Complaint Review: Elance

I have had an Elance Account for years.

I have hired people and have been hired to do freelance work.

I have had free accounts and paid accounts.

Elance has never had a problem taking money from my accounts for their service fees and for paying people that I've hired to do work for me... these accounts have been the same since opening my elance account.  It's awfully convenient they don't have a problem taking money from my accounts but they all of a sudden have a problem allowing me to withdraw money I've earned into those very same accounts they deduct their service fees from!  

Until now... Now they want to verify I am who I am.  See, I've completed a freelance job.  The person who hired me has paid the funds into an elance escrow account for me to withdraw my payment from and Elance is holding my funds and won't release them.  Suddenly, for some unknown reason, I'm not who I say I am... Nothings changed on my elance account.  My acconts are a checking account and a paypal verified merchant account.  All the same name, the same address, the same phone number, the same email.  

They want to go through a 3rd party to verify my identity.  I've supplied this company with a copy of my driver license but they want to do a video conference to verify I am who I am.  There lies the problem.  I do not do any sort of video conferencing.  I work from home (hello, I'm a freelancer!) and thus do not allow unknown companies or individuals into my private home via video conferencing. I've turned down jobs that were offered and required this and I pass up jobs as a freelancer that require any sort of video conferencing.  You must be thinking i'm crazy, and maybe I am.  However, this is for safety, security and privacy reasons.  I have a right to protect my home and family and that is not negotiable.

So, now elence, since I won't complete their "identity" verification isn't releasing money owned to me.  

I want everyone to beware that this is taking place and hope you avoid this happening to you.

Signed,

still waiting on my payment from elance and ticked off about it.

Please beware of this policy they have and ensure you take the necessary steps to ensure you are property compensated.