Complaint Review: Jane Content

Apparently this company outsources writing assignments to freelance writers through various freelance marketplaces, such as elance.com and guru.com. Jane Content touts itself as a company that produces quality content and provides superior customer service, when in fact it is incapable of doing either one. 

There were a series of RED FLAGS with Jane Content that should have been heeded rather than passed off as coincidence. Because of the horrendous experience with this unscrupulous firm, I felt that it was imperative to alert other freelance writers to the implications and unethical business practices that Jane Content practices. In essence, this is a top-notch dung-hole of a company.

A recent Jane Content writing project was awarded through one of the freelance websites that requested 20 articles on a specific topic along with other parameters. These additional stipulations included conducting the business relationship outside of those offered via the freelance portal, as well as signing of a Jane Content contract/project plan.

Red Flag Number One

Contact information. Jane Content's website shows a physical contact address in Texas and states that it's owner is Julie Welch. Julie Welch's email address is also provided for contact purposes. 

Several voicemail messages have been left for Julie Welch on her published phone number: (832) 296-6723 and no return phone calls have been received. Additionally, an email was sent to the published email address and returned as undeliverable (email address is not valid).

The freelance project itself was posted by someone named James Clemmons who claims to be Jane Content's Editor and Publisher and indicates the following contact information: 

2089 Bluemont Drive

San Francisco, CA  94142

(415) 474-7356

First, the street address cannot be verified through Google Maps or MapQuest. Second, the phone number is currently disconnected. Third, the email address provided originates outside of California.

When James Clemmons was contacted regarding the bad address and disconnected phone number, he stated that he didn't HAVE to provide a personal number. True, but any decent business contact will provide a phone number of some sort so that questions, clarifications and disputes can be resolved by engaging in a mature dialogue.

Red Flag Number Two

Contract. Back to the contract that the fictitious James Clemmons proposed. The contract reads clearly enough, but because payment is being processed via direct bill (through PayPal), freelancers forgo the payment protection options offered through the marketplace website (i.e. elance.com, guru.com, etc.). Jane Content claimed it would pay as follows:

1) Payment issued after every five to 10 articles.

2) Payment received within 'hours' of receiving produced articles.

After the first five were sent and payment was requested, Jane Content said they wouldn't pay until at least 10 were submitted. 

Red Flag Number Three

Renege of Terms. When it was pointed out that the exchange of correspondence showed that payment would originate after at least five articles, James Clemmons adjusted the terms and said it would be 'more like 10.' Fool me once, shame on me and fool me twice shame on James Clemmons and Jane Content for being a pair of loathsome entities.

At this point, any additional work ceased to take place until a remittance of payment was sent to demonstrate that good intentions were behind this false front of an individual and company. Payment was never received and Jane Content has five articles that are not useable based on U.S. copyright laws. 

Red Flag Number Four

Ignorant. The electronic correspondence that had been exchanged during Jane Contents project implementation with James Clemmons was often at a first-grade level. Errors, fragmented sentences and lack of intelligent composition revealed that the half-wit behind James Clemmons persona was nothing more than a total buffoon and full-blown moron at best.

Conclusion

Its difficult to imagine that any freelance writers have had a positive interaction with this deceitful agency. For any freelancers contemplating a relationship with Jane Content, consider the shady principles that have been described in this diatribe.

A complaint has been filed with the Better Business Bureau, a police report has been filed for failure to compensate for services rendered and all five articles are being featured on several prominent electronic submission sites for others to enjoy and read. 

Jane Content and James Clemmons are not who they appear to be and quite adept at utilizing the Internet to their advantage through false identities, inaccurate contact information and highly questionable business practices. 

Hopefully this account will help other freelancers avoid making a similar mistake. Jane Content and James Clemmons are abominable and if karma is all that its cracked up to be, it will come back to haunt them (fingers crossed and God willing).