rent - a - coder

[modi123]

I was looking to make some extra scratch, and I have been looking into these guys. Does anyone have any experience with them - either as a developer or someone soliciting a service?

How's they work?

How's the payment assurance?


Thanks,

-modi

rentacoder.com

 

[powerman]

These types of companies were really good when tbey first started out but it seems to have turned into an avenue for out sourcing. I haven't looked on them recenlty but my past experience was that the sites were filling up with "low ballers." I'm sure that there are some good projects, but there are plently that just aren't worth it. Take a close look at the price and make sure its reasonable. Your best luck will come if your specialize in something.

 

[ameoba]

There's a few good things in there but a lot of garbage:

* People asking for homework projects
* People asking for full rights to a complete replacement for an existing commercial product for less than the cost of buying a single copy of the product
* Scammers putting in ridiculously low bids and trying to work up the price
* Programmers in the 3rd world that can do anything that's left for way less than you'd ever consider worthwhile.

 

[BBowermaster]

Its an alright site, but you get more 'misses' than 'hits'. I've used the site as a developer, and I maintained contact with one of my clients who went to the site for jobs I was too busy to do or didn't have the skills to do, so here's the feedback from both sides.

Cons for Developers:
-Lots of "copy this site/service" solicitors, as stated.
-Lot of clients who don't know what they want, then when you do work for them, they finally figure out what they want, and what you did isn't it, then they go complain to a RAC Agent.
- Clients who know what they want, but expect to pay too little.
- Clients who try to scope creep, despite the fact that all the project goals/requirements are outlined in the 'contract'
- Third world programmers who will do the job for less (disadvantages to this below)

Cons for Solicitors
- Developers who claim they can do the job/have the skills, but don't
- Developers who don't qualify (over-confident high schoolers)
- Third world country workers who can do the job for cheap, but language/cultural differences prevent the job from being done completely right as explained (especially when it comes to graphics like a layout/theme as my client found out.).
- Developers who start a job, then ditch it, coming up with excuses, etc. Or ditch the job when its completed enough to satisfy RAC and get their money ,but not satisfactory enough for the client.

 

[modi123]

Thanks for the information everyone. The frustrating part is to signup for an account I give them my email address and they mail me a temporary password. I did that about thirty minutes before my post yesterday and haven't received a damn email (inbox or spam folder)!

What sort of notoriety does this site have? Are there any others that are better known (or perhaps send their fracking temporary email)?


Thanks!

- j

 

[Paithar]

I don't know about rentacoder but I have used (and every now and then still use) guru.com. I found a person through guru.com almost a year ago and I continue to do work for this guy today on a daily basis.

I'm sure guru.com has the same problems as rentacoder as outlined by previous posters but I myself have had no problems with them. I don't know if rentacoder has the same thing but guru.com will allow you to be a basic member, which is free but you can only bid on so many projects each month.

The only thing I don't like about guru.com is that if you land a project through them, and then subsequently get paid using their service, they take 10% of whatever you make off of the project. In the nearly one year I've been doing work for this one guy, they've made a nice little chunk of change off of me that I wouldn't mind having back. I'm sure the other places have their own fee as well but even if you use paypal to get paid by, they don't keep 10% (at least not the last time I looked which was a few months ago).

 

[modi123]

[...] guru.com. [...] The only thing I don't like about guru.com is that if you land a project through them, and then subsequently get paid using their service, they take 10% of whatever you make off of the project.

Interesting. rentacoder is charging 15% off the top.

*shrug* no email from RAC, so signing up for guru.

Thanks!