Chat/Text Operator

[Independant Fun]

Hi

I know that this question has been posed before but that thread has been closed now.

I'm looking for a job as a chat operator (but need a company that doens't require you to have a land line - I have a mobile) or would like a job as a text operator.

I've looked on the web and am just confused as to who's the best/worst - if anyone could give me some recommendations I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

[Treacle1983]

I use a site called adultwork.com

You can use a mobile for the texting.

[Independant Fun]

Thanks Treacle - I'm unsure how it works really which is why I was looking to work for a company not independantly. Have you heard of a company called Lips Chat? they train you, show you how to create your own website and then be a freelance on line chat person but they want a £10 fee upfront. I've never heard of them and can't seem to find anything about them online either - seems a bit dodgy!

[Treacle1983]

I personally got stung once by an online company wanting an upfront fee. Never again.

They are scams mainly.

Any company offering genuine employment shouldnt want any money at all from you.

The scam I fell for was a data entry one - paid a £10 fee to be told 'Just post the same ad's I have in your own name and cash the suckers £10!' lol.

[Base Hunta]

All the companies that I know of a landline is required.

[sugarsuze]

1) NEVER EVER pay an upfront fee for any work. If it is legitimate, it will not ask for a fee upfront.

2) NEVER apply to a company that only has a free @live/ @hotmail address for contact. If it is legitimate it will have a company specific domain email address and be open about it.

3) Be wary of brand new posters that sign up to MSE and seem to have ulterior motives for mentioning certain (dubious) companies in their first posts!

[SimIsOnTheUp]

Originally Posted by sugarsuze

1) NEVER EVER pay an upfront fee for any work. If it is legitimate, it will not ask for a fee upfront.

2) NEVER apply to a company that only has a free @live/ @hotmail address for contact. If it is legitimate it will have a company specific domain email address and be open about it.

3) Be wary of brand new posters that sign up to MSE and seem to have ulterior motives for mentioning certain (dubious) companies in their first posts!

Good advice Sugarsuze!

I don't buy 'Lauren's' advice at all. As you say, a legit company would not charge any upfront fees, and they would have their own email address too.

Do any of you ladies know of a company who are hiring men for text / phone chat?

Cheers,

Sim.

[lilacclaire]

The adultwork.com seems to hire men as well, im just browsing on there just now.

[niccinotts]

Originally Posted by lauren22110

Girlies

I purchased the Lips Chat training CD through them and it is really good - that's all they charge though - i thought it was a weird up front - because i was paying - and i wasnt too sure - but once i'd set everything up, i am earning about 40/50 pounds a day. which i suppose is alright.
Seemed a bit weird at first, but they are good and you can chat to them live over MSN, so it helps.

Just thought i'd share my experience - Ive been conned enough by work at home companies, but these lot are actually alright L x

Call me cynical but is this advice coming from a Lips Chat employee trying to con recruit on here???

[LolaLemon]

can anyone recommend a good company to join? ive looked into this before, but as the original poster says, its a bit confusing. I'm taking it that Lips Chat arnt too good?

[Independant Fun]

Lip's Chat want you to fork out an initial £10 to get details from them (I declined) you also have to set yourself up as freelance and create a webpage - it all sounded like you do all the work and they just reap the £10!

I'd rather work for a company and have the hassle taken out of it for me.

[SimIsOnTheUp]

Originally Posted by Independant Fun

Lip's Chat want you to fork out an initial £10 to get details from them (I declined) you also have to set yourself up as freelance and create a webpage - it all sounded like you do all the work and they just reap the £10!

I'd rather work for a company and have the hassle taken out of it for me.

Great to read that you didn't get taken in by these crooks!

Folks, never, ever pay anything up front to anyone

[Goldfishay_92]

Hellooo everybody!

This is my very first post, I've talked to the recruitment team from lipschat and they seem very nice. BUT Suze is too right.

In my "interview" the girl I spoke to told me all about how you build your profile and how the customer pays you directly; they "take nothing" apart from the £9 fee for your training pack and customer service thingy-ma-jig. When I realised my bankcard had expired and that I couldnt finalise my paypal account she suggested I "borrow someone elses card so I could get started straight away"- hmmm.

Also you can see lauren2210 only joined in November, which strangely is when they started recruiting people for lipschat. According to their site they started back in 2001 and I havent been able to find any smidgen of info on them which seems completely unrealistic- every company online leaves a track. The only info I've found is posts on forums from people claiming to be looking for work and having stumbled across their website (those posts have only been submitted in Nov as well).

Maybe like Niccinotts I'm just cynical, but the work when you want, no minimum msgs to send, etc just sounds too good to be true. Like any type of employment it seems you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. Although I've seen a tonne of bad reviews on text121 about abusive mods and slave wages you do end up getting paid, it is legit but like any job it comes with conditions.

I myself won't be giving $18 of my money to these people, it screams SCAM.

[Independant Fun]

Hi Guys

Apologies for the delay in response - got burgled and had laptop taken!

tex121 are recruting but I worked out how much I could gain back and decided not to go ahead with them as for the effort I'd get less than £100 back a month. Here's an excert from an email they sent me so you can see the pay scale.

''All of our Texting work can only be done from your personal computer. (no phones)

we do not operate a shift system and Operators can log in to work when they want to. We do expect all operators to work at least 2 full weekends out of the month.

Weekends are usually our busiest time as well. Please keep this in mind when choosing a contract.

Please let me know if you would like our 2000 minimum contract (minimum texts required to send each month) or 3000?

Pay rates for each are below: (Both contracts are exactly the same, just with different minimums that must be met. You can always do more than the minimum you choose and those texts are paid at the same rate as the contract you choose)

2000 = £0.03 (if you're in the UK) or $0.04 (if you're in the USA), per text sent
3000 = £0.04 or $0.05

Please note when choosing which contract to sign, that we do not allow change of contracts once you have started working for us.

UK & USA operators are paid by direct deposit only (no paypal or paper checks).

We pay once per month, following the month worked.

All of our Operators are self employed Independent contractors

If your application is approved & you pass our questionnaire, we will train you and hold 600 texts out of your first month's wages to cover the cost of training.''

I also don't like the idea of them holding the first 600 texts you send to cover the training - it's just another way of requesting a fee upfront.

So I'm still looking for work - I'll get there eventually but without a landline (and I can't get one put in either) I'm a bit stuck!!

But good luck to everyone x

[Jo_F]

As a moderator for a text chat company, I can explain why they take the first 600, it takes time to train someone, you have to take them through the company manual, the rules and regulations for the industry and then spend time training them on the platform for the service. It can take anything from 1 hour upto 2 sometimes, and the people doing the training generally are having to stop their regular work to do the training.

The company that I work for don't take anything for training, but it really is a pain when you spend 2 hours going through everything with someone, for them to decide a week later that they don't want the job and then you have to go through it all again.