Welcome to my DarkBlue.Ink review.
Freelance writing can be a lucrative way to make a living, while providing the space and time freedom that you need.
With the numerous options of freelancing platforms available right now, it may be difficult to choose the best one that meets your needs and taps on your unique abilities and potential.
Here in this article, we take a close look at DarkBlue.Ink, to help you decide if it is something worth investing your time and energy in.
Will you find legit clients who pay you fairly and promptly? Will you get to develop yourself and build up a substantial portfolio with the site? Or is there something suspicious that lurks beneath the facade of this freelance writing platform?
Without further ado, let’s dive right in now!
- What is DarkBlue.Ink
- Red flags in DarkBlue.Ink
- What DarkBlue.Ink does exactly
- Pros and cons
- An alternative
DarkBlue.Ink Review Summary
Product: DarkBlue.Ink
URL: https://darkblue.ink/
Creator: unknown
Product type: freelance writing platform
Price: free to join
Rating: 1 out of 5
Scam / Legit? : Not legit (very suspicious)
Recommended or not? : NOT recommended
DarkBlue.Ink portrays itself as a freelance writing platform, but there are too many red flags that make me not trust this site. It tries too hard to convince writers to join. Its email address does not seem valid, and it is linked to a company that has complaints about fraudulent charges.
What is DarkBlue.Ink
To find out what is DarkBlue.Ink, let us first take a look at its website:
Nothing out of the ordinary in the beginning. It seems like a platform for freelance writers to find jobs and assignments.
But as I scrolled and navigated other parts of the website, a nagging feeling arose.
There was a lot of missing information, while some other details stood out.
I was a freelance writer before, and had worked with a number of platforms. This one felt very different from the rest. So much so that I did not even feel safe enough to get myself registered so that I can walk you through the inside of the platform, which is what I’d usually do.
In this case, a bit of digging around helped me sense the dangers that lurk on this site. I apologize for not having the guts to risk identity theft or some malware being installed on my device.
Let me explain why I feel this way about DarkBlue.Ink.
Red Flags in DarkBlue.Ink
1. Trying too hard
Take a look at how DarkBlue.Ink is trying to show how protective it is of its writers.
If you had done any freelance writing before, you would understand that writers and their clients have to work closely
– before writing, to convey the scope and expectations clearly;
– during writing, to clarify any queries or issues that may crop up; and
– after writing, to further edit and refine the work.
Having to deal with small changes and manage clients’ expectations are all part and parcel of a writer’s job.
With such blanket statements and stereotyping that put down companies and clients, I don’t think they would want to work with DarkBlue.Ink to hire writers.
Moreover, which legit freelancing platform would have the resources to actually call or email applicants who have not fully entered their details?
If it were an automated email to remind applicants to complete their profile, it wouldn’t have raised as much suspicion. Look at these:
I’d say they are trying too hard and in too much of a hurry to collect information from their applicants.
2. Why is there a cap on the payment?
As a writer grows his or her portfolio and receives positive feedback from happy clients, he or she will be able to command a higher payment rate.
No freelancing platform should impose any cap on what a writer can earn.
Moreover, in the writing industry, rates typically go by per word, or per article of whatever word count dictated by the client.
No one charges by per page, because it is so vague. What page are we talking about? Word document? Google doc? What about the line spacing and paragraph spacing? Font size?
At this point, the thought that occurred to me was that whoever is behind DarkBlue.Ink evidently has very little idea about the freelance writing industry.
3. Email does not seem valid
A quick check on the email address provided on the website showed up this:
Even though it is non-conclusive, it definitely doesn’t look good.
After you try to enter your details, they probably use some other email address to communicate with you. It seems that they are not interested in just receiving email queries from people who have not begun the signing up process.
4. Missing terms and conditions page
This leaves me very perturbed.
What kind of fees or commissions do they take from writers when jobs are completed and payment is made? What are the terms and conditions associated with using the platform?
The lack of this information is very serious.
How should conflicts or defaults on payment be handled if there is no legal document that offers transparency and fair protection to all parties?
5. No physical address
This is another vital piece of information required of any registered company. Without this, how do we even know DarkBlue.Ink is a real entity?
6. No writers are sharing their experience with the platform
DarkBlue.Ink registered its domain in 2017.
In the over two years that it has existed, it is perplexing that not a single writer who has used the platform is offering to share their story or experience, good or bad.
Similarly, there is no client coming forward to tell everyone how much they have or have not enjoyed hiring writers from the platform.
That’s pretty unusual.
7. Associated with fraudulent charges
When I clicked on the register button, this page showed up.
Right at the bottom is a company name Cyber Jam Limited.
A little probing around revealed fraudulent charges made by this company.
And this:
What DarkBlue.Ink Does Exactly
DarkBlue.Ink is dark, as its name suggests.
I do not think it is even a real freelance writing platform.
The people who created this website have ulterior motives. You could possibly have your email account hacked into, especially if you use the same password to your email account when you register on the Dark Blue Ink platform.
You could have some malware introduced to your device that monitors your online activities, or have some files or information stolen.
We wouldn’t really know what they want exactly, your guess is as good as mine.
One thing is for sure: this platform does not look right, as far as I can tell.
To round up this article, let me recap and summarize the pros and cons, before I finally make my conclusion.
Pros of DarkBlue.Ink
There is no advantage to the site. It is likely a scam that will do you more harm than good.
Cons of DarkBlue.Ink
1. Your information will land in the hands of dubious characters
Every piece of information you enter during the registration process can be used against you. Do proceed with care.
2. No legit writing assignments
If there were, you’d hear it from writers and clients who are actively using the platform.
Is DarkBlue.Ink Scam or Legit?
I very much want to call this a scam, from all the suspicious things I have seen about it. But I will leave it to you to decide for yourself. To get more tips on how to detect if a work-from-home program is legitimate, check out my other post here.
Still, I want to strongly discourage you from stepping foot on the platform.
There are many legitimate freelancing platforms around. Go for those: FreeLancer, UpWork, Guru, PeoplePerHour, and Fiverr, to name just a few.
Some writing platforms I have reviewed include Guru, Indeed, and Writers Work.
I have also provided some tips for beginners in freelance writing.
An Alternative
When I first left my job to stay at home for the kids, I found joy and a good income being a freelance writer.
Along the way, I stumbled upon something that still allowed my love for writing to shine, but no longer required me to trade time for money (with freelance writing, the moment I stopped writing, my income dwindled).
I found a business model that tapped into my writing skills to build up passive income streams.
Here’s a peek into one part of my daily earnings:
That’s almost $200 in just one single day. It’s nothing to boast about, though, as it’s just a small fraction of its full potential. I just wanted to show you the possibilities.
Now, allow me to humbly invite you to explore this other option:
And for reading all the way to the end of the post, I believe you have it in you to make this work. Here is your FREE PDF Guide: 4 Simple Steps to Making Money Online. Fill in your details to claim it:
If you have any concerns or questions regarding this DarkBlue.Ink review, do comment below, and we will start a conversation from there.
