with the merchant, making sure that your demands are relayed clearly. I. e. Asking "Can you do something for me?" is not the same as "I want full refund because services were not delivered"/"I want partial refund to compensate for this and that (list deficiencies).

Once the dispute is started, the merchant is pretty much sitting on their behind, making sure to provide PayPal with proof of purchase. Merchants are forbidden from communicating with customers outside of PayPal Resolutions Center after the dispute has been opened, and overall the dispute procedure is in -act counter-productive to both parties, unless, again, the merchant is AWOL.

PayPal dispute is awesome in itself, it protects against unscrupulous practices by certain merchants, and it a great tool for consumers. BUT, it is consumer's responsibility to have full understanding of their claim - as only few scenarios are covered by PayPal, and more scenarios can be outside of the "understanding" of the customer.
Disappointment will surely follow if a customer loses a dispute for "improperly described services", if they put forth a claim "product was not delivered" - since the merchant only has to send tracking info to PayPal to prove that the claim is false.

It's always best to talk to the merchant, and let them know that PayPal dispute is a "possibility", rather than jumping the gun and filing a dispute.

PayPal disputes lock any ability to refund/partially refund/reverse or modify the transaction.

PayPal disputes should only be entered into if the company is not communicating with-in reasonable time-frame (60 days is the life-span of a PayPal transaction - all grievances have to be RESOLVED in that time-frame)

Customer has to close the PayPal dispute to receive refund before the dispute is "resolved" by PayPal.
Resolutions are typically: 100% refund or 0 Refund.
PayPal will grant 100% refund only when no counter proof to the claim has been submitted by the merchant.

Again, PayPal disputes are oriented towards AWOL merchants, not for inner-company policy disputes.

It's best to keep firm and steady communications with the merchant, making sure that your demands are relayed clearly. I. e. Asking "Can you do something for me?" is not the same as "I want full refund because services were not delivered"/"I want partial refund to compensate for this and that (list deficiencies).

Once the dispute is started, the merchant is pretty much sitting on their behind, making sure to provide PayPal with proof of purchase. Merchants are forbidden from communicating with customers outside of PayPal Resolutions Center after the dispute has been opened, and overall the dispute procedure is in -act counter-productive to both parties, unless, again, the merchant is AWOL.

PayPal dispute is awesome in itself, it protects against unscrupulous practices by certain merchants, and it a great tool for consumers. BUT, it is consumer's responsibility to have full understanding of their claim - as only few scenarios are covered by PayPal, and more scenarios can be outside of the "understanding" of the customer.
Disappointment will surely follow if a customer loses a dispute for "improperly described services", if they put forth a claim "product was not delivered" - since the merchant only has to send tracking info to PayPal to prove that the claim is false.

It's always best to talk to the merchant, and let them know that PayPal dispute is a "possibility", rather than jumping the gun and filing a dispute.

Helpful (0)

over 1 year ago

Kostas M.

I did talk to the merchant, but I get always the same answer, saying "Try to talk with the member, to solve the issue".
So what do you recommend me to do? Close the case?

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over 1 year ago

Ellis B.

Mai, reversing a credit card transaction in relation to a PayPal payment will bring the wraith of PayPal onto the member - if I recall correctly, PayPal specifically makes user agree to not charge-back any PayPal activity - and to solve it over their Resolutions Center.

Kostas is best off to speak to Freelancer site (if they are the ones who were the Payee),
If they point to the "member", Kostas should let them know WHO was the payee in the transaction,
And at that point both will know that there are only two parties involved in this matter,
At this point Kostas should make a reasonable request, like "I would like a full refund of the transaction",
At which point the merchant may agree, and will ask for the dispute to be closed.
Then Kostas should close the dispute, and notify the merchant, and await a refund.

If the refund is not posted with-in 3-5 business days, Kostas should file a charge-back, and document the situation, and conversations with the merchant - at this point Kostas has to convince PayPal that there was no other choice for them but to file a charge-back, in which case PayPal should show reasonable understanding.

Really this is a matter of understanding what's involved, talking to the merchant, and "being in charge" of the course of the conversation :)

Mai, reversing a credit card transaction in relation to a PayPal payment will bring the wraith of PayPal onto the member - if I recall correctly, PayPal specifically makes user agree to not charge-back any PayPal activity - and to solve it over their Resolutions Center.

Kostas is best off to speak to Freelancer site (if they are the ones who were the Payee),
If they point to the "member", Kostas should let them know WHO was the payee in the transaction,
And at that point both will know that there are only two parties involved in this matter,
At this point Kostas should make a reasonable request, like "I would like a full refund of the transaction",
At which point the merchant may agree, and will ask for the dispute to be closed.
Then Kostas should close the dispute, and notify the merchant, and await a refund.

If the refund is not posted with-in 3-5 business days, Kostas should file a charge-back, and document the situation, and conversations with the merchant - at this point Kostas has to convince PayPal that there was no other choice for them but to file a charge-back, in which case PayPal should show reasonable understanding.

Really this is a matter of understanding what's involved, talking to the merchant, and "being in charge" of the course of the conversation :)

Helpful (0)

over 1 year ago

Kostas M.

First of all thank you all for helping me. I have to say I was frightened because googling of "freelancer scam" returns many results of cases of fraud etc. I decided to close the paypal case and freelancer.com refunded me my money 100%. So everything is fine now. Anyway thank you all for helping me!

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over 1 year ago

Ellis B.

Great news,

Thanks for coming back to update us!

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over 1 year ago

Kostas M.

No problem at all!

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over 1 year ago

Matt H.

I recommend you use https://weblance.com. This no way this can happen there! Screened providers, project monitoring and THEY READ CODE. If the work is not right, they won't pay the scammer. If there is a problem they will refund your money 100%

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over 1 year ago

Alice A.

I dont rely on any freelancing site but SEOClerks.com, you can get your money back even if the seller donot provide exactly what he is selling.

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over 1 year ago

sam s.

Hey i found a blog about how you can get your money back from freelancer. It worked for me.

http://survivingtheinternet.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/how-to-get-your-money-back-from-freelancer-com/

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over 1 year ago

sam s.

Hey I went tough the exact thing, just stick with PayPal and the dispute it, don't let go. Have a read of this if it helps.
http://survivingtheinternet.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/how-to-get-your-money-back-from-freelancer-com/

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over 1 year ago

sam s.

No problem and thats lucky, it gets bad when the stakes are high.

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over 1 year ago

Stephen H.

I'm responding to the freelancer response on my first complaint post in the review section.

I did try to resolve thru freelancer.com's website. It's instructions were to open a ticket and it would be reviewed in 2-3 days. I followed their instructions. Since the issue involved my money thru PayPal, I opened a ticket on PayPal. PayPal resolved it right away. Then, this morning, I got an e-mail from freelancer that what I did (to protect my own money) was INCONVENIENT for them. Too bad. It was their site's lack of security that caused the issue in the first place, not mine or PayPal's. Then, they made it difficult to resolve it in a timely manner. Third, they sent an insulting e-mail to me complaining of how inconvenient it was of me to handle it the way I did.

PayPal fixed it for me. I do not trust freelancer now at all. I don't not like their customer service either.

Also, Isn't it interesting how they seem to be watching this site for bad reviews and then commenting on them here as tho they're trying to be helpful? Seems to me that they know they are getting negative reviews. And instead of actually trying to fix their problems, they are running a desperate damage control by commenting here.

I'm responding to the freelancer response on my first complaint post in the review section.

I did try to resolve thru freelancer.com's website. It's instructions were to open a ticket and it would be reviewed in 2-3 days. I followed their instructions. Since the issue involved my money thru PayPal, I opened a ticket on PayPal. PayPal resolved it right away. Then, this morning, I got an e-mail from freelancer that what I did (to protect my own money) was INCONVENIENT for them. Too bad. It was their site's lack of security that caused the issue in the first place, not mine or PayPal's. Then, they made it difficult to resolve it in a timely manner. Third, they sent an insulting e-mail to me complaining of how inconvenient it was of me to handle it the way I did.

PayPal fixed it for me. I do not trust freelancer now at all. I don't not like their customer service either.

Also, Isn't it interesting how they seem to be watching this site for bad reviews and then commenting on them here as tho they're trying to be helpful? Seems to me that they know they are getting negative reviews. And instead of actually trying to fix their problems, they are running a desperate damage control by commenting here.

Helpful (0)

over 1 year ago

John D.

I have seen some excellent comments and advice regarding your issue here. I would add just a couple of things: 1. Never deal with India for any customer service because you will find that many people have had similar experiences with them, including myself. Once they remotely took control of my computer, and I SAW them put a virus on my computer and wanted $90 a year for unlimited service to "fix" my computer. Since I saw what they did, I uninstalled the program and reinstalled it which solved the problem and got rid of the virus that they put on my computer as a decoy. 2. Consider using something like Firefox has: that is, a FREE WOT (Web Of Trust) extension or plug in. This will warn you of suspected fraudulent (untrusted) sites that individuals have rated. It will give you a warning and ask you if you want to continue. Granted, some legitimate sites are tagged by WOT, but it is my opinion that there is a reason for this, so I don't go there if there are a lot of ratings from people. Lastly, look at how many people reviewed the site on WOT. At times, you have some spiteful individuals who just want to ruin a site or business, so they give it a low rating. I. e. Site "X" gets a warning with WOT, and WOT tells you that only 3 people reviewed it. Hell, I would not pay any attention to this. At the same time, if 300 people reviewed Site "X" on WOT and it gives you a warning, stay away from it.

Hope this helped you.

I have seen some excellent comments and advice regarding your issue here. I would add just a couple of things: 1. Never deal with India for any customer service because you will find that many people have had similar experiences with them, including myself. Once they remotely took control of my computer, and I SAW them put a virus on my computer and wanted $90 a year for unlimited service to "fix" my computer. Since I saw what they did, I uninstalled the program and reinstalled it which solved the problem and got rid of the virus that they put on my computer as a decoy. 2. Consider using something like Firefox has: that is, a FREE WOT (Web Of Trust) extension or plug in. This will warn you of suspected fraudulent (untrusted) sites that individuals have rated. It will give you a warning and ask you if you want to continue. Granted, some legitimate sites are tagged by WOT, but it is my opinion that there is a reason for this, so I don't go there if there are a lot of ratings from people. Lastly, look at how many people reviewed the site on WOT. At times, you have some spiteful individuals who just want to ruin a site or business, so they give it a low rating. I. e. Site "X" gets a warning with WOT, and WOT tells you that only 3 people reviewed it. Hell, I would not pay any attention to this. At the same time, if 300 people reviewed Site "X" on WOT and it gives you a warning, stay away from it.

Hope this helped you.

Helpful (0)

over 1 year ago

John D.

I forgot to mention 1 thing. If you know a computer genius anywhere in the world, you can both download "Team Viewer" for FREE. This allows your friend to take control of your computer remotely and see what the problem is. You both must be using the same version of Team Viewer, and the password is only good for that particular session. ALWAYS download from the producer of a program and read each prompt carefully prior to continuing your install. Sites frequently "piggy back" unwanted programs with your download, such as, the obnoxious "Ask Toolbar" or the more obnoxious "Sweet Packs" from Microsoft. At times, these will NOT even show in your uninstall section, so good luck trying to get rid of them. The caveat is that there are FREE programs that will detect and remove ALL traces of an unwanted program that was insidiously placed on your computer. Good luck, and you will find Site Jabber to be an excellent resource. Welcome aboard and feel free to review sites for all of us to consider.

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over 1 year ago

John D.

@ Mai N.
I would just like to publicly acknowledge all the help you have given people on this site. Between you and Bob R., I always get a solution to a problem or concern. Thanks for all your efforts.

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over 1 year ago

BigDogNec B.

I have some points I would like to add here. Having used freelancer and similar sites for a long time, I have faced these kind of issues too but many of these are avoidable.

1)Milestones are meant to save you from this kind of trouble. Never RELEASE a milestone until you are sure that portion of the work is done.
Eg: Milestone 1 = 30%: accepted design
Milestone 2 = 50%: Integration into website
Milestone 3 = 20%: Final testing

2)Check the reviews. I am from India and I have over 100 real reviews all of them giving a full 5 star. Most of the providers are from developing countries and it is essential to ensure you check the reviews, ask the right questions and ensure the quality you are looking for is present.

3)Keep copies of everything that is communicated and worked on. If there is a dispute these will help you.

4)Backup everything. As a policy I ask my clients to ensure they have a full backup of whatever needs to be changed locally. Incase there is a dispute [it was already broken types] or something gets screwed up, there is always a fallback option to go to.

I have some points I would like to add here. Having used freelancer and similar sites for a long time, I have faced these kind of issues too but many of these are avoidable.

1)Milestones are meant to save you from this kind of trouble. Never RELEASE a milestone until you are sure that portion of the work is done.
Eg: Milestone 1 = 30%: accepted design
Milestone 2 = 50%: Integration into website
Milestone 3 = 20%: Final testing

2)Check the reviews. I am from India and I have over 100 real reviews all of them giving a full 5 star. Most of the providers are from developing countries and it is essential to ensure you check the reviews, ask the right questions and ensure the quality you are looking for is present.

3)Keep copies of everything that is communicated and worked on. If there is a dispute these will help you.

4)Backup everything. As a policy I ask my clients to ensure they have a full backup of whatever needs to be changed locally. Incase there is a dispute [it was already broken types] or something gets screwed up, there is always a fallback option to go to.

Helpful (0)

over 1 year ago

Taruna C.

Please help me friends
Can anybody tell me how can i get back my deposited amount from Freelancer.com.
Actually i got an project from from the freelancer.com. Here I accept the payment the made an instant payment through my paypal account without my knowledge. Now the client is not answering to me and Freelancer.com site said its a non refundable. How can I do now? Please help.

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over 1 year ago

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I need help! (freelancer.com)