oDesk

[rogercbryan]

Has anyone ever used ODesk.com? I just learned about the site and posted a few jobs. I'm amazed at the low fees some of these people charge! Let me know if you have ever used it and/or heard about it.

[Chaseb731]

The thing about outsourcing to individuals (instead of a team) is that in case there are issues you cant really do anything. If they get sick there is no one to take there place so your job won't get done.

I find people on there don't really have the skills they claim either.

[rogercbryan]

The thing about outsourcing to individuals (instead of a team) is that in case there are issues you cant really do anything. If they get sick there is no one to take there place so your job won't get done.

I find people on there don't really have the skills they claim either.

So you've used ODesk before? I have a few projects up there now. I figured I'd give it a try on some of my smaller sites.

[RACNicole]

Hi rogercbryan's Avatar
rogercbryan, this is Nicole from Rent a Coder.

I'd like to point out a few differences between our service and services like oDesk however, since those differences could influence the success of an outsourced project. In case you don't know, Rentacoder provides access to programming, writing, illustration, even data entry jobs. (You can get a sense of the broad scope of work available here: Browse Work).

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1) Employing a new worker that you don't yet know or trust:
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When you don't yet know if a worker is productive, both oDesk and Rent a Coder let you employ them in the safest way possible: by paying them a fixed price for the final deliverables (called pay-for-deliverables). However, oDesk doesn't offer a number of guarantees that are important when dealing with a new worker.

1a): Triple point money-back guarantee (on completion, quality and deadline):
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On Rent a Coder, the contracted work will be fully completed by the deadline, and will be up to industry-expected standards, or you get your money back. oDesk does not give refunds for lack of completion, missed deadlines or poor quality work. As a result, you may pay full price for sub-standard work (or no real work at all).

1b) Money-back communication guarantee:
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Communication is vital to your project's success and the larger the project the more communication is necessary to ensure on-time completion. On Rent a Coder, if the project is more than $150.00~the worker agrees to file a weekly status report. If they don't, you get your money back. oDesk does not give refunds for missed status reports. As a result, you may find that communication is poorer, which can affect the quality of the final work.

1c): Expert Guarantee:
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The Rent a Coder triple-point guarantee protects your money from a vWorker that doesn't deliver. But if you had a critical deadline, you may have lost vital time. The Expert Guarantee helps you avoid this by identifying the most committed and expert vWorkers during bidding. The workers agree to place a deposit to guarantee that they will not break any of the triple-point (or quadruple-point) guarantees. If they do, they forfeit the deposit (which goes to cover cancellation fees and then gets donated to a worthy charity). oDesk does not have a feature like this. As a result it may be more difficult to identify such workers during bidding.

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2) Employing a familiar worker that you've worked with before:
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Once you know a worker is productive, both oDesk and Rent A Coder let you employ them more flexibly and cheaply by paying them by the hour (called pay-for-time). However there are important differences in how oDesk and Rent A Coder provide this service.

2a) Fees
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When employing a worker you know, Rent A Coder charges 10%-35% less than oDesk (9% for one-on-one auctions to as low as 6.5%). The less you pay, the more you savings you can pocket yourself, pass on to the worker as a reward, or split. oDesk charges a higher fee of 10%. As a result, you have less money to pocket, pass on to the worker as a reward, or split.

2b) Interrupting Mental Tasks
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If your worker is doing a mental task that should not be interrupted (such as reading, planning, or writing at a desk), oDesk still requires them to remember to move their mouse every minute or so, or they won't guarantee payment to them. This requirement may distract and impair performance and you still must full price for time that is billed like this. Rent A Coder does not interrupt this kind of work in the first place, so you do not have this issue.

There are other differences as well. I invite everyone to compare the 7 major services through this link to learn even more: Why choose Rent A Coder (for buyers)? Compare it to elance, guru, oDesk, freelancer and other sites in the industry (Short version: Top 5 Differences Between oDesk and Rent A Coder (for Buyers))

If you have any questions, please let me know. You can also call in to talk to a facilitator 7 days a week, or email us (see Feedback / Contact).

Nicole
Rent A Coder: How Software Gets Done -- Home of the worlds' largest number of completed software projects

[noob]

I haven't personally used ODesk but have had a couple friend's who has tried it out awhile back. From their feedback, it wasn't good and they both (separately) wouldn't want to use the service again. I can't honestly say as I believe each experience may differ but from what I heard, it's mostly a lack of communication, a lack of documentation in stuff done, and delivery times were off. Hope that helps