Hello,
A few weeks ago something who has almost ruined my business happened. I'm a 25 years old pretty new entrepreneur, programmer and also have my own web development business in Romania and Uk.
I have had a profile on freelancer.com which i have used in the past as a hobby but now i was just checking that for big projects just to find serious people -customers who needs web development works. With many of them i did meet all over the world and speaking only good things about the website i got their contact from.
My profile was pretty impressive, i have had more than 150 GREAT reviews and everything was great until the moment when i got an email ( i was in a meeting in Riga/Latvia, with a customer who s as well from freelancer.com and who just awarded me his project) and i got an email saying i'm banned due too low completion of projects rate- this reason i figured it out a little bit later.
Initially i thought i was a scamm, i'm a very serious guy and i hate to waste the time or scam people or doing cheates. After serveral tickets and trying to find even a contact number to this company in order to call them and explain them who i am and this might be a 100% mistake, but everything without no chance.
After several tickets sent to them they just claim clear, your account is banned with the reason i've written it up.
What is strange is, many people specially indians, they do small projects and get a review for each work they do, i didint did that and many customers paid me outside or just awarded me the project there and then we have meet and have a long term business commitment with the payments via wire or paypal.
I told them it could be really nice for me to have all the customers inside GAF and get thousands of reviews instead of only 150 during the time i was checking and bidding on some projects! but this is it, they claimed clear and simply .. my activity wasnt so good, thats mean i;m a cheater or a scammer!
I was speaking with many customers and put them to send a ticket to prove them i'm an honest guy and we work since months or years and its nothing about unfair or unseriousity with me or my companies! NO CHANCE WITH THIS AS WELL!
I told them i'm ready to come even to their office in Australia (if they are there) to meet them and give them all the proves they need just to UNDERSTAND ONE FOREVER ITS NOT FAIR TO CANCEL an account for which i've worked more than 5 years ago.
I'm not leaving so much from that website but its pretty hard when you feel unguilty to lose everything in a few minutes, a 5 years profile background of real and honest work WITH REFERENCES AND ONLY GOOD IMPRESSIONS!!!
Now, i just sent another ticket to them asking at least to give me my profile background- the reviews i have had so i can place them on my website and also asked if i can start from the begining...
I still trust this is a serious company and they will reveal my user account, again i was ready and i'm ready even to fly to them or give them explanations about each project i did there, cause everything was fair, clearly and very seriously and professional done through their website!
I think i'm almost ready to start a big war against this company cause at least to not treat their active and serious customers as they did with me, the funny thing is, some of my friends-top providers as well ..they had their account closed also but they got it up after some weeks! this is a scam!?!?!? this is a try !?!?! this is something strange here!
I ll not say all the fees were paid at day, i was gold members since 5 years ... i was bagining people to pay me via gaf just to be sure i ll get the money and they took %% fee for each transaction.
I have many good ranked websites over the internet and i still don't want to post a complain and speak about this company on my websites because this might affect their business more or less, i'm not saying that just to attract them or say i'm the best, its just not fair freelancer.com guys!!!
I wish i could meet one from the heads someday!
Again, i'm still trusting in a release of this issue! still hope in freelancer as it was leaded by the sweeden company before.
I wish my name to be confident, please accept that
Account name: excelence