Unlike many of the complaints you will see on this site from software coders regarding Rentacoder, we are buyers. Rentacoder doesnt really protect buyers either.in addition, so you realize we have no grudge, we ultimately won our arbitration and did receive the majority of our investment back.
The main reason to use a site like Rentacoder, is for the so-called protection it provides you as a Buyer. You are using them as a middle man between you and the coder. After hiring a coder, agreeing on terms, you deposit your funds with rentacoder. They are held in escrow, and disbursed according to your initial agreement with the coder.
The problem comes if you have an issue with your hired coder.in our case, the coder did not deliver the code on time.in fact, it was so blatantly late it was ridiculous.
When that happens you have no choice but to enter into Arbitration on the Rentacoder site.
To make a long story short, arbitration is a joke. The process does not seem to follow US or International arbitration laws. The Arbitrators are not independent but are existing employees of Rentacoder.in fact, the first level arbitrator we were assigned was the receptionist.
After she was unable to handle the issue (this took 3 weeks) our case was moved to a technical arbitrator. After 4 more weeks, she finally ruled in our favor. To our amazement and disappointment, the coder was able to request an appeal, which was automatically granted. The case was then moved to a so-called Senior Arbitrator.
This arbitrator did not even begin looking at the case for 2 weeks. Then, it took him an additional 5 weeks to find in our favor once again.
The process of arbitration took over 3 months, and many, many hours of work on our part. What did we get in the end? Our money released from escrow. Not all of it, but only the funds we did not already release to the Coder.
The simple truth is this, I strongly advise any software buyers to avoid using rent a coder. You are not protected any more than if you agree on an installment plan directly with the coder.
In our case, when the Coder did not meet deadlines, we could have simply walked away. No more loss of funds or time; no need to have suffered through 3 months of very unprofessional arbitration only to receive our funds back from escrow.
(To prove validity of our claim please feel free to view the rentacoder site. Our Coder was Metaxpert sister co. Of Gravity Jack and our name is Gamelink. Arbitration results are viewable to all.)
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