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eBay and Elance team up
The Professional Services Category brings together the powers of eBay, the world's largest online trading community, and Elance, the world's largest professional services marketplace. Now eBay users can get access to high quality professionals who can complete virtually any project for you online.
What is Elance?
Elance is the world's largest professional services marketplace. Use Elance to tap into a highly qualified pool of freelance professionals who can complete a wide range of projects -- including web design, graphic design, copywriting, translation, software development and more. The Elance site has been in operation since September 1999.
How does Elance work?
Elance operates like a reverse of eBay auctions.
- Buyers post a project announcing services they need done (e.g. software development, web design, logos, copywriting, translation).
- Service providers bid to do the project. As a buyer, you review service providers' bids, profiles, portfolios of sample work, and feedback ratings from previous projects. You then choose the service provider that best suits your needs and budget.
- Once your project begins, Elance support features make getting the job done fast, easy, and convenient -- with online collaboration tools, global billing and payment capabilities, and quality assurance features designed to maintain high standards of satisfaction.
Posting a project is free of charge. The service provider is charged a fee once a bid is accepted.
Why should I use Elance?
- Access and quality. Elance offers a broad selection of freelancers with talent and skills in many different categories.
- Value. The competitive bidding format lowers costs, and also allows you to select the right combination of talent, speed and price for your project.
- Speed. The large pool of Elance service providers regularly place bids within hours, even minutes, of a project being posted. Delivery times are consistently below traditional timelines. It's not unusual to get a small design project done overnight.
- Low risk to try. You can post a project on Elance for free and review the bids before committing to pay any money.
Why is Elance safe?
Elance offers a number of features to make your project and transaction experience safe and satisfying.
- Quality Feedback Ratings
The Elance feedback rating system lets you check the reputations of service providers before you choose a winning bid on your project. Feedback scores and uncensored comments are open to public viewing on every Elancer's profile page.
- Credential Verification
Many Elance service providers have their credentials verified through US Search, a leading independent verification service. US Search provides fast and accurate verification of a service provider's records and can verify most of the credentials entered in a service profile.
- Profiles and Portfolios
Each service provider has a profile page detailing background, skills, education and certifications, as well as their Elance transaction history and feedback rating. Portfolios include work samples that allow buyers to assess an Elancer's quality and style.
- Direct Communication
Private message boards allow you to communicate directly with service providers before you choose a winning bid. You can ask about their other projects, request further work samples and references, and more.
- Dispute Resolution
If a dispute ever does arise after a service provider has been selected for a project, SquareTrade, Elance's preferred dispute resolution firm, will assist in resolving disputes fairly. For more information read about Elance Dispute Resolution.
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