The REAL reasons why certain companies fine writers

Following are the actual reasons why certain companies employ "fines." In no particular order of importance (or illegality):

* increase company profits at the literal expense of writers' payouts, whether the fine is "legitimate," unfair, or completely fabricated by the company;

* be able to deceptively advertise average rates of pay (i.e., "up to $16/page") that are much higher than in actuality in order to attract writers, but almost never pay anything close to that rate; the random fines bring the average payout per page down even further, to an actual, average rate per page of what hundreds of writers have stated is in the range of $3 to $6.


I'm sure that there are even more devious reasons of which insiders may be aware.

Any company that employs an automatic fining system is morally suspect at minimum and blatantly fraudulent in the extreme. Here's why:

1. Legitimate companies do not hire any writers, neither ESL nor EFL, who have poor writing skills in the English language. Therefore, fining writers for "poor quality" is inherently unnecessary for a legit company.

2. Legitimate companies do not tolerate writers who consistently fail to meet deadlines. If a writer is meaningfully late on multiple occasions in a relatively short period of time, a legit company will simply warn the writer. If the lateness continues, the legit company will promptly fire the writer (at which time that irresponsible writer applies with—and gets hired by—one of the shady companies to become its latest "fine sponge"). With legit companies, there is no involuntary "pay-to-stay" arrangement against unqualified writers that monetarily benefits the company at the expense of the quality and timeliness that customers receive.

3. Legitimate companies truly have a zero-tolerance policy against plagiarism. If a writer plagiarizes once, he or she is out of a job—period. Therefore, fining writers for plagiarizing is inherently unnecessary for a legit company.

I've always wondered about this one--the policies that even customers can see on many companies' websites where they offer plagiarism detection, or partial refunds for plagiarized papers ought to be a warning never to use such a company's services. When you pay to have something written, it should be automatically assumed and guaranteed that it will actually be WRITTEN, not cut-and-pasted from somewhere else.

Many writers have already confirmed that the following two companies have a fine system in place:

EssayWriters.net
Academia-Research.com

Writers, based on your experience, please add to the list.

UVOCorp has a ridiculous fine system in place that is done automatically via a computer system. My favorite was getting charged for late fees when an order was put on revision with a four hour deadline in the middle of the night. I would wake up to a "late" order and a 10%-25% fine--usually for a revision request that was unreasonable anyway. This happened more than once, by the way (I always argued my way out of them, though).

UVOCorp does business as customessays.co.uk as well as many others--WB, I'm sure you can rattle off a more compete list of their websites.

there are too many options to stay with a paper mill that is treating you badly.

academicexperts.us
advancedwriters.com
affordablepapers.com
customwritings.com
gpalabs.com
livepaperhelp.com
mastersthesiswriting.com
plagiarismdetect.com
uvocorp.com

Get this: they claim to be "Partners" with Godaddy and Moneybookers. Some of their other claims are similarly amusing:

OK, thus far confirmed:

Academia-Research.com
EssayWriters.net
Uvocorp.com

Also, Research Writing Center has a complex fine system in place. I never actually completed an order for this company, so I cannot give a personal account of how these fines played out, but considering they paid between $4-$6/page to begin with, I have a feeling this company doesn't exactly care about their writers...

WB, I turn again to your greater experience in letting us know what websites this company does business as. Customers, you don't want a writer that is willing (meaning they have no other choice but) to put up with these kind of practices.

WB is playing with fire here and his site is getting closer to being done with search engines for severe TOS violations.

Can we please have just ONE thread in which fraudsters are not allowed to take it off-topic and upchuck the same, baseless, false accusations that are utterly devoid of truth or evidence?

By the way, I know exactly who Stu4 is, where he is, what fraudulent sites he owns, the various illegal acts in which he has engaged (in violation of the US Federal Lanham Act and other laws), his social bookmarking SPAM, link SPAM, and a whole lot of other devastating evidence that I will save for a rainy day.

In reality, it is stu4 who needs a fire hose.

Stu4, please keep your posts on topic. Do you have information regarding a fine system in place on any essay writing websites? Is there erroneous information about any site posted here? If so, you would be doing everyone a service by point it out clearly and concisely. Broad and generalized accusations can take place in many other threads--this one has a very specific purpose.

Existing Information


Technical evidence indicates that researchwritingcenter.com is owned by the same people who own the following sites:

custom-essay.org
custom-writing.org
overnightessay.com
standoutessay.com
writing-services.org
yourdissertation.com

I left Academia-Research because, after they literally begged me to take on a couple of dissertations whose deadline had already expired (I am in posession of the supporting emails), they fined me for late delivery. They later conceded that they were, indeed, mistaken and would reverse the fines immediately. Three months passed without reversal and then they had the temerity to claim that they had reversed them. I had, by the way, taken up both orders from writers who had basically plagiarised everything and had to, therefore, write them from scratch. I had never ever been fined by any company before, including AR. That incident, on top of everything else, led me to terminate my account there and then.

I agree with WB (and have repeatedly stated this), companies should not have a fine structure in place except, maybe, for late delivery. They should pay more attention to the type of writers they recruit and ensure that they have the requisite academic qualifications and linguistic skills. I find it ridiculous to fine writers for poor quality because the companies themselves hired them, knowing that they were not qualified.

As for fining for plagiarism and this policy (followed by Academia-Research) of three strikes and you are out ... absolutely ludicrous. There really is not such thing as unintentionl plagiarism - at least among `professional academic writers.' Hence, any self-respecting, legitimate company would implement a one-strike out policy.

Customessays.co.uk is Academia Research, as are masterpapers.com, capitalessays.com, ma-dissertations.com, etc.

I think it's funny that some of you seem to want to have pride in your writing, doing this kind of writing. it's dreck! save the good stuff for your novel. personally, I fry these things up fast and loose, and then forget about them.

if a company fines you for something unfairly and won't listen to you, you should quit. if you stay with a company like this, it's giving them tacit permission to treat you like ****. different people are going to get along with different companies in different ways. personally, I've never had any serious problems with academia-research. their 3 strikes system makes me nervous, but they can be reasoned with. as to how 1 strike is better...? unless you're a company owner, I don't see it.

One strike isn't better for writers, but I think you're oversimplifying the issue. If I have proven myself a decent writer to my employer, they won't fire or fine me if I am late on a few assignments, or if a few customers didn't like my work--as long as customers are consistently happy, they will be OK keeping me employed. With many of the companies out there, substandard writers that almost NEVER complete a paper to customers' satisfaction are employed because they end up working for almost nothing due t the fines imposed.

Fines in and of themselves are not evil, but the way they are used in this industry is a sign of many companies' ends. They will take money from the customer AND the writer without caring whether or not they deliver a useful product. If you're happy with AR, then that's all you need. I managed to get every single fine from UVOCorp reversed (except for the last round, where I just published the papers online), but I got tired of wasting my time doing so.

You have that right, Pheelyks. Let's say a writer has a good track-record and then, for reasons unknown, begins to slip up a bit. The slip-ups could be a consequence of any number of factors, including personal problems. Now, does this mean that the writer should get fined or fired? Of course not! The writer gave the company a lot and the least s/he can expect in return is a modicum of understanding and respect. So, where decent writers who have proven themselves reliable, are concerned, it is different ...

Good academic writers are extremely valuable where companies in this industry are concerned. They should be treated accordingly.

As for one-strike out ... some thoroughly check for plagiarism prior to passing on the work to the customer. Supposing plagiarism is detected, the writer is very nicely and politely asked to correct the situation. S/he can easily do so by refering to the plagiarism report. Let's suppose that this happens once every few papers ... no problem (especially as everything is corrected prior to the customer's receiving the paper) but what if it happens twice in the first three orders a new writer submits? As far as I am concerned, this means that the writer really does not understand academic writing requirements and should look for another line of work.

What I am saying here is that a writer who has proven him/herself (can do so almost immediately) will be valued, if only because companies in this industry are built by such writers ....

I am impressed that you think so but do you really implement this into your company? in your management practices?

Updated list of companies that employ a fine system:

Academia-Research.com
EssayWriters.net
ResearchWritingCenter.com
Uvocorp.com

(An interesting coincidence is that all four companies are Ukrainian.)

You really think so? I doubt you'll feel that way if it happened to your company and you started losing several customers because of a few bad writers. My opinion on the matter is that fines are fine (yeah!) so long as they are justified. Saying that writers from good companies don't mess up (pheelyks, right?) is ludicrous. People make mistakes even in the best of companies in whichever industry and when they do, they pay for it.

However, I do believe that essaywriters.net's fine system is unfair. It is very difficult (though not impossible) to reason with them and they never show proof that the client actually received the partial refund which was supposed to be where the fine went. Still, I cannot deny that there were a few occasions wherein I was fined for good reason. What I absolutely find unfair about essaywriters.net's fine system is the amount that they fine writers relative to the amount that they give us as bonuses for positive feedback. We get only a fixed bonus rate of $1/page for positive feedback but can be fined a variable amount that far exceeds the bonus rate.


or for your scientific articles (not that you're going to make any money off them). :P


You're an interesting coincidence. :p

I see where you are coming from and concede that you have a point. But, try to look at it this way - suppose a writer with a track record of reliability and consistently excellent work slips up ... the choice here is whether to talk to the writer and try to understand the source of the slip-ups (if they are repeated twice) or to fine the writer and push him or her out. I would prefer to talk to the writer and give him/her a break from work, if needed, rather than fine him/her. Good writers don't come easily EW and when a company finds one it should do what it can to hold on to him/her.

It also makes sense from a business point of view. Should we calculate how much the writer in question averages the company per month versus what we gain from a few small orders, the scales would tip in the writer's favour. Furthermore, if a company stands by its writers, it would experience a high writer turnover rate. This means that over time, it would have built a strong writer-base, one which is familiar with the company's ins and outs. Not to mention, of course, that the company would, through this strategy, acquire writer-loyalty.

As for bad writer, hopefully, a stringent recruitment policy would limit the possibilities of one joining a company.

I would like to add two things:
1) if a company has staff-writers, they can pick up the slack. Furthermore, if it really has a quality control department, the customer will not be on the receiving end of poor work because it would have been caught and corrected by quality control. Hence, customers would not necessarily be lost; and
2) companies should only exercise this strategy vis-a-vis writers with a good track record and not with ones who have not proven themselves. In the case of untested writers, if they plagiarise, they are out ...

My views may change over time but, at the moment, the carrot looks pretty good ... don't like the stick much :)

I think this was OR's point, whether or not he was referring to me or not. Fining someone for being late one or two times is wrong, however, and does not happen in most industries (imagine an office worker receiving a dock in pay every time they showed up at 9:05).

Fines are NEVER justified. If a writer is qualified and dependable, an occasional mistake is not only acceptable, but expected as an inherent part of the human condition. If a writer is unqualified, consistently late, or plagiarizes, he/she should be fired (or never hired in the first place).

Bottom line—writer fining is a tool that deceptive, unfair companies use to increase profits at the expense of product quality that customers receive.

correction - meant it would NOT experience a high writer turnover rate

I still stand by my contention that instituting a fine-policy is not necessary. A very strict and thorough recruitment policy can go a long way towards ensuring that the writers ultimately employed are reliable, responsible, educated and in posession of absolutely flawless linguistic skills. Hiring good writers is the company's responsibility and should a company satisfy this responsibility, it would not need a fine structure. I am not saying that I am right but I sincerely hope I am.

good companies know how to retain good talent. if a company fails to retain good talent, it is being unsustainable. this is the lesson of advanced capitalism vs. late capitalism. if it is advanced capitalism, the writer wins, and the customer is ******. if it is late capitalism, the company ***** the writer.

I want to gather opinions on fines and would appreciate if everyone can stay on topic, please.

I am, personally, opposed to fining writers, whether for plagiarism, tardiness or whatever.
1) Tardiness: writers somtimes face situations beyond their immediate control (like falling ill) and, hence, are late in the delivery of a particular order. Should a company fine a writer for tardiness, even though s/he has a good track record and customers are generally satisfied with his/her work? I believe that fines may lead companies to loose good writers.
2) Plagiarism: Am not talking about a missing quotation mark but real plagiarism (as established by turnitin prior to the customer's receiving the work). From where I am standing, I think the writer should be fired, not fined.

The reason why I am asking is that some have told me that the absence of a fine system is not good business sense. Opinions, please?

I'm not not OK with any fine system-- but for AR, I am willing to bite the bullet and accept the occassional $4 fine for a late deadline, or a chargeback. what I don't agree with, and what I find absolutely ******* outrageous, is the companies *EW! that fine 200%-300% on an order--outrageous! it's not fining itself that is the problem, it's the companies that are excessive in fining, to the extent that they wind up exploiting the writer. imho, if you run into a company that is going to dock you 3X what you should have made, after you already wrote the paper, the only recourse is to quit... then, support the local mafia who is against them, and then.. get into the forklift, and smash their offices!

well, if fine is added guys - try to dispute it, I think essaywriters.net has a fining policy along with terms and conditions. I dont know if academia has any kind of fining policy or terms and conditions....

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http://forum.bestessaytips.com/index.php?action=register

So, am I right to conclude that the general consensus is that fines should be `out the door,' so to speak?

You're not fooling anyone, YURI and pals.

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General Prosecutor's Office in Ukraine (General'na prokuratura Ukrayini)
Address: 01011, KYIV, Riznic'ka vul., 13/15
Phone: (044) 2007662
Fax: (0652) 518436
admin[at]gp.gov.ua

Remember: There is a "Treaty between the United States of America and Ukraine on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters."
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http://voirdireveritas.blogspot.com/

On the basis of experience:
1) one of the best companies I ever worked with (Washington-based, focuses only on graduate, post-graduate and business writing), did not have a fine system in place and writers were always treated very well. As a result, hardly any ever left (or leave) the company ...
2) one of the worst companies I ever worked with had an arbitrary fine system in place (they'd assign you an expired order and then fine you). Consequence, very very high turnover ...

So, the way I see it, a company needs to focus on its writer recruitment system ... make sure (as much as is possible) that the writers it hires are both top-notch and responsible. Of course, slip-ups will happen but to prevent customers from suffering the consequences of these slip-ups:
1) the writer deadline has to precede the customer's deadline by at least 24 hrs in case of 5 day orders, etc ... if the writer does not deliver then the order should be given to a staff writer, ensuring on time delivery.
2) papers have to really be thoroughly checked for plagiarism, etc .... If plagiarism is detected, a staff writer is assigned the piece and the writer is fired.

Basically - am finding it difficult to grasp the logic behind fines and think it very insulting to writers. I may very well be wrong in my opinion, however.

I'd have thought, legally, they'd have to show you why they fined you, no?

Yeah, that strikes me as quite familiar.

I bet you know which one it is :)

It's just a way to cut the cost of paying the writers.

The best thing to do is give the writer one or 2 chances - if they are still late with their work then cut them loose.

Simple.

Any updates to the list?

I just got fined by EW :) I think I opened an account with them 2 years ago and picked up one order. Don't believe I logged in more than 4 times over the years and not once this year. They decided (last week) to assign me something like 5 orders, without even notifying me. I received a couple of "you have a message on order xxx" emails from them, so logged in to see what was going on. Found the orders, proceeded to blast them and demand reassignment and the immediate deactivation of my account. They responded that they will reassign. Two days later, I received another set of emails from them - logged in again. Found messages saying that I was late with the orders and they will be fining me 100% especially as I had confirmed that I had 1) requested the orders and 2) had confirmed that would work on them :) Directed the stupid Admin person to 1) their message stating that they had assigned me the orders because I had been inactive for a while (2 years); 2) my message telling them to remove the orders asap, never assign me orders and deactivate my account; and 3) their message confirming that they would. The stupid Admin person replied that they will still have to fine me because I should have noticed that the orders were still there and reminded them :):)

Considering that I do not and never have worked for them, I would love to see how those scammers are going to `collect' their fine :)