Well, What Did You Expect For $89.95?

I have been doing a lot of research lately, comparing notes with other resume writers, networking with HR folks, and reading trade journals. I also subscribe to several other resume writing blogs including this one. I once had my website listed there but later decided against using an instant, online ordering system. I made this decision because I just do not feel like I can do my job properly with a one-size-fits-all price tag. Some people need more help than others so the fee should be adjusted accordingly. Because of my decision, I was promptly removed.

Of course, I don’t blame her– she makes her income from people clicking on those links and ordering from the service providers’ websites (these are called affiliate links). So if you can’t order online, she doesn’t make a commission. I have no ill feelings towards Heather, and when she was an active resume writer she did great work, but I really have to comment on the quality of one of those services from her website (and this applies for MANY websites that earn their income from affiliate links).

This service boasts a deal for $89.95. An uneducated consumer would really think this is a great deal, but it is not. Most reputable resume writing services that have been around for at least a few years will charge you between $300 and $800 for a resume. And naturally, the more experience a writer has the more he/she will charge you for services. This makes sense because you wouldn’t do the same job for 10 years and not expect a pay raise.

Well, it’s no surprise that their customers are feeling ripped off. Here is what one angry customer had to say:

This was just the worst waste of money. It was ridiculous how bad it was. You’ll never have contact with the writers at any point because I don’t really see evidence that there are any. I suspect its just a computer program that plugs your info into a generic form. However, there are so many typos that even the program must be flawed. That’s okay though. You can correct those as you completely change the entire substance of what they wrote… everything. Don’t bother complaining or trying to get your money back either. They are experts at ignorance.

I always tell my potential clients that I will happily point them to some other reputable resume writers if they decide against my services. I tell them this because I don’t want anyone to be ripped off. And I know what you may be thinking, but I am not complaining here because a potential customer went somewhere else. To be quite honest, I don’t want a cheap customer because I do not do cheap work.

This is a clear case of “you get what you pay for”.

Of course, I realize not everyone can afford the $300 to $800 price range, and to those people I am not calling you cheap (so hold your hate mail). This is yet another reason why I no longer use instant ordering because it doesn’t allow me to use my judgment on whether or not I can reduce the resume preparation fee for a low-income worker.

Anyway, blah blah blah…my point is that there were some key indications that you might get sub par service from this company and I will share those clues with my readers.

1. The price. What do you really expect for $89.95? I will tell you what you will get though. You will get a mass-produced resume template that was filled in by outsourced workers from overseas. Nice huh?

2. The advertisements at the top of the page. The ads have NOTHING to do with the service they are providing. It might be acceptable for a resume writer to promote his/her own products on their resume service page (for example, a book they authored).

3. This statement, “Our staff works in triple shifts covering all 24 hours of each day! As a result, all resumes are completed within just 1-2 business days [or less] from the time your order is placed”. So, when is the phone interview? When will you have time to fill out the questionnaire? Oh that’s right…there is no personal service here.

4. “Rated the #1 resume writing site in the Azoos network 3 years in a row!” The WHAT network? Who here has heard of the Azoos network? Oh wait, they are OWNED by Azoos, Inc. (they also own various other resume writing websites like this one and this one). So, that statement really means zip.

5. The samples stink. And if you look in the file properties, you can see that one of them was filled in with OCR (optical character recognition) software. No human involved.

6. “Not many online resume writing services can claim experience dating back to the early 1990s.” That’s funny, because there are several that have been around since the 90s. And not only that, 1-on-1 Resumes has only had their website registered since 2003 (according to their Whois record). According to their BBB report, they started their business in 1999…that doesn’t exactly equate to “the early 1990s” Mr. Greenstein.

I could really go on and on here. You get what you pay for, plain and simple. Make it a habit to always do your research before you purchase any product or service from an internet-based business.