get a freelancer

Discussion in 'General Business' started by Valley, Feb 6, 2008.

  1. #1
    I have tried using that getafreelancer website but I am having some bad experiences.
    I though subletting work was the answer.
    A cheeky devil who won a bid from me, at completion has now asked me
    for twice the origional amount!
     
    Valley, Feb 6, 2008 IP
  2. w3bmaster

    w3bmaster Notable Member

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    #2
    Lol if a deal is a deal that's it

    Some loosers who thik they are good freelancers do like that asck for more or even up front

    Don' give him tell hime a deal is a deal
     
    w3bmaster, Feb 6, 2008 IP
  3. Barefootsies

    Barefootsies Well-Known Member

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    #3
    That's why those sites have ratings.

    I have a good one on rentacoder, and getsfreelancer. If it is a smaller project, I may consider putting a little down. However, most of the time I will not put ANYTHING down unless you are highly ranked with a lot of feedback. Or verified. Or whatever their rating system is.

    I will normally do either staggered payments as you hit benchmarks, or you get half at the half way, and half on delivery. Most of the time however, they do not get ANYTHING except to see money escrowed. WAY too many designers on the web flake or take on more work then they can. Some do not communicate well once the winning bidder (i.e. disappear, and get irate if you contact them). Those I immediately renege the deal.

    There is a way to, and to not, do business.

    I have no problem walking away from a bid, and taking a higher or lower if it's going to give me a better experience, end result, or communication. Cheaper is not always better, and if you see someone REALLY high, or REALLY low. You should not even consider those bids. Either way, typically, trying to take advantage.

    In most bid sites, you will see that a lot of bids will be in the same ball park with some fluctuation up and down. Then some that are ridiculously high, or low.
     
    Barefootsies, Feb 6, 2008 IP
  4. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #4
    Good advice.
    I paid in full to the escrow account.
    1. dude I just can't contact anymore
    2.Another just ripped me off.
    He insisted that I pay half via paypal, which I did.
    I was paying for linkbuilding, but he sent me a load of keyword research and asked me to add these keywords, most of which were useless. I ain't gods gift to SEO but I aint bad either, better than most.
    Trouble is that i have designed my website to create these automatically!
    And he couldn't understand this, the dumb MF
    3. A great guy who was fantastic, but just before he was to upload the beatiful site he made.. had to go, and never finished. Returned cash though
    4. The final site was the company who then aked for double the amount.
    All of these companies had good reps.
    Prooblem is the true feedback is not being measured.
    Only successful transactions.
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  5. locdev

    locdev Active Member

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    #5
    show us the bid info you provided
    I've seen so many bids without full info of what is required....
    so maybe coders assume that you will provide full info afther the bid is accepted and when they realize that you don't know what you want they just dissapper?
     
    locdev, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  6. TheVccMatey

    TheVccMatey Peon

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    #6
    Never pay in full if the amount is more than you can't afford to lose it. Maybe half before and half after
     
    TheVccMatey, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  7. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #7
    Not sure.
    I basically asked them to copy a site.
    I think they realized that they were not going to be provided with the coding info.
    Is there a way of killing off acceptance by me afterwards.
    One site was just altering a homepage of a directory and a month later still no show.
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  8. biddersspot

    biddersspot Peon

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    #8
    name the freelancer here..that way when someone google's him others will know he's a rip off
     
    biddersspot, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  9. SEOLinker

    SEOLinker Banned

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    #9
    "I basically asked them to copy a site." Hmm....hmm....
     
    SEOLinker, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  10. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #10
    it was mine!
    But selling a different type of product
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  11. locdev

    locdev Active Member

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    #11
    You asked to copy the site you own?
    or you asked for a "clone" of something popular ?
    --->
    "...I want a basic clone of Youtube ... $500 max bid, 2 weeks deadline"? and when you got the working version of the site after 2 weeks you said that "YouTube allows advanced search functionality and live video brodcasting" the coder disappeared and/or you refused to pay him.
     
    locdev, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  12. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #12
    It was an automotive site and I meant copy in the loosest sense. Most automotive sites are where makes and models can be uploaded. Obviously different graphics text etc. I need about 10 sites built, for eaxmple I need a different site for the Edinburgh office, to encourage local custom.

    You have completely lost me with the You Tube analagy?
    Were you asked to clone You tube then?

    These were simple projects and my gripe is the unreliability. I did not pick the cheapest, nor the dearest, but something in the middle. The feedback was good.

    Freelancer is a great idea but there are fundamental flaws with the process
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  13. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #13
    I don't think that would be fair, or perphaps I am too soft.
    I lost $150 dollars. I don't think he tried to rip me off, but rather, he had his own opinion and would not budge.
    What he wanted was a quick directory submission and a bit of social bookmarking.
    That was that I asked NOT to be done.

    Another one built an odd looking site which looked like an Indian Menu, I kid you not. It was horrific. Being too nice, I said it looked great! Ask long as it worked I could change the graphics after I thought. But the cheeky git asked for double
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  14. locdev

    locdev Active Member

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    #14
    when you want a site with design you need to hire 2 people a designer and a coder
    1st. Choosing designer
    usually designers will provide their portfolio, beginners will provide a mockup for you. so you can choose if it fits your style.
    You need to require valid xhtml code from designer. http://validator.w3.org/ can help you.
    As I imagine the process should be split in 2 phases:
    template phase --> you get PSD template
    xhtml phase --> you get valid xhtml code
    during phase 1 you need to look for the good coder, show him templates and ask for feedback (You will get free review from the tech ppl)

    2nd. Choosing coder
    If you need many dynamic featurs or something specific (not just news, faq, portfolio sections) and you are ready to invest you need to hire two ppl One who will code and another who will review and fix )
    But in your situation you can lower expenses:
    -find a coder who you think can do what you need and with acceptable $$$ rate ask him to show you sites he created, ask to send you code samples of thouse sites (you don't need the whole site code. just one dynamic admin of FrontEnd page).
    -try to verify yourself with w3c, try to contact site owner and ask about the coder
    -find another coder to review the code (I think it is about $5~$15 to review a couple of pages)

    so for example:
    3 days -- design $150~$300+
    5 days -- development $400~$1200+
    total min $550 max $1500 total development 8days ~2b weeks
    -the project is split between different people
    -the project is split in phases
    ==99% of a successfull project ;)

    if you are not ready to spend ~$1000

    you can buy ready template ~$50 and use free CMS (you need to hire someonet to setup CMS ~$200)
    so ~$250 and about 3 days to setup this

    if you are not ready to spend even $250

    you can run a "web development contest" with prizes (~$25~$50) spam some school forums about easy money and be very lucky ;)
    so 3 prize places $10, $20, $50, +$5 to print/send congrat letters
    ~$85 (many versions of the site) 30~60 days

    I know more ways to get the site done below $85 but
    they all are illegal PM me if you want to know :)



    ----

    oh one more thing
    -buy AK74, 30x5,45mm show and tell the coder that you will come and kill him if he fail the project ;) he will work better and faster!!!
     
    locdev, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  15. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #15
    MMM
    Most companies advertise that they offer a total package. If they are any good, they will already have somone.
    One company to do the lot, and to maintain the site in the future. I personally would not entertain using two parties. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
    When you post a job "build a site" thats what you expect, not to get involved in the details.
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  16. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #16
    He's a fool too.
    I have a buget for 10 sites, each a different niche or brand for a different team.
    Could have got far more money off me....
    I would never dream of going back to a customer for more money
     
    Valley, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  17. locdev

    locdev Active Member

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    #17

    I'm an individual I have 10 years experience in web development.
    But i'm not designer nor marketer..... so I rarely bid jobs like "build a site" or "clone smething".
    so the most of such projects are won by beginers who even don't know what they do code or design ;) or a firm.


    note when you hire a firm you hire 3 ppl
    Coder, Designer and their Bozz
    so your $1000 spent --> $300/dev $200/design $500/bozz car&girls

    do you always provide full detailed specifications on the site you want so you can be not involved in the details??????
     
    locdev, Feb 7, 2008 IP
  18. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #18

    Truth is I am not that technically minded. I can SEO one quite well, and design what I want done etc, especially what should happen, where why and how.
    But would not have a clue how to build it.

    What's a BOZZ?
     
    Valley, Feb 8, 2008 IP
  19. SEOLinker

    SEOLinker Banned

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    #19
    bozz = boss
     
    SEOLinker, Feb 8, 2008 IP
  20. Valley

    Valley Peon

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    #20
    Ah!
    BOZZ
    You have conjured up an awful image of a pimp like creature
    in white shoes like a Bollywood Stuntman and a brown shirt, tight brown trousers, sitting on a battered Mercedes with a hooker on each arm.
    $500 dollars
    And I thought DP was boring!
     
    Valley, Feb 9, 2008 IP