Vote - Original 15%-3,5% service fee VS new 20% Fee structure.
Hello Everyone.
PPH wants to know whether the new fee structure suits the majority of sellers or not? please vote and comment (Comment is important)
If you don't know how to vote, click the Up arrow button next to the post title.
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CS Response :
If you want your buyers to vote go here :
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I had this response:
I hope this email finds you well and happy.
I can certainly understand your trepidations on this matter. PPH didn't take this decision lightly, but we truly believe that it will benefit everyone (not immediately though), not only in profitability but in securing amiable collaborations (Buyers and Sellers will have long lasting relationships - this is the true goal).
I would like to suggest to give this new scheme some time. I will be here to provide you with any information or assistance.
I remain at your disposal. -
Steven. There's no point fighting a brick wall. PPH told me point blank that the fees will not be changing back so instead of people wasting their breath, it'd be better for everybody to get on with their own solution, e.g., finding new methods of getting business like other freelance platforms, etc. Actions speak louder than words and PPH will eventually realise their mistake but unfortunately this won't be until the platform has dried up. I'd just suggest jumping ship before it sinks.
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Just to update after a whole month of the new fees. Last month I was charged 8.1% inc VAT. This month 19.1% inc. VAT. So much for all that extra money in my pocket. Am going to keep up with the complaints - seeing as that's all we can do. Unfortunately, this is what happens when there are only a small number of viable market players and they decide to screw everyone.
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This is what they want. They want people to let off steam here where nobody can see it before it inevitably gets brushed under the carpet, whilst you keep on working for them. Complaints won't do anything against the careless skin of the PPH bosses - they're too busy laughing at you whilst you continue to line their pockets. The best way to hurt them is to spend your efforts finding work elsewhere. They only care about money so the more that people vent their frustration on finding other streams of work, the less money goes into PPH's pocket, and this is only when they'll start listening. I know it's a tricky situation because you need to earn money but at the same time you're only fuelling the fee change if you do. It's easy for me because I know this site is on it's way out from looking at the complaints from the buyers having to pay ridiculous 10% in fees on top of what they are paying us, as well as the huge drop in sales from around the platform.
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And clearly by the fact I have billed less than half of my usual fees, I am going elsewhere to find jobs as I am sure many of us are. It's still worth pointing it out though to get the point across to people who might not be using the site as much to show them just how pointless the whole thing is anyway!
I have picked up 3 clients this month from other sources and will continue to do so but I have historical PPH clients I wouldn't leave in the lurch for the first month - luckily most of them are on at least 7.5%.
I couldn't have been any more loyal but am totally done...
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I've gone from 6.5% to 18.7% in fees.
It's a shameless money grab. They are treating freelancers with utter contempt -- they haven't even given us a real reply.
I guess they will be looking forward to big bonuses this year for all of their "hard work".
Personally, I am looking at other platforms. This company is a disgrace and they are no longer trustworthy.
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As a web developer virtually all jobs on PPH in this sector are one-off requests to build/modify a site for their business.
There is NO scope for 'lifetime' reationships. It's just not in the nature of the business.
In rare situations where there is future work for site maintenance or update - outside the standard post-live support period - which PPH'er in their right mind would do it through PPH and get ripped of at extortionate commission rates.
I won't and don't.
And don't even mention the scam that is 'High Value' jobs. Which pretends to promote jobs with 'potential' for future work!
It's just blatant & systematic profiteering off the people who built their platform.
Reverse this decision and revert to the commission rate all older PPH users signed up for. For everyone.
Do the right thing.
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Have you done your review? https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.peopleperhour.com
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@Stevens, @$#%^#$ should have at least, I say at least implemented a TAB where you can view all your earnings by client, and do their scam / robbery in an honest way, but they prefer doing it in the dark , so you have to go and count pennies whether your client paid 500 or 499.99
and even if you ask for similar feature (view earnings by client) they will respond, our gerbilization team is reviewing bla bla bla , yeh #$%@#$% off
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Top Cert copywriter here... I am appalled by the new fees system.
If you wanted a way to push your freelancers to encourage their clients to dodge the internal payment system, you couldn't have designed a better one...
The highest rated freelancers will simply move away from the site and you'll lose what market share you have...
If it were up to me, I'd fire the person responsible for the move and change it back before you damage your reputation irrevocably.
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Hello,
can someone explain to me how the new fee system works? For example, if I send a 100€ invoice with 19% TVA to a new buyer where the fees are 20% from which amount they will charge that 20%? From the entire 100€ or from what remained amount after the 19% TVA applied?
Thank you and Good Luck!
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Its 108 months since I joined PPH (2009) this month is looking like it will be the lowest amount I have ever billed - less than £300
This is because I have been running some advertising of my own on Facebook/Instagram & Google and getting some good results.
Have also got 1 client from Upwork too - even though Upwork has the same fee structure they give a lot more value in return.
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Hi Letitia,
I'd disagree, I'd say a lot has changed.
1) I no longer care about my rank position on PPH
2) I no longer care about billing each month on PPH
3) Since the fee increase, I've been far more active on Upwork and secured a major contract for ongoing repeat business.
4) Since the fee increase I have been approached on linkedin, (that's never happened before), and secured a new client and another high paying piece of consultancy work, already delivered.
5) Since the fee increase I am now far more interested in considering my own brand and not that of PPH.
6) I'm now transacting more business direct with clients than ever before and Paypal invoice fees are far less than PPH's costs.
I now consider PPH to be an added extra, am putting little effort into actively looking for work on PPH and apart from servicing pre existing clients, won't be doing much else.
I hope others are able to find solutions that work for them as staying on PPH and just accepting the fee increase is not a viable option.
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You and me, both, Sean. It's amazing what a little incentive does.
Thank you PPH for pushing me to work more out on my own - it's going great...
I'm no longer bidding, I service only the one client that is already over 5k (therefore making PPH the minimum in fees) and if I happen to sell an Hourlie (a rare occurrence) it is at an increased rate so I don't miss out.
The only people that are missing out on the 70% of my income that I make off the site are PPH.
Hey Ho
Ps - I may be tongue in cheek - but I still have great empathy with anyone who is genuinely losing out due to these changes. PPH don't know what side their bread is buttered.
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It's funny how some decisions in life are triggered by external events.
When I was made redundant in 2012 (I then started freelancing full time in 2013 after taking a break) I realised I had been unhappy in my full time job for some time and the fact that I left with 6 months pay tax free was an added bonus but that was only ever going to last for so long.
But basically I should have jumped ship quite some time before the redundancy came along and it was an unpleasant experience to have to go through.
This time, yes, like many have acknowledged, being overly dependent on one source of business isn't wise, ironic that I routinely advise businesses of the risk of a single revenue stream (doh) but we often get complacent and comfortable when things are done for us.
The path I am on now is very interesting. I have a good strong client list and one of which is creating a second business which will mean double the fee, and I'm now seeing very positive numbers in my bank account. It is as though karma has decided my time is now.
Next step is to set up my own ecom business and make the kind of money I currently make for clients, for myself instead.
Indeed, I empathise for others who have yet to recover from all of this, which is why I set up the fb group, to try to provide some support and advice to those that need it.
And yes I also hiked up the price of my two hourlies and have still got sales in recent weeks and interestingly, when getting direct enquiries am quoting the same inflated prices and still getting conversions. Not going to lie, but getting £125-£195 per hour is good work when it comes in which it has done.
To quote a certain Douglas Adams 'So long, and thanks for all the fish'.
It was good while it lasted PPH, but the divorce papers are in the mail.
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I had a lot of loyalty to PPH prior to the fee increase, Now I have none, I agree, its funny how a kick up the backside turns out.
I used to really care about my rankings. As I teeter on the middle ground between Top Cert and Cert 5, I now couldn't care less. I'm still applying and billing through PPH, my progression off the site will be slower than others, but listen up PPH - it's definitely a progression off. No doubt it is for many others, too.
I've also been securing work on Upwork - decent, high paying work with buyers who have been attracted to the site because of its professional offering. Not one flakey experience so far.
Admittedly, I prefer the usability of PPH to Upwork, but hey, I'd rather fumble around for a bit, and pay the same fees, to work with a more ethical platform.
Letitia is right, it does seem as though nothing is going to change on the side of PPH on this matter. As they see our postings on here reduce as we all get on with our work, they'll no doubt be plotting and scheming the next round of blows.
As I type, the first spammy PPH email of the morning has just come through. So as I wait for the rest and satisfyingly delete them all in one go, whoever you are that makes the business decisions for PPH, I have a message for you - you truly make me happy that I'm me, and not you. Greed really isn't a good look.
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I agree with Hannah. PPH may have done me a favour. I used the slow time when no work was coming in due to virtually no leads from PPH to work on my website and set up an AdWords campaign, using the budget I would have paid PPH in service fees and it has been working well so far.
I also joined Upwork- and like Hannah, I prefer the usability of PPH, but there are loads of leads on Upwork, the fee structure is completely transparent to buyers and sellers, and when I had one small issue I emailed their support and got a clear answer, in well-written English from their team within ten minutes. I am still bidding and working on PPH- but am moving over to Upwork and my own website.
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https://businessnewswales.com/against-all-odds-freelancer-confidence-is-on-the-rise/ - so the CEO says the figures are dismal... with no irony at all after a totally unjustified, obscene commission increase done just a few weeks earlier...
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