Guru.com

In certain cases we require addition verification in order to fully process a transaction.  This is for both the security of the freelancer, the owner of payment method, and our site.  In this case we did require some additional information to verify the account. One from our risk...

management team reached out to [redacted] requesting this information.  After several failed attempts to verify this information we had to revoke the transactions and return them to the original Payment method.  Normally the account can be reopened if the information requested is provided, but in this case [redacted] threatened legal action.  In that instance, we close the account to stop any further activity.  The funds were returned to the original payment method, which is the PayPal account that [redacted] claims to be the owner of.  I’m not sure why these funds are lost, if they are in his account.  We are no longer in control of the funds and he would have to contact PayPal if he’s having issues.  It’s unfortunate that this security measure has caused such an inconvenience, but given the developments and lack of verification has cause a disruption in our confidence when processing these or future transactions.  Since we are not holding any of [redacted]’s funds the account will stay closed.    Sincerely, Joe Guru.com Support Team

I have attached a document with screenshots showing the ordeal I had to go through with this company. They get paid to answer e-mails I do not. I have to fight to get back my money due to there error. If they want to simulate a court hearing then this would be considered a mis-trial due to tamper of...

evidence. My messages/evidence 4 months worth (they claim it was lost) the point is its not there where I left it so in my eyes they were removed because I can not use or view them. Freelancer as you can clearly see only wants to use guru private message system nothing external.  The Support operations manager Ms. Norman stated what I didn't do in her reply, well there's my evidence stating that I did. If you would like to talk about ethics please tell me what am I to do if freelancer refuses to communicate externally due to having documentation using guru messaging system but guru "lost" 4 months worth of my messages that will clearly show that this freelancer did nothing. I uploaded an exact replica of the screen shots he submitted but that was not enough to sway your arbitrators decision. I would like my $1500 back this is ridiculous I can only imagine how many victims are out there.

I was the person that handled communication with [redacted] when he called.  There are 4 invoices that have been paid to the freelancer starting in April of 2016 – August 2016 totaling 2,050.  From my conversations with him, he made it clear that each payment was made after he has...

received the work for that milestone.  After an invoice is paid and the money is released to the freelancer that fulfills the freelancer’s obligation for that milestone.  This also concludes our obligation for controlling those funds if there are any issues.  Our dispute resolution services are only available when the funds are still in SafePay.  This is something that is made clear by our terms of service and our support team when you reach out to us with any questions.  When an issue is brought to our attention, even if funds are released, we are not unwilling to help.  However we have limited options available to us.  In this case I did reach out to the freelancer repeatedly, locked their account and ultimately removed it from our site.  They are still able to contact us, but would need to reach out to us before resuming activity on our site.  There is no further action I can take at this time unless the freelancer reaches out to us.  The issues that [redacted] faces would be different if the freelancer in question was employed by us and we received the payment for the work they were doing.  Our site hosts the relationship and facilitates the payment between two parties as requested, but we make no claims as far as what to expect from a user on our site.  I am empathetic in Mr. Luakabuanga’s situation and have done everything I can from my end.  It’s unreasonable to expect us to be able to deliver the work someone else is doing without any communication from them.  Not only does the amount he is requesting not match what I’m showing what has been paid to the freelancer, but he did receive the work for each milestone he paid for.  We will not be providing a refund for the work received as the funds are no longer on our site.  The simple fact that the freelancer has delivered every part of the job to [redacted] Clause’s satisfaction but the last part doesn’t tell me this is a scam, just an unfortunate situation.   Sincerely, Joe Guru.com Support Team

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint.While I understand Ms. [redacted]’s frustration, what she’s requesting that we do is assist her with the management of her job as well as to attempt to collect money that has already been paid to a...

freelancer. This money is in the freelancer’s bank account and is untouchable by us.As our platform clearly indicates, payment is made at the employer’s sole discretion and we only suggest approving payment of a freelancer at the end of the job to ensure that everyone’s communicating regularly and that the work provided is satisfactory. All employers must agree to these terms prior to approval (“approval” is final, irrecoverable payment to a freelancer): I am unsure of what Ms. [redacted] means when she says we get very involved with the process of collecting payment. We do not actively pursue either party for payment. We are a platform that provides payment tools to employer and freelancers, which they use on their own schedule and with their own discretion.Blocking power is a feature available to both employers and freelancers and is a calculation representative of 10% of your earnings as a freelancer or 10% of your payments as an employer. It’s incredibly hard to accrue and by its very nature, would be quickly exhausted after blocking continuous bad feedback. Blocking power is not disingenuous but is rather a way to stabilize your feedback in the event of the odd bad comment. You can learn more about it here.After reviewing Ms. [redacted]’s complaint, it’s clear that she paid a freelancer completely upfront and then communication fell through due to a disagreement concerning the scope of the job. It would be unethical for us to advocate on behalf of her and attempt to recover an unequivocally intentional payment or even help enforce terms for one party or the other when we act in a purely neutral fashion.When Ms. [redacted] mentions that we must issue her a refund, she must not have fully understood the implications of the message she agreed to that I’ve provided in this response. She has already paid her freelancer completely and agreed to clear terms that intentionally explained the intent of approving a payment. We no longer control that money and cannot issue a refund, as the payment was irreversible and was meant for services rendered to date. SafePay, when used in the correct manner, safeguards both parties completely and allows us to offer dispute resolution services that equally represent both users. We even offer arbitration services. However, none of these services can be offered for money already paid.Please let me know if you have any questions or need any clarification.

While it’s unfortunate when communication breaks downbetween an employer and a freelancer, the entire point of SafePay is to securethe funds put in SafePay for BOTH the employer and the freelancer. The mostbasic tenant of this security would be to NOT allow the employer to simplyremove the funds...

instantly if they’ve deemed that the work submitted thus far hasbeen dissatisfactory. I completely understand the urge to want to do this, butit would undermine the spirit of SafePay.In either case, Ms. [redacted] requested that we compensateher $1,000.00 because the funds she added to SafePay were in dispute. When wedeclined to do this, she informed us that she would no longer use our platform.We informed her that that was her choice to make and continued to try andexplain why she would need to follow the dispute process to get her $1,000.00returned.Since sending this complaint, it seems that Ms. [redacted]’sfreelancer honored and issued a full refund to her. It seems, for all intentsand purposes, that Ms. [redacted]’s desired settlement has been satisfied. Let meknow if you require any more information.Thank you, Stacy N[redacted]Support Operations Manager, Guru.com

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint.In the case of any arbitration ruling, there will always be dissatisfaction from the losing side, especially in the event that a panel of arbitrators rules against them 100%. In this case, our arbitrators reviewed the evidence provided by both parties and made a decision based on the evidence.The process for arbitration involves three separate arbitrators who all independently review each dispute and then corroborate their rulings at the end. Any disagreements are discussed until the majority of the panel agrees on a ruling. In this case, all three arbitrators agreed that the freelancer provided enough evidence to justify receiving 100% of the funds in dispute.Furthermore, all users must agree to our Terms of Service. In this instance, Section B 2 (c) of our Terms of Service: (c) You agree that the decision of Guru.com, acting as an arbitrator, shall be final, binding, and not subject to appeal. Accordingly, within a reasonable time after we have rendered a decision, we will transfer funds in accordance with the arbitrator’s decision.With that said, it would be unethical of us to even attempt to satisfy Mr. [redacted]’s desired settlement. Regarding Mr. [redacted]’s statement that some of his private correspondence with his freelancer was lost; no mention of lost messages was mentioned by Mr. [redacted] during the dispute resolution process. Furthermore, we explicitly ask users to provide evidence via an attachment tool within the dispute page or to make clear reference to already-existing evidence that can be viewed elsewhere. Mr. [redacted] at no point referenced messages or indicated that he couldn’t find some.Please let me know if you have questions or need any clarification.

I’m sorry to hear that Mr. [redacted] has a bad experience with a freelancer. Fortunately, we offer feedback ratings of anyone that uses the site to assist in the vetting process on both ends. Moreover, we encourage employers to get to know prospective hires via private message to ensure the...

freelancer they’re thinking of hiring fits their job. We also encourage the employer to use SafePay to ensure they aren’t making hasty payments to freelancers that they may regret.However, there is a certain stake that an employer makes when they choose to use an online platform to hire a freelancer, just as there is a stake in an in-person hire. If the relationship breaks down to the point of no return, yet has proceeded previously to the point where money has been invested, it would be unreasonable to expect to receive a complete and total refund.What Mr. [redacted] is referring to is a handling fee, which covers the cost of reversing his transaction back to his bank account. We actually offer 3.5% cash back if you use a bank account, which means if you end up withdrawing cash that you’ve put into the site already, you come out even.In either case, it’s regrettable that Mr. [redacted]’s relationship with his freelancer broke down and he chose to cancel the job. However, to withdraw his money (essentially, asking us to reverse the transaction) we need to recoup the cost. This is all clearly outlined and is no secret.Please let me know if you have any questions.Thank you, Stacy N[redacted]Support Operations Manager, Guru.com

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint.We have talked to Ms. [redacted] at length regarding her problems with feedback and have explained why we can’t satisfy her requests in the manner in which she wants us to satisfy them.While it looks like Ms....

[redacted] has some feedback from 2010 and 2012 within her account, we did not leave that feedback nor do we have a role in confirming the veracity of that feedback. The feedback is easily printable by Ms. [redacted], which she could do prior to her deleting her own account. We can’t print feedback on our letterhead, as it would misrepresent our contribution toward that feedback.Furthermore, none of Ms. [redacted]’s feedback was erased. When an employer is prompted to leave feedback it is mandatory that they leave a star rating for the freelancer. However, it is voluntary for the employer to leave actual comments. If only a star rating is left, that rating appears on the freelancer’s profile for 12 months. We use a window of 12 months to ensure that freelancers’ feedback entries are recent and indicative of their abilities and performance current-day.If actual comments are left, those will stay on the freelancer’s profile indefinitely. When Ms. [redacted] is referring to missing feedback, she is actually referring to star ratings that no longer appear on her public profile due to the expiration of that 12-month window.There are a total of three feedback entries with comments, which I am including here for Ms. [redacted]’s reference: <check attached Word Document for image>Regarding Ms. [redacted]’s dispute with an employer. She was awarded funds in dispute because the employer did not respond to the dispute. In any case, we do not edit or remove feedback because a freelancer wins a dispute. In fact, feedback can be left by both parties any time a payment is made, even if the payment was made due to a dispute ruling.Ms. [redacted]’s claim of defamation is baseless. None of her feedback is visible on the search engines because she deleted her account. If you try to view Ms. [redacted]’s profile today you will see a 404 – Not Found error. This is the URL to Ms. [redacted]’s deleted profile: [redacted]l If Ms. [redacted] can provide evidence that we in some way had a hand in diminishing her brand’s quality, we’ll certainly take steps to change that. Currently, there’s no indication that Ms. [redacted] even has an account with us.Please let me know if you have any questions or need any more information.Thank you, [redacted]Support Operations Manager, Guru.com

Review: I used this website company before, to hire people to do small work for me. I haven't hired anyone from this website in months. When I usually hire someone from this site, I manually have to add funds to the website from my PayPal account. However, I hired a freelancer on May 29th but I wasn't ready to send any funds to guru.com yet, until a few more questions were answered by the freelancer. Then on May 30th, I woke up to an email receipt from PayPal that states $2,050 was charge by guru.com (without my permission).

I wanted to transfer funds myself to guru, when I was ready. I did not give permission for guru to take $2,050 from my PayPal account /Discover Credit Card. Also, the freelancer never answered my questions about the job, so I don't want to hire him anymore. On May 30th I emailed guru to give me a refund but they refuse to refund me because they claimed that I have a guru billing agreement, that they claimed that I agree to, which I never did that all, they automatically set that up without my permission. They told me to get a refund from the freelancer, even though the freelancer hasn't received any funds yet from guru.

I wasn't aware that they would automatically withdraw funds from my PayPal, if I knew that, I would of never hired anyone from this site again.Desired Settlement: All I want is for this website to refund me my entire $2,050 back to onto my PayPal account or Discover Credit Card!

Review: This business serves as a middleman between contractors and employers and collects a fee for acting as an agent. Last month, we filed a complaint with Guru as a result of services for which we paid but were not performed. Guru stated they would assist with contacting the supplier to resolve the issue. However, Guru failed to do so. As a result, we requested a refund through our financial institute which is our legal right to do so. Guru was notified and decided to retaliate by locking our account so that we cannot access any information or our files.Desired Settlement: In order to avoid pursuing legal remedies, we are requesting access to our account and a refund for the unfulfilled services for which were paid in full.

Review: I used Guru.com's online service to find a freelance designer for my website. After posting my project on Guru.com, I was contacted by several dozen designers that were interested in the project. I selected MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT over a few other bids and awarded them the project. Prior to awarding them the project, we agreed on multiple terms that included:-How many revisions do we get?Answer: we do provide UNLIMITED REVISIONS for design, untill clients says Wow, I like it..it would be very profesional. -I need 9 total category pages designed. Please requote based on this. Answer: okay, we will be working on all 9 categoires pages, please see below about requote for complete task.-How many main picture graphics are included? I need atleast 4 for the scrolling picture.Answer:we will be using aproximate 5 or 6 graphics picture, if you want 4 pics, then okay..no problem -Are the buttons and background custom made? Answer: yeah, it would custom design by our profesional/DESIGNERAFTER SEING COMPLETE DETAIL DESCRIPTION COST WOULD BE $400 AND TIME LINE WOULD BE 12 TO 15 DAYS..MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT sent me an invoice on Guru.com that I paid via Paypal on January 26th. Throughout the next 10 days repeated emailes to MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT were sent requesting updates on the design. On February 5th (11 days from when the project was awarded and one day before the contracted completion date) I filed a claim with Paypal for the inadequate service I received. I was contacted shortly after by Julie from Guru.com through email. The email stated that they have suspended my account due to violating their Terms of Service. Their Terms of Service basically holds them not liable for fraudulent transactions made through their webbase. Julie also stated that by retracting my claim, they would help me resolve this issue with MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT so I went ahead and retracted the claim. After retracting the claim I asked Julie to help intervene with the designer and she denied stating "Since you paid an invoice and he is in possession of the funds, I can't force him to do anything." After 6 weeks of unsuccessful pleas, I am cheated out of $200 by MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT and Guru.com. Guru.com claims they are not liable but they took a fee from me for awarding the project to MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT and they are not willing to intervene. In addition, they are not willing to suspend MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT's account from their services. Guru.com supports these theives and is a safe haven for these schemers to steal and defraud consumers. They should be held accountable and investigated for fraud.Desired Settlement: I request Guru.com to terminate MOBILE-APP-AND-WEB-EXPERT's account and collect a FULL REFUND for the service.

Business

Response:

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint.

We provide and heavily promote a service known as SafePay that allows Employers and Freelancers to exchange money and services safely. Unfortunately, Mr. [redacted] used invoicing and paid his Freelancer before the project was completed.

From our help article, How Does Guru Invoicing Work?

Like SafePay, Guru Invoicing secures your sensitive payment information and facilitates international transactions. It also allows you to leave feedback ratings for the Freelancers you hired and paid.

Unlike SafePay, Guru Invoicing does not guarantee your payments or provide dispute resolution services. Guru.com cannot assist you in recovering your funds or issue you a refund as the funds are in the Freelancer’s possession immediately upon payment. Mediation and Arbitration services are only an option when funds are in a SafePay account.

Use invoicing if you already have an established working relationship with a Freelancer.

Furthermore, 5 A 1 of our Terms of Service states our total investment in a project:

Guru.com acts as a payment provider by creating, hosting, maintaining, and providing the Guru Billing and Payment Services to you via the Internet. Guru.com does not have any control over the services invoiced or paid for with the Guru Billing and Payment Services. Additionally, Guru.com does not control whether an Employer or Freelancer will actually complete the underlying transaction. Guru.com is not responsible in any way for the timeliness or accuracy of the invoices or the timeliness, accuracy, completion or workmanship of any work product produced by a Freelancer as a result of an awarded Project. Nothing in these Terms of Service will be deemed to constitute Guru.com as your agent with respect to any service purchased and sold by Registered Users through the Website, or expand or modify any warranty, liability or indemnity stated in these Terms of Service.

5 E 1 of our Terms of Service explains the intention of an invoice payment:

Authorized Payments are Final. Your use of the Guru Billing and Payment Services constitutes your agreement to pay for any amounts which you authorize us to retain from transactions and, as appropriate, charge to your credit card, bank account, or PayPal account. Such payments, once authorized, are final. When an Employer’s Acceptance of Services has occurred, (i) Guru.com shall have no further liability to any party with respect to Payment for such services, (ii) Employer acknowledges that Guru.com has provided a complete service in respect of the payment made by Employer for the Assumed Payment Liability or Invoice, as applicable and (iii) Employer hereby releases Guru.com from any and all liability with respect to such Payment.

Our Position

I completely understand Mr. [redacted]’s frustration with his Freelancer. We did reach out to his Freelancer to make sure that he was still in contact with Mr. [redacted]. What Mr. [redacted] failed to understand was the need to uphold his own terms, his own standards and to decide when it was most appropriate to pay his Freelancer. After reviewing Mr. [redacted]’s project and the messages exchanged it is apparent that Mr. [redacted] paid his Freelancer early on in the project only for it to go sour after payment was made. We provide Employers with clear notice when paying invoices that payment is final, we even ask them to make sure that the project is complete and that they are satisfied with the results. We prefer that all users take advantage of SafePay and heavily encourage its use—it is a free service offered to all users and completely avoids these situations.

Regarding Mr. [redacted]’s claim that Julie promised to help resolve the dispute—I can positively say that this never happened after reviewing their email exchange. Not only did Mr. [redacted] fail to understand her words during their email exchange but he never responded to her when she corrected his interpretation multiple times. These were her original words:

Review: I hired a "guru" to build my website, it is still incomplete and yet the guru was paid in full. I was notified 24 hours before they received the final payment which did not leave me enough time to reschedule the payment. Customer service informed me I needed to do it 7 days prior (in a recent email). They have given me no recourse, only said sorry they can't help (paraphrased). Obviously their "safe-pay" feature is useless.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for my $179 (the final installment) as the work is still incomplete.

Review: A Guru.com freelancer issued a refund to me as an employer in the amount of $200 on 12/26/2013. I have a copy of the e-mail from Guru.com to prove that. The e-mail explained how to withdraw the said funds. Before I was able to withdraw my funds, and without any notice (written or verbal), Guru.com has closed my account. Initially I thought I had misplaced my password but had no luck resetting it. So, I called their customer service. And, I had no luck reaching their office using the phone number provided on their website; getting voicemail both times. I also sent an e-mail via their website to technical support. Again, I received no response. So, I had no choice but to file a complaint with AmEx, who are in the process of investigating this issue. Then, I started receiving e-mails from Stacy (Guru.com Support Team) insisting that they have notified me and that they have closed my account after the chargeback. That's a lie! She also kept threatening me that they will keep my account blocked (and thus my money) unless I cancel the chargeback. First of all, I want my money back, which is rightfully mine! You stole it! And, I want the public to be aware of how Guru.com conducts their business and how it treats its customers in the moment of dispute. They didn't have the guts to even call me to resolve the matter. They hid behind the wall of e-mails full of conditions and IFs in their own favor. It's a terrible company to deal with!Desired Settlement: First of all, I want my money back; that is rightfully mine! You stole it! And, I want the public to be aware of how Guru.com conducts their business and how it treats its customers in the moment of dispute. They didn't have the guts to even call me to resolve the matter. They hid behind the wall of e-mails full of conditions and IFs in their own favor. It's a terrible company to deal with!

Business

Response:

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint.

Explanation of our service

Guru.com provides a platform to buy and sell services. Once an Employer (buyer) has hired a Freelancer (seller), they can choose between two payment options, Guru Invoicing and SafePay.

With SafePay, the Employer pays Guru.com and we hold the funds until he/she reviews and approves the Freelancer’s work. In the event of a dispute, we provide dispute resolution services in the form of mediation and arbitration services.

Mr. [redacted] opted to use our SafePay service. We held the funds until he clicked to agree that the work had been completed to his satisfaction. Upon his approval, the funds were paid to [redacted] Inc. (See Exhibit 1 – Payment Terms)

Timeline of Mr. [redacted]’s actions

02-Dec-2013 – Hires [redacted], Inc to work on his project. [redacted] accepts the offer.

03-Dec-2013 – [redacted] creates the first SafePay request/bill for the project for $100.00 (ID: [redacted]).

04-Dec-2013 – Mr. [redacted] pays Guru.com the $100.00.

09-Dec-2013 – Mr. [redacted] approves [redacted]’s work and transfer of the $100.00 to them.

09-Dec-2013 – [redacted] created the second SafePay request/bill for the project for $200.00 (ID: [redacted]). Mr. [redacted] pays Guru.com and approves the transfer of the funds to [redacted] on that same day.

17-Dec-2013 – [redacted] creates the third SafePay request/bill for the project for $200.00 (ID: [redacted]). Mr. [redacted] pays Guru.com that same day.

23-Dec-2013 – Mr. [redacted] asked [redacted] to issue a refund of the $200.00 for SafePay ID: [redacted].

25-Dec-2013 – Mr. [redacted] issues a chargeback with American Express for SafePay ID: [redacted].

Evidence:

27-Dec-2013

[redacted] issued a refund of the $200.00 for SafePay ID: [redacted].

Evidence: [redacted]

We receive notification from Amex regarding the chargeback for SafePay ID: [redacted].

We closed Mr. [redacted]’s account and sent him two emails regarding the account closure.

Evidence:

Our Position

For SafePay ID: [redacted], Mr. [redacted] clicked to agree that the work had been completed to his satisfaction and he clicked to approve transfer of the funds to the Freelancer. By issuing this chargeback, he is attempting to hold Guru.com responsible for his decision to approve transfer of the funds to the Freelancer. That is a breach of his contract with us (Terms of Service).

Until the breach of contract is resolved, his account will remain closed. He has been advised that to resolve the breach, he need only cancel the chargeback for SafePay ID: [redacted].

If Mr. [redacted] does not resolve the breach, funds in his Guru.com cash account will be held until a decision has been made by Amex regarding the pending chargeback.

Regarding his claim that he issued the chargeback after being unable to reach us; the evidence provided above clearly shows that the chargeback was issued by him two days before his Guru.com account was closed.

Regarding his attempts to email and call us; we have no voice mails from Mr. [redacted]. Additionally, we have no record of any emails from him prior to our notification that his account has been closed. Evidence: [redacted] (This is a screencast of the entire case history between Mr. [redacted] and Guru.com.)

Each of his emails were responded to in a timely manner. [redacted]

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Support Operations Manager, Guru.com

Exhibit 1: Payment Terms

Every Employer agrees to the following payment terms when approving payment to a Freelancer;

I authorized payment of $XXX to <Freelancer’s Name>.

The Freelancer completed the project work to my satisfaction.

Guru.com cannot recover or refund my payment.

The Employer cannot approve the payment without agreeing to the payment terms.

Consumer

Response:

The business has not returned my calls and has not responded to my e-mails submitted through their website. They have reacted only after I submitted the request to dispute charges to AmEx. As far as I'm concerned, the business never had the intent to process my refund and did not want to work with me directly to resolve this matter. I have requested to re-open my account, so that I could withdraw the funds, but was denied. They are pressuring me to cancel the AmEx dispute, first. But why would I do that? I don't trust this business as they have clearly displayed to me from the beginning (before the dispute was filed with AmEx) that they are unwilling to deal with and treat their customers fairly.

At the moment, they have my money, which is rightfully mine and they have confirmed that in their response. Until I receive my refund, any other response by the business will be rejected.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Mr. [redacted]’s additional comments.

Again, we have no voice mail messages from Mr. [redacted]. He’s welcome to call us at his convenience. Our hours of operations are 9 am ET until 6 pm ET, Monday thru Friday. Our toll free number is 1.888.678.0136. He should select option 1 when calling.

I’m again providing the evidence regarding the lack of email communication from him. The emails we have received from him have been responded to in a timely manner ([redacted]). Additionally, he did not contact us before submitting the chargeback.

Chargeback submitted 25-December-2013: [redacted]

First email from Mr. [redacted] received 27-December-2031: [redacted] (This is a screencast of the entire case history between Mr. [redacted] and Guru.com.)

We will not restore Mr. [redacted] until the chargeback is cancelled. He is in breach of his contract with us. Per his contract with us;

Authorized Payments are Final (Section 5.E, Item 1)

Your use of the Guru Billing and Payment Services constitutes your agreement to pay for any amounts which you authorize us to retain from transactions and, as appropriate, charge to your credit card, bank account, or PayPal account. Such payments, once authorized, are final. When an Employer’s Acceptance of Services has occurred, (i) Guru.com shall have no further liability to any party with respect to Payment for such services, (ii) Employer acknowledges that Guru.com has provided a complete service in respect of the payment made by Employer for the Assumed Payment Liability or Invoice, as applicable and (iii) Employer hereby releases Guru.com from any and all liability with respect to such Payment.

Chargebacks are not permitted and will result in account termination (Section 5.E, Item 2

Guru.com reserves the right to seek reimbursement from you, and you will reimburse Guru.com, if Guru.com discovers a fraudulent transaction, erroneous or duplicate transaction, or if Guru.com receives a charge back or reversal from any Employer’s credit card company, bank, or PayPal for any reason. You agree to and acknowledge Guru.com’s right to investigate any and all transactions for fraud. Further, you agree to cooperate with any reasonable requests made by Guru.com in an effort to investigate fraud. You agree that Guru.com has the right to obtain such reimbursement by charging your Account, deducting amounts from future transfers, charging your credit card or any bank account associated with your Account, or obtaining reimbursement from you by any other lawful means, including using a third party collection agency. Failure to pay for reimbursements of a charge back or a reversal of payment is cause for termination of your Account.

Terms of Account Termination (Section 8.D - G)

D. Without limiting our other remedies, we may issue a warning, or temporarily suspend, indefinitely suspend or terminate your Account or a Project, and refuse to provide any or all services to you if: (1) you breach the letter or spirit of any terms and conditions of these Terms of Service or the linked policies and information incorporated herein by reference, including our written policies and procedures posted on the Website; (2) we are unable to verify or authenticate any information you provide to us; or (3) we believe in our sole discretion that your actions may cause legal liability for you, our Registered Users or for Guru.com or are contrary to the interests of the Website. Once indefinitely suspended or terminated, you must not continue to use the Website under the same Account, a different Account, or register under a new Account.

E. In addition, violations of these Terms of Service may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and may result in additional penalties and sanctions.

F. Without limiting our other remedies, to the extent you engage in actions or activities which circumvent the Guru Billing and Payment Services or otherwise reduce fees owed Guru.com under these Terms of Service, you must pay Guru.com for all fees owed to Guru.com and reimburse Guru.com for all losses and costs and reasonable expenses (including attorney fees) related to investigating such breach and collecting such fees.

G. When your Account is terminated for any reason, you may no longer have access to data, messages, files and other material you keep on the Website. The material may be deleted along with all your previous posts and proposals.

Our Position

For SafePay ID: [redacted], Mr. [redacted] clicked to agree that the work had been completed to his satisfaction and he clicked to approve transfer of the funds to the Freelancer (See Exhibit 1). By issuing this chargeback, he is attempting to hold Guru.com responsible for his decision to approve transfer of the funds to the Freelancer. That is a breach of his contract with us (Terms of Service).

Until the breach of contract is resolved, his account will remain closed. He has been advised that to resolve the breach, he need only cancel the chargeback for SafePay ID: [redacted].

If Mr. [redacted] does not resolve the breach, funds in his Guru.com cash account will be held until a decision has been made by Amex regarding the pending chargeback.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Support Operations Manager, Guru.com

Review: The people from Guru.com suspended my account without any warning.I used guru.com in the past and as a payment method I used my credit card and also my paypal account Several times I used my credit card and several times I used paypal for paying my customers on Guru.comLast time I used guru.com and after I paid my customer using my paypal account, the guru company suspended my account without any warning. they told me that my account has been frozen until they will make the payment verification I send to them all the prints including my ID, a copy of my credit card, and a print with my paypal account ( all of these under my name )They don't respond me anymore. Negative feedbackDesired Settlement: I want to have my Guru.com account back in business otherwise I want a full refund of my last payment to them ( $100.00 usd )

Business

Response:

Review: Guru.com claims to help protect employers and private contractors but instead they don't do anything to help. There's a SafePay method to pay private contractors, but it's as effective as giving a stranger cash. There's no way to protect employers from fraud. I recently hired someone to create some code for me through their website. The private contractor used trickery to make the app appear to be complete. After using SafePay and upon further review, the app was far from complete. The private contractor ([redacted]) kept me hanging for over 2 months telling me they were trying to fix it. Apparently that's just enough time to close the gap to leave feedback for the contractor. I contacted customer service for Guru.com who told me there's nothing they could do. No refund, no ability to leave feedback...nothing. They claim they don't get in the middle of disputes, even though it's advertised through their site that it's a safe way to hire private contractors. I don't get what's safe about them at all because they won't help resolve the issue. Instead, they told me they would create an internal comment. Yeah, so basically no help.Desired Settlement: I want $500 of my money back from the job and/or the ability to leave 2 feedbacks (from both of my payments) for the fraudulent contractors.

Business

Response:

Good afternoon. The

information below is being provided in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint.

I’m sorry to hear that

Mr. [redacted] had a negative experience with a freelancer. While I empathize

with him, he needs to understand that it was his decision to release the funds

before testing the freelancer’s work. We cannot be held responsible for his

decision. He instructed us to release the funds and we complied.

SafePay certainly does

protect both employers (buyers) and freelancers (sellers) when used properly.

When using SafePay, the buyer places money in SafePay at the start of the job.

Only after the buyer confirms that the work has been completed as agreed are

they to release the funds to the freelancer. If there is a dispute, both

parties have access to our dispute resolution services, which includes access

to a panel of arbitrators.

In Mr. [redacted]’s case,

he received a product from the freelancer and, before he could thoroughly test

it, released the funds. When releasing the funds, Mr. [redacted] checked a box to

agree that (1) the work had been completed to his satisfaction and (2) Guru.com

could not recover the funds for him. Only after he agreed to the payment terms

were the funds released to the freelancer. Now that the funds are in the

freelancer’s possession, there is nothing more we can do to assist in the

recovery of those funds.

Our offer to add an internal note stands and is truly our

only option given Mr. [redacted]’s decision to release the funds. We no longer

have control of the funds and, therefore, cannot offer dispute resolution

assistance. Our options are lmited to noting

the freelancer’s account internally and keeping an eye on their activity. If

the freelancer develops a negative pattern, we will certainly take action.

Please let me know if you require any more information.

Review: Guru.com is allowing documented fraudulent activity to transact on their business platform and will take any action to facilitate a timely or lawful resolution. Their CEO, [redacted], is even on record recommending the very company that has perpetrated fraud (proven fraud) and has property of ours, we paid for in full, yet refuses to give it to us regardless of our complaint. Further, GURU.com is denying any responsibility in the matter and will cooperate with any actions to come to a resolution or initiate a fair arbitration process. We are simply ignored. They have literally turned their back on egregious and immoral business ethics simply because they do not want to get involved. Their neglect and is equally unlawful. Knowingly allowing and promoting a particular company to commit fraud on your business platform is both unethical and unlawful. Unless their Terms of Services states they allow for unlawful and unethical business to transpire on their platform, they should be held accountable if the provider is not. This level of neglect is unlawful by its own definition. I am not the first to say these very words.One only needs to go to ripoffreport.com to see similar stories from both of these companies working in tandem.We just simply want the property and document already paid for in full and wanted to go about our business.unfortunately between the two of these unethical and immoral companies, our property and professional momentum to finish this project are being held hostage.Desired Settlement: We are looking for the 2 milestone payment refund requested,our project source code & documents that were paid in full to the provider ([redacted]). We want GURU.com to facilitate this request at the earliest and to start transacting transparent and lawful business activities, FRAUD FREE going forward. Not just turn a blind eye and do absolutely nothing when the company their own CEO shamelessly promotes on his own platform. Ironically, both of these company's profited off of our companies collapse.

Business

Response:

Review: Guru.com has created a platform where there is little to no protection against fraud and theft. I have been lied to and miss lead about work that I paid for. I attempted to contact the company to file a complaint and they would not take one. I am months over due for the delivery of my work and I have no way to get a refund or file a complaint as the freelancer is operating within the guide lines of Guru.com. Guru has shady practices that they hide behind and wipe their hands clean of the situation. I have found many examples of similar cases.Desired Settlement: There should be some kind of protection for the consumer when being lied to and miss lead by the free lancers on their site. Guru could easily make it part of their terms of use to make it a violation to not properly inform you of who and where the work is being done.

Business

Response:

While it’s unfortunate that Mr. [redacted] seems to havepaid a freelancer and has since regretted the decision, he seems to be underestimatingthe tools we provide within our platform. The entire point of Guru.com is toprovide protection against fraud, communication breakdowns and disagreements.The feature of our platform that provides this service is called SafePay. Youcan learn more about it here: http://www.guru.com/help/employer-help-center/pay-freelancers/safepay/We listen to any complaints or trouble all users have ifthey reach out to us. However, there is very little we can do if an employerchose to pay a freelancer and then regretted the decision; that freelancer nowhas full control of that money and is the rightful owner of it.If Mr. [redacted] would like to provide us with specificexamples of our shady practices we would surely address them for him. Hisstatement that there are many examples of similar cases to his is partiallytrue; many times employers hastily pay their freelancers upfront and then seek outa refund through us, without completely understanding that they’ve paid thefreelancer directly and we no longer have control of that money.When SafePay is used properly, we control those fundsuntil they are released and can offer dispute services. It seems that Mr.[redacted] did not use SafePay. If he wishes to continue on our platform he cancertainly contact us for guidance the next time around. Let me know if you haveany questions.

Review: I purchased a membership through Guru.com and there were specific benefits that went along with it. The company just changed it's membership structure and so I no longer receive the benefits that I was entitled to receive until the end of my contract in September 2014.Desired Settlement: I would like the company to bump me up to the next membership level (until my membership fee runs out in September), which would give me the ability to place a Premium bid and also reduces the fee that I am required to pay per job that I get. When I purchased my membership back in September, I did it based on specific promises made by Guru.com, I feel that the company should honor their agreement.

Business

Response:

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint.

Explanation of our service

Guru.com provides a platform to buy and sell services. Before Feb 1, freelancers (sellers) had the option of using our free Basic membership or upgrading to one of two other membership options. As of Feb 1, we moved from a 3-tier membership structure to a 5-tier membership structure.

As with any change in membership structure, the benefits also changed. Many restrictions of the old membership structure were removed and a lot of new features added. For example, before the new structure, Ms. [redacted] was limited to applying for only one type of job. She was also limited in what could be added to her online portfolio. With the new structure, Ms. [redacted] now has access to all jobs and has an unlimited profile with unlimited services, skills, categories and unlimited portfolio space.

Ms. [redacted] is correct that her project fee increased from 7.45% to 8.95% and the option to submit a premium proposal is not included with the new membership. However, the overall value of the membership Ms. [redacted] has received is significantly higher ($107.40).

The changes to the memberships were announced on November 19, 2013. The announcement included a detailed description of how the old memberships would map to the new memberships and an invitation to investigate the changes and ask questions.

Our Position

While I do understand Ms. [redacted]’s frustration and disappointment, the overall value she’s received is more than what was paid. Additionally, she is not the only one to be moved to this level. All subscribing users were moved one membership level higher at conversion and are subject to the new benefits and/or limitations. I cannot, in good conscious, give Ms. [redacted] a membership that I’m not willing to give all other users. Instead, we have offered Ms. [redacted] a prorated refund of her membership. She has declined our offer.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Consumer

Response:

Just because this change applies to everyone does not make it any more ethical. I was told that when I paid the $60 back in September that I would be receiving specific benefits for a year. Those benefits are the ability to submit a premium bid and to have a lower fee taken out of the money that I am paid by an employer. I am willing to make a compromise. I will take the higher "per job" fee, as long as I can place premium bids. This greatly affects the success of my business and I don't see how you can simply change the benefits of a termed agreement, after I have already purchased it. You made a contract with me to provide me certain features in exchange for a fee, I am requesting that you live up to your end of the deal.

Regards,

Review: We posted a job on GURU.COM for our business and [redacted] Inc bid on our job to complete. After few communications, we selected or hired [redacted] Inc to do the job, job was to create and design Logo for $50 and create/design craigslist ads for $25, total $75.00. (1) Right from get go, we had issues and problems with [redacted] Inc. (2) We within time we canceled the work order.(3) We within time declined and rejected the agreement, which was presented to us by [redacted] Inc to us. (3) We within time declined and rejected all invoices, which were presented to us. (4) We within time, we rejected and declined any work completed by [redacted] Inc as completed work was not in acceptable quality. (5) We within time requested refund our money $75.00 from GURU.COM, which we deposited in Safe-Pay account with GURU.COM.(6) This REFUND was according to FOLLOWING statement, which is on GURU.COM web site "(Pay Only For A Job Well Done. Payment is simple and fast once youre satisfied with the finished product. Use Safe-Pay for a risk-free guarantee. You pay us and we pay the freelancer only after you approve the work. Its a secure, win-win arrangement for both sides"). (7) Our request for refund was within GURU.COM promises and statement, which clearly states that if we are not satisfied with the freelancer's work, NO PAYMENT is MADE to the FREELANCERS. (8) We are requesting full refund of our money from GURU.COM.Desired Settlement: We are requesting full refund of our money from GURU.COM.

Business

Response:

Good afternoon. The information below is being provided in response to Mr. [redacted]’s complaint.I’m sorry to hear that Mr. [redacted] is frustrated with his arbitration ruling. While our SafePay system is meant to secure funds for the duration of the job in order to safeguard both parties (the employer and freelancer), we cannot disallow a freelancer to dispute an employer’s request for a refund. In cases where both parties cannot negotiate a resolution, the option of arbitration is available.In this case, our arbitration ruled that, based on the evidence provided, the employer was due $12.50 and the freelancer was due $37.50. This decision was made by a panel of arbitrators using the parties’ comments and supporting evidence. It would be completely unethical for us to allow employers to demand full refunds after the job has begun without a dispute resolution process. It’s obvious that if this were the case, that ability would be abused by unscrupulous employers.Furthermore, all users must agree to our Terms of Service. In this instance, Section B 2 (c) of our Terms of Service: (c) You agree that the decision of Guru.com, acting as an arbitrator, shall be final, binding, and not subject to appeal. Accordingly, within a reasonable time after we have rendered a decision, we will transfer funds in accordance with the arbitrator’s decision.We can’t morally satisfy Mr. [redacted]’s desired settlement. We had an arbitration review the evidence and they made a decision with Mr. [redacted]’s dissatisfaction squarely in mind; it was his primary reason for requesting a refund and he stated as such. Unfortunately for Mr. [redacted], there was enough evidence indicating the contrary, which led to the decision posted by the arbitrators.Please let me know if you have questions or need any clarification.Thank you, [redacted]Support Operations Manager, Guru.com

Consumer

Response:

We brought several employees on board with guru.com. from the first week there are issue s with this company, sending me all kinds of emails unrelated to our account, each time they reply it was a glitch. It seems more like one hand there has no clue what the other hand is doing. This is a truly unprofessional organization, unfortunately I have money tied up in their goofy 'safe pay' program so I am stuck with them. It takes over 24 hours to get a reply, they have no phone or chat on their website and phone calls to the number listed on the Revdex.com site go unreturned, always in a voicemail box, never spoke to a human their.