PRO-account on free-lance.ru: returning unused funds

Recent changes to free-lance.ru have created great discontent among freelancers.
Many voiced their intention to go to other exchanges. Quite often the question was “How do I get money back for a PRO account?”
The rules of the free-lance.ru website state that funds credited to the account are not refunded.

However, as practice shows, you can return the money.

The process is quite simple and intuitive, but, just in case, I describe in detail. Suddenly useful to doubters and lazy people.

Step one. Application for the return of unused funds

We go to the support page . You can get here from the main one by clicking on the "Help" link in the menu, and then selecting "Write to support."
Select the item "Financial Question".
We write the text of the message, describe the reasons why we want to return unused funds. In my case, the message text looked like this:

Hello.

I have been a user of your resource for several years. Thanks to your resource, I have found more than a dozen customers. Not all of your innovations pleased, but I understand that monetization is important for any commercial project, so I never complained. No doubt paid for the PRO-account, considering this fee fair for the services you provide. Unfortunately, recent changes (work only through the SBR, a ban on the exchange of contact information, monitoring correspondence by site employees) make it impossible to continue working.

I made earlier attempts to work through the SBR: customers do not want to shine their data and bother with documents. The inability to exchange contact information shortens the list of possible means of communication and reduces the usability. Unauthorized access to information containing trade secrets and intellectual property is an unacceptable situation for most professionals.

At the time of paying for the PRO account, I could expect a certain service from the free-lance.ru site. I had a clear vision of the work process, due to the traditions and rules of the site. After changing the rules, the situation has changed radically and does not meet my expectations and requirements.

In this situation, I have to send a request for a refund of funds spent on a PRO-account. Please refund me the amount equivalent to the cost of the unused (paid in advance) PRO-account.

I know that on your site it says "funds are not being returned." However, I must note that the list of services provided by your site that influenced my decision to pay for a PRO account has changed after the account was paid.
Thus, the services currently provided do not meet expectations.

Also, as an additional argument, I want to point out the fact that the fb-group wrote about the possibility of a refund.

Link: www.facebook.com/freelanceru/posts/379209808814601 The

screenshot is attached and saved locally.

We send a request, we are waiting for a response.

Step Two the confirmation

About an hour and a half after sending the application, a letter with the following content arrived:

Good afternoon.
If you have finally decided to return the funds, then the purchase will be canceled within 24 hours, we will indicate to you the amount that you will have frozen for a refund.
To return the money you need to write an official letter. A letter is written in the name of the gene. Director and the original is sent by mail to any of the following mailing addresses:
129223, Moscow, PO Box 33;
190031, St. Petersburg, Sennaya pl., D.13 / 52, PO Box 427;
420032, Kazan, PO Box 624;
454014, Chelyabinsk - 14, PO Box 2710.

Do you need to cancel the purchase of Pro?
Will you submit a sample application?

Please do not change the subject line when replying to our letters.

My answer was simple: “Yes, please cancel the purchase of the PRO account and send a sample application”

Step Three Cancel PRO. Statement

The second answer had to wait until dinner the next day.

Refund amount 3660 rub.
The service was canceled.
We are sending you a sample letter (the text that is highlighted in red needs to be filled in with your information). Refunds are not made to the details of third parties, but only to the details from which there was a replenishment.
Please, before sending the original letter, send us a scanned copy of the letter for verification, after that Fm - the money in your account will be blocked for return.
We remind you that the letter is written in the name of the gene. Director and the original is sent by mail to any of the following mailing addresses:
129223, Moscow, PO Box 33;
190031, St. Petersburg, Sennaya pl., D.13 / 52, PO Box 427;
420032, Kazan, PO Box 624;
454014, Chelyabinsk - 14, PO Box 2710.
In the “To” field, be sure to indicate “Vaan” LLC.
If you want to send a letter in person, you need to drive to the office www.free-lance.ru/press/contacts on weekdays from 10 to 18.
Please check the correctness of your data (details , registration address, if you are a legal entity, then the name of the company).
As soon as we receive the letter, we will write to you.

Please do not change the subject line when replying to our letters.

The letter is written, it remains to go to the post office and send it.

conclusions

Summing up the above, I would like to note key points:

1. You can return unused funds
2. The support service does not prevent the receipt of funds, for which many thanks to her. I was pleasantly surprised - a spoon of honey in a barrel of tar
3. Funds are returned only to those details from which there was a replenishment. If the customer paid with FM, then it is he who will receive the funds back
4. They say that PRO- accounts make up the main income of free-lance.ru. Perhaps a massive refund will tell the company management that the latest changes categorically do not suit many freelancers