FreelancerReviews 5,586

A big congratulations go out to the people who created Freelancer. This is genius in website creation. The Freelancer creators have found an absolutely amazing way to scam people out of their money. Well done!
I can just see them now, sitting on their butts, coming up with ways, not to enhance the community, but to take peoples money. I bet they even thought of ways to make you pay just to read their site but reconsidered on the chance we may not go for that. Maybe theyll rethink it and introduce it somewhere down the line.
I created a dispute and still waiting for my money. I created two milestones but changed my mind and yep, still waiting for my money. Oh, you want to take it to the next level? That will cost you money.
I have come to grips with the realization that I wont get my money back. So, its ok. Go have a late on me.
Ive already contacted my family, friends and coworkers and painstakingly explained the site piece by piece live. Yes, I was a bit embarrassed that I got caught in this but at least I saved those I care about from the same fate. Lets hope Freelancer disappears into the cyber swamp where it belongs.

My username is whitezmail on freelancer.com. I have hired a freelancer. Made $30 Milestone As promised... it was a wordpress edit project and the seller started work, after working 20 min seller completed 5% of the work. Seller messaged me that he need to pay a invoice of $20 so he is asking me to send him $20 on his paypal--- Please check all the conversation with the seller here - -
http://prnt.sc/a9r827
http://prnt.sc/a9r8qj
http://prnt.sc/a9r938
http://prnt.sc/a9r9eh
http://prnt.sc/a9ra51

After i said that i will cancel the project he is trying to blackmail me and said me i have all the info of your website (login, wordpress, cpanel)

I have changed the cpanel info imminently and i was late in changing the wordpress.
He have crashed my website and calling me Fool...

I have got my website restored with $20 with a help of a good freelancer with whom i have worked in part.

I have messaged freelancer support about it and they marked my ticket as closed for no reason and i have open the ticket again and no responds.

The support team never takes your side or helps resolve the issue when you are scammed. I recently had a project up to have someone help me create a Twitter account and maintain a business social media for a company I am starting. I released payment as the freelancer demanded and no work was done.

When I talked to support about receiving no response, they yelled at me for violating the report system because they could find "no fault in the freelancer". Hello, I paid for services and did not receive them, yet I'm the one being yelled at.

I am a freelancer and so far, only five have contacted me through the Freelancer website. One gave me a link to a different website, the second asked me where I am from and I never heard from her again, the third wants me to pay her employees with my own money before paying me, the fourth said that he doesn't really have any job for me and just wants to be friends, and the last wants a virtual assistant that shows more cleavage through skype.

I took their basic numeracy skills test so I could add something else to my profile to show to prospective clients. Their tests - or at least the ones I looked at - cost $5.00 plus a processing fee of around $0.42. Here's an actual question exactly as it appeared on the test I took:
"John eat 2 pieces of apples a day. Now, is Thursday, but he remembered the his apples left after eating apples during Monday are 30 pieces after that, he gave the half of all his apples to her daughter. How many apples left, if today is Friday after eating the two pieces of apples?"

At least three other questions on the test had issues, such as multiple correct answers or no correct answer. Needless to say, this is completely unprofessional, especially considering these are paid tests. How can I showcase my skills to prospective clients with a test like this? After the test was completed, there was an option to add more questions to the test. It looks like they don't even verify new questions for accuracy.

I contacted customer support and 4 days later I was told they do not refund the exam fees. Instead, they offered to let me take another exam for free and they offered me one free month of the lowest paid membership option. First, there's no way I'm ever taking another exam for that site, free or not. Second, because of the exam that I did take I was already eligible for one free month of a higher-level paid membership, so offering me the lowest one is completely pointless.

Based on this experience and the countless other reviews I've read about this site, I just decided to cut my losses and run. I advise you all to avoid this shady site.

Freelancer Fraud Money Eater Scammers
I have participated in Wow Freelancer Profile *******$ Contest and All *******+ Freelancer have Lost their Money.
They Have cut All money who have participate in Contest. I have lost my 1000$. I have contacted so many time what they said you know fker sker mother...

"This was technical Glitch & Problem we can't refund your money"

Why Mfker you have not debit more money from problem or glitch. This fking truth about those mofkers. Don't participate or post project on freelancer quit freelancer then they will know their limit of fraud fker.

Thanks

I receive this messages via Freelancer.com messaging system. Quote:

"get the $#*! outta here" and "let me tell you how it works you > suck > my $#*!".

When I report this messages to Freelancer.com - nothing happened. Support explain me: my report will be checked for Terms of Service conditions.
Since author of this messages still active at Freelancer.com I can imply: his mother language is not contrary to Freelancer.com TOS.
I am not native and I don't know Australian business rules. May be these messages are common way to communicate via Freelancer.com Author describe his self as "CERTIFIED GOOGLE PARTNER".
My overall rating is correct: I really want to share my story to the entire world.
Also you know: when site working smoothly - no one bother to write review. As soon as I receive "get the $#*! outta here" and "let me tell you how it works you > suck > my $#*!", without any relevant reaction from Freelancer.com staff, I decide to write this review.

Though many reviews posted here already paint a clear picture of the poor management of this site, I wanted to provide my own recent experience with them.

Having a very specific focus and skill set within a small, well connected industry, I came to learn that someone I knew through my professional network had had begun a project and was in search of contractors. I searched through numerous other websites until I discovered that they had posted about the project here.

I was ultimately selected as the contractor for the project as I have extensive experience and insight into the industry. Though we had no contact with each other during the course of the bidding process, I was required to perform extensive "identity verification" which was anything but. Despite their own TOS and UA forms stating otherwise, I was told that anyone with a pre-existing connection cannot perform business on their platform--though I have not had any contact with the buyer in years (having met more than a decade ago). I have since contacted the buyer directly, and we will no longer be using Freelancer for the entirety of the project.

Why would someone want to use a site where the only potential contractor is someone who is not of the same industry and does not have the necessary knowledge?

I found it on google.
After registering, it turned out that everything is paid! There are only 8 applications free.
Then all tests are paid! Everytning is paid!
The worst thing is that on site there are many job announcements that look unserious, just like spam!
I applied for several jobs but afterwards I could not see them on my page. Just like they never existed.
In several days I deleted my account. The site is not worth time and attention, especially after reading reviews about it here on sitejabber.

I have been working on freelancer.com for 2 months now I have got many projects and made decent money. I had a little dispute over money but the freelancer support made it very easier and gave me one month free membership.
Thanks Freelancer.com

I completed a project couple of months and client release funds. Now client deleted his project and freelancer.com reversed funds. Now my balance is showing negative ($ -277). I have proof in history that I have completed his work 100%. When I talked help line. They said we will send him email and than you can settle this matter off-site. We give funds to freelancer.com to make sure that we can get funds from client. I have screenshots about this work and support team's message. They even ask to first to take this kind of action.
Please be aware from this website. I can give you proof of support's chat. They said settle your matter off-site. I repeat again please be aware

Tried to hire an app developer. The developer I choose then tried to get me to pay them outside of freelancer system. When I reported this to freelancer they didn't even comment about it, they didn't seem concerned at the least. So I asked for a refund of the money I deposited to get the project done and was informed via chat that it would have to be submitted to someone else and that I should just wait for them to contact me via email up to 30 days! Only took them seconds to get it from me but 30 days to get it back? Avoid this company. I have reported them to the FBI Internet Crime site www.ic3.gov and I suggest anyone else losing money, not getting paid, not getting refunds in a timely manner or at all, overcharged, charges not stated previously should also report them.

Just today 11/25/2015

Officially, Freelancer.com has:

1) removed the " clarification board" for projects. So you cannot get clarification before you waste a bid.

2) you can no longer cash-in your rewards you have earned for the last couple years for anything (like more bids, taking tests, etc.) without upgrading to a paid membership

3) This is the best! Bid proposals for "free memberships" are limited to 255 characters.

UPDATE: This was their response I got this morning. 11/26/2015

Hi Mark,

Thank you for contacting Customer Support.

We are currently running a test wherein the characters on the bid proposal have been reduced from 1500 to 255. This aims to encourage bidders to submit substantial proposals.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to email us back.

---
Regards,
Jude P.
Freelancer.com Support

Have you ever heard anything so absurd in your life?

END UPDATE:

I can't even wipe my $#*! in the morning with 255 letters.

After 5 years of relative satisfaction, I'm outta here. I've already for the last couple months been with guru.com and upwork.com. Much nicer website, people that post projects are genuinely looking for real developers, etc.

C-ya!

UPDATE: 4/27/2016

Well... Here it is 5 months later with UPWORK.com which has a very nice web design and interface, easily create custom savable searches, etc. But it has been a complete disaster. Let me explain.

In the last several months, new upwork project submissions seem to have come to a trickle. When I first migrated to upwork, and created my custom searches that contain things such as socket programming, TCP/IP, multi-threaded programming, Raspberry PI, Networking, Software Licensing, etc... The things I am best at, there was a good flow of new projects on a daily basis.

In the last 2 months, I have not had a single project awarded to me. Because there just haven't been that many submissions to bid on.

In the end, I bit my tongue today and had freelancer.com reinstate my cancelled account, so I can get back to work and have cash flow again.

Sorry, freelancer.com for the negative comment last Thanksgiving, but until you drive that other car for awhile, you really don't know how dependable your existing car really is.

It is good to be back.

Mark

Did the job, Client did not pay, on top of client gave me 1 start review. Customer services is beyond useless.The fees charge by this company 10% should protect the freelancer against scams and unpaid job. Charging fees for nothing make this site a joke of itself.

I got in contact with *******@freelancer.com. I will report on further developments on this issue.

Update 1: one week went already and I still waiting for and answer from CS Lara from Freelancer. This only can lead to one conclusion. There is only a few people posing as a big company. Poor customer services shows that the business model is good but badly executed. Please stay away from this business. It will be very late when you realize you have hit a wall. Then again you have been warned!