I needed an Android app designed and I've no idea how to do it myself. I've used websites before to get other work done, such as website help I was stuck on. I decided to give Odesk.com a try. It's a website where I post a job, people bid on the job.
What a scam / rip-off!
I have a decent idea for an app, which I don't see out there currently. There is another device that can do what my app would do, but this is a piece of hardware for $20, when I could design the app and sell it for 99 cents.
So, I posted my job and hired someone in India. He assured me he could do what I needed. We communicated on what I wanted and I accepted his bid. My app is something small and simple, so I don't think a lot of work is required, hence the low price I was hoping to get the work done for.
I was required to pay 20% in advance, which wasn't that much, so I did it.. less than $30. I figured that was a good deal. I pay a few bucks up front to show I am serious. Another website holds the money in escrow. Not this website.
About a week or a week and a half go by and I ask the guy how things are coming along. I had given my project a deadline to be finished by next month. No answer from the person, but a few days later he replies that my app is all done, here you go, job marked as finished.
First off, how the hell can someone just mark a job as completed just because some other guy says it is? What about me? I don't get a say on whether it's completed or not?
I was surprised he finished it. I was thinking it would be something I could alpha or beta test. If things went well I would provide a splash screen he could insert in the beginning. But to my surprise it booted up with a name and a logo already.
He STOLE the software from another website! Just typing the name of the app in the web pulls up their website. The app doesn't even do what I want. Sure, it has similar elements, but it doesn't do what I want. All he did was rename their APK to my name.
The seller will not respond and Odesk not will refund my money. They warn you to not make a pre payment of any amount, yet they allow people to request a pre payment and their system allows you to pay, even though no work was finished.
I have an investigation going on with Odesk. If they spend two seconds they'd see that the guy stole the software and could refund my money. That could take awhile, so I went ahead and filed a claim with my credit card company, lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Anyway, I thought I'd warn people not to use this site. I've used freelancer.com before, previously vworker.com, previously rentacoder.com with no issues, but since they switched to freelancer.com I think their rates went up is why I don't use them and am looking for another place.
If anyone knows a place to get an app designed for a fair price (not game), lemme know.
What a scam / rip-off!
I have a decent idea for an app, which I don't see out there currently. There is another device that can do what my app would do, but this is a piece of hardware for $20, when I could design the app and sell it for 99 cents.
So, I posted my job and hired someone in India. He assured me he could do what I needed. We communicated on what I wanted and I accepted his bid. My app is something small and simple, so I don't think a lot of work is required, hence the low price I was hoping to get the work done for.
I was required to pay 20% in advance, which wasn't that much, so I did it.. less than $30. I figured that was a good deal. I pay a few bucks up front to show I am serious. Another website holds the money in escrow. Not this website.
About a week or a week and a half go by and I ask the guy how things are coming along. I had given my project a deadline to be finished by next month. No answer from the person, but a few days later he replies that my app is all done, here you go, job marked as finished.
First off, how the hell can someone just mark a job as completed just because some other guy says it is? What about me? I don't get a say on whether it's completed or not?
I was surprised he finished it. I was thinking it would be something I could alpha or beta test. If things went well I would provide a splash screen he could insert in the beginning. But to my surprise it booted up with a name and a logo already.
He STOLE the software from another website! Just typing the name of the app in the web pulls up their website. The app doesn't even do what I want. Sure, it has similar elements, but it doesn't do what I want. All he did was rename their APK to my name.
The seller will not respond and Odesk not will refund my money. They warn you to not make a pre payment of any amount, yet they allow people to request a pre payment and their system allows you to pay, even though no work was finished.
I have an investigation going on with Odesk. If they spend two seconds they'd see that the guy stole the software and could refund my money. That could take awhile, so I went ahead and filed a claim with my credit card company, lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Anyway, I thought I'd warn people not to use this site. I've used freelancer.com before, previously vworker.com, previously rentacoder.com with no issues, but since they switched to freelancer.com I think their rates went up is why I don't use them and am looking for another place.
If anyone knows a place to get an app designed for a fair price (not game), lemme know.
