IvanWOW, Ivan Kuzmin, Freelancer.com, Kazakhstan FRAUD, SCAM, CHEAT - BUYER BEWARE! Internet

Ivan Kuzmin, is a 3D designer, animator and architect known online as IvanWOW through freelancer.com (https://www.freelancer.com/u/IvanWOW), his facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/IvanWWWoW/), his upwork.com profile (https://www.upwork.com/o/companies/~012709d410d40e4645/) and his own website (http://www.ivanwow.com/)

Ivan bid on my job to create a 3D product video for my company through Freelancer.com; however he violated their policies when he had me pay him for the job outside of Freelancer.com, and instead through Paypal.  He was paid for the job on August 20, 2018 and was contracted to complete the job in 20 days.  About a week into the project he gave me a preview of his animation work with my models, I provided feedback and waited for another update.  Except I never got one.  

The following week I asked Ivan for an update and he said to me on July 31 "you will get new animation tomorrow".  The next day I asked him for an update, which he never provided.  In fact he ignored the question all together, which is common of Ivan.  His communication skills are poor at best, in that he says "talk to you later" and then you don't hear from him for days.  Or you'll be having a conversation and he disappears in the middle of it for hours, rather than telling you "hey something came up I'll be back later".  He has no professional courtesy, etiquette or work ethic.  And he loves wasting your time.  He is definitely skilled in the art of 3D design and animation, but as any employer knows: skill means nothing when a worker doesn't complete a job or communicate with their employer.    

On August 2nd Ivan tells me he has not completed the work to give me an update, and that his dog had died.  He said it was a dachsund and I expressed my condolences; however I cannot help but feel he was lying to me.  Why?  Because a few days prior when we were talking about our pets, Ivan sent me an image of his two dogs (attached) which are not dachsunds or anything close to resembling one.  So he likes to use tragedies you can't disprove as an excuse for poor work ethic, lying to his employers to string them along.  I'm sure for the next client he'll say his grandma died.  

After his message about his fake dog, I didn't hear from Ivan for a week. Finally after numerous ignored messages and calls that were not answered, he responded to me yesterday (August 8) "sorry for the delay, I'm here and ill write you later".  Yet another broken promise/commitment meant to string me along.  He did not contact me later at all, nor has he contacted me at all today, nor has he told me when I would receive the update he promised over a week ago. 

Now that he stopped replying on Skype, I tried using Facebook and then Freelancer.com to communicate with him, asking him to "Please stop ignoring me Ivan, it's incredibly unprofessional" and my messages did not go through because he blocked me.  And yet he has been pre-paid for the work he has not completed, he has been ignoring me, and despite all of this I have maintained myself in an entirely professional manner.  Finally I had no option but to file a dispute with Paypal, report Ivan to Freelancer.com for policy violations, and post my story about his fraudulent and cheating behavior to warn others DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS SCAMMER. 

He may be talented at 3D design, but he'll never deliver you a finished product, will waste your time for weeks and ignore you when he fails to deliver on his promises.  Stay away from IVANWOW if you want a professional worker.