GoToGraphics, GoToGraphics Elance, GoToGraphics Guru, GoToGraphics Freelancer, GoToGraphics India Scam Company, Stolen works, Fake certification list, Charges $$ and not doing anything, Fraud Chennai Tamil Nadu India
Got excited with their Cool name? And very pretty graphic samples on Elance, Guru, maybe Freelancer?
How about them giving all 5 full time employees to get your work done as soon as you need..?
Sounds good, doesnt it?
Well, the reality is different. The moment you grand them a task for $2000/week, and begin demanding the tasks to be done - the story will change. Alot.
I was impressed with their graphics as well, thinking: "Oh great, this company could do me multiple things, and we could get this whole thing done within a week".
So here is what happened:
1) I posted an ad on Elance
2) They responded, saying they can help, and added me to Skype
3) On Skype they begin telling me about their certifications (microsoft partner, Adobe Partner, ISO certified...? which is b.s. I contacted all of these firms, and they said there is no GoToGraphics. I checked online via the partner search program - no results either). They were telling me that they can assign 5 people and get my things done asap.
4) We agreed to hours, and the tasks to be done. This guy "gtg" - said that they start working at 9.30AM indian time.
Next day 11:40 AM
5) No response, noone is answering Skype
6) 12:30 PM after massive calls on Skype he began cutting me off
7) Eventually he said that he does not know what work has to be done, and then he asked me to do to some work becasue he cannot understand a sample image with expalanation - he has to "document it'.
8) Well Okay - I did document it, and sent it the way he wanted.
9) 5-6 hours later - no response again
10) next day 11AM - no response (work starts at 9.30AM)
11) Again massive Skype calls - eventually he comes back saying I will get the things shortly.
12) Few hours later - still nothing.
13) I asked all these 5 designer and a project manager's Skype or other application where I could have them working with Team Viewer. No response.
14) After an hour of callings - he said that their company does not have any chat applications.
15) I asked to install it, and also get the teamviewer software so i could monitor them all. They could also all run billing software - i dont mind paying since I was on a tight schedule.
16) They refused. This "gtg" on Skype is like some sort of magician and novel writer - you ask him one thing, and instead of giving, he tries to sneak around without answering you anything.
17) I began researching their firm and looks like they dont have a website, others were also complanining with stolen works. All the certification they listed are fake. And sample designs in some ways are rip offs, stolen from other places with few colors changed.
18) I told him that the game is over, and the contract will be canceled. They will also going to get a rip off report for scamming. He was not even surprised.
Considering that yearly average salary is $2000 in India, and I got a contract him paying $2000 which he can refuse just like that.. makes me think, that:
a) They must not have the employees, most likely 1 basic level desiner, and others were just "browers" billing the time for nothing (typical indian time fraud scam (this way the Elance, oDesk assumes the work was done since they are broswsing the right applications and if you dispute - they will reject it - saying look, these guys did the job)).
b) The work they present on all of their websites - is stolen.
c) If he refuses to give project managers and the employees - maybe there is none in the first place, just like all these non-existing cerification and the extraordinary amount of bullshit.
I was working with European designers, there is no need for "documentation". There is sample of work, description with designer what do I want, and then I am getting the samples, then we do adjustments. But here.... its a nightmare. No direct communication with designers, and the 3rd person has no idea of what is he doing. Just taking contracts putting the time fraudsters and that the product you will get from them, then if you are not so lucky you will get your website remove from search engines or confiscated based on Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)...
P.S. GoToGraphics - according to "gtg" has never seen 30 MB graphic files.. :-)