oDesk
reviews and complaints

I've been working on ODESK for two years now. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with one of my buyers and some of my co-workers. They made fun of my ethnicity and my disability, which was really hurtful. I decided to complain to ODESK's customer service and their marketplace, hoping to get some help.

According to ODESK's marketplace regulations, they guarantee protection from work and harassment of any form. So, I thought I was in good hands. I submitted my evidence, including pictures and chat transcripts, and waited for the investigation to be completed.

However, without any warning, ODESK suddenly permanently suspended my account. I was shocked and confused. I was the victim and the complaining party, but this is what they did to me.

It seems that ODESK is biased against people who complain about American employers and Filipino co-workers. I'm a Malaysian Christian who works from home because of my disability, but that doesn't mean I'm not useful or independent. ODESK told me that my suspension was permanent and that I couldn't complain anymore. They also said they wouldn't respond to my emails anymore.

They claimed to have warned me, but I never received any warning. Now, my account has been permanently suspended, and I have a pending complaint lodged against my buyer. It's really frustrating that ODESK refuses to rectify this situation.

If you're a disabled person who isn't Indian or Filipino, I would advise you not to apply to ODESK. It seems that their customer service is mostly made up of Filipinos, but their English isn't always great. They speak with a righteous indignation, as if they're Americans, forgetting their beautiful culture.

Overall, my experience with ODESK has been really disappointing. I thought I could trust them to protect me from harassment, but they let me down. I hope they can learn from this and do better in the future.

I haven't used oDesk since September 4th, 2014. The problem I encountered was strange and disrespectful to people who are trying to do the right thing. I created my profile with my real name, real picture, and complete professional background. I don't like to expose my life on social media websites. The website showed that my profile was everything right, absolutely right. My profile said 100% and Checklist Complete. An amazing thing is that I ranked 2nd in the oDesk Readiness Test taken on September 5th, 2014. I was "2nd out of all *** test takers" and completed the test with 8 minutes from the 60 minutes allowed. I also did well on the CSS and HTML5 tests. However, one test that I took yesterday, the Network Concepts Test, is not displaying on my profile. I got a good score on the test, but it is not displaying. I don't know why.

I tried to contact support since my first problem: applying for a job. The support or help oDesk center answered me friendly and fast with one screenshot about my Overview Text. But I found profiles with the same mistake, and they are allowed to work and with old registration. It's fine. We are here to respect the rules. In any case, this rule is not a "real" specified rule, but I want to work and find a solution, not bring up a problem. I made the changes exactly as they said to me, but after a couple of hours, nothing happened. I created another request at the Help oDesk Center with another ticket number, but still nothing. An interesting thing is that I received another email from the contact support center, but without a solution. It says that I need to wait for the answer of the Marketplace Quality team. Although this is important, I need to work. I'm there to start a business, and this "corporation" is just using methods that we know exactly what they are. As someone with a degree in Computer Science and the first computer being a Sinclair ZX81 and still updating, principally in the web branch, it's disgusting to see this situation! I'm in Germany, and many people say that oDesk is a good website for freelancers. But my experience is disgusting. I tried to search, and I found many people around the world with problems at the oDesk website! If we are here to work, we need to work. Great business, 10% and other taxes, profile and personal information, like address, telephone, account bank, for nothing... Be careful. I will wait for an answer about this review, and I hope that oDesk starts to work decently with people who care about work and business!

Odesk is a great site to find jobs, although I personally prefer Elance. However, I still use both sites because Odesk offers me some really good contracts. There are many advantages to using Odesk, such as the large number of clients who are willing to pay good money for quality work. When you have a good rating, clients will invite you to their projects, and some of these invitations can be very lucrative. Overall, the experience on Odesk is good, and the site is fair and doesn't overcharge you or take money from you unnecessarily.

However, there are also some disadvantages to using Odesk. For example, the support team can be slow to respond to tickets. I submitted a ticket five days ago and still haven't received a reply. So, if you need urgent help, you may not get it. Another disadvantage is the high level of competition on the site. Some projects may have 50-200 bidders, which can be discouraging if you know you could do a better job than most of them. Also, there are many clients on Odesk who are looking for someone to work for them for very low rates, such as $1-3 per hour. These clients often expect you to do complex projects, which can be frustrating.

Another issue with Odesk is the system for searching for projects. It's too simple and not very functional. For example, you can't sort projects by the number of bidders to find projects where bidding is reasonable. The working area is also a bit more complicated than it needs to be. Additionally, there is a long waiting time before you can withdraw your funds - up to six days. Even after you withdraw your funds, it can take up to 12-14 calendar days before you receive them in your bank account.

Finally, Odesk places too much emphasis on numbers, such as Odesk hours, tests, and scores. For example, I am fluent in English but make a lot of errors when I write. As a result, I only have a 3/5 score in English, while someone from Asia who can't speak English well may have a score of 4.5. Similarly, I am an expert in Ruby and Rails, but I can't pass their test because they ask questions about how to do something in 10 different ways, even though I only know three of them. This doesn't test my ability to achieve a goal, but rather my memory. Additionally, I have been rejected for several lucrative projects because the client thinks that quality comes with 500-1000 Odesk hours, even though I work on fixed-price projects and have no hours at all.

Despite these disadvantages, I still use Odesk because it has the biggest market share and I can still find good contracts. However, the experience of finding a good contract can be frustrating at times.

Odesk is a website that offers freelancers the opportunity to work on projects for clients all over the world. However, my experience with Odesk was absolutely horrible! I hired a company called Techvalens to update my software on Odesk. They are based in India and I thought they would be a good fit for my project.

The project was supposed to be completed in November of 2013, but six months later, not only was the simple update not completed, but I learned that they did not even know what they were doing in terms of the language update/Internationalization that was being performed. I had an outside firm assist with the language translation strings, and he absolutely blasted Techvalens for their incompetence.

Techvalens does not know how to manage a project, and they are always trying to rush the work to meet milestones and get paid. What you end up with is a project that works in general but has a lot of bugs that they now want to charge you to fix. Totally bogus.

After they were exposed, I asked for the return of my code which I had already paid for. Before returning it, they deleted my users' database and updated the software so that it did not work. Now, my original code had all kinds of errors and it did not work properly. I knew that they had tampered with my code because I had the final demo version on my iPhone, and it worked well with no bugs at all.

I then went to Odesk to complain that the freelancer was withholding my original software code. Odesk has done absolutely nothing but hide behind their dispute resolution team. They promised me in writing that they would freeze the freelancer's account until they gave me my code back. That was a lie. The freelancer gave me bogus software back and then claimed that they did not want to perform any more work. Odesk let them get away with this, and now I was stuck with worthless software that I had originally spent thousands on.

I have filed complaints with the BBB and the Federal Trade Commission. One item to note, Odesk has now merged with Elance. Also, the BBB website is a little misleading. On the face, it only shows you the items that were resolved with the help of the BBB and those items that the company made an effort to resolve. What it does not show you are those items that were not resolved simply because the company (odesk) refused. You have to look for the unresolved items or know where they are.

One final note, to resolve my complaint, I simply asked for my code back, and I asked that Odesk simply remove the freelancer (Techvalens) from the system so that they do not hurt anyone else. They flat out refused. Odesk is only interested in their bottom line. Don't waste your time or money on Odesk.

was not clear enough, but what I meant is that the reason for suspension is private information. However, the fact that an account is suspended is not necessarily private. I apologize if I caused any confusion. As for your client being told that your account is not suspended, I cannot comment on that as I do not have access to that information. All I can say is that our team follows strict privacy policies and we do not share any private information with anyone who is not authorized to receive it. I understand that you are frustrated with the situation, but please know that our team is doing everything we can to resolve this issue in a fair and timely manner. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

I gotta tell you guys about this website I found, it's a real eye-opener. If you're into freelance writing, you gotta check it out. It's called iWriter, and let me tell you, it's a real doozy of a scam.

Now, I know what you're thinking, "But what about all those positive reviews and recommendations?" Don't be fooled, my friends. Those are all part of the scam too. The truth is, iWriter is one of the biggest online scams out there, and it's high time someone exposed them for what they really are.

Luckily, I stumbled upon a website that does just that. It's called the-giant-iwriter-scam.blogspot.ca, and it's a real gem. The site is hilarious and extremely well-written, but more importantly, it's incredibly thorough and comprehensive. It's probably the best resource out there for anyone looking to learn more about the iWriter scam.

And let me tell you, the information you'll find there is shocking. It's not just a few bad apples at iWriter, the whole company is built on fraud and scamming. It's really quite unbelievable.

But don't take my word for it, check out the website for yourself. Spread the word and let's expose iWriter for the scam that it is. It's time for them to be shut down once and for all.

I gotta say, oDesk is a real mixed bag. As a freelance illustrator, I've had some real struggles with finding clients who understand the value of my time and labor. I mean, I'm putting in hours and hours of work to create something beautiful and unique, and it can be really frustrating when clients don't seem to appreciate that.

One of the biggest issues I've had with oDesk is the sheer amount of time I've had to spend applying for jobs. I mean, I'm talking dozens of applications a day, just to try and get my foot in the door. And even when I do get a response, it's often from someone who wants to pay me peanuts for my work.

It's not just me, either. I've seen so many people on this site complaining about how they hired a contractor and got terrible work in return. And honestly, I'm not surprised. You get what you pay for, right? If you're not willing to shell out a decent wage for someone's time and effort, you can't expect them to produce top-quality work.

I've been asking for a wage of 9-11 dollars an hour, which I don't think is unreasonable given the amount of work I'm putting in. But even that seems to be too much for most contractors on this site. They'd rather go for someone cheaper, even if that means hiring someone who doesn't speak their language or understand their culture.

It's frustrating, to say the least. I've actually earned more money through commissioned fanart than I have through oDesk, which is pretty sad when you think about it. But I'm not giving up just yet. I'm hoping that more contractors will start to realize the value of paying a decent wage for quality work. Because honestly, if you're not willing to do that, you deserve whatever shoddy result you end up with.

I gotta say, oDesk is a real piece of work. I mean, where do I even start?

First off, every Monday morning EST, the site is completely unusable. You can't even search for jobs without getting stuck on the same page. It's a real pain in the butt.

And don't even get me started on their agency profile situation. They've been telling us for weeks that they're working on fixing it, but nothing's changed. We have to submit all our applications as freelancers, which is a real hassle.

But that's not even the worst of it. They actually violated the Patriot Act by demanding that we submit a color scan of our US passport. And then they had the nerve to admit that it was their mistake. Unbelievable.

And the harassment? Oh boy. They've interrupted our normal business procedures so many times, it's ridiculous.

And let's talk about the oDesk software they make you download. It's so intrusive, it takes screenshots of your desktop or phone. That's a major security risk for any company.

But the real kicker? They don't even pay you for work you've already done if the client decides to bail on them. That's just not right, whether it's hourly work or a fixed fee job.

Honestly, this website is complete garbage. And have you seen the building they're located in? It's a dump. I don't know what these [censored]s are thinking.

I have had a very bad experience with oDesk and their freelancers. I strongly advise you to stay away from this platform. The majority of the freelancers are dishonest and will promise you the world, but deliver very little. They log in to oDesk and do some superficial work, which they then present as debugging. Even if you don't ask for debugging, they will do it anyway, and charge you for it. This means that even if you are not satisfied with the work they have done, you have no choice but to pay them. The money is automatically deducted from your PayPal account, leaving you with no recourse.

If you try to complain to oDesk, they will tell you to ask the freelancer for a refund. But let's be real, how many freelancers from India or Eastern Europe are going to return your money? It's just a bunch of nonsense that oDesk tells you to make you feel like they care about your problems. In reality, they are just interested in taking your money and leaving you with a subpar product.

I learned my lesson the hard way. I would rather pay $250 per hour to a reputable company than risk losing money and time with oDesk. I hope others will read this review before hiring a freelancer on this platform. Trust me, it's not worth it.

I've been using ODESK for quite some time now and I must say that the system is pretty easy to navigate. However, their customer support is a complete nightmare. They seem to just skim through the surface and are very robotic in their responses. I can't help but think that they are being paid very low wages, which is why they seem so disinterested in helping their customers. They are very arrogant and ignorant, and they seem to be constantly threatening their customers. It's almost impossible to get them to understand even the most basic issues.

I can't help but wonder if the management at ODESK is a bunch of insecure thugs, because their customer support is a reflection of that. It's a shame that they treat their customers this way, because their product is really nothing special. They don't seem to care much about their freelancers either. I would advise anyone not to give them their credit card details, because they can't be trusted. I had to withdraw my credit card use authorization, but they kept using it anyway. I'm now referring the matter to the police for fraud.

As a businessman, I don't have time for this kind of nonsense. The problem is that the people who run the business are just sitting at their desks, probably eating lunch, and not really caring about their customers. They will eventually get what's coming to them. In fact, I may have an opportunity to buy what's left of their business from the liquidators.

Overall, I would say that ODESK is not worth the trouble. Their customer support is terrible, and they don't seem to care about their customers or their freelancers. It's a shame, because their system is actually pretty good. But if they don't change their ways, they will eventually go out of business.

Odesk is a freelancing platform that I would not recommend to anyone. As a freelancer who has worked on the platform for over 4000 hours and completed 30+ successful contracts, I can say with responsibility that there is no secure future on Odesk.

My experience with Odesk has been terrible, and I want to share my story with others so that they can avoid the same mistakes I made. In 2014, my job applications started going into the hidden tab, which is the worst feature of Odesk client profile. If your application starts appearing in this tab, it means that you are not going to be hired anymore.

I contacted the support team to find out what was going on, but they were not helpful. The first time I contacted them, they said they had some private issues and could not tell me about them. The second time I contacted them, they said I was involved in a dispute, but when I checked my dispute section, there was not even a single threat.

The third time I contacted them, they told me to keep applying, and I would get hired. However, I was not hired even after six months. Now, my applications are not showing anywhere on Odesk.

I would advise everyone not to join Odesk. Maybe in the beginning, you will get a job, and you think you can make a successful career on Odesk. But after that, there will be nothing for you. Don't waste your time with Odesk. It is truly the worst freelancing platform out there.

Thank you for reading my review.

Unknown.

Not good.

I've had a pretty bad experience with oDesk. It seems like everyone on the site has a high rating, but in reality, a lot of the freelancers are just students from third-world countries who don't really care about the quality of their work or communication.

Here's what usually happens: You post a job and immediately get bombarded with offers from Indian or Bangladeshi freelancers who don't even have the skills you're looking for. Or if you're a freelancer, you'll get clients who want you to work for next to nothing and be available 24/7.

I've come across so many strange people on this site. Some of them have even sent me personal photos and demanded upfront payments without any proof of their previous work. And when I've given them a chance, they either do terrible work or try to scam me. One time, a freelancer even hijacked my server!

If you're a freelancer, try to stick to clients who have spent over $20,000 and are mostly from Australia, the UK, or the US. They're usually companies looking for outsourced work, and they tend to be more professional. And if you're a client, I'd recommend staying away from oDesk altogether. You're probably just going to get ripped off.

This website is really bad.

Their support is unprofessional and it takes them forever to respond. I think there are only a few people working there and some of them might be from India or something. They can't even form proper sentences and their requests are ridiculous.

I signed up for oDesk to hire a personal assistant and a developer who wanted to start using the platform. I registered my account and tried to post a job, but it took me two days and two calls to customer support because the gig wasn't generating. Eventually, everything was okay.

I had a job posting for a personal assistant, another for my developer, and later I hired a social media assistant. But then, out of nowhere, they suspended my account for no reason. The message said to contact customer support, but I couldn't reach them on the phone. And while my account was suspended, they still took money out of my account.

So now my money is gone, my jobs aren't done, and it took them three days to respond to my issue. They only started to act on it once I blocked all money transfers. And now, for over a month, I have a big "FINANCIAL ACCOUNT SUSPENDED" notice next to my name. My assistants aren't working, my jobs aren't done, and my reputation is suffering.

Thanks a lot, oDesk, for being such a terrible website.