Frequently Asked Questions
General
1.) What is MacLance?
2.) How many Providers use MacLance?
3.) What countries are the Providers on MacLance from?
4.) Do you accept advertising on MacLance?
5.) Can I become an affiliate of MacLance
and earn revenue?
6.) How
do I report someone who has violated the MacLance terms?
7.) Can I display your projects on my website?
8.) How do I contact MacLance?
9.) Can anyone post projects and
advertise situations vacant on this site?
10.) How do I know the providers on this site
are Mac, Linux and BSD users?
Providers
1.) How does this work for Providers?
2.) How much does this cost for Providers?
3.) Why should I use the service MacLance provides?
4.) How do I communicate with Buyers?
5.) How do I stop receiving notification
e-mails about new projects?
6.) What if for whatever reason, the
project fails? Can I get a refund on the project fee I was charged?
7.) Where can I find the message board?
Providers/Bidding
1.) How do I place a bid on a project?
2.) How do I update a bid I already placed
on a project?
3.) How do I cancel a bid I placed?
4.) What if I have a question about a
project (that will help me place my bid)?
5.) Why can't I find the "Place Bid"
button on the project page?
6.) What is "bid for the total project"?
7.) What if I can't make an accurate bid? Can I just estimate how much
I will charge for the project?
Providers/Payments
1.) Do I have to be paid for projects through my MacLance account?
2.) When do you charge your commission and how much will it be?
3.) Do I have to add money to my account?
4.) How do I add money to my account?
5.) Can I withdraw money from my account?
6.) Can I transfer money to another Provider
on MacLance?
7.) If I end up charging the project
owner less than I bid on their project, can I get a partial refund on
the commission MacLance takes?
8.) How does the escrow account payment system work?
9.) How long does it take for you to send a withdrawal?
10.) When do I have to pay the project fee?
11.) Can I make a deposit or withdrawal using a method not described on
MacLance?
Terms and Conditions
1.) Why can't I post contact information?
2.) Can I post contact info on Featured projects?
3.) What type of projects are not allowed?
4.) What happens if I violate the terms?
5.) What if I didn't know what I did was a violation of the terms?
6.) Is it necasssary to have providers log in every 2 weeks?
Troubleshooting
1.) After I log in, when I click on any link, it brings me back to the
login form.
2.) I try to do something, but I am told my username does not exist.
3.) I made a deposit but it's not showing up in my MacLance account.
4.) I submitted a withdrawal but I have not received the money.
5.) I do not receive the signup confirmation e-mail, or any other e-mail
messages from MacLance.
6.) Why is my account suspended?
7.) My username, password or e-mail address
is not working.
8.) Why is there less money in my account
than I expected?
9.) Why did I stop receiving e-mail notifications about new projects?
10.) I accidentally signed up with the wrong username or account type, can
I change it?
Buyers
1.) How does this work for Buyers?
2.) How much does this cost for Buyers?
3.) Why should I use MacLance for my programming projects?
4.) How do I communicate with Providers?
5.) What is PMB?
6.) Where can I find the message board?
Buyers/Payments
1.) How do I pay a Provider for a project?
2.) Do I have to pay Providers through my MacLance account?
3.) When do you charge your commission and how much will it be?
4.) Do I have to add money to my account?
5.) How do I add money to my account?
6.) Can I withdraw money from my account?
7.) Can I transfer money to another Buyer account?
8.) Is there a fee to transfer money to a Provider account?
9.) What if I accidently transfered the wrong amount or transfered it to
the wrong Provider?
10.) If the Provider ends up charging me less
than he bid on my project, can I get a partial refund on the commission
MacLance takes?
11.) What is the minimum amount I can transfer
to a Provider account?
12.) How does the escrow account payment system work?
13.) When do I have to pay the project fee?
14.) Can I make a deposit or withdrawal using a method not described on
MacLance?
Buyers/Projects
1.) How do I open a new project?
2.) What if I don't know what programming
language I want my script made in?
3.) What is a budget range?
4.) Why do I have to choose the amount of days until my project needs to
be done?
5.) Can I change the information I provided about my project?
6.) How do I close my project, extend it, or pick a Provider?
7.) Can I re-open a closed a project?
8.) What does it mean if my project is
frozen?
9.) What if for whatever reason, the project fails? Can I get a refund
on the project fee I was charged?
What is MacLance?
MacLance is a Mac, Linux and BSD Specialist Provider service that connects Providers with Buyers that need custom
programming, design and multimedia work done. Much like an auction, projects
are posted and interested Providers bid on them.
MacLance further provides a service for employers to advertise for longer
term Full Time Programming, Design, and Multimedia specialists and allows
potential employees to browse these vacancies at no charge.
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How many Providers use MacLance?
There are countless active Providers on MacLance, with more signing up
every day.
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What countries are the Providers on
MacLance from?
Providers signup from all over the world. All projects are posted in English.
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Do you accept advertising on MacLance?
No.
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Can I become an affiliate of MacLance
and earn revenue?
Yes, please visit the following URL for more information on our affiliate
program: Referrals
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How do I report someone
who has violated the MacLance terms?
To report violations please just go to Report
Violations.
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Can I display your projects
on my website?
Yes, please visit the following URL for more information: Referrals
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How do I contact MacLance?
You can use our contact form Don't forget to tell us
your username.
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Can anyone post projects
and advertise situations vacant on this site?
YES! Anyone can post projects and advertise situations vacant on this
site regardless of the platform they are using or the size or complexity
of the project or the platform for the programming, design or multimedia
vacancy.
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How do I know the providers
on this site are Mac, Linux and FreeBSD users?
Whenever a Provider tries to sign up or bid for a project
MacLance checks their operating system and only allows them to proceed
if they are using the correct OS.
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How does this work for Providers?
Browse the list of projects posted by businesses for the ones you would
be insterested in, or have MacLance send you an e-mail anytime a new project
is posted that fits under your expertise. Then you can decide to place
a bid on the project, as well as provide details of the work you can do.
Update or retract your bid anytime you want. When the project creator
chooses a Provider (winning bid) you will be notified. If you are chosen
you can begin work on the project and get paid.
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How much does this cost
for Providers?
There is no signup fee and no monthly fee, but you are required to give
MacLance a commission on each project you win a bid on. The commission
is 5% of your bid (minimum $5).
Example: If you are chosen for a project you have bid $200 on, $10 will
be deducted from your account.
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Why should I use the service
MacLance provides?
Because we find customers for you, which might be the hardest thing for
you to do, especially if you are a busy person. We already advertise MacLance.com
all over the Internet and attract many customers, all of which could potentially
request your programming services. Even if you have many customers already,
why not use MacLance as an alternative if you need more? You've got nothing
to lose! Also, if you have ever had problems agreeing on how to receive
a payment, you will benefit from MacLance. Buyers can deposit money in
two different ways (credit card, paypal.) and can withdraw money easily
via paypal.
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How do I communicate with
Buyers?
You can post messages on the message boards. If you post a private message,
only the user it's addressed to will be able to see it, that user will
also be notified by e-mail that you posted a message for them.
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How do I stop receiving
notification e-mails about new projects?
Login to your account and click on the "Edit" button. You can then uncheck
the box for receiving notifications.
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What if for whatever reason,
the project fails? Can I get a refund on the project fee I was charged?
Use the form to submit a project cancellation request. You might be eligible
for a refund.
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Where can I find the message
board?
Go to a project and click on the "view message board" link that is found
above the list of Provider bids.
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How do I place a bid on
a project?
Click on the "Place Bid" button which you can find on the project page
(there's one above and another below the list of current bids).
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How do I update a bid I
already placed on a project?
Just submit a new bid and your old one will automatically be removed.
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How do I cancel a bid I
placed?
Log in to the account management area, find the project, and click on
the "retract bid" link.
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What if I have a question
about a project (that will help me place my bid)?
Just post a message on the message board for that project. You can access
project specific message boards by clicking on the link provided on the
project page.
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Why can't I find the "Place
Bid" button on the project page?
If the project is closed it does not show up, because bidding has ended.
It will also not show up if the project is frozen, which means bidding
has temporarily been stopped.
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What is "bid for the total
project"?
This is the amount (in U.S. dollars) that you will charge the project
creator, if you are chosen. It's a project total, NOT an hourly rate.
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What if I can't make an
accurate bid? Can I just estimate how much I will charge for the project?
You should not make any estimates. The information provided should be
enough to decide how long it will take you to finish the project. If there
is not enough info, use the message board to ask additional questions
to the project creator before placing your bid. Remember, by placing a
bid you enter into a legally binding contract. If you abuse this system
you risk receiving poor reviews by others, and possibly being banned from
MacLance.
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Do I have to be paid for
projects through my MacLance account?
No, you can get paid directly by the other person. It's just more convenient
for you to use the MacLance payment system. Note that you will still need
to deposit money in your account to cover the commission we charge for
completed projects.
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When do you charge your
commission and how much will it be?
As soon as you are chosen as the Provider for a project you have bid on
it will be closed/archived and you will be charged 5% of your bid, or
$5, whichever is greater. If you are accepted for a featured project or
$5 Fix there is no charge for Providers.
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Do I have to add money
to my account?
Not right away, but eventually you will probably have to. If your account
balance is below zero dollars for more than 30 days your account will
be frozen. You will not be able to place any new bids on projects.
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How do I add money to my
account?
Login to the account management area and click on the "deposit" button.
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Can I withdraw money from
my account?
Yes, just click the "withdraw money" button in the account management
area. You can currently request a check to be sent to you or receive payment
through a PayPal account. Note that you cannot withdraw less than $30.00
at a time.
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Can I transfer money to
another Provider on MacLance?
No, there should be no need to pay other Providers.
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If I end up charging the
project owner less than I bid on their project, can I get a partial refund
on the commission MacLance takes?
Unfortunately, no.
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How does the escrow account
payment system work?
Please go to the following URL for information on escrow
payments
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How long does it take for
you to send a withdrawal?
PayPal: within 3 business days. Check's are sent at the beginning of every
week. (Please allow for international postage time when requesting a check.)
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When do I have to pay the
project fee?
The fee is automatically deducted from your MacLance account, no matter
what your balance is at the time. You can deposit money into your account
later to cover the fee. If your account remains below zero dollars for
30 days, it will be suspended.
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Can I make a deposit or
withdrawal using a method not described on MacLance?
No. At this time we only accept deposits by check, credit card, and paypal.
We only process withdrawals using checks and paypal. Other payment methods,
such as Western Union and e-gold are being reviewed and might be added
in the future. If you have suggestions, you can contact us and we will
consider it. We will not make exceptions for individual cases; If we accept
or send money using different methods, it will be available to all members
of the site.
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Why can't I post contact
information?
It would allow you to directly contact other members, bypass the MacLance
project system, and therefore avoid paying any fees.
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Can I post contact info
on Featured projects?
Yes, only on projects which are Featured.
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What type of projects are
not allowed?
Any requests for copyright or illegal software, as well as illegal hacking
tools and spam tools. You cannot post a project with the intention of
advertising a product, service or website. If your project requires abnormal
bidding (hourly bids, trades, etc.) it must be made a Featured project.
Projects relating to adult sites/explicit material are not allowed.
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What happens if I violate
the terms?
Minor offences might get your account suspended temporarily. Anything
else, or repeated violations, will get your account deleted and get you
banned from MacLance, without payment.
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What if I didn't know what
I did was a violation of the terms?
Too bad. It's your responsibility to understand the terms. You are asked
to agree to them before signing up. Ignorance is not an excuse.
If you have questions about our terms, feel free to contact us.
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Is it necasssary
to have providers log in every 2 weeks?
To keep email notification - can you extend the period to say 3 months.
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After I log in, when I
click on any link, it brings me back to the login form.
MacLance uses Cookies to remember your login information. If you have
this problem it means Cookies are turned off in your browser, your security
setting is set high, or they are not working properly. Make sure you have
Cookies turned on in your browser, or try a different browser.
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I try to do something,
but I am told my username does not exist.
First, make sure you have the correct account. Only Provider accounts
can place bids, and only Buyer accounts can create projects. Did you accidentally
signup for the wrong account type?
If that doesn't solve your problem, your account could have been deleted
for one of two reasons: Either you did not log in for over 30 days and
your account has been deleted, or you violated the terms and you have
been banned.
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I made a deposit but it's
not showing up in my MacLance account.
If you paid with a direct PayPal payment, please make sure to wait at
least an hour. Sometimes PayPal is slow at notifying deposit systems of
payment. If you paid bt check allow time for international postage and
for the funds to clear. Otherwise, contact us and tell us what method
of payment you used, what name and e-mail you used, and your MacLance
username.
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I submitted a withdrawal
but I have not received the money.
This is because we process withdrawals manually. Please be patient as
we get to your withdrawal request.
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I do not receive the signup
confirmation e-mail, or any other e-mail messages from MacLance.
Try a different e-mail address. To edit your account, login and click
on the edit link.
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Why is my account suspended?
Most likely you violated our terms. Contact us for the details, and you
might be able to have your account re-activated. IMPORTANT: Don't forget
to tell us your username.
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My username, password or
e-mail address is not working.
Make sure to type it all in lowercase, with no spaces.
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Why is there less money
in my account than I expected?
Did you take a look at your transaction history? It explains what was
charged to your account and how much. Login to your account and click
on the "view all" link under your account balance.
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Why did I stop receiving
e-mail notifications about new projects?
1. Make sure your e-mail is working, or try submitting a different e-mail
address.
2. Does your MacLance account still exist? It could have been deleted
for many reasons, such as not logging in for over 30 days.
3. Have you logged in to your account lately? Notifications are not sent
out to accounts which have not logged in for 2 weeks.
If none of the above reasons apply, please contact us. Thank you.
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I accidentally signed up
with the wrong username or account type, can I change it?
No. Contact us and ask us to delete your account. Then signup again. You
might need to clear the cookies in your browser to signup a second time.
You can find this in the settings or options area of your browser.
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How does this work for
Buyers?
After signing up, you can open a project and provide all the details of
the script you want. Providers will then be able to view your project
and bid on it. This is similiar to an auction, but there is no mandatory
end date and you choose the winning bid yourself. Once you have chosen
a Provider they will begin work on your project. That's it!
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How much does this cost
for Buyers?
There is no signup fee and no monthly fee, but you are required to give
MacLance a commission on each completed project. The commission is a flat
fee of $5.
Example: If you chose a Provider who bids $100 on your project, $5 will
be deducted from your account.
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Why should I use MacLance
for my projects?
Because we will find you the best Providers at the price you want to pay.
When you post a project on MacLance, Providers essentially compete for
your business. It would take you a long time to request an estimate from
as many Providers just by browsing the Internet, and you still wouldn't
have any real competition going on. Here, Providers bid on your project
much like an auction. They can place a new bid if they see another Provider
has placed a lower bid than there's, this will undoubtedly result in a
low price for you. Plus, with no up front fees at MacLance, you've got
nothing to lose! Also, if you have ever had conflicts when agreeing on
how to pay a Provider, you won't on MacLance. You can deposit money in
two different ways (credit card and paypal) and then make full use of
our escrow services for free. Alternatively, if you wish Providers can
be easily paid directly through your MacLance account and then withdraw
their money easily via paypal.
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How do I communicate with
Providers?
You can post messages on the message boards. If you post a private message,
only the user it's addressed to will be able to see it, that user will
also be notified by e-mail that you posted a project for them.
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What is PMB?
That's the abbreviation MacLance members use when referring to the Project
Message Board.
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Where can I find the message
board?
Go to a project and click on the "view message board" link that is found
above the list of Provider bids.
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How do I pay a Provider
for a project?
You can transfer money from your MacLance account to any Provider, just
click the "transfer money" button in the account management area. You
put money in your account by depositing funds into it by credit card and
through PayPal or by sending a check.
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Do I have to pay Providers
through my MacLance account?
No, you can pay them directly. It's just more convenient for you to use
the MacLance payment system Note that you will still need to deposit money
in your account to cover the commission we charge for completed projects.
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When do you charge your
commission and how much will it be?
For a non-featured project as soon as you choose a Provider for one of your projects (a winning bid)
it will be closed/archived and you will be charged $5.
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Do I have to add money
to my account?
Not right away, but eventually you will probably have to. If you want to accept a Provider's bid you will need to have $5 in your account. If you want to submit a featured project you will need to have $25 in your account. If your account
balance is below zero dollars for more than 30 days your account will
be frozen. You will not be able to create any new projects.
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How do I add money to my
account?
Login to the account management area and click on the "deposit" button.
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Can I withdraw money from
my account?
Yes, just click the "withdraw money" button in the account management
area. You can currently receive payment through a PayPal account or by
requesting a check. Note that you cannot withdraw less than $30.00 at
a time.
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Can I transfer money to
another Buyer account?
No, there should be no need to do this. Only Providers need to be paid.
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Is there a fee to transfer
money to a Provider account?
No.
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What if I accidently transfered
the wrong amount or transfered it to the wrong Provider?
You will have to contact us and explain your situation. We might have
to ask for confirmation from the Provider.
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If the Provider ends up
charging me less than he bid on my project, can I get a partial refund
on the commission MacLance takes?
There is a set fee for Buyers regardless of the amount the Provider bids.
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What is the minimum amount
I can transfer to a Provider account?
Currently the minimum is $5.
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How does the escrow account
payment system work?
Please go to the following URL for information on escrow payments: http://www.MacLance.com/escrow.html
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When do I have to pay the
project fee?
The fee is automatically deducted from your MacLance account, no matter
what your balance is at the appropriate time. If you post a featured project the fee is deducted when the project is submitted. In non-featured projects the fee id deducted when the selected Provider accepts the project.
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Can I make a deposit or
withdrawal using a method not described on MacLance?
No. At this time we only accept deposits by credit card, paypal and check.
We only process withdrawals using paypal and checks. Other payment methods,
such as Western Union and e-gold are being reviewed and might be added
in the future. If you have suggestions, you can contact us and we will
consider it. We will not make exceptions for individual cases; If we accept
or send money using different methods, it will be available to all members
of the site.
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How do I open a new project?
Click on the "create project" button.
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What if I don't know what
programming language I want my script made in?
Select the most common type (Perl/CGI) and mention in your project description
that you want Providers to suggest a programming language to use.
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What is a budget range?
You can optionally specify how much money you are able to spend on this
project.
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Why do I have to choose
the amount of days until my project needs to be done?
There needs to be an end to every project, to leave room for new ones.
But you can extend your project any time you want.
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Can I change the information
I provided about my project?
Yes, login to the account management area and click on the "Edit" link
beside the project you want to modify. You will be able to add additional
information to your project, which will appear under your original description
with the date and time you added the new info. All Providers who have
already bid on your project will then be notified that you have added
information to your project.
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How do I close my project,
extend it, or pick a Provider?
You can do all this by logging in to the account management area. Click
on the "Manage Account" button.
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Can I re-open a closed
a project?
No, you will have to post a new project. In some cases we can re-open
a project for you. Contact us with the reason and we will consider re-opening
the project.
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What does it mean if my
project is frozen?
This means the end date you chose for the project has past. No Providers
can place any new bids, you must either pick a Provider or extend the
project.
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What if for whatever reason,
the project fails? Can I get a refund on the project fee I was charged?
Use this form to submit a project cancellation
request. You might be eligible for a refund.
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