An Open Letter to People Per Hour: Please Comment Below on Payments
Dear People Per Hour,
I wanted to let you know just how much havoc, chaos and panic you have caused in my life since you announced your decision to subject us to the new payment clearance process and times. If you are a freelancer reading this, please comment below so we can try to support each other and so that we can let PPH know what damage this is causing us and that we, as freelancers, are not only the lifeblood of the platform but also real people with real lives and families to support.
I am a freelancer, but I am also a single parent to two young children. We have all lived through a year and a half of the most disruptive time in any of our lives due to the pandemic. I am sure it hasn’t escaped PPH’s attention that freelancers have had a rough ride during this time. I am mainly referring to the UK here as that is where I am from, but I am sure these problems are global for freelancers. As freelancers, we did not enjoy the benefits of furlough, of the Job Retention Scheme and many of us were not eligible for government grants or benefits. As we start to move out of the pandemic, many of us are reeling from the effects and have now been served a huge blow by PPH-a platform that is supposed to support us as freelancers and make our lives easier-by making us wait up to 18 days to receive money we have earned and worked hard for.
I don’t know about other freelancers, but my family relies solely on the money I earn from PPH and we live from invoice payment to invoice payment. We don’t live beyond our means, there is only me earning money and I work very hard.
On Friday, I came to the realisation that due to the new payment clearing processes, we did not have enough food to last us the weekend, let alone 18 more days. My rent was due on Friday, and I have not been able to pay that. So, we are hungry and on top of that I am now really anxious about not paying my rent. I earnt enough money this month to pay my rent and buy us food and everything on top, but it is sitting in my PPH account, and I cannot access it. This morning, my son’s school had to arrange a delivery from our local food bank. I have never, ever had to ask for anything like this before, but we had no choice.
I have not heard anything from PPH that makes me understand why they are doing what they are doing. I simply do not believe that in the world of instant payments, high tech and on-demand services why they need to hang on to our money for 18 days. It just won’t work for me in the long term, but at the moment, I am wondering what we will do in four days’ time when the food runs out, when I can’t pay my internet bill leading me not being able to work at all and when the stress of this will just be too much to bear.
I hope people don’t think I am being overdramatic, for some freelancers this will just be a frustrating experience, but for some of us, this is having real life, damaging effects on our lives and the lives of the people we love- and I am sure I am not alone.
Please comment below and tell PPH how this is affecting your life if you can.
Yours Sincerely,
Meri Williams
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Can I just add to Meri's v generous message there that I'm not even sure why you are so invested in this - if you don't make many sales there, and don't believe in them as a company, just walk away, surely. We don't need to be heroes here- We don't need someone to leap in and save us from our overlords. We need answers and explanations from PPH - and yes I know, you'll say "but can't you see they won't answer you" - yes, I get it, that's been said. But right now, the ONLY reason to continue this conversation is to show them we will be sticking around until they give us a satisfactory answer.
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Now Everyone Happy to hear from CS .They are not interested to solve our issue .i have few question for All of You .
1: Can PPH Get the Business without Freelancers ?
2 : How PPH Earn ?
3 : Why PPH Deduct the Fee If They don't want to listen ?
4 : Why we are bagging To PPH ? (in the condition of showing Nice )
5 : Should we wait More in the way of Nice ?
6 : What will You do the Esp Top Rated or Cret 5 when a Day You wake up and open The PPH and You dont find any PPH ?
i asked You all of them Use trustpilot when they Solved our issue we change our feedback if they still not listen Then 2ND ACTION WILL BE TAKEN FROM OUR SIDE me and all other freelancers contact with the regular clients and work Through Payoneer or invite them any other platform and work with theM 0 fee .if work through payoneer Just in 5 minutes You will get the payment in Your payoneer account without any fee and Buyer also will happy to pay a very minor 2% fee rather then 20 % to PPH .(But this is the 2nd option 1st we tried to PPH will solve our issue Through Trustpilot )
@All
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@Meri, ALL. I'm sorry if I'm might be causing any distress. Of course, I do see that you, Meri, is in a very unfortunate situation. But I see seeking PPH attention is useless. You can already see, they do not give a damn. So, here is what I think you should do to get out of this vicious circle:
You simply have to endure these couple of weeks remaining so you get paid what's in your escrow. Then, you can plan your finances accordingly based on the recent payment policy. Meanwhile, you should be starting in earnest to build a great profile on as many platforms as you can.
It's as simple as that. So, I think being under real stress you were forced to publish a letter like this. In all good intentions, please wait until you get paid and then you plan your finances accordingly after that. Also, you need to be realistic. I believe I understand business. PPH are not going to change their mind - whatever you did. (Did they change their mind at all before for every new policy introduced? Nah!)
And, if you do not mind, if you want any suggestions about how you might spend the next couple of weeks or so until you get paid and you are up on your feet again, please ask anything. I just hate to see any injustice. Your case is an extreme one. God bless you and everyone in a similar situation.
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Meri Lines :
Every time you say you are bringing PPH down, or burning it to the ground, it just highlights to me that you really don't need PPH- but I do. And I need it to work. I need buyers not to see really negative and potentially libellous reviews all over the internet and I need PPH to see that we are a professional, realistic group of freelancers that are taking this very seriously.His words are harsh but i don't think his meaning also harsh .i am agree on Your this point that we don't care what CEO DOING in His life and any other
Meri i think he wants to say this is the way that PPH will listen our issue and not only listen our issue they solved our issue .2nd what You will do when You wake up a day and dont find the PPH .Then what You will do or any other top cret or cret 5 . i am also Cret 5 and don't have any other source of income but try to understand in the condition and becoming so so nice mean You are agree with their policy when They wants They pay You when They don't want they don't pay You ,
so My request to all of You please don't become so nice They Eat You and don't become so Harsh They Spit You .Do the action in the middle .
write a review on trust pilot and explain why we are given this review with true reason don't write PPH Scam or fraud or any thing explain Your true reason
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To me trustpilot is tantamount to destruction - it's not PPH reading trustpilot, it's potential clients looking for a trustworthy platform. So we are the ones who get hurt.
If we really wanted to hurt them and keep it in house, we would strike.... But that would have to be a last resort.
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@Sehrish, Rachel.
EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eventually, you guys got to understand me. It's all about pressure. Who told you guys that I really give a damn to this asshole (aka PPH CEO) lifestyle (or shorts)? It's all about pressure. That's the ONLY way they'd listen to you. And for those of you who ever happened to be activists, didn't you see how strikes, protests and sit-ins change a lot? That's what I'm trying to do, not for myself only for everyone here. What do you really think I gain from bringing PPH down anyways?
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@ Rachel absolutely Not
are You 100% sure how much You will get work tomorrow ,after tomorrow or in a month ?
no no one can sure so How You say You will get Hurt if You dont write a review and then aslo not getting the work then what You will do .
i think this thinking is stupid that You Hurt Yourself because no one can sure what we will get Tomorrow what happened with us Tomorrow .if we all write a review Trustpilot then PPH will surly listen our voice and and they solve our issue in main priority because You and me not only earn here PPH also earn through Us all PPH Employ also earn Through Us so why why why You all frighten it Hurts You only it will 100% Hurt PPH as well and they have to solve our issue .
@Meri
@Mohamed
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all wants to work through PPH including me i Was in Love to work on PPH and wants I Will love to work on PPH (it depends on PPH ) try to understand IF PPH Want us WITH OUR REGULAR CLIENTS ,then PPH will listen and solve our issue then we will change our review if not Then we choose the 2nd option
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Meri, yeah it would be almost impossible to organise, and it would deeply sadden me to bite the hand that literally feeds me. I would really hope that at some point they can talk to us like adults - if these checks were justified and regulated, I would accept it. But their lack of transparency and avoidance of questions says they are not.
Anyway, I've said pretty much all I've got to say. The conversation is starting to go round in circles isn't it.
I hope for further developments soon.
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It is Rachel. Please keep spreading the word about the Open Letter if that's OK and thanks for all your support. That phrase 'bite the hand that feeds me' has been in the back of my mind for a few days now. I will leave the Open Letter up until tomorrow evening and then we will action the next steps I guess...
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@Rachel
It's really sad but... "Meri, yeah it would be almost impossible to organise, and it would deeply sadden me to bite the hand that literally feeds me...." but in fact THEY are biting us, and hard, because we are the other hand that literally feed them because without our work PPH is nothing. This is what's hurting my feelings, not the 14 or 18 days delay but their total thoughtlessness for our work, for our problems and necessities, for treat us with RESPECT. There is no respect here, they even didn't moved a finger to correct this situation.
The most important capital of any business is its human resource, the workers, the employees who help growing the business, keep it stable and competitive. They are a part of the family. You cannot mistreat your own family. If you do this bet it that you'll go to the ruin. It's a fact. We must preserve our unity and agree for a convenient, effective solution. This will happen, you'll see.
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@Marcus.
Actually I said "Fuck You" many weeks ago. So, I was not waiting for a survey to make me say what I want to say.
Unfortunately, it's 0-10 survey. I wonder where the "middle finger" is to realistically tell them how PPH should be referred to anyone, if at all. As if they need to survey anyone to know what people really think about them!
With PPH recent payment policy, I now (fully) understand how a woman feels when she sleeps with someone against her will.
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Came from this email address Meri: peopleperhour@delighted.com
I get them from time to time but this is the first that's come in since the Ts&Cs changed. Couldn't believe they'd have the gall to still be asking!
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@ Marcus, ALL.
"delighted"? Holy cow! Even at their very best, PPH never managed to delight me. Who is that jerk who suggested that their email address extension for surveys should include "delighted"?
I'd suggested "peopleperhour@hammered.com"
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@Marcus. I've not had one of those for a long time. Even at the best of times I've always had to say that I would recommend them, but I would do it with serious reservations and would have to explain what they are like. I wouldn't recommend them now.
On the "strike" issue, it isn't really feasible as self employed freelancers. I came close to it last week when I had to delay raising an invoice and explained it was because a lot of freelancers, including myself, were having problems with payments from PPH. I had moved PPH on my unofficial rating of companies from the amber (dodgy but I can just about work with them) to red (worried about getting paid). I moved them back to the amber list when my last payment went into my bank, and raised the invoice.
Something PPH always seem to worry about is that work will be taken off site. They must realise that this issue is going to cause more work to drift away from the platform. The hand that feeds us isn't PPH, they are just the table that the plate is on, the buyers feed us. From my experience buyers don't need to be encouraged to leave the platform, they have to be encouraged to stay on it. I'm not suggesting we try to take work away, but PPH need to understand that this happens whenever they do something that loses confidence or causes problems or losses to either party, buyer or seller. -
@ALL
Polite vs. Libelous
I had a customer whom I did ALL his requirements but kept delaying payments and even had the guts to say he did not receive what he wanted to get, even though all instructions are written and clear. He was messing up with the wrong person. Here is all he managed to do:
This is just one of only three reviews in all my reviews that are as low as this. Buyers too can be abusive. On another hand, I got paid my dues in full, although I was pissed off because of a few days delay. Now why would any freelancer kiss any buyer's ass when that buyer is a downright swindler?
Don't expect anything from someone - platform or buyer - who treats you bad and even more has the guts to lay the blame on you.
For people who are afraid of anything, I got this bad review but so many 5-star ones with great feedback. So, it's FEAR that makes people stuck. Do not be afraid. Why would you if you are not doing anything wrong? Do not accept to be humiliated for free. It's as simple as that.
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@Marcus. I have found that some of my bigger projects have been a buyer putting a small project through PPH to see how it goes before "reviewing the situation" if you understand what I mean.
I'm not sure of the reasons for what is going on. Is it a last ditch money grab? Do they have a cash flow problem? Why has the work stopped? Have they savagely cut the advertising budget? Is it just a football related pause and a Denmark win tonight will see those English projects posted that were held back for the last couple of weeks? -
Here every one trying to safe yourself and think i am top cret and cret 5 they are nothing very sad all think PPH Feed them why we show some bravery this is the sign of loser
no one can give my questions answers because PPH Feed them .
Become more nicer and nicer PPH will spit
so no more discussion here from my side
very very very sad
Bye
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I have nothing more than a hunch Meri. Perhaps shifting their assets into something more lucrative in anticipation of surging inflation?
It just feels that way otherwise surely they would have responded by now to the complaints and drop in takings we've noticed? Interesting that Simon's buyers are aware of it too. Or are PPH reckoning on it bouncing back once people have got used to the new trading terms? Hard to know what their thinking is.
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It must be their strategy to be as un-transparent as possible. They could have at any point explained what the regulations were, why they had to be so urgently adhered to, and why the disparity between how much people earn/clearance period and why we can spend the money on the platform itself but not have it in our bank accounts. It would be hard for any freelancer to dispute a legal requirement, but we just have no idea what is it, which makes us believe we are being lied to.
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@ Meri, Marcus, Sam.
Sam got it right. Not a single soul on PPH shared with us, freelancers, what these "regulations are. It's all fishy. Plus, regulations are usually something public and not specific to any one company. So, have anyone of you heard about any such "regulations", whatever these are, have been applied recently to any UK-based platform or company? That's the real question.
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