Looking Back

My boss at the time had me working as a project manager, photoshop artist, and head hunter. I had logged in several hundred hours several jobs with an impressive five star rating and more than a thousand dollars in provider earnings. I had built my own provider company and it was growing fast... until odesk customer support messed things up.

I called oDesk customer support for help and instead i was dumb founded at how oDesk treats it's providers.

I had high hopes on oDesk back then. I realize that I am still bitter and resentful at oDesk's cold and insincere apology.

I had worked like a mad man establishing a five star reputation and a reputation worthy of note. In the interest of covering up their mistakes oDesk customer service exerted great lengths to cover up the TRUTH and wash their hands of this mess. They had even banned me from the user forum and blocked my account. In effect oDesk customer support now led by Ron Aquino (who previously was with security assessment) deprived me of free speech.


oDesk had recently invited me to try online employment again through their facebook group. However since they refuse to reinstate my oDesk hours and profile, I find their invitation unacceptable.

I am currently running my own Icafe, web-publishing and web hosting business. I offer my services through Elance, Freelancer among others.

Lies Deceit and Censorship.

If there is anything Odesk Customer support EXCELS in doing, its this: Lying, Deception, Censorship and passing the buck.

This Pinoy newbie has had some free time to visit Odesk lately and it has become apparent how much Odesk customer support sucks, and why a lot of Odesk Providers like me have fled to Freelance.com, and Elance.

Here's one of their responses concerning WHY ODESK PROVIDERS are unable to withdraw their EARNINGS from paypal:



Odesk refuses to claim responsibility that they fucked up and ans such A LOT of providers will go hungry due to ODesk's incompetence. This is exactly what happens when an outsourcing solutions business outsources it's own staff.

Odesk customer support yet again passed the buck to Paypal.

A vast majority of the poor providers really dont have the facilities to contact PayPal to sort things out, but as one of the birds and the bees reported:

That is not true I just got off the phone with paypal and they say that they are not experiencing any type of problems with any Odesk accounts. The Rep at paypal said that if it was a problem on their end it would give us the error on their site. But we are getting the error on O'desks website therefore the problem is with Odesk and not with paypal. I need my money to pay bills today! if my money is not made available to me asap I will go to the proper authorities on this. Odesk needs to reply to us ASAP with a solution not lies or excuses. Paypal says they are not having any problems at all with Odesk or otherwise so we are being lied to and that upsets me very much I will be calling my boss so that she can retrieve the money she has sent Odesk to pay me so that she can send me a check instead or find some other means to send me my money which I have already worked for!!


BUT dont take my word for it, if your one of the Odesk providers who's half past crazy cause you can't feed your family or pay your bills, call Paypal yourself.

I'll be ranting again. Its stupid that Odesk Customer Support, prefers to fight and censor providers like me instead of working together towards a solution.

A post of interest.

I am very happy for you. I read your blog and I found it inspiring, candid, truthful. It was funny at times and a tearjerker depending on your mood.

I was because of this that I believe in your words and I must say that I admire you for your courage.

Your story is one of courage, perseverance and  persistence and sometimes outright stupidity but insightful nonetheless.

I feel sorry for you as I know that you have been blocked from the forum. I am afraid that my post will be deleted as well.

You are David fighting Goliath. I realize you will no longer be able to post and share your story, your thoughts, and your sentiments.

I see that you have earned a great degree of trust from your current employment. Hard work, perseverance and an unfailing faith in your abilities does pay in the end.

I thank you for your sincerity and generosity, I understand that you have recently created your own provider company with the intent of helping newbies like me. It is a shame that you had run into a brick wall customer support. That you had contacted the support staff directly through chat with the intention of expressing your exasperation with the intent of resolving the issue so that your suspension would be lifted.

It is alarming that instead of being provided with specifics on how your provider company's suspension would be was lifted, people fearful of their own wellbeing, decided to terminate your privileges.

Such is the risk of success my friend. I am grateful for your effort to bring this to the attention of those concerned. 

I have never heard of a case of suspension automatically escalated to termination. I find this unduly harsh and I empathize with you. Every organization of oDesk's size has issues. 

Please correct me if I understand your concern correctly.

1. You feel that you were unsatisfied that odesk failed to reply to your email concerning an inquiry?

2. You were were not directed to a supervisor when you found that your queries to the chat agent were not being satisfactorily met?

3. Your distressed even further by the fact that oDesk has yet to  extend the courtesy of returning your phone call?

4. That your efforts to resolve the issue had instead resulted in your suspension not to be resumed?

5. That your efforts to bring this to the attention of the public has resulted you from being banned in the forum without due notice or process?

6. That this issue has affected everyone in your team?

7. That further customer service has refused to respond to your further queries?

8. That oDesk has failed the courtesy of returning your phone call?

9. That you are a loyal and long standing member of the oDesk community who feels betrayed and neglected by the very people who were supposed to lend a sympathetic ear and help you.

10. That you are now concerned about your employment which you is now feel under threat and coercion that oDesk will simply pend your earning indefinitely?

I see that despite of this issue you continue to persevere in your effort to maintain your long standing relationship with your current employment and as a results oDesk makes a 10% from whatever you make.

You have a big battle ahead of you. I pray that someone from  higher up in the food chain  would be able to read this and reconsider lifting this act of injustice. I wish you luck in your endeavors. 

Fear not my friend for in the end the truth shall prevail. Hold steadfast as this issue not only concerns you but the entire oDesk community.

SUPPORT ISSUES WITH ODESK. I have an existing 60 hour/week assignment through oDesk

Anyone who knows the business of customer support realizes that there are certain standards of quality which must be met. In addition protocols must be followed. Most important of all is that the main objective of the Job Function is to HELP people.

There are also certain conflicts of interest that you need to keep in mind. It appears that Odesk has outsourced it's own Customer support team. Is is so hard to imagine that outsource oDesk support members have also created their OWN individual provider companies. Further it isn't hard to imagine that under the tight competition these freelance provider companies working as support reps would USE whatever resources to they have to muscle out their competition.

I had a CHAT with Odesk support to try and resolve issues as my account was suspended. IT was my intention to resolve the issue and vent my frustration.

SADLY, instead of having support point out exactly WHAT I need to do to resolve this ISSUE odesk support team Off shored to the Philippines DECIDED to terminate it. 

NOT only did they terminate my account, but they HAVE locked me out of the FORUM and banned me. WHATEVER HAPPENED to FREE SPEECH.

I realize that this issue CAN be resolved. THIS issue however requires the attention of Upper Management From MENLO PARK California.

I am releasing A screen shot of the actual chat here for THE PUBLIC TO SEE HOW ODESK resolved ISSUES with BUYERS and PROVIDERS.

AGAIN anyone from US based Odesk SUPPORT people, Call me, I have left you a message on your automated voice line in Menlo Park (650) 853-4100. 

update

Hi this is the Pinoy Odesk newbie providing an update on my status on Odesk. I realize on my previous blogs that my pages were filled with despair and whining at how the job marketplace "Odesk" was doing. To be honest it is what it was before: A buyers market.

However as the song goes..."always look on the sunny side of the street..".

I said it before and I'll say it again ... I refuse to fail and I will persist and I will persevere.

I continue to thank the Odesk community and my fellow providers and buyers with their support. I also thank my previous buyers for their appreciation.

I promised a member of the Odesk community forums that I pledge to do my best to keep them satisfied, and I guess my feedback rating as a provider attests to my commitment to providing extraordinary customer care.

Once again this is the Pinoy Odesk Newbie thanking you for visiting my blog, or better yet HIRE me on Odesk.