Don’t Ever Use Freelancer.com

I am typically not one to rant negatively about content mills or other websites that work with writers or freelancers. But Freelancer consistently advertises false or misleading claims as well as cheap gigs. To put it simply, Freelancer is a platform people use to find writers who are willing to sell themselves short or contribute cheap content.

Cheap Gigs

I decided to move back into the freelance world after a year-long break. As I applied to more jobs and connected with potential clients on Freelancer, I was reminded of why I left the site in the first place. For example, I received a notification that someone “invited me” to accept a job. The job stated “looking for someone to help me with my web content.” Unlike many other job proposals with vague details or none at all, this one had a job description (a novelty, by the way). The person who submitted the job on Freelancer messaged me and said she loved my samples. After a few brief exchanges, she stated her budget, which was a whopping — or should I say a meager — $2 per hour… I had to refresh the screen and wipe my glasses because I could not believe my eyes. $2?? Excuse me? Forget humility. I was an award-winning and published writer. I was not going to submit content for an hourly pay that can’t even cover basic expenses. The idea was ludicrous.

Like the user who wanted to pay $2, there were many other employers from Freelancer asking writers to submit content for absurd and laughable prices. All across the board, as I scrolled through potential projects, I saw “only $5 budget” or “write a 1,00-word article for $5.” I charge almost 10 times that amount.

Lack of Professionalism

Many job posters lack the basic professionalism any business owner or employer should have. I refuse to work for someone who posts “need great writers” and calls it a day. A small fraction of job postings on Freelancer contain an actual job description with clear goals, duties, and/or a budget. On any given day, you will see most posts containing the same phrase “hiring great writers” or “need web content in a few hours.” Many people posting jobs don’t bother to put at least a few sentences to describe the position.

Oh, the Scams

One of the biggest reasons I left Freelancer was the scams. In one day, almost every other job I applied to was a scam. I applied to the following job headlines: “I need a great article writer,” “I need a proofreader for my company,” and “I need a copywriter.” I frequently proofread, edit, and write for individuals and businesses, so these projects were right down my lane. The users messaged me, asking me to email them. Normally, when a client takes you outside of a content mill, that’s a red flag. Others prefer to work outside of sites like Freelancer to avoid fees. So, each person emailed me and proceeded to interview about a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT JOB POSTING. One asked me if I was willing to be a virtual assistant. Another said he was going to send me a check. The last person asked me to buy office supplies, including a laptop for the job. I ignored and blocked the users after that and I reported them to Freelancer. I later found about one of the specific scams while scrolling through Writers Weekly.

The Flaws of Content Mills in General

Like other content mills or job sites, Freelancer takes a considerable amount of money by taking a fee from your overall earnings as well as a monthly charge. When I started with Freelancer a few years ago, I would always notice these small fees popping up from the site. Of course, these fees were never addressed beforehand. They advertise creating an account by stating “Sign up for free.” First of all, that’s a lie. It costs money to sign up and consequently establish a monthly plan.

The whole “Sign up for free” thing is one of the many false claims Freelancer issues.

They also say “Invite a friend and you’ll both get $20.” Although I usually ignore such claims, I was going to invite a friend. At the bottom of the page where it talks about getting $20 for referring, it then says:

Your friend gets $20 to spend on their first project on Freelancer.

You get $20 when your friend spends $50 on the site.

How misleading. I get the whole advertising scheme — but this one was far stretched.

And for employers…

Let’s talk about the time I posted a job on Freelancer.

I wanted an article for my digital marketing company that discussed a particular web development tactic with Wordpress. Within seconds after posting my job, freelancers were crawling to the submit button like bots. Each one submitted a generic paragraph that was a repetitive cover letter. Did these people even read the job description I provided? One person put in their cover letter, “And I translate English to Italian.”

Again..the lack of professionalism.

Don’t go to Freelancer if you want professional freelancers and not writers who can’t even submit a correct cover letter. Freelancer now boasts over 44 million users; it’s no wonder dozens of freelancers applied to my post within minutes like bots.

If you’re a freelancer, as well, don’t go searching for good-paying jobs on this site. There are so many better alternatives to Freelancers, even for beginning writers like:

• Upwork
• Freelance Writing Gigs
• Freelance Writing Jobs
• Indeed
• Simply Hired

I admire the business behind Freelancer, but the site — in no way, shape, or form — is beneficial to professional writers who create high-quality content. Many writers often have to compete for pennies since the industry is already extremely competitive both online and off. Sites like Freelancer do more harm than good to the talented writers out there. Ironically, Freelancer needs to put some respect on freelancers’ name.