99designs

This process was actually fun. We got great designs, made a contact, and the competition helped market the business too.

IF YOU REGISTER IN 99DESIGN YOU ARE LOSE IN LIFE! WHY 99DESIGN ARE TRAVELERS WITHOUT CONTROLLING THE LAW. WOULD APPLY THE PENALTIES OF MANY PERSONS WHO HAVE TO SEND THIS SITE THE SITES SIMILAR TO THAT. 99DESIGN TO BE ANY COPYRIGHT RULES. THEIR ASSISTANCE IN DESIGN WAS INCOMPETENT, 99DESIGN IS NOT A TRANSPARENT SITE WHY HIDE INCOMPETENCE. NO EXIXST CURRICULUM ONLINE OF PEOPLE THAT WORKING IN 99DESIGN AND LESS THAN THEIR NAMES. MANY PEOPLE WANT A WRITTEN VERTENCE THROUGH THE LAWYERS. TAKE CARE PEOPLE! THIS IS NOT POSSIBILITY OF WORK THIS IS SCAM!

Was running a contest to design a mascot got all the way to the end and only found one designer was worth dealing with. I called up and asked for advice on how I could only work with the one designer so I didn't lead the other designers on.

The advice came back from 99 Designs to eliminate all of the finalist and just work with the designer you like, which I did. With three days from the end of the contest I had a call from 99 designs saying the brief wasn't clear and the finalists you eliminated weren't happy. Also you are expecting to many illustrations from your designers so could you find a winner and create another 1 on 1 Project with the winner to finish the illustrations.
That would be another $400AUD. (I don't think so 99 designs)

I stressed to the caller from 99 designs to please sort this out as time was a problem for me as I had a deadline to produce a mascot in three days. She said that she will call back that day and let me know the outcome!

I had no one called me and once I got home from work I found out the contest has been put in dispute and will be resolved and 59 days!
All the work and time put into the contest from myself and the designers was gone!

Thanks for wasting my time and the designers time! I will not be using 99 designs for a contest again!

If you're a serious designer this is not the site for you. I work as a professional designer and after I had a complaint that buyers kept canceling the competitions after work was submitted and said I think it's a scam, they emailed me this.

Thank you for your interest in 99designs. However, the current quality of your work does not fit our site standards. As a result, we have placed your account on hold.

We encourage you to take 3 months to improve your design skills. We suggest finding tutorials online to improve your design skills heres a great starting point: http://99designs.com/designer-blog/category/design-tips-and-resources/

After 3 months, we encourage you to come back and reapply to be part of the community. How to re-apply:

Create a portfolio of 4 to 5 new designs in vector PDF file format
Send your new designs to *******@99designs.com with the subject line Portfolio review: louiseasha

We will then review your work and determine if your account will be reactivated.

Thank you and we look forward to reviewing your work in 3 months.

Regards
99designs Community Team

Really? I have photos showing the bias I am talking about and really would just like to let people know they shouldn't waste their time. You're better than this garbage site.

As a designer with over 35 years of experience working in the design-for-print industry and with a Degree in Design I can honestly say I was 'slapped with a damp squid' today by them. I decided I would give them a try as I am now freelance. Don't get me wrong, my last position for 20 years was Creative Director. I know my job and history has proved me a great designer. My experience is vast. Being freelance gave me the ability to move to another country and marry the woman I loved. My choice, otherwise I would still be in the UK working 10 hours a day. Today they wrote to me and said...
You've been suspended
Your account has been suspended forever for the following reason:
Hello, Thanks for your interest in 99designs. Unfortunately the current quality of your work does not fit our site standards. As a result, we have put your account on hold. We encourage you to improve your design skills. You can find design tutorials and inspirational work here: http://99designs.com/designer-blog/category/design-tips-and-resources/ After you have spent 3 months on your designs, please create a portfolio of 4 to 5 of your new designs in vector pdf file format based on contests from our site: 99designs.com/contests Please send this portfolio to *******@99designs.com with the subject line "Portfolio review: (Your 99designs username)". When submitting your portfolio, please zip the files and include the link to each contest from which the designs were created in the body of your email. We will review your submissions and determine if your account will be reactivated. We will not review your portfolio if you send it in before three months. Do not attempt to create a new account while yours is on hold. This is against our Code of Conduct and we will close the account without notice. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask."...

Honestly '... current quality of your work does not fit our site standards. As a result, we have put your account on hold. We encourage you to improve your design skills"...

My skills have been honed over 40 years! And well paid!

ALL I CAN SAY IS 'AGEISM'! Other designers beware - well at least experienced designers be wary:-(

99Designs treats our designers so awful it is shocking. Firstly you work on spec brief which is worth almost double then what they pay.

Secondly they suspend anyone who the judge and in their opinion doesn't fit their site. When I was suspended only after 3 contest enteries it really was a kick in the teeth as I got qualification in graphic design and been a freelance graphical artist for 6 years. When I sent across my portfolio of logo designs fron actual paid client they more or less sauud they not good enough. I think it is really bad that they suspend designers like that just because in their opinion isn't good enough.

After research this company I found this company may be in breach of many laws specially In the UK. You see they advertise that they are a middle man service between designer and company so when the suspend designer they are breach if sales of good act which cover services as well because us designers isn't being provided a good service. Furthermore they actually has suspended people who won contest with money on accounts these in it's self is theft and also breach of their own terms and conditions as they have physical evidence they are good match for their site.

99Design doesn't care about their designer who respect them. They know they treat the designer specially when the hide comments on their social media site it just shows how bad they operate against designers. STAY AWAW FROM THIS SITE AT ALL COSTS

This website has absolutely no respect for the designers who make it happen. I have been wasting my time with this website for the past week. I only submitted 4 contests and they already banned my account because my designs do not fit their quality standards, even though it fit the standards of the customers I was making them for.

For 2 out of the 4 contests I entered, one of them messaged me right away and said it was exactly what they were looking for, and the other said they liked mine a lot and I kept making changes that they specified. For the one I kept making the changes for, I submitted a creative design that one would not normally associate with the name of the podcast. It got rated 5 stars, so all the other designers after me copied my idea. This happened in almost every contest I saw. Designers just copy other highly rated designers.

While I was working on designs of other contests I was going to enter, I suddenly got an email saying that my designs do not meet their quality standards and that my account was on hold. I cant log in anymore, meaning all the contest submissions I spent so much time with just disappeared without warning. Alarmed, I called the help number. Apparently, there is a customer support number, but no designer support number. I was told they cant help me. I emailed the design support that Im sure doesnt exist and I will probably never get a response. Even if I did, it would be too late as these contests are ending. Never use this website if you have any sort of respect for yourself as a designer, or if you respect designers. The most awful experience Ive had in my life.