Username: Password:
Welcome! Please Sign In or Register

guru.com

reviewed by interhope

Guru.com is an online marketplace for freelance talent that allows employers to post projects, and professionals to post their profiles.

interhope
08/28/2008

guru.com 1

I am an employer on Guru.  I have acted in good faith toward those I hired to do graphics jobs and I have been impacted negatively by two freelancers on Guru.  They took the job and used up weeks of time "working" on it and then stopped taking calls and pretty much ditched us.  The last person to do this was Travis Wiggins.  I warn any emplyers not to use this man.  He is extremely unethical and cost our company an important deadline because he simply refused to respond.  His Guru number is:  ID : 1003609. Guru is biased toward the freelancer.  The only way for an employer to review the conduct of someone like Travis Wiggins is to PAY HIM even though he did not deliver anything.  Also the freelancer is completely in charge of invoicing.  Apparently all the freelancers know this and they ditch employers at will knowing the employers have no recourse.  I filed complaints with Guru, but nothing was done. They are on the side of the freelancer in such matters and I guess their reputation is not important to them.  I warn employers to avoid Guru.com until they fix this very unfair review system and by all means avoid Travis Wiggins who at the same time he refused to answer our calls or emails, was logging onto Guru everyday completing jobs for other people.  We would have found another designer if he had only responded.  We kept OUR word.

Join to vote! 0 Helpful / 1 Funny / 1 Agree / 0 Disagree
Showing 3 Comments
You must be logged in to comment. login now.
ep2002 commented 455 days ago.
I hear ya & agree 100%. Here's my post about what I went through with Guru. http://reviewsofcompanies.com/2008/05/04/guru-wwwgurucom/ IMO, Graphic Web designers are THE most difficult to deal with online. They rip you off more than any other type of independent contractor. I've been ripped off 2-3 times already by graphic web designers or desktop publishers. Another one just recently in fact, & Pay Pal sided with them saying I paid for a virtual product so there is nothing I can do. That is why I will NEVER use Pay Pal again to pay anyone. If an IC can't wait to be paid once their work is done, that is suspicious behavior IMO. I've started my own blog just to out all the fraudulent, irresponsible independent contractors who are unskilled & lie about their skill, or can't even communicate properly through e-mail or IM. http://reviewsoffreelancers.com/ If you need to post about this Travis Wiggins guy, feel free to e-mail me the details & I will put him on my blog for you. Us online companies need to stick together because so many independent contractors online get away with ripping companies off. I'm not saying some online companies don't rip the ICs off, I'm just saying that independent contractors have no problems bad mouthing companies to other independent contractors who do nasty things to them, but there are little to no sites/blogs/message boards from online companies outing these unprofessional nasty independent contractors. Thanks & good luck Michelle

bandeau commented 449 days ago.
Wow, I'm really shocked. I'm a professional on Guru and have had nothing but great feedback from my employers. I suppose it is a risk on both accounts... I don't want this to sound bad but my name on Guru is Bandeau, and if you would like any work done at all please feel free to talk to me. You can check my feedback and speak to my employers if you email them. I really like Guru and hate that a few bad people are ruining it for the rest of us. If I can rectify this for you I will, so please don't hesitate if you still need help. Jaz

undrmployd commented 293 days ago.
It's disappointing to read so many accounts of non-responsive and.or "scammy" ICs.

I've always tried to approach bidding and completion of jobs as if my reputation depended on it. I know what I would expect as an employer, and try my darndest to provide in projects awarded to me.

Based on the comments here, I've learning that, through my membership, I'm being tarred with the same brush as the deadbeat ICs. That's company I want no part of.
How do employers suggest honest ICs get around that?
FWIW, now let me hawk my own services: I do primarily video work, and some photo work. If I can be of help, please contact me through this site, not the guru site.
Showing 3 Comments
About This Reviewer
By the Numbers