ChaCha Guide Pay Lies and Scams
The majority of people that have responded to my other article about ChaCha Pranksters as well as those that commented on the article at TechCrunch that linked to it, have looked at ChaCha from the technology standpoint more than anything. Most observe that they don’t think the service is all that viable, while ChaCha supporters tend to keep telling me that it is in Beta and it will get better.
I’m really not interested in any of that. The service itself is what it is. What I’m more interested in is how the policies are implemented, and the live guides that are the face of ChaCha. Although this is a tech blog I feel the need to point out that there is some sort of humanitarian cause that needs to be addressed here. There actually are people behind all of these things. Namely the live guides that run this so-called social search engine.
While writing this I came to the conclusion that there were so many things that needed to be addressed it couldn’t possibly be done in one post. So this post is going to be like a virtual Table of Contents. It will link to all the related stories here so that you can easily get to each and read one section at a time. Being as the attention span of most is rather limited it should be easier to read this way than by trying to limit everything to one post.
So let me get straight to the point and tell you about some of the lies and scams that myself, and many others have witnessed in the short time that ChaCha has been around. I expect plenty of RahRahs to come in and tell me that I made this stuff up and that it is not true. Nothing here is inaccurate. You can’t make this stuff up.
Table of Contents:
-
I. Introduction
II. Press Releases and Articles
III. New Front Page “Enhancements” Scam
IV. Pay Me Now Fees Scam
V. Working for Free and Deactivations
VI. ChaCha Archives
I would like to thank the following people who have helped contribute to this series in some way:
Owners of BoredReader and World Wide Web Design for allowing me to speak with members of the ex-guide community with out getting watered down information. Also, for several related quotes that appear in the various articles.
ChaChaSucks.com for spreading truth.
Dailey|Arts, Ex ChaCha Guide, and Are these results sufficient??? for helping with research and links.
Work at home opportunities better than ChaCha:
Spread the Word
Filed under: ChaCha, Computers and Internet by JMH
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- ChaCha Pay Lies and Scams: Press Releases and Articles | JMH Techtronics
- JMH Techtronics « Best Websites
- ChaCha Pay Lies and Scams: New Front Page “Enhancements” Scam | JMH Techtronics
- ChaCha Pay Lies and Scams: Pay Me Now Fees Scam | JMH Techtronics
- ChaCha Pay Lies and Scams: Working for Free and Deactivations | JMH Techtronics
- DealDotCom Everybody is doing it | JMH Techtronics
- Re-Visiting ChaCha and Being a Prankster | JMH Techtronics
I can’t say i’ve ued ChaCha before, but I think I will stay well clear!
At the bottom of this article it has links titled:
Work at home opportunities better than ChaCha:
Both of these links are affiliate codes for other sites. He is writing this just to get people to click on his links to make money. What a hypocrite.
Well I know for a fact that ChaCha is a scam. All I can say is you must be the hypocrite to think that.
Maybe you would like to work for free? Go ahead and join! And if your already a guide, well my sympathys are not with you. Go ahead and be used by ChaCha.
TATA
Hypocrite? How exactly? Because I’m sick of people working for pennies when these same people can make much more working from home?
This is my blog. I can advertise whatever I damn well please. IF I didn’t believe in those opportunities I wouldn’t have posted them. Since i do believe in them, spent time to research these articles, researched those companies, and so on there is no reason i shouldn’t be able to use my affiliate badges on my OWN site. I do articles for AC and I write posts for PPP. I make more in one post for either of them than people make ALL day doing Chacha.
I’m telling you about them and you are free to use the badge if you want. If you never heard about them before you just learned about it from me.
In fact there is a nice little Disclosure page right on my sidebar too. Says something about my ads and affiliate badges on this site.
Congratulations on an excellent article exposing these lying scammers for what they are – LIARS!!
I also see nothing wrong with anyone having affiliate links on their blogs. Everyone does it even the of so good ChaCha blog, only difference is JMH is honest with his and researches them first.
I guess I don’t understand Poisonchick how you can say “Well I know for a fact that ChaCha is a scam.” Have you ever looked what scam up to see what it means. Must not have, or you can’t understand what it means. Everything is laid out in a contract, you abide by the contract or they will get rid of you, and they can keep your earnings for trying to rip them off. Everything is laid out for you to read. It’s not their fault that you can’t read or understand it, right?
Hey Melissa…KISS OFF…And take your .50 cents to someone who may care about your thoughts..
I was checking out the references you listed in your post and it highlighted the need to double check the facts when you appear to have a working opportunity that’s almost to good to be true. Thanks for the heads up and reminder to check out things before signing up for those “great deals”
Hey Kris,
Who cares about your thoughts? Just kind of curious. I thought that this wasn’t a bias article and both side of the story need to be told. You are just proving it to be bias. Have a wonderful day Kris.
Oh well I plan to have a wonderful day. Don’t bring me into this and then there wouldn’t be bias…You started it with your comments about me Mellisa. HAVE A GREAT EASTER.
BTW Like I care you call me by my real name, umm hello everyone or almost most know who I am…I don’t hide.
cool article jim,
thanks…
ChaCha — somebody call Dateline NBC. This piece of fine investigative reporting should be featured. Way to go Jimi.
lol…Thanks Jason.
Pure Bullshit.
I make over $500/month using chacha, I leave it up at work, and answer questions throghout the day, it’s easy.
This guy is just using the old marketing technique of trying to make a contreversary, and he even had the nerve to reccomend affiliate sites so he can earn more money.
This is a pretty sad attemept for a reputable blog.
How many hours do you work a day to make that much? 10? 12? Nevermind…don’t answer that. I already know. You would just lie anyways. Get the fuck out of here with your BS rahrah claims.
This article was written well over a year ago. I don’t follow ChaCha night and day to see the changes they make. If they are better than good for them. The way they were a year ago with their lies I suspect they are no better than they were then, if only slightly better. For someone who is supposed to be an expert at finding things, you may want to read these articles and all the lies your great leader and CEO has put out into print.
You love ChaCha…that’s great. Ask the thousands of guides ChaCha has screwed over since its inception how they feel about them. Just read the comments. People that have worked for ChaCha loathe the company. You must be one of the idiots that hasn’t caught on yet. You will.
As for the affiliate links…lmao
I don’t make shit on any of those. NOTHING. AC doesn’t even pay a referral bonus. That PPP banner is long dead for affiliate payments. The other one is a link to a list from SOMEONE ELSE. I get NOTHING from it.
Even if I did, it’s my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want to do. You WORK ON THE INTERNET and you don’t get it. ChaCha is so full of ads it isn’t even funny and you pick on me? Get off your high horse. You could make more in 1 day with either PPP, or AC than you make a week with ChaCha. PPP not so much anymore because it is Social Spark, but when i wrote this I was making over $100 A DAY doing PPP. In less than 4 hours. Many days making as much as $200 from them alone.
If this series was to be submitted as a report it would be laughed at. Seriously. Your evidence is weak and not convincing to people who want serious proof. It’s a lot of your own interpretation that you state as fact. The comments sound like a bunch of kids trying to sound like their words on the internet are powerful or something. It’s good to be passionate about something, but please sound more mature or else no one will take you seriously, okay?
As for being a hypocrite, you are free to put whatever links you want on your site. No one’s telling you to take them down, but it does seem suspicious when you put up links that you may possibly profit from after a post putting down another online work site. It’s not hard to see how people might see that as a possible scam too.
If you are entitled to your own opinion, then others are too. If you don’t want to see them, then don’t allow comments. No need for playground arguments.
Oh, and get a real job instead of getting scammed or wasting time arguing about what’s a scam.
You fail miserably with your shit talking. Please change your name if you come back and start over.
You failed to respond to the comment in any way that shows you actually read it. I don’t care if you guys stick up for ChaCha. You guys are just full of shit and I KNOW IT.
“Oh, and get a real job instead of getting scammed or wasting time arguing about what’s a scam.”
You just couldn’t resist wrapping up your silly comments with that could you? The irony is incredible.
Let me help you out here a bit too. IF you come back and respond the irony level increases.
Yeah…I do THIS for a living. :rolls eyes: Damn…you’re an idiot. It’s a blog. You think I care about “professionalism” here, or that I make any attempt whatsoever to promote, or market this site? Nope…I actually earn a living that isn’t making less than minimum wage.
Honestly, how stupid are you people? Oh wait…you work for ChaCha…
I think I may edit these and put MORE affiliate banners in them just to piss you off you seem so sure that I am scamming you. I may as well at least make money on it for being accused of it right?
One thing is for sure though. If I tell you that you can make money off of it you will be able to and you won’t have to spend 10 hours to make $25. That’s $2.50 an hour for you RahRahs that seem to have a problem with math, and everything else that has to do with making money…like a guy with a website that might want to pay the bill for his hosting fees with ads. Yeah…I like to have shit I do paid for when I do it. Thanks.
I think the problem with this article is that cha cha is no longer a human-based search engine. It’s a mobile answer service, and they pay $0.15 for answer ( for the 1st 30 days), and $0.20 regularly or more as you get better.
I’m a chachaguide, and have been for the past 90 days. I made over 750+ last month (my 2nd month). I worked about 5 hours 5 days a week and averaged answering 25 questions at 0.20 cents each. I also have 5 people in my team who I make 10% from.
I think this article is outdated, and that’s why there’s so much confusion. You were an Ex cha cha guide in 2007 before this new service they offered since May 2008.
Well, as of August 4th, ya get .10 a text if under 300 queires a week and at least 95% accuracy. Which they don’t define or show legitmate ways of tracking…
Look to CHACHA FORUMS FOR MORE ANSWERS>>>>>GUIDES BOYCOTTING AND OUTRAGE SPREADING>>>>>
DONT COME TO CHACHA FOR ANSWERS…guides are not sending text back, answering wrong, or making the CHACHA experience a living hell before they walk out on AUG 14th…….
HOLLY MOLLLY ROLLLY>>>BATMAT!
Scott Jones should be so proud!!!
yep, i was hopeful about the new service and my pay has been decreased twice just as i was getting started. screw chacha. hooray AQA!
I guess this article is true too… http://www.squidoo.com/ChaCha-Guide-Reviewed
Oh well, maybe I’ll try that business instead….
I know firsthand what it is like to be a ChaCha guide. Check out the blog ‘Confessions of a ChaCha Guide’ for a reality check!
I don’t see the big hoopla over ChaCha either way. It’s a way to make money from home. If it doesn’t float someones boat don’t do it. If it does then go for it. I’ve been working from home with them for several months and found it a good way to supplement my income. I can also see how it wouldn’t measure up to someones expectations if they were use to making $10-$15 an hour. I’ve worked out a routine where my goal is $20 a day. I can generally do this in 5 hours. That’s only a $4 per hour average but I don’t have to leave home, can work in my PJs if I want to, don’t have to spend money for gas to get to and from work, have no assigned time that I HAVE to work and can take a break anytime I wish. I think that would fill a need for many people. Others would think of it and laugh, as for those people, search for something else to do.
I’m not to wild about the pay changes but my pay hasn’t changed because of it. I’m still at .20 per search. 200 searches a week is nothing, that’s only 40 a day on a 5 day week and if you’re not doing at least that it’s not worth the effort anyway. As far as the 95% accuracy. They need to have something that will let you know in real time what your accuracy is rather than taking their word for it. They say it’s coming but who knows. I guess I’m meeting that since my pay hasn’t changed. They do have system lags at time and other issues that any company with the potential of up to 20,000 guides logging on at the same time would have but it’s nothing to sweat about.
I perform at the best of my ability, they pay on time and I have good way to supplement my income. Perfect they aren’t but I don’t see the bashing nor the phrase. It’s a company providing a service and a way to make some extra cash with a little effort. Far from perfect and not for everyone, but what is?
Tonight was my first time using the new system. I think this really needs to be thought out a bit better. I was in the middle of editing my reply to the customer, In the middle of doing so I get a pop-up saying I was taking to long to answer and the question. It was being taken over by another guide. IS THIS FAIR??? NO. If we need to search for an answer then edit that answer this takes time. Not to mention pages sometime open slowly. Is this even taken into consideration? It seems to me that questions will get bounced around from guide to guide and those of us who take the time do thoroughly search for the BEST answer are penalized. Not to mention we will be unable to even make top guide OR get paid for our efforts, because we do not get to finish what we started. Seriously this is not going to improve the quality of answers the customers seek. Surely, NOT a way to keep guides happy and willing to do do the best job they can. I’m not a complete idiot I know its a new system and glitches are bound to come up. But come on this should be a major concern. JUST because it may not have happened to others so far. As soon as it happened to me I logged out. I have no desire to sit and search for quality answers only to be cut off in the middle of editing it to fit. Imagine if you will how many others it has happened to, and possibly more than once. Considering the new pay rate those $.10 & $.20 cents add up. So just because it hasn’t happened to you, That Shouldn’t mean It is not a concern for others. I’m not only thinking of myself here.
I’m sorry but unless you don’t have a real full time job and just sit on your ass all day and don’t do anything but use chacha as a way of gaining funds, then yea you deserve to be scammed.
Chacha is a way to make some extra cash while maintaining a full or part time job. I doubt the people who crated chacha would think that losers would sit at home with out a real JOB to support their needs and use chacha as a whole source of income. how damn dumb can you be.
I love chacha. I don’t agree with some of the questions they allow to come through, but i get paid on time and efficiently. For those who think that chacha is a scam get off your ass and get a real job and not use chacha full time DUH.
Although this article is old, the foundation of why I wrote it is still alive and well. Just reading the comments that come in from people regularly it really doesn’t matter that my articles aren’t up to date. The same principles that made me write it originally are the same as they are today. ChaCha is still trying to squeeze the people that are the face of the business. They are still technically liars about the pay and about the “job”.
Look, just from a few comments I can see that the game is slanted towards ChaCha and the idea that anyone will do something if they can do it from home. They still make changes that lower your pay on a regular basis. The company is nothing like it was formed to be. They used guides as beta testers to figure out a way they could get the pay as low as possible for guides, and they are still doing it.
Even if this articles is “old”, look at what they are doing to you now, and look at what I wrote a year ago. Do you see a pattern here? Do you see a company that is not taking care of the people that are building the company itself?
JMH…upon close review, i’ve concluded that you are an idiot.
jmh, you are an idiot.
Says the guy that claims he took a close review, yet has nothing constructive to add. Well done.
I tried for the Guide roll on ChaCha and I was told that I was excepted and to complete the training, well after I completed the training I was supposed to answer 10 live questions as a trainer and not be paid until they evaluate my answers. So I did the training and answered the 10 live question and even a couple extras to try to get the feel for things. Than I waited a few days and finally got a response from them, I opened the email up hoping it was going to say that I completed my training and was ready to start making money as a guide. Instead I got some e-mail basically saying the regret to inform me that I didn’t pass a simulator test or something like that and basically said that I wasn’t fit for the guide roll! Ill tell you I used all the “training” they gave me and answered every question with the information I found on there site and made sure I gave the URL. My only guess is that I failed because I couldn’t correctly give directions from some hotel in Indianapolis to the Indianapolis air port in 160 characters! That’s impossible! Anyways here’s the kicker, even though I supposedly “failed” I still have an account and I can still sign on and answer questions, I just don’t get paid for it! So basically they pulled me along thinking I was already a guide (I mean I already had a handle name and a profile and the hole 9 yards!)just to tell me I cant do it, yet I am still able to log on and make them money I just don’t get any money! It sounds like a big fat scam to me!
It’s not a scam Alyssa,I’m making about $400 a month…and I’m lazy.
I am sorry that you failed the simulator test, the person that referred you should have given you some tips to pass, There about 18 guidelines that can be easily broken.
In fact I am still trying to figure out how I passed! lol!
Please stop telling people this a scam, because now many are struggling financially and this could be a great income. This is job is especially good for those who stay at home mother and college students.
If anyone is interested in becoming a guide you can email me at heath.dianne@gmail.com
In America people are so lazy and spoiled, whenever I tell others about ChaCha online…it is always people from the Phillippines, India, Indonesia etc another Asian country that is truly interested and ready to work. It is my only regret that only people from the US can become a ChaCha guide.
I am appreciative to get money…just for answering stupid questions.
wtf you guys are all assholes
i know plenty of people signed up working with chacha.
i watched them make the money, then spend the money
months later i realized i’m an idiot for not being a member myself.
now we all sign on, make money, spend money
i don’t know why people are so skeptic over something cool. this is NOT a get rich quick scheme. truly interested individuals will sign up and prosper. you guys are NOT that type of people. GO ON text 242242 for fun and for free… or are you scared?
idiots
fuck your blog
I tried to spam ChaCha Invites here. My post was deleted.
I respect your against chacha and all, but ive been working there month or so and have grossed nearly 2,000 dollars(ha, i have alot of free time at home) and that income was more than i made ever busting my ass at a warehouse.
my position:
i’m a full time student and i have a part time job that uses a computer. most of the time when i work i have lots of freetime. i ususaly finished homework and still have lots of time left.
Question:
shud i invest in this company?how much whud i get paid for 3 hours of chachaing each week?
God I’m such a FUCK’N IDIOT!!!!!!!! I sound about as intelligent as Bill O’Reily! Wow, after actually trying out chacha, I realized you don’t get payed well, but they do pay, and for as easy as it is, you can do it practically anytime! Try it! http://becomeaguide.chacha.com/
now that’s funny stuff. I just took the test myself
Hiya,
Registration is open again @ ChaCha and if you want to know the ropes before you do your tests, just shoot me an email and I’ll send you an invite.
sweetashoneyb@yahoo.com
I work for ChaCha, and I have never missed a paycheck, sometimes they are a day or two late.. but, as long as I meet the criteria I’ve never had a problem.
Hi, I was considering trying chacha just to see if the supplemental income was worth it, got approved then forgot about it for a few months (my real job got busier). Now they’re not accepting new registration, bummer.
So obviously, I don’t have an opinion either way, but I just want to say that reading how most of y’all HAVE to feel really strongly one way is really entertaining. People are almost never willing to be more humble, like:
“Hey, based on my experience, i feel this way, but there’s always unknowns so maybe my opinion will change or maybe I’m wrong.”
It’s always “I know everything because of my personal experience and F you if you don’t agree.” Exactly like politics in the media… you’re all (well not all of ya) some sad sad turd nuggets.
For those few who did try to give their unbiased experience and offer actual advice, thanks. It seems useful, now I just hope they’ll open up registration so I can see for myself if I think it’s worth it.
Sorry but I have to point something else out. If you type “whud” instead of “would” and “shud” instead of “should”, you should try this:
Hold the handle of a butcher knife so that the blade is pointed right at your heart. Then run as fast as you can into a wall, the whole time trying to keep the knife pointed the same direction, but not exerting too strong of a grip.
cheers!
Hi! This is an interesting article as I have been with ChaCha as a SMS Text Guide since early 2008. I must say that it has been changing. I was making pretty good money … enough to buy some groceries, etc. However, ChaCha keep changing the pay rates for the queries you answer and I feel like I am working more and more to answer the same amount of questions I did in the beginning but with LOWER PAY. Now I am worried because they are revamping ChaCha again. With the new implementation of the ask Lulu feature, I believe it will cut down the queries even further. I’m beginning to wonder why I stayed this long. I know why: hope. I guess that hope is dwindling because I am researching other job alternatives to ChaCha. I feel underappreciated.
The incentives at the beginning were pretty good to keep morale up in the early part of 2008. Now I feel SOME contests are aimed at the new guides only as an incentive to keep going until they get you comfortable. I guess the older guides have worked hard but now another new “generation” of “Future” old guides are being lulled into the mire.
That’s my two cents. I’ll take the rest of my 8 cents and go buy … is there anything you can buy for 8 cents anymore? Well, if I was lucky, I might have 20 cents left over from this one “query” I am leaving behind.
I too have been an SMS Guide since Early ‘08. I also have they ability to speak from two angles because I am both a Voice Transcription Guide and SMS Guide. Nowadays, you make about 12 cents per query you answer. On average it takes about a minute to answer a question. So if you got questions back to back, you could make an average of $7.20 an hour. Not bad…except you have to factor in loading times for their silly engine…and then factor in the fact that you will not get back to back questions except weekends AND that some questions take longer to answer.
As a Voice Transcription Guide, you get 4 cents per question typed out. I do about 3-4 a minute. In the long run, you make slightly more ad a voice transcriptionist, but still I average about $30 for an 8 hour shift do to slow times and weird errors that ChaCha sometimes has. That works out to less than minimum wage anywhere, and by the end of it my back and hands KILL.
Take this information however you want. i don’t claim ChaCha is a scam, but I would never recommend anyone to be a guide themselves.
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