I needed a small website created and posted the project on Elance.com for open bidding. I accepted a bid for$1000 from a bidder in New Jersey and paid him a$500 deposit. I never heard from the service provider after I paid him and within 2 weeks his email address was no longer valid.
I complained to Elance and they told me that they’re just a payment gateway system" who charges a 8.75% commission and has no other responsibility in what transpires between the buyer and the service provider. They offered *mediation even after I told them that the guys email address was no longer valid. All they told me was that I agreed to a no refund policy but that I was free to pusure legal action against the service provider on my own.
They even refused to look at the bidding history or our emails/contract. All they say is that they don’t get involved in any disputes except to write the service provider a letter ASKING them to come respond via mediation. If the service provider doesn’t respond, Elance does absolutely nothing to protect the *buyer" except to tell me that if I serve them with a subpeopna then they will send me the service providers personal information like home address, etc so that I can take the service provider to court.
Bad, very bad business. I wouldn’t recommend Elance at all.