Writing for Academic Knowledge

That is an unfair fine. Unsuitable for a known company. Writer loses the job and pays the fine! Unjustifiable.
Still perhaps better than revealing writer identity. I cannot help worrying about students and writers, who unknowingly will approach peter of Writemyessay.co.uk who has already revealed one writer identity and wrote to uni and claims that he has a right to do so.

Right. That's yet another difference between the American companies and the ripoff companies from Ukraine and Pakistan. The American companies actually CARE about customer satisfaction and repeat business.

You still haven't told us the name of the company you work for.....I am sure it is one of the ripoffs because no reputed company recruits retards like you......

Mod, I'm sure that all legitimate members are really tired of scamming morons like trymedave RUINING every thread due to their unhealthy obsession with me. It makes for a very UNenjoyable experience for all members, new and old.

Academic Knowledge can charge a lot of money to clients because they can get away with it. I think they've done pretty well with the marketing side of the company and don't know how much they spend on this, as they do get a lot of work through despite the price and the numerous ethical criticisms posted here. I work for a few companies and Academic Knowledge definitely give me the most work.

Despite the 300% difference between writer's pay and client's fee, I don't know how much the company spend on marketing etc. and I figure I get paid reasonably well for the work I've completed so I can't complain *too* much. If anybody is being shafted here, it's probably the client, so it's probably best to take it up from their side.

First, here are a few faults with the company. I'm kind of hoping that a representative from the company will read this and take these criticisms into account.

I agree that the 300% fine is out of order. I've questioned them multiple times about this but they seem to be unbudging about imposing it and don't want to change their policy. This is a shame because it reflects badly upon the company. I'm sure they'd get better writers if they didn't treat some of them like crap.

Also, they are pretty hard to get in touch with. Sometimes it takes a few days to get a simple email request from them. Although they've just got themselves a new (very glitchy) system installed, I don't see this changing any time soon. Again, this is a shame, because it detracts from the more positive aspects of working for this company.

The good points are that the pay is pretty good, the company are very reliable with making payments, and *most* of the staff working there are polite and friendly.

Personally I find that they've always been fairly lenient with amendments requests. If an amendments request doesn't reflect the original briefing, they always pay me extra money and give me the option of not writing it.

Finally, I thought I'd post up some rules that seem to apply with this company in particular when you're writing for them.

First, its completely essential that you hand in the essays to the deadline, otherwise they'll try it on with fines and so on. I think they usually throw a 25% fine for every 24 hours, but sometimes they try to scare you into handing the essay in with a 300% fine. If they do this, I do believe that they will retract the fine if you are insistent. I understand exwriter's concerns about their profit motive, but don't believe that this company are total scammers like that.

Secondly, the company seem to focus on accurate references, word count etc. so make sure that these are up to scratch and they'll have less to complain about in their initial proof reading.

Its pretty essential that you check your emails daily for a few days after handing in an essay. Although I don't receive amendments requests too regularly, they only give you 24 hours to make those amendments, so it's best to be prepared. Normally you can stall them for a few days if you send them an email.

Hmm, that's all I can think of. Hope this has been helpful and not just a mindless rant!

I wouldn't touch academic knowledge with a barge pole as a writer. They are the biggest sadass con aristists you can come across ie fine writers 300%. STAY AWAY

Hmmm, who else thinks that "BewareWriters" is the same, racist creature as the one that the moderator recently banned for attacking virtually every member in the forum and libeling its competitors?

Was just thinking the same thing! Your post has, a least, assured me that I am not being paranoid :)

Check this new `design mode' issue: thestriderz.com/academicawriters/index.html
Academia-Research with some EW :)

"All testimonials are taken from the latest survey conducted by EssayWriters Team in January 2009 among all the contracted writers."

"I forwarded the email I received from AK to WB showing I was fined 300% for an issue where the customer claimed that the essay THEY SUBMITTED TO THEIR UNIVERSITY DID NOT GET THE GRADE THEY ANTICIPATED, And AK claim that customers are discouraged from submitting these as their own!!Surely the customer should have been told ' you should not have submitted this as your own work so tough - no refund' As if AK would do that!

And am I really supposed to believe you lost £240 as a result of this? You call this a fair amount?"

I had exactly the same experience with them and finally had to remove myself from their books due to the unpredictability of their fines and also the fact that they were blatantly condoning students submitting essays as their own.

Another problem I found was that fines would get levied several months later and basically at the discretion of the quality team despite the fact that no problems were raised in the initial 7 day period. This made it very difficult to have any idea of what was going on or what you were actually going to earn in any month.

Several universities are getting suspicious over here and I have used the evidence I have to support them in finding out students who are submitting essays as their own. I suspect AK will not be fully functioning for much longer given the clear drive being shown by universities to filter out this behaviour.

Hi all,

We don't condone students handing in work at all. Unfortunately, we found out recently, the term in our contract which says that the student can't have a refund if they hand the work in is considered unfair legally. I know it hasn't been updated or changed on our sales websites - we're still looking at how we can give the customer a fair deal without making it sound like we will let them cheat.

Concerning writers, please be assured we are looking at a number of issues raised in these posts, in order to give a better deal. For example, I agree that in the past we have focused far too much on delivering what the customers want, not seeing our writers as a valuable resource to the Company. But we'd be nowhere without our writers and so it's essential that we readdress the balance, ensuring that both customer and writer gets a fair deal.

I also agree, for example, that the fact fines have been levied after a lengthy period of time is unfair - that money would have been spent already. It's not a good situation.

Nia, I'm not sure what you mean by this comment:


Whilst I don't support students submitting work as their own in any way, shape or form, can I remind you that you are bound by a confidentiality agreement as I'm sure you're aware.


There's a legitimate use for our service and from talking to our clients and helping them after sales, and due to the fact that we operate a marking, proofreading and editing service alongside our writing service, I know the majority of our customers do use the service as it should be used. But in any case, we're investing a lot of time and effort into redesigning our major sites and providing pre/post sales guidance to try and better educate our customers about proper use so I think the problems we experience with some customers not understanding how they can properly make use of a model answer should be significantly reduced. I think, given these factors and the increasing diversity of our services, AK will continue to thrive for a good while yet :)

wink, wink.

Where model answers have been provided by myself or indeed others these can (and I suspect given the drive to clean up this type of activity) will, be added to the databases used to check documents submitted by students. As none of your clients submit as their own there will be no link between these model answers and any specific student. Rest assured no briefs are being submitted to the universities involved.

"Nia Please"

Please what? I fully expect that links probably will be made as I for one do not believe the assertions made by AK that students don't use work as their own, but if they genuinly believe this and do all they can to prevent it, there should be no need to be concerned about issues of confidentiality.

For goodness' sake . . . .

I think you're misunderstanding where I'm coming from on this. I believe that AK aren't operating as above board as they would like not necessarily from a desire to be illegal but rather from a desire to ensure that they can levy 300% fines whenever they choose. Fining someone 300% several months after a submission because the client complains that on submitting the piece they did not get the grade they ordered shows that not only are their fining processes unfair but also that they recognise that clients will hand in work as their own.

By being unprepared to tell the client that they used the piece incorrectly and therefore cannot get a refund of they (albeit probably accidentally) put themselves into the category of being a dubious organisation. Their desire to fine writers wherever possible has sadly compromised the integrity of the organisation.

Jennifer has threatened the usual confidentiality clause whilst also denying that clients are 'allowed' (or at least not stopped) from handing in work as their own. If it is genuinly believed (as Jennifer has stated on more than one occasion) that students are not, in the main, handing in submissions as their own, then there will be no breach of confidentiality. I and I'm guessing others on here are slightly sceptical of this but it is simply contradictory to hold both statements at the same time.

Either students are not submitting as their own and therefore there will be no link between submissions and individual students = no confidentiality being breached OR

students are submitting as their own, will be identifiable and confidentiality broken = AK are acting illegally by encouraging this to happen.

Hope that makes it clearer.

That was just a little joke based on an American slang phrase that sounds a lot like your name but probably shouldn't be typed out on a public forum in case anybody confused it with a racial epithet. Never mind.

Ironically, there's a well-known Internet forum picture with that phrase followed by the words "...I ain't readin' all that" over a picture of Colin Powell holding his hands up that people often post after extremely long posts that nobody but the author is likely to read in their entirety.

Just Google "Colin Powell" + "Ain't readin" in Google Images.

I've worked for this company for several years. I have always been paid in full and on time at the end of each invoicing period.

Their customer service was atrocitious when I first started but it has improved a little. They are still very difficult to get hold of over the phone and this can be very frustrating. I think their quality procedures are quite bizarre too. If you get a high quality feedback score from the customer then you get an extra 25% on your fee. I have some issues with this. If it was easy for the client to gauge the quality of a piece then they wouldn't be paying huge amounts for someone else to write their essay. Secondly, assuming this feedback is voluntary why is anyone going to bother filling in a quality feedback form unless they have to? Thirdly, given the fact that some writers ask for a 2:2 and have only paid to that level how would they judge quality and is this explained to them? Do they judge whether it is a good quality piece for a 2:2 level piece of work, or do they assess whether it is a good quality piece overall? Surely it is the quality assessors who work for AK that should assess quality and award accordingly.

They do however, pay an extra 25% on top of the original fee to requested researchers which I think is a very good idea. Additionally, the highly automated, structured service, although frustrating at times, prevents the customer from making endless changes to the assignment (i.e. changes in structure and assignment title) whilst the researcher is still in the process of writing it. This is something I have experienced with other companies who have a more personalised approach.

They also fine writers 300% of their fees - that means they are a site many writers avoid. Fining writers is disgustingly wrong and amoral and is just an attempt by AK to print money using threats and intimidation of writers: 'pay us or we'll never offer you work again'.

Many UK sites give bonuses or higher payments to experienced writers actually, and all sites state that customers must give full details before ordering. Not all sites fine writers 300% if a student moans and complains for no reason! Many posters here have stated that AK is always on the students' side against the writers and is not personalised enough and too automated and impersonal.

Personally, I would never associate with any company that fined writers like this, nor one who encouraged students to use an anti-plagiarism software which would then give the owner of the software the right to sell essays submitted to it!

STUDENTS AND WRITERS BEWARE!

I only wrote one essay for Academic Knowledge, never got paid for it, and quit at once. They never have many orders available anyway because their reputation is so bad.

This is one outfit I can advise everyone to avoid based on personal experience. They are total crooks.

Hey, th63

I'm very sorry to hear that you think our company is full of total crooks! We never fail to pay legitimate writers who produce good quality work. If you'd like to go through the proper channels (I.e. communicate to our team via your log in area) we can probably get it sorted for you. The only reason we'd not pay you is if the work you produced was full of plagiarism, or deemed as unworthy of sale by our Quality Assurance team! We usually pay writers at the end of every month via Paypal or bank transfer.

I chuckled when I saw the line about 'not having many orders available' - we're currently undertaking a mass recruitment campaign, as we don't have enough writers to meet demand! It could be because you're such a new writer, once a new writer has proven themselves we usually up the level if they request, meaning more jobs are available for them.

I hope that we can help you out, we really want to hold on to our legitimate writers - especially if they want to help us out through this very busy period!

Cheers,
Carly

Why do you always have to subject us to AA and ET slamming during the high season? Do you really believe that you will drive their customers to your sites?? Neither of them would be where it is today if the greater MAJORITY of their customers and writers were not happy and satisfied.

You won't get customers by slamming others - especially the legits.

High time to come up with a new marketing strategy.

WRT - why do you and WB indulge in slamming legitimate UK sites all the time then? Pots and kettles eh... Do you really believe that you will drive customers to ET by slagging off any of their competition? None of the sites you abuse and disparage would still be around if GREATER MAJORITY of their customers and writers were not happy and satisfied. That includes those on the list below who do not want idiots spouting lies about them on here.

High time you practises what you preached, boy.

But one thing: yes, some writers are rubbish but think they are great so get sacked by essay companies and then moan in here - BUT - to fine writers is wrong. Why not just tell them they won't get paid for their late work? Or if they are really bad, let them go elsewhere? Some companies are ripping writers off, I think - where exactly does that 300% fine go, eh? Into the company's pockets no doubt...

So some companies, though not 'scams' or illegal, do behave unethically. Some companies treat their writers better.

Back it up with names. Which sites did we slam? Name any legitimate site we slammed.


Were you to read AA's contract, not to mention its guarantees, you would not need to ask that question. They actually fulfil their bonds, by the way. Rather unlike the `legits' you represent :)

Besides, even if it were to unjustifiably fine its writers a zillion percent, aren't all UK sites legitimate?

"I chuckled when I saw the line about 'not having many orders available' - we're currently undertaking a mass recruitment campaign, as we don't have enough writers to meet demand! It could be because you're such a new writer, once a new writer has proven themselves we usually up the level if they request, meaning more jobs are available for them."

They claim to have 4000 writers on their website. Well if they cant meet demand then that just tells us that they do indeed treat their writers like dogs who have chosen to walk away.

Well, I don't work for any outfit that has ripped me off even once. I've had bad experiences with Essay Writers.net as well, so as soon as I get the sense that someone is being dishonest, I just walk away. All I said to Academic Knowledge was "goodbye", and I will never give them the chance to cheat me again. I'd be a fool if I did, and in any case, I don't need the stress.

Rather unlike the 'legits' you represent eh WRT... You never tell the truth or fulfill your bonds. And I KNOW who you are and which company you represent. Oh yeah!

I can quite happily say there's little point in paying anybody to write promotions in places like this. We've never have hired anybody and I never will. Why lie about stuff? At AA we take the bad with the good - we'd rather find out what problems and fix them, instead of papering over them or hiring people to come onto forums and lie! What's the point in that? Sure a couple of people will think the company is good and write for them/buy for them in the short term and you'll make a quick buck, but there's little point if you have any business sense and you're in it for the long run.

Well, that eliminates the psycho . . . .

The network of sites are starting to pull in such a varied range of orders at all levels and in all subject, so sometimes we struggle to meet demand. Additionally, through the busiest season (which we're about to embark on) we get thousands of orders in a week and we're worried that this year we won't be able to meet demand. Couple that with a huge UK advertising campaign we're about to roll out to educate the hundreds of thousands of students up and down the country that don't know the service exists! That's why we're recruiting extra writers, nothing to do with ''treating them like dogs.'' In fact, I don't directly work with the writers daily but I do know that we actually give out quite a lot of bonuses too. Christmas bonuses, bonuses for being selected by a past client, bonuses for getting great feedback etc. It's just a shame that the writers who plagiarise/don't submit work/don't submit good work won't broadcast that because they're the ones getting penalised! Some of our writers even send us friend requests on Facebook, which I think is a very good tactic to get your bid noticed, haha.


Yes, very true.

I can easily spot rivals posting as disgruntled customers or writers a mile off.

I've never bothered with any of that, and personally after reading a lot about relationship management, I'd rather put my efforts into trying to make things better for our customers.

Today one of our Marketing team is placing an order as a secret shopper with one of our OWN companies to rate the service he gets. He sits and reads all chat logs from the live chat and reports back on how they can help solve problems better next time. Another guy is working with a couple of writers to improve the system for our writing team. And that's only the stuff going on in my office, in my vicinity.

My point is, what on earth is the point in just trying to slag off other companies when your effort can be much better spent trying to improve your own and make it the best in the industry? Best in the industry = a lot of orders.

Do you know why? Cus it's too hard and they'd rather do the easiest option and try and make everyone else look crap. Hahaha it's pointless.


Out of interest, what company do you think he represents?

Psycho's post was a response to my statement that you guys satisfy your bonds. To date, Psycho has linked me to several companies ... clueless, brain dead, maniacal lunatic :)

Psycho - I find you morbidly fascinating :)

Yes WRT - answer Carly's question.

Carly - My response was a reply to the LIBEL AND LIES of WRT by stating that unlike AA, I and 'my companies' do not satisfy my bond'. I own NO essay companies, and certainly not scam ones. I see you, however, are so dim you just believe an accusation of a known liar here as fact. Not very professional that eh Carly? Are all AA's writers as believing as you? Is 'evidence' for you just some lie written in this forum? Tsss....

I have asked the mods repestedly to remove the lies and libel spouted by WRT and his mummy the lunatic WB, but they do not - why? because this site is NOT regulated properly and is thus not legitimate. I suggest that any essay companies posting here does so just to try and desperately promote itself - some, like those WRT and WB are associated with, use posters here to disparage any legitimate site they choose. So actually, this site is tanatamount to a 'scam'.

Carly - it's a shame someone from a company like yours feels the needs to lie and libel posters here and copy WRT, WB et al. I am NOT a rival and I am NOT a former writer or customer for AA. Asssuming makes you one BIG ASS, Carleeee....

Y'know, I can spot common, undereducated bimbos a mile off too...

My opinion that charging writers 300% fines is immoral and greedy of AA is an opinion shared by many. You yourself admit that your own terms and conditions are legally wrong. You yourself admit - in effect - that you agree with students handing in bought essays as their own work (or, as someone pointed out, you would not worry about fining writers...); you yourself admit that you have 'got the balance' wrong by always siding with customers - so no wonder so many writers loathe AA and AK and their fines.

By the way, please admit Carleeee that your guarantees are worthless - because it is up to the writers to pay them to customers, and not AA - so if the writers refuse to pay then the customer is the one who has to chase them and spend money on legal action. Some of us read small print Carleeee, and not just silly relationship management tomes (which must be pretty bad if the way you treat writers is anything to go by).

AA is in trouble and you know it.


Actually not true at all. A complete fallacy.

This managerialist corporate mentality is the same as the one shared by trash TV companies who only care about ratings, or by fast food outlets who have no love of food and serve cheap trash.

Best in the industry is NOT the same of the most popular. Quality DOES NOT equal quantity. Or do you think McDonalds serves better food than an excellent restaurant?

I think you need to read a few more of those books Carly - try ones without pictures this time eh...

DOH!!!

To be honest, I find your ramblings a little hard to comprehend.


I simply asked which company you think WRT represents. I was wondering if it was AA because obviously I'd firmly know that was untrue.

That was literally it.

I owe you an apology, Psycho. As you appear completely unaware of their status within the UK market, it seems that you were telling the truth all along: you are not connected to this industry and know nothing about it. So ... what are you doing here? Why are you going on and on about an industry you are not connected to and have no knowledge of?

I never assumed any of this, I never said any of this.


The phrase in which you're referring too, which I said above, wasn't even directed at you. I was talking about the person who started the thread. Undereducated? I have a degree and am about to embark on a Masters degree too. Bimbo? What makes you think that? A little unjust, don't you think? I'm not even blond, hahaha.

According to Psycho, I own all companies I defend as legit :)

it's like a baited trap. I set them for WB all the time. I'd say something like, "some members of this forum are completely nationalist, and don't say anything constructive," and WB would come in, "how dare you? you coward!" without even having been named.

someone reads a criticism, with no names in it, and if the criticism fits, they get really paranoid and lash out against it-- still without having been named! essentially, they fall into the trap, and out themselves as the target of their own scorn.

wtg, Carly. Modmuff, you are a dupe, a snob, and a total fool. how does it feel to fall into such a simple trap, and still try to pass yourself off as such a cunning font of knowledge? you and your avowed nemesis WB are actually very similar, you know.

So, according to your dumb logic Rusty, if I accuse you of being a p--do and you deny it then it proves you are one... Yeah right... Brilliant logic there! Denial = guilt. YOU are WB are peas in a pod!

I object to being called a scam essay site owner when I am not one. And being called a psycho by a proven liarm and the have an AA bimbo butting in to agree with the proven liar and - with NO evidence at all - says she knows that the 'psycho' is a disgruntled customer or writer! ASSume or what! Believe it or not, not ALL who criticize essay companies are writers of customers or essay site owners.

Got a problem with that then Rusty? Your problem. FOOL.

Carly, why not address some of the issues I raised eh? By the way, did you get your degree and masters by submitting essays bought at a discount from AA? Just asking...

I assume I am the AA bimbo? Please can you let me know what I agreed with?

I didn't even butt in, I was writing something on a post about a company I work for. In fact, I had posted BEFORE you in this thread. Hahaha! I only posted to correct some issues and say that I think that th63 could be a competitor.

Modmuff, I haven't once even referred to you in a post (until you started attacking me and I wrote back in my last post!) I don't know who you are or what you do.... You must have some interest in this forum? If you're not a writer, customer or site owner, what is it? I'd be quite interested to know! Only because I'm curious and I can't think of any other reason why you'd need to be here...?

Also, why am I a bimbo? I find this odd! In the UK blond people who are ill educated are usually referred to as bimbos. I'm not blond and I have an education, so why am I a bimbo? Unless it means something else where you're from? (Maybe it means something different in Poland?)


As I mentioned above, I find it hard to extract much sense from your post. Sorry about this, but I just can't work out what your point is. If you do have any questions, write them out, I'm happy to answer them :-)


I graduated from my degree two years before I worked at AA and I didn't even know such a company existed. I'm hoping when I return this autumn to do my Masters I won't be in a situation where I need the help as I'm doing a lot of prep work now. I'd never rule it out though as I've made lots of good contacts with writers who really know their stuff. I'd happily ask their advice or get them to give my work a look to make sure I'm on track.