Finally got a response... the original writer failed to deliver so I have a new writer and a new deadline. Fingers crossed they make it!

I hope so too. I've used them before and the quality is good which is the only reason I am prepared to see if they do hit the new deadline. Wish they'd sort out their admin though - I'm prepared to accept that things can go wrong, people get ill etc, but they should keep clients in the picture if a deadline is going to be missed.

So, an update...

I agreed with them a revised deadline of midnight on Wednesday 23rd January. Eleven hours before the deadline they email to say the "writer is finding the work slightly more complicated than expected" and ask for half a day extra time. I say okay, it's quality I'm after and I say get it to me by midnight on Friday 25th January.

I still don't have my 1,750 word essay, and no replies to my three emails asking what is happening.

:-(

Thanks.

I still haven't had any replies to my numerous e-mails so I have no idea if I will get something eventually or whether they will just totally bail.

Not very professional as they should at least have the courtesy to let me know what is going on.

I still haven't received my essay or any reply to my emails. Does John Foster really exist?

Finally, a reply: they are going to confirm tomorrow whether they will refund, and do a different piece free of charge.

Hi, thanks for asking. They have refunded the money for this order to my credit card and offered to do another essay free of charge by way of apology. I've taken them up on the offer and the free essay is due tomorrow. I spoke with someone from their office and he was very apologetic and said that the mess up was due to a combination of circumstances. If the essay comes through tomorrow and is okay then I'll be satisfied that they've resolved the problem.

WWu777, how would prospective buyers know that the portfolio or samples were actually really created by the writer? Anyone can download something from the net or borrow offline work and post it and claim it as their own. At least if someone is verified it means that you know that they have the qualifications that they claim - not that this necessarily means that they are good at writing essays.

I've never used essaybay, either as a buyer or writer, but I don't think that there is anything inherently sleazy in their setup. When I looked at the site the only thing that really put me off was the lack of verified writers. There were several unverified writers who claimed to be Oxford or Harvard graduates but, to my mind, if you really were a graduate of a top school then you'd go for verification to prove your credentials and reassure potential customers.

Unfortunately the free essay by way of apology hasn't turned up - I've e-mailed to ask what is happening but have not had a reply as yet.

After missing last Sunday's deadline, I eventually got a reply on the 6th February saying that the writer was confused about the deadline but had "assured us that that the work will be with us tomorrow morning".

The work still hasn't showed up and it is 7 days after the deadline.

Bizarrely I got a message on my answering machine at 3pm yesterday asking if the essay quality was okay; three e-mails and two phone calls have failed to elicit whether this fabled essay exists.

Now I hear "there appears to be technical glitches preventing the expert's submission getting through to us". Still no idea when / if I'll receive the essay, or why they called me on Saturday to ask if I was happy with the quality of an essay that they themselves hadn't received. I didn't think this could get any more bizarre.

Finally! All sorted. I got the full refund on my original order and the free essay has been received and it is a good quality piece of work.

To anyone who has used essaybay: when you put money into your account from paypal, how long did it take to show up in your essaybay account?

I got my essay through Essaybay a week ago and immediately asked for a rewrite as it didn't come close to addressing what I'd asked for. The writer advertises that they have an amendment time of 2 days but so far it's been a week - last I heard was a couple of days ago that the rewrite was 80% done.

From my initial observations I think that perhaps the verified writers are oversubscribed and taking on more work than they can handle; the stats on my writer says that they are working on 4 other projects and has 3 other bids in progress. My writer had asked for a few days extension before the deadline but I needed the work on time. Now the deadline is long gone and I still don't have anything that is close to being usable.

So far, I'm disappointed. I tried Essaybay after a regular essay company messed me about with deadlines and submitted the work very late (although in fairness the work that I eventually got was at least of a good standard). Essaybay doesn't seem any better even though I am dealing directly with the writer.

The 'amendment time' seems meaningless as I don't see any penalty for the writer if they don't stick to their claims. There is a dispute resolution facility on the site which you have to pay to use (they say this fee is refunded if successful) and the site says that all avenues to resolve the complaint have to be exhausted before using the service. Does that mean I have to wait indefinitely for a rewrite? What happens if the rewrite is unsatisfactory? I get the awful feeling I am going to be stuck in this loop for a while :-(

I don't care about pictures, tagging, or fat people, I just want to receive an essay that bears some resemblance to what I ordered :-(

If that is what happened .... the alternative scenario is that ukessays.com[DND*] are publishing the personal details (name, home address) on the internet of some poor sods who've already felt violated by having their credit cards scammed.

Thanks, but as I'm already down £234.76 ($472.50) and twelve days after the deadline I have nothing usable and no indication of when this situation will be rectified, I'm not willing to throw good money after bad.

I have to do something as the situation is appalling. For £234.76 ($472.50) and 12 days after the deadline I have an essay that isn't what I asked for in terms of content and what there is isn't even properly referenced.

The writer has given up and says she's asking the administrator to give me a partial refund. I don't think I should have to pay a penny when the writers 'guarantees' (on quality and 2 day amendment time) have been worthless and I've just been messed around. I'm happy for them to plaster the essay all over the internet - it is completely unusable as far as I am concerned.

I hope it works out for you as a writer. I like the concept well enough - it's just my experience hasn't been favourable but in fairness it is the only experience I have had with that writer or essaybay as a whole. With a different writer / different topic it could all be .... very different ;-)

Hi :) Yes, I am who you think I am and I'm happy with the outcome. While the experience with the individual writer wasn't good I'm really pleased with the way that the site admin have dealt with the situation - it gives me confidence to try the site again.

I'm on facebook too if you want to add me ;-)

I don't see anything in those two pictures that any UK agency would be remotely interested in. Funny thread though :)