Today Writing Frump reminded us of one of the most important reasons for our freelance writing community: to band together and keep each other informed.

Since posting a short exposé on GigCrib, she has been getting many comments from her readers, but she is also worried about how many others have been taken in by GigCrib's fake ads. She has therefore implored the rest of us to post about it and help spread the word about GigCrib.

GigCrib appears to be an affiliate of GoFreelance, a company I have blogged about several times before:

1. The very first post about Freelance Work Exchange's possible scam
2. A rant about FWE's habit of spamming the job boards
3. An announcement about FWE changing their name to GoFreelance
4. An email from Rob Palmer about my blog posts and some information on GigCrib.com
5. New information about a potential GoFreelance.com scam
6. Rob Palmer's failure to keep his word
7. GoFreelance's new policy of stealing resumes

My posts regarding Freelance Work Exchange and GoFreelance.com still attract a lot of search engine traffic, and I am still getting many emails and comments from people sharing their stories or just thanking me for posting these warnings. In fact, I just received two emails this weekend, so Writing Frump's request came at an opportune time.

I advise all freelance writers to stay far, far away from Freelance Work Exchange, GoFreelance.com, and GigCrib.com. Not only is it completely unnecessary to pay membership fees in order to find work, these sites are also potential scams that typically make it next to impossible for you to cancel your membership!

Labels: scams

Thanks to one of my readers, I've discovered one of GoFreelance.com's new scammy tactics: Posting writers' resumes on their site, without the writers' permission and regardless of whether the writers are actually members.

The possible scams perpetuated by GoFreelance.com, a.k.a. Freelance Work Exchange, has been an ongoing topic on my blog. You can read the saga here:

1. The very first post about Freelance Work Exchange's possible scam
2. A rant about FWE's habit of spamming the job boards
3. An announcement about FWE changing their name to GoFreelance
4. An email from Rob Palmer about my blog posts
5. New information about a potential GoFreelance.com scam
6. Rob Palmer's failure to keep his word

Last night, I heard from a fellow writer with some new information: Apparently she Googled her name and discovered her resume on GoFreelance.com. She has attempted to contact them about having her resume removed, but has not yet been able to get anything done, so she emailed me for information about contacting Rob Palmer.

This is a dishonest and scammy thing to do in several ways. First, Rob Palmer is using people's resumes without permission, which is technically copyright infringement. Second, and probably more importantly, he is misleading potential employers by making them think that these writers are affiliated with GoFreelance.com.

I suggest that everyone Google their names and make sure their resumes aren't listed on GoFreelance.com or Freelance Work Exchange. Please spread the word, too, and make sure that other writers you know are aware of the situation!

Labels: scams

Watch out for Vindale Research — the word on the street is that they may be part of a big scam.

Today Michael ran across one of their ads on Craigslist.org (which has since been flagged, thankfully). Basically, they are running one of those operations where you get paid for writing reviews of products.

Thankfully, Michael asked my opinion before completing the application, which — as it turns out — requires credit card information as "verification." Unsurprisingly, there are numerous instances reported online of people's cards being charged without authorization as a result of their "employment" with Vindale Research.

Also, it sounds like reviewers are having to buy the products with their own money up front, and then aren't getting getting paid as agreed by Vindale Research.

Here are some links to forum threads and other pages with information on Vindale Research:

Report with SurveyPolice.com — Only 37 percent of users received the promised incentives (read: payment), and 49 percent of users reported being misled by the company when they signed up!

Freesamplesite.com forum thread — One user reported an erroneous charge on her credit card, which Vindale Research denied responsibility for. She was able to get the company whose product she was reviewing to reverse the charge, but only after threatening to call the Better Business Bureau!

Hotcouponworld.com forum thread — Reveals that Vindale Research charges a membership fee for providing you with survey work.

Volition.com forum thread — A myriad of complaints, from membership fees to unauthorized charges to users' credit cards. A couple of people even reported never getting paid ... even though they had paid for their review products out-of-pocket!

I think most of my readers know better than to "write" for a potential scammer like Vindale Research, but I wanted to help spread the word, just in case!

Labels: scams

If you wrote, edited, or did any other work for Laray Carr (a.k.a. LCP) and did not get paid, you may find this article helpful:

More Than One Way to Expose a Deadbeat by Angela Hoy

In this article, Angela Hoy expands on the options available to you if you are unable to collect payment. As Angela says, "There are ways to make a publisher pay, if not in money, in embarrassment."

Unfortunately for the contractors who worked with Laray Carr, the likelihood of ever seeing a penny of what is owed you is most likely nil. Embarrassment may be the only option you have left.

I encourage all of the LCP writers and contractors to take the following steps outlined by Angela in her article...and then send her the URLs, as she requests! Once those URLs appear on WritersWeekly.com, practically the entire writing community will know about Laray Carr, Quincy Carr, and its crimes.

To repeat warnings found on other sites, Laray Carr is continuing to hire (and, apparently, not pay) under different company names. Be wary of working for companies under any of the following names:

* Laray Carr
* LCP
* Quincy Carr
* CMCGroup or CMC Group
* Bobby Carlson
* liveweb
* Duemark
* MNT Management
* NathanNetMan

Unfortunately, the "mastermind" behind this company (most likely Quincy Carr) is a chameleon and adept at changing names as quickly as we can catch up. However, he can easily be identified by the typos and grammatical errors in his ads, and his hard-line refusal to use Escrow, make payments throughout the course of a large project, or make any other good-will or confidence-inspiring concessions.

If you have been denied payment by Laray Carr or someone you think might be Laray Carr in disguise, I hope you will take Angela's advice: Post your complaints on the many various sites she suggests, and email her with the URLs. With someone like Quincy Carr, you need more Internet coverage than you can get with your blogs alone!

Labels: scams

Stephanie Todd, to whom I wrote an apology the other day, just had Deb post a letter on her blog. Stephanie, Hope Hunt, and Shadra Bruce -- all contractors hired by Laray Carr (a.k.a. LCP) -- have dug up some interesting information. The gist is that it seems even more likely now that LCP is Quincy Carr's attempt to scam investors.

It also seems there is another theory, that Quincy Carr is also a stolen identity. Although I admit that is possible, I also wonder how that would explain the previous scam Quincy Carr has been accused of, and the fact that Thelma Smith's name and address is connected to Quincy in both instances.

At any rate, Stephanie has provided contact information and a form letter those who want to report Laray Carr to the authorities. I hope everyone who has been screwed over by this company does so. The more voices speak out against Laray Carr, the better.

Also, as I noted in an earlier post, Laray Carr appears to be posting further ads under a new name, CMCGROUP, and in some cases the username liveweb. It appears the "company" is simply starting all over again. It amazes me that not only did they underestimate our ability to figure it out -- they also are grossly underestimating our ability to do something about it now that we have!

Labels: scams

It sounds like Laray Carr may now be operating under the name CMCGROUP. Please scroll down for an update with more information about CMCGROUP's ads.

I've posted several posts on the Laray Carr potential scam: an initial post describing the issue, a warning that the company's owner was allegedly involved in prior scams, and an announcement that the LCP writers did not get paid.

Since the writers have been fired, I have received several anonymous comments providing me with more information on the Laray Carr situation. According to my anonymous friend, Laray Carr is now posting job ads on elance under the name CMCGROUP. Although I cannot access the ads, not being a member of the site, the commenter says that the ads are seeking web designers, managing editors, and legal counsel. No ads for writers...yet.

Until we have more information on Laray Carr, I think the whole operation is rather suspicious. Therefore, I would like to advise lawyers, web designers, editors, and writers to avoid CMCGROUP until there is definite evidence that they are not a scam! If you do choose to work with them, however, make sure your contract has the company name and information and guarantees that you'll be paid — no ifs, ands, or buts.

Additionally, any further information on CMCGROUP — information provided by those running the ads, names, and/or websites — can be left in the comments below.

Update -- October 2, 2007:

One of CMCGROUP's ads has been reproduced on Writer Beware. Check this out -- Laray Carr (if it is them, which it sounds like it is) is trying to get a pro bono lawyer so they can sue us for discussing their nonpayment! Ha!

Buyer: cmcgroup (44 projects posted, 4 Awarded)
Credit Card confirmed
Provider can contact buyer More info
Budget: Prefer not to disclose
Bids Received: 1 Bids (Average Bid: Sealed)
Posted: 09/27/2007 16:35 EST
Bidding Close: 7 d, 22 h+ (Ends: 10/09/2007 19:22 EST)

Project Details:

Our company is currently seeking a Company Legal Counsel that could do some pro-bono work for our new firm to help us with legal issues that have hurt our company's growth and business dealings. The ideal position would be to advise on legal issues both business, and litigation in defamation cause on unwarranted slander of our company which has cause unforeseen and unwarranted problems. We would ask for you to writer cease and decease letters, be the legal counsel for the company on these matters, and also business contracts, and even filing of law suits if needed. These actions will help the company proceed to it's potential of a $15 - $20 MM firm.

Once you help us with these issues and we resolve the legal issues hurting our company we would sign to a 6 month corporate counsel position with our company in the advise of business practices, and legal protection and other issues. The contract and payment would be discussed at a later time. After the pro-bono period we would offer a 6-month contract at $5000 per month for legal services.

Also, a commenter on Deb's Freelance Writing Jobs posted part of one of CMCGROUP's ads. The following snippet is from the payment terms as described on the ad:

- I will not use a third part escrow system.
- Please do not ask for advance payments or miles stones; please do not ask for some payment after you complete one, two, or three sites. I have been there and done that and was ripped off. Sorry just like bad buyers there are providers who lie about their skills, work, and take peoples money. I lose money you loose work. I rather have my $2000 in my hand.
- You must meet the first deadline. At that deadline all sources files must be delivered on time. You must meet the second deadline at that point all sources files must be delivered. I will require our people to test your work before payment and we will ask you to fix any problems before we pay out.
- You will be paid in full through Pay Pal, or Bank Transfer. No Western Union or Money Gram.
- Must provide samples of your work and do a mock up to show design quality.

The typos are characteristic of Laray Carr/LCP correspondence, as are the short deadline and the flat refusal to work with contractors for more favorable terms. (You may remember that one or two writers reported that when they questioned the lack of company information on LCP's contracts, they were immediately threatened with removal from the list of writers.)

I searched for the ad and found it on Scriptlance.com as well. The ad is posted there under the username liveweb. My advice is to steer clear of liveweb, CMCGROUP, Laray Carr, and anyone else who shows this little respect for contractors.

Labels: scams, writers beware

The buzz on the street is that none of the contractors employed by Laray Carr have gotten paid.

Hope Hunt posted on Writer Beware that she has not been paid, and an anonymous commenter on my blog stated that the other contractors haven't either — including, perhaps, Stephanie Todd and Shadra Bruce.

As per my anonymous commenter:

...Everyone is discouraged and confident that payment will never be seen since there has been no response from LCP since Friday.... It seems everyone was lied to at this point and we all feel incredibly naieve, ignorant, used and abused.

The comments made me sad, more than anything else. As a result, I feel compelled to say that I'm really sorry. As militant as I was about this whole thing, I would have happily eaten my words regarding Laray Carr if I could have seen some of my new friends paid.

I know Stephanie doesn't count as one of those "new friends." I know there is some bad blood between us now, thanks to the catfight on the FWJ thread. Honestly, though, Anonymous's comments have reminded me that Hope, Stephanie, and the others are not the bad guys here. Perhaps you guys believed in LCP a little too much, but it doesn't mean that you didn't get burned as badly as anyone else.

In fact, I would hazard to say that you guys got the shortest end of the stick. The writers were throwaways, true, but you guys were scapegoats. If Laray Carr is a scam — as I still think is possible — they put you in a position where you had to defend the company in order to try to preserve your own reputations. Perhaps worse, they set you up so that you would take the fall for their missteps, enabling them to simply hire someone else and start fresh.

With that in mind, I'd like to offer a public but heartfelt apology to Stephanie for the exchange on FWJ the other night. I'd also like to apologize to Hope for blasting her on FWJ when she first arrived weeks ago. If there are any others of LCP's contractors that I've unknowingly had words with or otherwise insulted, I'm sorry for that too.

Maintaining anger and blame is exhausting, to say the least. Let's not wear ourselves out by blaming each other. We have enough "real" bad guys to deal with as it is.

Labels: freelancing, payment issues, scams

I posted two posts not too long ago on the suspicious publishers Laray Carr (a.k.a. LCP) and the suspected scammer Quincy Carr (a.k.a. Quincy LaRay Carr). As a basic summary, the company was supposedly publishing 30-plus magazines in September (didn't happen), but the writers got suspicious and discovered that Quincy Carr has been accused of being a scammer before.

It appears the (Laray) Carr ride is over... Or is it?

The LCP writers did NOT get paid. On Tuesday of last week, the writers received a mass mailing of rejection letters. There seems to be some confusion over whether ALL of the writers were "rejected," but to the best of my knowledge we have yet to hear from any writer who is still working with LCP.

(According to Stephanie Todd, a contractor working with the Laray Carr Company, six or seven writers were offered the opportunity to become regular contributors, while the rest were rejected. However, on Writer Beware a couple of writers claimed they were asked to become regular contributors, but that LCP did not follow through: The first of the two said she was still sent the same rejection letter as everyone else, and the other commented that they were not responding to her emails.)

Interestingly, the signer on the rejection letter was a Mr. Dean Person. The name on the contract the writers were given, however, was a Mr. David Person. Does Laray Carr really have two Mr. Persons working for them, or did they make the guy up and then forget to double check with "D" name they had given him?

Supposedly, the LCP writers were rejected because their work was cr*p. I have very mixed feelings about this, as I have to admit that I'm not sure the quality was all that good. I've seen one of the articles, and it had spelling and grammatical errors sprinkled throughout; I also noticed that some of the writers had frequent errors in their comments and correspondence. However, note that I said some, whereas to the best of our knowledge ALL of the writers were rejected.

Also — and I think this is important — most of the writers were asked to turn out 10 or more articles, of 1,000 or 2,000 words, in several days' time. Under this kind of pressure, I can understand that the hurry might engender more mistakes than a writer might normally make.

Third, all of the writers who were expecting payment had already had their work accepted. No one complained about their spelling or grammar; on the contrary, they were told when and how they would be paid.

Finally, while LCP is claiming the quality of the work as grounds for rejection, their website and correspondence are littered with errors. You can see some of them in the rejection letter that was sent around. You can see more on the newest version of Laray Carr's website, which Victoria Strauss quotes in the comments on her Writer Beware post:

It begins:
"Creating Publications.........people can relate too"

It continues:

"Creating publications people can relate too, understand the daily affects of life, and social issues facing our readers. We hold high standards for editorial quality."

Un-frickin'-believable. Or, given what's already happened, maybe not.

While I admit I have seen errors in the comments, correspondence, and work of some of the LCP writers, none of it compares to the problems in Laray Carr's own correspondence and on their site.

Laray Carr's editors haven't been paid. Last week on Deb's Freelance Writing Jobs, Stephanie Todd told us that the editors were getting paid for their work; the reason the writers weren't, she said, was because their contracts stated they would only be paid for work that was published. Her comment from the FWJ thread was:

and also, the company had absolutely no problem paying the editors or designers for work that was INCOMPLETE and work they will never use.

because they were full aware that the contracts for them said they get paid to do the work, not if it is used, published or not.

However, it appears the editors haven't been paid, as one commenting on my second blog post about LCP:

Not only did the writers get screwed (they only lost a day or two of work and from what I hear about $50) but the "editors" like myself, put in 6 weeks of full time work for what was supposed to be $5,000.

Makes you wonder what the truth is, doesn't it?

Apparently, Hope and the other contractors haven't been paid either. Hope posted a long comment on the Writer Beware post the other day; among other things, she said she had not been paid. Her exact words were:

My contract expired 4 weeks ago and per my contract my pay date was net 15 days. I have not been paid a dime and have continued to work because I believe in LCP and what their plan is/was. I have no guarantee of every getting paid and have essentially donated these last four weeks as there is no existing contractual agreement between myself and the company.

I find this interesting, as I was pretty sure someone posted somewhere that Hope said she'd been paid. That was weeks ago, though; perhaps Hope was fibbing, either because she "believed in LCP" or because they told her to.

More recently, though, Stephanie indicated that she was having "no issues regarding payment" from Laray Carr:

I quoted them a large sum of money (which includes the cost of my company hiring several new employees and increasing our office space) to take on this monumental task, one I thought they would not be willing to accept- but to my surprise and delight, my company has experienced no issues regarding payment.

I'm not sure whether Stephanie was meaning to say that she has received payment or that LCP agreed to it, but considering the context — she was trying to defend Laray Carr from accusations of being a scam — it sounds more like she is saying she has actually received money from them. However, according to an anonymous commenter on my blog, that may not be the case:

Also, Stephanie Todd is a contract worker, as is Hope Hunt, both of whom are trying to figure out this mess. Whatever this is, a bad business venture or not, they had nothing but good intentions when they started and are also out a lot of money.

The entire thing is all very confusing. Personally, I think it is quite possible that in their fervor to defend Laray Carr and refute the scam accusations, both Hope and Stephanie may have suggested that they'd been paid when they actually hadn't.

Is Laray Carr a scam? Honestly, I can't say for sure whether they are — but I can't say for sure that they're not, either. A lot of people have gotten burned by LCP, including — it seems — the company's most dedicated defenders. However, it still looks to me to be enough like a scam that I'd warn my worst enemy to keep their distance.

My advice: If you had sent articles to Laray Carr, you now have documentation proving that you own the rights and can sell them at will. However, I would keep Googling the articles occasionally, and make sure they don't turn up anywhere without your permission, as I wouldn't trust Quincy Carr any further than I could throw him! If you want to set up a Google Alert to email you if your article ever shows up, you can do so here.

Also, I recommend contacting the police. This name and number for the local police in Terrell (where Quincy's addresses are all located) was posted on the Writer Beware thread:

Sergeant Ken McCann
972 551 6622

Another writer on the same thread apparently contacted a couple of local papers, who expressed interest in the story.

In other words, there are still things you can do. Maybe you won't ever see the money Laray Carr promised you, but you can protect yourself by watching out for your articles, and possibly even bring about justice by contacting the authorities and the media in Quincy's area. Even word-of-mouth on the Internet can help, as it will ensure that no one gets screwed by LCP again.

Finally, whether or not you were involved with the Laray Carr fiasco, learn from the experience: Make sure you only work under contract terms that are favorable to you. Negotiating a kill fee provision into your contract will make sure that you get paid even if your work doesn't get published. Likewise, you can insist the payment date being at publication or in six months, whichever comes first.

Labels: scams

I just ran across something that seems to indicate an even greater likelihood of Laray Carr (LCP) being a scam. Apparently, Quincy Carr is a proven scammer.

This also explains the company's connection to the address. In my last post about Laray Carr, I mentioned the confusing contact information writers had been given. A company address turned out to be a rental that was neither owner nor rented by anyone in association with the company. No one could figure out what the company's connection was with this address, and it was making everyone suspicious.

As it turns out, it's even worse than we suspected. Thelma Smith, the little old lady who rents the house, is apparently Quincy Carr's grandmother. Her name is listed in connection with another scam run by Quincy Carr.

I wonder what Hope Hunt's relationship is with Quincy Carr and Thelma Smith? Is she actually getting paid for her work with LCP, and is she knowingly helping with a scam? I guess we may never know the answers to those questions. However, it is looking more and more unlikely that any of those writers who worked with Laray Carr will ever get paid.

Labels: clients, payment issues, scams, writers beware

I have been active in threads on other blogs about Laray Carr (a.k.a. LCP) and Hope Hunt, but I have not added to my own blog about this potential scam. After reading the newest comments today, I decided to go ahead and post a warning on my own blog.

First of all, here are the other threads:

* Comments on Deb's Freelance Writing Jobs

* More comments on Deb's Freelance Writing Jobs

* A post and comments on Deb's Freelance Writing Jobs

* A post and comments on Writer Beware

* A post and comments on A Musing Scribe

Here are the details:

* LCP is launching 30-some magazines at once. According to those who have worked in the publishing business, this is not just impossible, but laughably so.

* A couple of weeks ago, Laray Carr was running ads asking for lots of articles on short notice. The deadline was something like the end of August, to my memory, and launch/payment was to be in mid-September.

* Although I haven't seen the ads myself, apparently LCP was advertising $50 for 500 words. However, many writers have reported being offered a different rate when they applied. Reports vary from $50 for 1,000 words, $50 for 1,500 words, and $50 for 2,000 words.

* Fifty bucks for 500 words isn't bad. Fifty bucks for 1,500 or 2,000 words sucks. To make it even worse, LCP reportedly was asking for fact sheets and contact information for experts, as well. That's an awful lot of work for gas money!

* From what I understand, the contract takes all rights until the articles were published. Thirty days after publication, resale rights reverted to the writer. However, the way it was described to me, it sounds like LCP can basically hold the articles forever and never pay the writers.

* Aside from the blatant unfairness of the contract terms, the contract did not state the company name or contact information. Writers who complained or asked for that information to be included were subsequently removed (or threatened with removal) from the company's list of writers.

* Laray Carr had no company website until very recently -- it was created a week ago, in fact, just about the time people started raising suspicions. There is nothing there, though, supposedly because they haven't paid the designers, so the designers haven't released the work.

* The fax number given to the writers is registered to a steam-cleaning company. Hope Hunt recently admitted in comments on Writer Beware that they're using her husband's business's fax number.

* Laray Carr is supposedly owned by a multi-millionaire ex-football player, but Hope Hunt and others won't say who the owner is.

* No one can find information on Laray Carr, even though companies are legally required to file their articles of incorporation, which would then become public record.

* LCP is apparently threatening writers and website/forum owners with legal action for voicing their concerns (or publishing writers' concerns).

Here are the issues.

Needless to say, writers who have signed on with Laray Carr are worried about the possibility of this turning out to be a scam. Here are my concerns:

* The records for tracing them are confusing, and maybe even dead ends. People are getting different addresses for everything: WHOIS records, the steam cleaning company, etc. Someone paid Intellius for a reverse address check, and the address they were given has someone else's name on it -- it's a residence. All of this means it'll be difficult to track these guys down if they don't pay as promised.

* They demanded lots of work all at once, before anyone actually got paid. Many scams will demand lots of work in a short period of time, so that by the time you find out you're not getting paid, you've already been drained dry. This sounds an awful lot like the same stunt to me.

* The way the contract is written, they can retain all rights to the work until they publish, yet publish the work elsewhere without telling (or paying). The way the contract is written is quite sneaky. From what I understand, if the magazine deal doesn't happen, Laray Carr still gets all rights until they've had a chance to publish the work -- and the writer doesn't get paid until it's published. Even if they're legit, they can simply hold the work hostage forever without paying the writer. If they're not legit, they can claim the magazine deal didn't work out, and then quietly publish the work elsewhere; if the writer doesn't know, and s/he is honest, s/he will be prohibited from reselling the work to anyone else (which would provide competition for LCP's content).

* They are using legal threats to try to prevent writers from speaking out. This is another thing you often see from scammers: They make empty legal threats to try to frighten writers from telling others about their experiences. When Micah started asking questions and voicing her concerns, Hope showed up on the thread and accused her of spreading lies. It seemed to me she was strongly hinting that what Micah was doing was wrong -- even though all Micah was doing was asking other writers for information and advice! Shortly afterward, I heard that LCP was threatening writers with legal action for speaking out.

Here is the problem with that. As long as the writers are either 1) stating the facts, or 2) clearly stating their opinion, they are entitled to speak (or write) freely. Despite what any company may tell you, as long as you stick to the facts and/or state your opinions clearly as such, you are not committing libel. Don't let LCP or anyone else scare you into thinking otherwise!

Conclusion and recommendations:

There has been a lot of debate over whether it can actually be said yet that LCP is scamming writers. As far as I'm concerned, as of this moment they are not proven scammers -- but I will not be surprised at all if it turns out they are. Some of Laray Carr's policies and practices make me suspect a scam, such as their refusal to put company information on the contract, their push for as many articles as possible in a short period of time, and the general lack of information about the company.

Even if Laray Carr is not a scam, though, in my opinion they are a bad deal for writers, and someone you should stay away from. I would never accept a client who advertises one rate, and then offers another. Likewise, you should never work with someone who keeps demanding more work without increasing your pay as well. But most importantly, never work with anyone who refuses to give you contact information -- you should always have a way (other than email) to contact your clients, just in case!

Please click here for an update with new information on Laray Carr, LCP, and Quincy Carr.

Labels: clients, payment issues, scams, writers beware

Several months ago, Rob Palmer emailed me regarding my blog posts regarding GoFreelance.com, formerly known as Freelance Work Exchange or FreelanceWorkExchange.com. I had complained about the possibility that Freelance Work Exchange is a scam, the annoying false job ads they post, and the change in the company's name.

Rob Palmer has commented on those posts, claiming that anyone with complaints can contact him directly. Back in June, when he emailed me, I asked if I could post his email address on my blog, so that dissatisifed GoFreelancers could contact him. He said I could, so you can find Rob Palmer's email address toward the bottom of this post.

Unfortunately, it seems like this attempt to repair his reputation was just as much of a scam as his company appears to be. Not to long ago, a disillusioned GoFreelancer commented that despite the fact that she had cancelled her subscription before the 7-day trial ended, she still was charged the full price the following month. She was going to try contacting Rob Palmer via the email address he allowed me to post.

Late last night, the disillusioned GoFreelancer visited again, commenting this time that she has received no response to her emails, despite using the email address Rob Palmer specifically told me to post for this purpose! She is now attempting to fight the charge via PayPal.

As far as I am concerned, Rob Palmer has burned his last bridge with me. I don't care what he emails me with from now on. He has proven to me that he is a scammer and a cheat, and has no intention of ever changing. My advice: Stay away from Freelance Work Exchange, GoFreelance.com, and any other potential scam this guy comes up with!

As a side note, my disgruntled GoFreelancer also mentioned that she is complaining to PayPal about the fact that they still do transactions for this guy. I think this is a great idea, and I'm thinking about doing it myself, using my blog posts and other links to back up my complaint. I'd like my fellow freelancers to take some action, too, so in the next week I am going to try to put together a form complaint letter to PayPal that can be copied and pasted from my blog. Look for it next Monday!

Labels: scams

Back in June, I posted a couple of warnings about email scams that are going around. You get an email claiming someone sent you an ecard, only the site that you are directed to actually downloads spyware or malware onto your computer. At first, the scam was using a really hokey-sounding website. Then they tried pretending the email was from a real ecard site, but the link actually took you to an IP address.

Unfortunately, they haven't stopped trying. They changed their email to say "Your cousin [email address]" sent you an email address, but essentially it was still the same email. This morning I got an email claiming I had an ecard at wickedmoon.com, but again, the link connects to an IP address, not wickedmoon.com.

They (or someone similar) is also trying a different tactic. Just the other day, I received an email with fake account information and a link to "Poker World." Like the others, the link went to an IP address.

These email scams are becoming quite common, it appears. I still don't know how they got my email addresses, but basically it means that someone out there is selling email lists to someone they shouldn't be.

Be careful about following links in any emails you receive!

Labels: miscellaneous, scams

The internet abounds with scams to make you pay for information -- often information that you can get without paying for it. Freelance Work Exchange and GoFreelance.com are perfect examples of this: According to some things I have read online, many of the job ads on this paid membership site are simply reposted from Craigslist and other job boards, where you could have gotten the listings for free.

Here's another example. In doing some research for an article, I ran across an article with some information I wanted. Unfortunately, I had to pay in order to access the article. The prices were ridiculously high: from $9.95 (to access only the articles on my specific subject) all the way up to $99.95 (for a year of unrestricted access).

Following a hunch, I highlighted part of one of the excerpt's sentences and dragged it into my Google toolbar. And what do you know? The same exact article is available, for free, from another site.

I can't help but wonder what exactly is going on here. One of the two sites might be infringing on the other's copyrights. Or they might be run by the same company, on that is betting on people being lazy enough to just go ahead and pay their fees on the membership site...while making money off of the ads on the free site. Either way, it's a disgusting scam.

The moral of the story? Do your research, and beware of any site charging you money to access the same materials you can find elsewhere for free.

Labels: scams

Just a few days ago, I posted about a spam that I received, with a link to a site that probably would have downloaded malware onto my computer. Amusingly, I received another spam like that today. I know it's the same deal because the email is the same as the other one, word for word, just with a different website address.

Here's the thing. The email claims it's from PostcardsFrom.com, which appears to be a real site. However, the links don't go to PostcardsFrom.com -- instead, there is an IP address in the link. I have no doubt that this is another attempt to download malware onto people's computers.

The thing that makes me laugh is that the email is exactly the same, right down to the "your family member" part. Either the spammers are really dumb, or they think everyone else is.

Don't click on links in emails from people you don't know! If you get an email from a website you visit frequently, just go directly to the site. It's simply not worth the risk!

Labels: miscellaneous, scams

Please see the bottom of this post for an update.

Quite recently, I blogged about an email I received from Rob Palmer, the president of GoFreelance.com (formerly Freelance Work Exchange or FreelanceWorkExchange.com). He wanted to discuss posts that I have previously published on my blog in regards to writers' complaints about his company. The complaints primarily concern signing up for the trial membership and then not being able to log in and/or cancel.

Rather than debate the situation with him (no point — I'm not going to take anything down off my blog, as I think the complaints deserve their fair share of air time) I asked if I could publish his email address: One of the most common complaints about FWE was that members could never get a hold of anyone in order to resolve their complaints. Rob agreed to let me post his email address, so I added it as an update at the bottom of this post. If you have a complaint about GoFreelance.com, email Rob Palmer at the email address I posted, and let me know what happens!

This afternoon, though, I was playing around on Google (yes, I do that when I'm procrastinating), and I randomly decided to search for GoFreelance.com. Searching for "Freelance Work Exchange" brings up a myriad of complaints, which is I'm sure why the name was changed; I was wondering if any of the complaints had caught up with the elusive Rob Palmer yet.

Given Mr. Palmer's seeming concern to clear his company's name, I was shocked to find this: a rip-off report on GoFreelance.com, filed only a week ago. This is exactly the same kind of thing that was happening last summer with Freelance Work Exchange. Obviously Rob has not learned his lesson, not at all.

I'm leaving my post with his email up so that people can try to contact Mr. Palmer with any complaints, but let it be known that I've rescinded my original good-natured skepticism. I'm now back to thinking GoFreelance.com is nothing but a low-down, dirty scam. I hope everyone will take note of all the complaints online, and stay far, far away from Rob Palmer and his membership job board, regardless of what he calls it next.

Update — September 25, 2007:

This morning I received an email notifying me of some problems with ripoffreport.com, the source of the report I linked to above. I will quote from the email:

I am writing to warn you about ripoffreport.com - the guy who runs it apparently writes some of the complaints, and contacts the companies to extort money from them (so that they can get their company names off ripoffreport.com). He (Ed - I don't remember his last name) is a long-time criminal, and has been indicted by the FBI on rackateering charges for what he is doing with ripoffreport.com. Last I read, he is on the lam, and nowhere to be found.

Despite the gravity of these accusations, I am leaving the link for the simple reason that all of the report's claims have been made by other writers, too. Even if Ed did write this report, the fact of the matter is that I regularly hear the same complaints regarding GoFreelance.com.

Labels: scams

I just received a spam that I thought everyone should be aware of. The spam claims that I have received an e-card from "a family member," but doesn't give my name or the senders name, so I'm sure it's spam. Also, the website sounds suspicious: yivisit.hk.

I didn't click on any of the links or go to the site; instead, I Googled the site, and I'm glad I did. Here's what I discovered:

1) A couple of discussion forums included this site in a thread about malware. I have no doubt that the malware will be downloaded simply by visiting this website. Either that, or they'll try getting your credit card info from you. Either way, it's not even worth the click to find out.

2) Many, many bloggerss have been getting post comments that leave this website. They have the same basic information: You've received an e-card. Now, come on. Who is going to believe that a friend or family member sent an e-card to their blog?!

In any case, this site obviously has some kind of malicious intent, and the spams and comments are apparently going around. Please, everyone, keep an eye out. Never click on a link in an email. If the sender is unfamiliar, don't do anything (except maybe Google it and warn your friends, like I am); if the sender is familiar but not a friend (perhaps PayPal or eBay), go directly to the site rather than clicking on the link, just in case it's a spoof. And, finally, even if the sender is a friend, you need to make sure that the link really takes you where it says it will, because some malware will take over your friends' email and send out messages to everyone in the address book!

I hate these people because they create the need to be cautious about even your best friends' emails!!!

Labels: miscellaneous, scams

Please scroll down for an update on this post.

My posts on Freelance Work Exchange (now GoFreelance.com) have always attracted a lot of hits -- I think at least one visitor every day comes via that post. Rob Palmer, the president of the company, has taken note of this in the past, as you can see in the comments from last year.

Apparently it's not working, as he has tried a different approach: Emailing me directly. I know exactly what he wants, and that is to talk me into removing my posts, which I'm not going to do because I feel the complaints are valid and that other writers deserve to have access to them. However, I am going to post his note here, voice my opinions, and give my readers new information with which to make their own opinions.

Hi Katherine

I noticed you published a blog entry regarding GoFreelance. I would appreciate the chance to discuss this with you, and to help clear up any issues regarding our site.

The issues we experienced with Craig's List were due to a rogue affiliate who was terminated as soon as we realized the problem. Any issues with cancellations can be dealt with by contact me directly - I will be happy to refund anyone who has had a less than satisfactory experience with our site.

Assuring you of our best intentions.

Rob Palmer
GoFreelance

Well, first off, I couldn't help but notice that he misspelled my name. It's Katharine, not Katherine. While this happens a lot and I'm usually pretty understanding, when someone is making an appeal to me they had better mind their p's and q's -- or a's and e's, as the case may be!

It is also noteworthy that Rob claims anyone with cancellation issues should contact him directly -- but if you've read my previous posts and the complaints posted elsewhere on the internet, you'll know that a common problem is trying to figure out how to contact him directly. Other writers tell stories of getting the run-around from the help desk and being unable to pin down any direct contact information. For this reason, I responded to Rob with one simple question:

May I post your email address on my blog so that any of my readers with cancellation issues may contact you directly?

Sincerely,
Katharine S. Leppert
www.katharineswan.com

I'll update this post when (or if) I receive a response.

Update (6/20/2007):

Rob did indeed give me permission to post his email address. GoFreelance.com membership complaints can be forwarded directly to rob (at) gofreelance (dot) com.

If you contact him about a problem with your membership, I'd like to know how it turns out. Please comment on this post by clicking on the post title and scrolling down to the bottom of the post page, or email me directly.

Labels: scams

According to WritersWeekly.com, Freelance Work Exchange has changed their name. As Angela indicates, they can change their name all they want, but that doesn't change the nature of the complaints about FWE. Freelance Work Exchange -- or, as they now are calling themselves, GoFreelance.com -- has been accused of everything from deliberately avoiding members who want to cancel their accounts, to regurgitating job ads that are available for free on other job sites.

My advice: Writers should not only avoid Freelance Work Exchange/GoFreelance.com, but any other service that charges you a membership fee in order to browse job ads.

Labels: scams

Today I spotted an announcement for a contest, posted on someone else's blog. The contest is the Lady Speed Stick (R) 24/7 National Day Diary Contest, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive Company. The idea is to submit a diary of a 24-hour period.

Here's the catch: Simply by submitting an entry, you are giving up all rights to it, whether it wins or not! As far as I'm concerned, that's just wrong. Writers should be able to retain their rights to their work if they don't win. After all, they might want to tweak it and resubmit somewhere else.

My advice of the day: Don't submit to any contest (or publication) that takes all rights to ALL submissions! Think about how low your odds are of winning or being selected for publication. Chances are you won't win or get published, and they'll get your rights for free. It's just not worth it!

Labels: diatribes, scams, writers beware

A few days ago, I wrote about a potential client whose idea of "modest" rates was $1 per article. In the middle of telling them off via email, I had an epiphany, and changed my email to a sales pitch explaining why they need quality writing at my rates.

Unfortunately, the sales pitch didn't work, as I haven't heard back from them. However, I'm guessing that sort of email has a better chance of being read than one that tells someone off.

Lately, I've also been dealing with a lot of requests for what I call "custom" writing samples - when clients request that you prepare a writing sample on their specific topic. There are several problems with this, but I think one of the major ones is that these requests usually are made in a form letter that was obviously sent out to everybody that replied, rather than just a few likely candidates. As a result, the writer would be taking a lot of time to prepare a custom sample that is going to compete with 200 other custom samples. The odds just aren't good enough to justify taking that time away from paying work.

The other problem is, of course, that many of those requests for "samples" are actually scams - the "client" asks every respondant to write or edit a different piece, and as a result gets a lot of work performed without having to pay for it.

The risks are just too many, as far as I'm concerned, so I always very politely redirect them to my online portfolio (which they already received a link to in my initial email and on my resume).

Although this happens periodically, a few incidents in particular caught my attention recently. One was a response to my email that stated:

In lieu of reading dozens of resumes, I am really just interested in seeing how you write. If you want to apply for this position, write a short ad of 200 words or less pitching the following program...

He then described a very specific ad that he wanted written, including the intended audience and a special sale. His email ended with, "The best ad gets the job!"

This irritated me in several ways. One, he doesn't bother telling me how many other writers are taking the "test," leading me to believe that probably all 200 or so respondants are being requested to write a sample. There's a lot of potential for a scam there, especially since there's no mention in the email of who he is, what his business is, etc.

Two, his choice of words screams "Liar!" He claims that he doesn't want to read "dozens of resumes," yet he's basically setting himself up for reading dozens of 200-word ads. Seriously - how long does it take to look at a resume, skim the first section (which is all that usually gets read), and move it into the "keep" or "discard" pile? Certainly not any longer than it does to read a 200-word ad and decide where it ranks.

Basically, either this guy is extremely inconsiderate by making every applicant write a sample, whether or not they're truly suited for the job; OR he is running a scam and asking each applicant to write something different. I resent him the link to my portfolio, and offered to do a paid trial run - basically telling him that I'll write any sample he wants if he pays me for it. I never heard back.

But although you can't win them all, you can definitely win some. I responded to an ad the other day with a price quote and an explanation of why I'm the perfect writer for the job. I got the job, as well as the right to quote future work as it becomes available (rather than tying me into my present rate, which is slightly lower due to the the project being an easy one). Although it's not as stunning a success as the first example would have been, it's still good to know that my sales skills aren't the problem.

Labels: payment issues, scams

This week's Whispers and Warnings section of Writers Weekly is asking for input from readers! The publisher of Haute Living Magazine is flat-out refusing to pay one of his writers, because he claims that her work wasn't good enough and she missed deadlines - yet he accepted the work, published it, and kept assigning her more! Angela Hoy has asked her readers to provide their input on the situation, since apparently this deadbeat needs extra convincing that if he uses a writer's work, he should pay for it.

Please contact Angela with your opinion - let's show this publisher that what he does to one writer, he does to us all!

Labels: freelancing, scams, writers beware

Back in May, I wrote a post about Freelance Work Exchange. The post is about one particular user's complaints about the service, but since posting I have read and heard several other people's issues with the company, ranging from the near-impossibility of canceling their accounts (and stopping the monthly automatic charge from going through) to the fact that most of the jobs found on their site can also be found elsewhere on the Internet - for free.

Today I have a complaint of my own: I'm sick of seeing their ads. If you look for writing jobs on Craigslist, you know the scenario:

Looking through the list of Craigslist jobs, you see one that looks particularly interesting. You click on it, and find that there is no email, only a URL. When you click on the URL, you are directed to yet another site - which turns out to be Freelance Work Exchange. What you thought was a legitamate job ad is actually nothing but an attempt to get you to spend your hard-earned dollars on what some might call a worthless subscription service!

Yesterday I replied to just such an ad - there was an anonymous Craigslist email address, so I clicked on it and sent my cover letter and resume, without first looking at the URL in the ad. (Yeah, I know - stupid.) Today I received a response back from a "J.H." The short email says simply that they found someone for the job already, and then "Here is the site we used..." And that's it. I followed the link and discovered, much to my horror, that the site led to Freelance Work Exchange.

I rather doubt that the people who posted the ad - and responded to my email - were really the employers. More likely they were the FWE folks themselves, using a job posting as a ploy to market their services. If you ask me, that's downright dishonest.

So I would like to make a request of all my readers: next time you are searching for writing jobs and you see one of FWE's fake job ads on Craigslist, PLEASE FLAG IT. Let's send the message that we are sick of following false leads, and that they are no longer welcome on Craigslist!

Labels: scams

About two months ago, I posted a link to another writer's blog entry, warning about a company called Pre-Press Company, Inc. that was currently refusing to pay her. They did eventually agree to pay her part of what they owe her... But, perhaps unsurprisingly, two months later Pre-Press Company, Inc. still owes her half of the agreed-upon amount.

I don't know about Kathy Kehlri, but as far as I'm concerned, they had a chance to prove themselves to be an honest, reputable employer - and they blew it. Then again, I'll bet Kathy probably agrees with me - otherwise she wouldn't have posted another "screw you."

I have no respect at all for a company that neglects to pay its writers, and then tries to bully them into not telling other writers that they're not good for their word. I mean, you have to wonder how many other writers Pre-Press Company has intimidated into keeping silent.

It's everyone's own decision, of course - but I'd say that Pre-Press Company is one employer that writers ought to avoid like the plague.

Labels: freelancing, scams, writers beware

One of my NaNoWriMo buddies directed me to this NaNo forum thread about the scams publishers run after NaNoWriMo ends. This is a very good thing for all NaNoWriMo-ers to be aware of! Writers - particularly novice writers, who don't yet know the way the business works - always need to be wary of scams, as there are countless people out there who would love to steal your work, your money, or both.

Be careful, everyone - there's nothing like a publisher's scam to ruin your NaNoWriMo experience for you!!!

Labels: NaNoWriMo 2006, novel writing, publishing, scams, writers beware

This is a very long post, but the information contained in it is potentially very important, so please bear with me.

On Monday I read a very alarming post on Denver's Craigslist, by a writer who felt he may have been scammed by Freelance Work Exchange. For those of you who don't know, Freelance Work Exchange is a job board for freelance writers - they've been advertising a lot lately, particularly for a $2.95 trial membership. This writer decided to try it out, but quickly found that the site was not useful, and tried to cancel the membership.

So here's the catch: how do you make money off trial memberships? The dishonest answer to this question is, "Make it impossible to cancel before the trial is over, of course!"

Unfortunately, the writer's post - which I feel contained some very important information for other writers - was flagged and removed. He posted again with the same complaint against Freelance Work Exchange, but no doubt the new post will be removed, as well, so I am going to copy and paste it (I have his permission) here:

"Here's what happened to me... www.freelanceworkexchange.com offers a trial of their web service for $2.95 for 7 days, with an "easy/no hassle" cancellation policy. I did not find the service of value - in my opinion, there's very little in the way of listings for freelance advertising copywriters. So on the 6th day I tried to cancel, but the website simply does not allow you to do it. When you make an attempt, it keeps sending you to different links, trying to convince you to stay. Finally you end up back on the home page with no way of canceling. It is so obviously set up this way so people get bounced around so much they become frustrated and give in. In my opinion and only my opinion, it is an out and out scam.

"I emailed the person in charge of their support department, Matt Corke and told him of the problem. He sent me back an email with the same link to try to cancel. I wrote him back and said that the link didn't work and I needed confirmation from him that I was officially cancelled. The next day I called and a woman named Tracy told me I would definitely be cancelled and no charge would show up on my card. Well, a few days later my VISA debit card was charged $29.95. The problem was that the charge put my account into overdraft and I was charged $30 from my bank on top of the $29.95 charge. I wrote Matt Corke back, but he did not reply. I called the next day and a woman named Stacey promised I'd get a return from Matt but again he did not reply. The next day I called a guy named Robert who gave me the same BS line. Today I emailed Mr. Corke for the last time, notifying that I would contact several consumer agencies if he didn't reply. All I asked for was the courtesy of a simple reply and a refund of my money. Once again, no reply. It is my opinion that this company is committing fraud and needs to be stopped. I have all my emails and all calls logged. People who complained on the various websites have been charged consecutive months and can't stop it. I had to go thru the trouble of canceling my debit card and applying for a new one."

I emailed this writer in response to his first post, and suggested that he email Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly. He sent out a mass email today; I guess I was not the only one who suggested this line of attack. And although Angela did not mention Freelance Work Exchange's name, this article was included in her weekly ezine: "Beware When Joining Writing Sites With Your Credit Card!" The article is a blanket warning to writers about joining sites that require a membership fee and request a credit card number in order to fill it.

The writer's mass email also includes quotes from other responses he has gotten, people who have had similar experiences with Freelance Work Exchange:

"I'm a fellow writer and I had the same experience with Freelanceworkexchange... and trying to cancel my subscription through them - to be honest, from the start I could never even log on, my password never worked and I never go an answer from my inquiries on that, let alone anything else."

"Oh boy, it wasn't just me then... They were a nightmare to deal with. I let them know the day after the trial started that I wanted to cancel, but to no avail (or response from them) I called numerous times, left messages, and finally stumbled on the link myself and managed to cancel, but only after $29.95 had been billed to my PayPal account. To date, I've not been able to get a refund."

"I wanted to let you know that I also fell for the Freelance Work Exchange scheme. I paid the 2.95 and found that the website was completely useless. I sent an e-mail to the customer service department, and had no response whatsoever. Somehow, however, I found a phone number to call about the $29.95 charge, and after waiting on hold for about half an hour, I was able to cancel my subscription. I did not go through the hassle you did, but I wanted to write and tell you that I agree with you that Freelance Work Exchange is a total rip off."

"Thank you for posting your complaint on Craigslist. I, too, have experienced, and am still experiencing, problems cancelling my membership with Freelance Work Exchange. I have now been charged for three or four months in a row, since I informed Matt twice that I wished to cancel... I didn't find the business to be helpful either; for one thing, I never saw ads on FWE that weren't listed on other freelance job sites that are free."

"Thank God I didn't give this company my credit card number! I am a writer, and I clicked on the post for this company last week; however, as I was looking through their site, I couldn't figure out why they asked for my CC, when in their original post it had stated FREE SERVICE."

"I initially signed up for the trial offer, with the cost taken out of my bank account. I got a bad feeling after the first emails they sent. I was not happy with them having my bank info. I cancelled and it was OK. But they operate like a scam. There enough resources for freelance writers that are free and that consumer watch for us struggling writers."

"Something similar happened to me with that site. I signed up for the same 7 day trial and when it was over, I was automatically signed up for a membership and charged $29.95 for the next month."

"I, too, came across this Web site but wasn't willing to give them $2.95 for a trial. I expect FREE for a trial offer - when they charge, alarm bells should go off."

"The password I was issued didn’t work and I had difficulty contacting someone to help me.The experience was frustrating. Eventually, the password that I was issue worked, but only after a couple of days emailing, AND, after I had cancelled my subscription. That is what I did once I realized that I may be on the verge of being ripped off."

"I signed on for one of their services too because the ad I say said it was "free service". It was only after I got their confirmation e-mail that I saw anything saying you had to pay to join, just one more LIE."

"I had signed up for the 'trial' from Freelanceworkexchange.com as well, and did the cancel run-around with their 'unsubscribe' bullshit. After reading your post, I checked my bank account, and sure enough, $29.95 was missing."

The warnings contained in these people's words are alarming, to say the least. Moreover, it seems there are two scams here: the "free trial" offer ad, which immediately takes you to a page on their site offering a paid trial offer, and the difficulty (or impossibility?) trial members have apparently experienced in attempting to cancel their subscription.

I myself ran across one of their ads; I think it was at the end of last week. It was an offer for a free trial membership, much as others I have quoted have mentioned. I was confused as to why I was suddenly staring at a page that was requesting $2.95 for this "free" membership, but I didn't think about it long; I simply returned to my normal job search.

Since reading about this apparent scam on Monday, I did a little research on my own. At first, all my Google search pulled up was testimonials in the company's favor, but eventually I realized that it all seemed to be the same one or two testimonials, reprinted everywhere. Interesting. Then I ran across this: a complaint about Freelance Work Exchange on My3cents.com.

I don't know if this is really fraud or not, but it sure seems like it to me. I wanted to make all of the information I have available to other writers; it's your right to know what's going on in the freelance world and make the decision for yourself.

I have to say, though, in my opinion no one should ever charge a writer for work. There are, as one of these victims and near-victims pointed out, plenty of resources available for writers for free. Regardless of whether this site is authentic, it's still - in my opinion - a scam to charge someone for the same thing they can get elsewhere for free.

Regardless of what you think about Freelance Work Exchange, please take to heart the general warning that Angela Hoy and others are trying to communicate, and be very careful who you give your credit card information to, regardless what they are promising you!

Labels: scams