New system aimed primarily at matching newer sellers with buyers
So now it seems I have to wait two hours before I can bid for a job. This is extremely unfair. Not only do experienced creatives/designers have to compete with an unfair playing field, ie people offered to do a job for £10 when it is clearly worth £100, we are now not allowed to bid for jobs as soon as they appear on PPH. What kind of system is this?!
Awful. Unfair. Unprofessional. Discriminatory.
Regards
C. Howe
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Im not sure how this new system is going to turn out after fine tuning for PPh, buyer and seller. But maybe it would be a start if PPH did not post jobs on the jobs board which are not available straight away to everybody. This way we wouldn't have to waste our time opening jobs on the board only to find out we can not apply for it. Removing these jobs from the board would clean things up and reduce the frustration. Or is it the case that if PPH did this, there would be hardly any jobs available to everyone to bid on straight away due to most the jobs being alicated to specific freelancers?
Roger
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I have had loads of requests to bid for jobs that are NOT at all what I do - not only that but I can't see how on earth my profile generated the requests. AND I'm not being invited to bid for jobs I am qualified for.
I was directed to this forum by the helpdesk but I can't see a thread on this topic or a way to start one.
People per hour is becoming a real drag.
Jenny
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Thank you Moira, I'd be interested in other people's views and advice. It's quite obvious this new system is a deliberate introduction by PPH rather than a random glitch which is what I initially thought. I'm not convinced they will iron out problems. It's interesting, up to about 2 weeks ago I was receiving direct enquiries and now I'm not.
Thank you Moira, for reading and commenting.
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Yet again I have just bid on a job I was 'invited' to and have had a a proposal credit taken from me! When I finally get a half decent job that fits my skills it is still flawed!
On another note, would it be worthwhile if we all agreed to paste a few words at the bottom of every proposal to make buyers aware of the new system and how they may not be getting the best people for the job because of the restrictions placed upon us. Maybe if buyers could add to this thread it would be of more benefit.
Just a thought.
Mike
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Oh great, to STOP us asking clarification questions (or asking to be invited to bid) within the first two hours they have now imposed a new 'feature'. I've just tried to ask a clarification question on something for which I am an expert (and top of the list of freelancers offering this skill) but for which I have, yet again, not been selected.
I got this message:
Error
This Job is private and available to a few selected Sellers so you can't ask a clarification question for the next 1 hour and 48 minutes.
This is really p***ing me off.
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Another good example of how frustrating this is today:
According to the buyer,
"To apply for this job you have to meet the following criteria:
-- Have worked with other startups in the past as copywriters for their product
-- Native english speakers
-- have a portfolio of relative projects"Great, I meet all those criteria. But no, according to PPH, "To be eligible to bid first for similar Jobs in the future update your profile with relevant skills."
I have copywriting and brand writing in my skills list, many past jobs involving copywriting, and a portfolio of examples.
So who should be deciding when I can apply here? The buyer who will actually be using the freelancer chosen, or PPH?
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I think we've all established the fact that jobs aren't being matched to criteria. It's random. You may get asked. You may not. We've also established the fact it isn't a glitch. It's a purpose built system designed to block you. Thirdly, we have established the fact that PPH have no intention of ditching this.
Therefore can't see the point in keep posting on here how you see a job but can't bid for it even though you've got the skills. Don't waste your time.
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So, I sent a complaint to PPH Helpdesk about yet again not being selected for a job for which I am highly qualified and being barred from even asking a question and got the usual stock response:
"
Thank you for your message.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.
This is a new feature we've put into place aimed primarily at matching newer sellers with buyers on the site so that they can have a better chance at winning work. Having said that, it isn't solely limited to unrated sellers, and we do try to add different level users to the mix each time. With every job in a specific category we automatically assemble a pool of sellers who will be able to bid on the job two hours before anyone else. While for this job you might not have been selected, for future listings you may well be.
As such, I wouldn't say it's that you're missing something, just that the feature will select new individuals with each new job.
My apologies for any confusion.
Please let me know if I can help you with anything else."
I have responded saying I am sick of getting the usual stock response, etc. I expect I will get yet another stock response to that.
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Arrrr!
PPH is it your intention to one day remove the jobs board? and all jobs will be emailed out to relevant freelancers with relevant skills?
I think I know where you are going with this idea? do I?
If I take the answer as yes, the jobs board will go, and all jobs will be emailed out to the seller operated automatically by the algorithm ... So we are the lab rats at the moment while the algorithm is developed. Oh, OK. Why didn't you just say that.
tongue in cheek, but I think this is what is going to happen. If the algorithm works well and keeps emailing relevant jobs at A FAIR price I could still be interested .
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Please note that this thread is constantly being monitored and a number of you have broken our terms and conditions with some of the comments you have been making (such as advertising competitors as an example). We will not tolerate such comments and will deactivate any members we need to, so please be mindful of our forum rules whilst posting. Thank you
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Kelly
Perhaps PPH would be better served if it ADDRESSED the problems that the freelancer community have rather than just threaten us. Do you not understand the concept of Customer Service? (I'm sure that I, and many others on this site, could provide PPH with a good grounding on how to deal with customers who aren't happy.)
Plus, PPH has unilaterally made unannounced changes to its processes and procedures without any formal agreement from us. I consider that unprofessional, unacceptable and appalling.
Oh, and I have mentioned a competitor. Me bad for pointing out that another freelancing site is better run and has something like five times the number of jobs available. If PPH were serious about running their business then it might try and learn from the competition..but I don't see that happening any time soon.
Many of us are frustrated by the behaviour of PPH. The way it responds to complaints with stock answers and the "take it or leave it" attitude. Do you really think that this response helps?
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Nancy, I think the point of posting on here is that we've been told this thread is being seen by PPH staff who are reading our comments. Yes, the system is deliberate and designed this way - the point people are trying to make is that it is not effective, damaging to buyers and sellers, and has been inadequately explained. Concrete examples of why that is the case are going to be of more use than speculation.
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I am the forum moderator and I moderate the forum on a daily basis. I have been doing this for almost a year now and have been thoroughly enjoying it. It is upsetting when I have to delete comments and deactive users.
I have been told to allow the community to discuss their opinions on this topic and only interfere when I really need to, such as when our forum rules are broken, which is why I have been allowing you to discuss your opinions so far without any interference...
You are entitled to your opinion and you are entitled to be angry. Just please don't take it out on staff members, Mike.
In terms of comments, please rest assured that I pass every single one of them on, but this is as far as my job goes here with regards to feature complaints.
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Regarding the emails from PPH and the new system,
Im starting to think the email job alerts from you are starting to be intrusive. While there are many jobs I could send a proposal to. Im finding them starting to clutter my email client that I also receive communication alerts from current Buyers I am currently working with..
May I propose you give each user His/Her own jobs board to view the jobs that are being offered in the emails? Then you don't need to send the emails as we have a jobs board that is specifically related to our skills. Also that will get rid of the 2hour stupid system you are running now.
I should be charging you for this stuff. But I just trying to help.
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Roger....
Blimey, what a bunch of cowboys. Just for your info, if you switch browsers its seems to correct itself but then goes back to the same message. So if youre desperate you could try this method. I just got a job out this way. Hopefully they'll fix it but I wouldnt hold your breath.
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I Agree on this this new system of 2 hour of waiting time is stupid
I know they trying to get more jobs to new freelancers i am ok with thatbut i this 2 hour is too long i lost many client as i check job after 2 hour and it already awarded
sollution is to reduce thos time to 10 or 20 min -
Im contacting PPH to ask if they would be open to a petition to remove this feature I have complained on a few occasions about this and iam on the verge of leaving because in the past two weeks I have been unable to get any work at all. and I get these stupid invites at silly times in the morning and they are totally irrelevant to me still.
If PPH wont be open to a Petition to remove this feature then I'd recommend everyone revolt by leaving PPH.
Ill keeps yous updated if anything comes of it.
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Um, the new 2 hour block is supposed to help newbies? I don't think so. I've only been on the site for about a week and I see it all the time. It's getting to the point where I just skip anything that is less than 2 hours old because I know I don't have a chance. I'm actually very discouraged about my experiences here and am seriously considering cancelling my account.
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What I would like is some assuarance from PPH that they understand that the algorithm is simply not accurate or reliable enough and that they intend to do something about it. I KEEP getting selected for jobs I do not have the skills for, and am not being selected for jobs I can do. My complaint is not that I am not being selected, but that I am being selected for the wrong jobs.
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