Frequently Asked Questions - Programmers/Sellers

Please also review and agree to our Terms and Conditions before you sign-up.

General Questions

How does this work?
This works just like a reverse auction or if you are familiar with how the RFQ/tender/bidding process works in large firms and government institutions. Small businesses and website owners are looking for services such as, a logo/web design, database development, script installation/modification, custom programming, etc., but do not know how to find professionals who can do quality work at an affordable price. This is an opportunity for you to provide your services and build your own small business. Simply sign-up, create an account and bid on the projects of your interest/expertise. If you are the winning bidder you will be notified.

1. Register
2. Bid on projects
3. You will be notified, if selected
4. Complete the project
5. Get Paid
6. Ask the user to rate you
7. Tell your friends and colleagues (won't you please?)

What is the cost associated?
There is an annual membership fee of NON-REFUNDABLE $79.95/year and a small commission on all projects you win - there is no cost to bid on projects. If you are the winning bidder, you will owe us a commission of 7% with a minimum commission of $10 per closed bid. For example, say you were the winner of a bid for a logo design project and your charge is $150 for the project. Once the bid is closed an amount of $10.50 will be deducted from your account. If our commission (based on the above calculation method) is less than $10 then you will be charged $10 (minimum) as our referral fee. View the «Fee Structure»

How and when do you charge me for your commission?
Once the buyer selects the winning bidder, the project listing will be closed and the buyer is asked to make a deposit for the combined commission both parties owe us (10% or $15 whichever is higher). Work will not start until we receive the first deposit from the buyer and you should not do anything until we (not the buyer) notify you to start the work. If you start working before we approve, then you will be in violation of our policy.

Why should I use you?
If you provide services to small business owners or if you are freelance professional, you know how hard it is to find quality leads. This is the best way to get qualified leads without having to spend any money upfront for advertising your services. You are in control as you decide which projects to accept. Besides, you do not pay anything upfront and there are no contracts to sign or a membership with us and we stay behind the curtain and let you do your work. Our goal is to create a central point and a meeting place for both programmers and small business owners. We are unique as anyone from a college student to an experienced professional or even a small consulting outfit can utilize our services. Also, because our users are small business owners and as most of them are looking for repeat services this can quickly and cost-effectively help you build your business by bringing in additional leads.

Where are you located?
In Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, Colorado - USA.

Signing-up as a Bidder

Who can register?
You can be an individual (freelance, part-time, contract) programmer, designer or a consulting company. If you have a close-knit group or if you have connections to collaborate on larger projects you can do so.

If you are not serious about your work and delivering what our buyers are looking for based on their specifications and if you do not want to follow our site terms and conditions, then do not register. We want this to be an useful site for all buyers, programmers/designers and this is not our hobby. We do not need any trouble makers, we are serious about what we do and if you are serious about your work, welcome and show us what you have got.

What kind of projects are available?
Here is a list of currently available categories. The projects can range from a simple logo design to a complex enterprise software development.

What kind of experience is required to be a bidder?
It varies by project - some projects may require a minimum but specific expertise, while a few projects may require a group collaboration or coding by several programmers with solid experience. The buyers should be able to provide you specifications and if not you can ask questions in the project message board.

When you bid, you should be able to deliver. If you cannot deliver according to requested specifications, then do not bid. Other than that there is no specific amount of experience is required. You will be rated by the buyer when your work is delivered and may be judged by your ratings from future buyers.

What categories can I register - can I select multiple categories as my expertise?
You can check one or more of the currently available broad categories, when you register (click here to view a list of available categories). If you need a new category added, just let us know. However, most people are looking for an expert in a few areas and hence though you can list under multiple categories, it is not in your best interest to select more than 5 areas of expertise.

How can I unsubscribe and stop getting emails when a new project is posted?
Just login to your account and click on "Edit Profile" button and uncheck the email notification feature. You can do this even if your account is suspended (please do it yourself - don't send us an email and ask us to do it for you).

Projects and Bidding

I put in a lowest bid but my bid was not selected. How are the bids selected?
Bids are not selected by buyers based on the amount. In fact, to bid the lowest amount that is not sensible, could be a turn-off to some buyers and they may perceive this as a desperation bid. Budget is important along with the quality of work.

Buyers make this decision based on several factors such as the information in your profile, your samples, your experience, your attitude and willingness/eagerness to work with them, any samples you have shown them (even if they did not ask you), etc., For creative work such as logos and illustrations and even web templates, it helps buyers to see what you can do and if you provide them a sample/mockup design specifically created for their project. Also, remember that as we grow and as more programmers are rated by buyers based on their experience, the ratings and feedback will also influence the decision of buyers.

I need to provide a demo to the buyer. If I can't contact the buyer, how can I provide the demo?
We are not barring you from showing any demos. We only ask that you not contact the buyer directly unless it is necessary and if so, you can email us. For most demos, you can use an "anonymous" web account (free or paid) to upload your demos and show them to the buyer or so that the buyer can download them. We ask that they be not uploaded to your main website (including subdomains), where the buyer can contact you directly.

It is not clear to me what the buyer is looking for - can I contact the person who placed the project to get additional information?
No. You are strictly prohibited from contacting anyone directly and this includes contact via email, chat, AIM, etc., Any bids in violation will removed by the admin without any notice. If you need clarifications or need additional information, you can use the project message board to ask for more information. You can post a public or a private message (visible only to the buyer).

I need to email/chat with the buyer. Why can't I contact the buyer directly?
You cannot contact the buyer directly to keep this system fair to all other bidders. Hence the message board has been provided. If everyone can contact the buyer directly then there is no need for our system and it has been designed to keep it fair and square. Any bids in violation will be removed by the admin without any notice.

I only charge an hourly rate - can I use it or do I have to provide the total cost?
No, you can use your hourly rate to estimate the total amount for the project. Work requested here is based by project and not hourly as this is not a job site but an auction/bid site. As most of our users are small business owners and are budget oriented, they are a looking for a total cost bid.

Can I make an estimate of the cost if I cannot determine the exact cost?
Yes. You can make an estimate but keep in mind that this is what you will get paid. Hence, you should account for not only your fees but also additional costs involved such as transfer fees and minimum fees that you may need to pay us - «See Fee Structure». This is how it is done when contractors and bidders bid on government projects.

How do I change or update a bid that I already placed?
Just submit a new bid and your old bid will be automatically removed.

How do I cancel a bid?
Just log into the account management area, click on the project and click on "retract bid" link.

Why can't I see the "Place Bid" button on some projects?
This does not show up for closed projects and frozen projects (temporarily stopped).

I was picked as the programmer - what happens next? How do I get in touch with the buyer?
You will be emailed and asked to accept the project first and then you will be asked to contact the buyer. You will need to get in touch with the buyer immediately and start working on the project and make arrangements for additional funds (if the buyer has only deposited the commission).

If you do not hear from the buyer within 24 hours and are unable to start the work, please contact us.

Payments and Fees

Do I have to add money to my account when I sign-up?
Not necessarily. You can start with nothing in your account.

How do I add money to my account?
Just login and click on the "deposit" button in the account management area. You can currently pay with visa, mastercard, american express, discover by credit card on our site or use paypal to transfer money.

In my country there is no PayPal yet - can I sign-up and how will it work?
You may sign-up. The buyers are required to make a 10% payment when they are ready to work with you to cover your commission. The buyer can then pay the remainder directly to you or you can withdraw the money from your account if the buyer uses our site to pay you. So, you can start with nothing first and have money deposited into your account when you pickup and deliver some projects. For people who do not have access to paypal, we mail checks for the earnings (mailing charges apply) and when you are ready to withdraw money, you can ask us to mail a check or send money via bankwire.

Can I get paid through Western Union?
Not currently, maybe in the future.

What happens if I do not use all my funds in my account or if I have a balance?
You can withdraw money. Just click the "withdraw money" button in the account management area. You can currently request a payment through a PayPal account. Please note that you cannot withdraw less than $15.00 at a time.

Note: We prefer that you have an account at paypal.com in order to transfer funds to and from our site. If your country is not available at paypal -OR- if you prefer not to use paypal, then we will be happy to mail you a check (additional check processing and mailing charges apply) but all other transfers will be done via paypal. Check this link to see the list of countries and if you can open an account - http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/approved_countries-outside

How and when do you charge me for your commission?
Once you are selected as the winning bidder, the listing will be closed and the commission you owe us will be deducted from your account. The commission is based on 7% of the winning bid you select, with a minimum of $10 per closed bid. The buyer is also required to pay our commission first before the work begins thus making sure that all of us will get paid for our work and the buyer gets the work according to your bid.

Will I get a refund for my commission if I do not complete the project?
No - once you are selected as the winning bidder, you will be emailed and will be asked to accept the project. Once you accept the project, we will put you in touch with the buyer and our responsibility ends at this point. Our commission is due for putting you two in touch with each other. It is upto both parties to assume the responsibility for the project, delivery and making necessary arrangements for payments. Under no circumstances will the commission be refunded, once you have accepted the work - unless the buyer cancels (and in that case you must notify us immediately).

When will I get paid?
1. We will put you in touch with the buyer once the deposit has been received from the buyer. This first deposit only covers the commissions both parties owe us.
2. Buyer has two options to pay you the remaining funds (the actual earnings), for your work. Buyer may pay you directly (check, wire, money order, etc.,) or the buyer may use our system.
3. You can check your account and see if you have received the funds before making the delivery of the final version of the work and if not, ask the buyer to make the transfer. If you deliver the project before getting the funds then we are not responsible. IMPORTANT: However, if you both are using our system then any withdrawal of funds from your account MAY NOT be approved by us until we fully confirm the validity of the buyer's transaction and receive the funds in our system and the buyer cannot reverse any transactions with the credit card processor. In some cases, this could take upto 90 days. There is nothing we can do about it - the credit card companies have made this difficult. This will be explained in further detail in the email we send you if/when your bid is selected for a project. Basically, we can only pay you if we receive the money and not from our own funds. If you are not willing to wait, then ask the buyer to pay you directly.
4. If this involves any direct software installation on their system then you need to make proper arrangements for payments. In otherwords, we are not responsible for any payments. We will pass the funds to you if we collect them and when we confirm them as stated above in #3. If we don't get the funds or if the transaction is bogus or if it is reversed later (proof will be provided), then there will be no money to pay you.
5. Under no circumstances will the commission we receive on this project be refunded to you "once you accept" and start working (or not) on the project. If you do not want to work on this project, you must not accept and notify us immediately (2 days max.) before anything is done (starting the work) and also to the buyer so the buyer may select another programmer. Don't email us later if for any reason this does not work out.

When will my withdrawal be approved?
Biweekly (twice a month - during middle and end of the month for confirmed transactions, otherwise there is a waiting period). See more in the above question on how it works.

Do I have to get paid through my account or can I ask the buyer to pay me directly?
See the above questions.

What is the minimum amount I can transfer (between accounts)?
Currently the minimum is $5.

Is there a fee to transfer money?
No. Currently, there is no fee besides any charges associated with our credit card provider.

I want to stop getting emails. How can I unsubscribe and stop getting emails when a new project is posted?
Just login to your account and click on "Edit Profile" button and uncheck the email notification feature. You can do this even if your account is suspended (please do it yourself - don't send us an email and ask us to do it for you).

Ratings and violations of site policies

You will be rated by the buyer upon delivery of your project.

You will be rated by us as "poor" if you are the winning bidder but you back-off and do not complete and deliver the project. To avoid this, do not bid if you cannot deliver.

You will also be rated (the lowest possible) by us for violations of our policies such as:
1. Providing/including your contact information in your bids, message boards and by any other means during an open/active project.
2. Negotiating a fee for an open/active project. You cannot negotiate - whatever you bid is the final cost. If/when in doubt, use the project message board to ask questions to the buyer and get all the information to make your bid. You can update your bid accordingly at a later time but that is the final amount for the project. No other fee/bid negotiations are allowed, online or offline.
3. Contacting buyers offline during an open/active project to solicit, negotiate or to settle. You can only contact the buyer if/when you win the bid and we will give you contact information. Otherwise, it will be a violation of our policy.
4. Any other violations of our policies as mentioned in:
a) our site terms and conditions b) the FAQ and c) any other visible areas of our site as noted (usually in red ink).

Violations will result in suspension of your account without any notice. We are also considering posting details of all suspended/banned programmer accounts for our site users/buyers.

I still have some questions before getting started - how I can contact you?
Just email us and enclose the nature of your contact, your name, email and explain the issue/question.