Did you contest this with oDesk? I’m not sure if their buyer protection on fixed basis is as good as RAC (I had to get the RAC mediation involved once and it went smoothly). oDesk seems to have good buyer controls for hourly projects and the ability to contest the time billed.

Good luck with your efforts and keep us posted.

I chatted with support. Understand that it was my first attempt at odesk. I typically use e-lance and rent a coder for my projects. I wanted to know if the provider was avoiding me by trying to know if they knew if he was aware that he was awarded the project. I paid 20% in advance. I’m a serious business owner with not much time on my hands so quality of service is important. Obviously they didn’t want to answer that question and have decided to refund me and close my account. I’m very disappointed of there attitude and we do not make business that way.

Now that you took my credit card number, they act like this by not answering our questions and telling us to cancel if we don’t feel secure with there providers on there OWN web site. What do you do to protect your buyers??? Nothing it seems…

When I formalized the profession eleven years ago, Virtual Assistance was never intended to be the low-cost alternative to hiring administrative assistants. It was created to be the efficient, effective alternative to it, while not requiring a client to sacrifice the high-level talent, proactivity, insight, thoughtfulness, one-step-aheadness, or discernment skills that hallmark any terrific administrative professional.

Perhaps I was short-sighted in not envisioning a time when people would try to commodotize this. But what I know for sure is that VAs really create their highest value possible when seen as partners (in the relationship sense, not the legal) for their clients’ successes, and allowed to contribute at very high levels.