On the 18th of April, I applied for a front end developer role at Payever, it was a remote job.
I got a response the next day, for a scheduled interview, the HR added me up on telegram and we discussed.

My first mistake: While i was filling the application form, i stated $10/hour, but when she sent me the job description document i realized its a $15/hour job.

20th of April: I got a message very early in the morning asking if i am ready for the interview now, had to quickly put everything in order and proceeded, i was giving a task to be completed in 1 hour. I did and submitted.
Later in the day i got her message i passed and we were to discuss the contract, she highlighted i stated in my application form $10, still she was trying to negotiate lower to $7, then i told her: i read the job description you sent, the job was supposed to be for $15 so i dont see any reason for negotiating lower when i have already taken a $5 hit.

At that point Artur Schlaht who i later found out is the Company CEO stepped in, and said they will do the $10.
She asked when i can start and i replied the next day, then she kept pressurizing me to start that very day, this was already past 4pm in the evening, what’s going on?
She sent me a list of tools i needed to download and setup, for me to fully resume work the next day, which i did.
I was assured the minimum work hours per week is 40, but every overtime is paid for.
Resumption time was 8a.m Berlin time, which is 7a.m Nigerian time.

21st of April: woke up before 7, logged in, sent a message to my task group. the next thing i was given a task, no introdution, no onboarding, no description of code structure or architecture nothing.
nobody to ask questions, need i say the project is very big and complicated i can confirm that its not the typical angular project most angular developers have seen or worked on.
I was on it struggling from Day 1, the senior developers will ask you to use google and not disturb them.
At the end of the day i figured it out, i completed the task for the first day, sent a screenshot to the group and everybody felt okay that is good.
heaved a sigh of relieve and it was at that point i remembered i have been coding for the past 13 hours and I've not had breakfast. it was 8pm.

Work continued afterwards, task got more complicated and intense, it was worse. this time my task was to download Apple's keynote (Apple's version of Microsoft power point) and implement the basic functionalities, i had days to complete it and must show progress every now and then.
I was frustrated already, I had to start studying codes i didn't write first to understand but then i couldn’t do that for long because i have to show progress. Never been in that situation in my life.
I started off anyways and as time went by, started figuring it out.

I was there doing an average of atleast 12 hours per day including weekend, the only day i forced myself to rest a bit was sunday, I still did 5 hours+ though.
By Monday 27th all was ready, i did a screen record sent to the group, they examined it. Told me to make some corrections which i did then they said it was okay.
I pushed my code, due to their negligence the codebase i was given have been updated and i wasn't informed so they couldn't merge. I was asked to go and fix it.
Pull the new code and manually replace all the changes i've made again so that they can use my work. I felt like screaming.
It was like going back to square 1. Without complaints i did it by Tuesday 28th, i made a fresh commit of the updated code.
Need I mention while i was fixing this in was already assigned to a second task so i was fixing a problem I didn't create and at the same time setting up for the next task looking for php versions and all.

The final Straw 29th of April: I submitted the previous task, and started the next i was supposed to build a Nike website in ONE DAY using configurations No Html, No Css. the senior developer who was supposed to have configured it was saying i wont be able to do everything i should because he is not yet done, i should just do some. I had to say it in the group like i need 20 things to get this thing up, and I have 3, how do i do it?
One person said they have completed it, the other guy said No, nobody completed it.
I couldn't say anything I don't even know what was going on.
The next message I got was sorry, you will not be able to continue with us, we can't use your code, Immediately I was removed from the group and the CEO blocked me.

It was like a movie, What is happening here? What have I done wrong?
I have worked 91+ hours

I immediately messaged the HR, since my appointment has been terminated i hope i'll get my pay for the work I have done, she never responded.
I kept messaging everyday till she replied with, she doesn’t know anything about payment, its handled by the account. if she has updates she'll let me know.
I sent my invoice from the app they use to track time. I thought it was just me, then i went to glassdoor to check the company's reviews.

My Second mistake: I should have done this before i accepted their contract, I saw this is what they do to developers, even people working full time in their office in Hamburg. I'll attach a couple of screenshot.

Final Season: I met a guy there he is a Nigerian as well, he has been working with them about 2 weeks before i joined, he was sacked for no reason out of the blues about 3 days after i was dismissed as well. What did he do wrong? Maybe Artur knows
And another a Russian as well, we all basically suffered the same fate.
Craziest thing after pressuring for our pay, one morning we all got the same message from the Recruiter: Our code can’t be used and they will have to do everything again from the beginning, so because of this we wont be paid.
And that was final.
The other guy told me my code has already been merged and another guy has started using it before he was sacked, cos at that time i didn't have access to the project anymore.

I'm attaching a youtube video to this post showing a demo of the task i did in comparison with Apple's KeyNote


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoU2yLlXL24

Someone just had to be the scape goat and warn others, Please whatever you do most especially if you are a developer RUN WHEN YOU HEAR PAYEVER, they frustrate your life , waste your time and resources and pay you no dime for it.
They are always hiring, looking for Asians and Africans to work for them.


You'll see a screenshot of my invoice and the company's review by people who have worked for them in the past.

CEOs of the company
Artur Schlaht and Victor

HR/Recruiter Alexandra Zarzycka

And Even more reviews

Nice

Chai
You just open my eyes on remote jobs, when I am dreaming of working remotely.

olamidedivotee:
Chai
You just open my eyes on remote jobs, when I am dreaming of working remotely.

This is one experience. There are a host of other good experiences. Op why apply for such job with the horrible reviews on glassdoor. Next time if you must work for a company with bad reviews use an Escrow. Upwork recently introduced this option for off Upwork clients and it is something I recommend as you can get the money straight to your Nigerian account.

Please post this on Reddit the programming sections. A lot of developers would take up your case and it might even make front-page there.

Sorry bro. That’s a big risk with remote jobs. The fear of not having any will oftentimes make you start working for dubious jobs. Just take it as a learning experience and move on.

What I do is set a limit before asking for payment. For example, I’ll work for 2 days or until we reach so so an so hours and you make payment. If the client doesn’t agree, I’ll just let it go. More jobs are out there.

afrylance1:
Sorry bro. That’s a big risk with remote jobs. The fear of not having any will oftentimes make you start working for dubious jobs. Just take it as a learning experience and move on.

What I do is set a limit before asking for payment. For example, I’ll work for 2 days or until we reach so so an so hours and you make payment. If the client doesn’t agree, I’ll just let it go. More jobs are out there.

very thoughtful thanks for this

tensazangetsu20:

This is one experience. There are a host of other good experiences. Op why apply for such job with the horrible reviews on glassdoor. Next time if you must work for a company with bad reviews use an Escrow. Upwork recently introduced this option for off Upwork clients and it is something I recommend as you can get the money straight to your Nigerian account.

Please post this on Reddit the programming sections. A lot of developers would take up your case and it might even make front-page there.

i actually didn't dig too deep till it happened that was why i said its my mistake. for every bad review they create like 10 good reviews to push that one down to like the third page

oadmn:


i actually didn't dig too deep till it happened that was why i said its my mistake. for every bad review they create like 10 good reviews to push that one down to like the third page

There are good remote jobs bro just keep on applying. Also look for jobs that can allow you to leave the zoological Republic. Being in a developed nation offers you more opportunities.

tensazangetsu20:

There are good remote jobs bro just keep on applying. Also look for jobs that can allow you to leave the zoological Republic. Being in a developed nation offers you more opportunities.

sure thanks

Thanks for posting this bro, it's gonna help a lot of people avoid these kind of work scams. I suspected as much.

if gee boys work on d CEO dey will shout Nigerians are Scammers but they are d real scammers

I always feared something like this exist with this remote job and now here it is.

This is horrible. Sorry about your experience. Kindly post this on medium.com so that it reaches many people. And please use escrow services for your remote gigs if the company does not have a sound track record.

Remote work can be somehow sometimes. I currently have my money stuck with playerup escrow service but at least they are still replying to my messages.

So sorry to hear about your painful ordeal brother. This post is an eye-opener and very informative for me, I have learned a lot from your sad experience. I wish you no experience of such anymore. May all your hard labour never be in vain.

Sorry op

Lesson learnt, move on

Same thing happened to me with Canadian company late last year... Mine was $800 CAD

Don't work without an escrow

Man, I created an account here just to answer your post.
I was scammed by Payever too, and I'm just feeling dumb for not doin some search before.

My case was a little bit different, but get me mad as well.

I was contacted by them at UpWork (Wich is an platform for freelancer) to work at the HR, recruiting the leads that they sent. Actually, just sending them the link to book an call and talking the little as possible about the job position.
They offered to pay me 40$ for month, if I send the full leads (Wich is supposed to be 200 by week). First week I got blocked by LinkedIn (spam of course), the second week they gave me only 100 leads and on the third week, they send me 200 leads.
On the end of the month, they ask me to calculate how much I will receive, because they (apparently) doesn't have this exactly control of how much work I've made.
So, when I asked if I was supposed to receive the full week when they send me 100, they say that no, because I was supposed to make 200, not 100 (even this being their fault).

I just say ok, because a taught that I misunderstood the contract. But OK.

Send the calculate to them and they just react the message with an "👍🏻", after I send at the Upwork platform to receive the payment. The Upwork says that they have 14 days to think about and take an attitude, or the platform pays the fund (5$ less there taxes).

So Payever send me another amount of 200 leads on the Thursday almost 6pm Portugal time (Wich is like 7pm Germany time), and ask me to do everything on Friday. So I did like an maniac.

Well, 14 days has passed and I didn't receive anything, they just don't pay. When asked, they say "sorry, but the Upwork team is different, you need to contact them by there, here we are just the HR"

I mean like, wtf, I've worked like a crazy for one and a half month for 5$ (without the Upwork taxes).
Payever is the worst, scammers of hell.
Sorry, but I'm mad with this.
Hope you get some better work after this!