My Opinion

Samsung had once a good quality, but as everything needs to come cheaper and by maximizing their earnings even Samsung has lost a lot of their reputation until now. In the truest sense, the cheapest components, for saving fractions of cents in production, are getting used. During development, predetermined breaking points are already planned so that the device will be defective soon after the end of the guarantee. Such a behavior is getting called planned obsolescence. The Italian and french consumer protection association are already preparing class actions against Samsung for the reason of planned obsolescence.

I think that everybody remembers the scandal about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which exploded. Samsung did not learn from their failures until now. A few days ago a Samsung Galaxy S7 exploded inside a shop in Germany.

In my case the problem gets shown on two TV sets, which are showing exactly the same failure. One is a 46" flat screen bought around 3 years ago and the other one is a little bit younger and smaller.

The problem is simple described. After watching some time TV the TV-set makes a reboot and as soon the boot has finished it goes immediately again into a reboot. In my case is the reboot not caused by a power failure or an overheat problem. It is simple a problem in the firmware, which seems to get used in their base version on all Samsung flat screen TV sets. If you search at Google for Samsung TV reboot loop then you'll get around 1,290,000 results. That shows already that the problem is a very common one. By taking a look at the Samsung page for an update for the firmware of your model, you'll get disappointed, because most of the times you'll only find the version 1 of the firmware software. Samsung is simple too lazy or too greedy to bring up some new firmware versions for the older models. It looks that Samsung is thinking, that their programmers are error free like Gods and for this reason they don't need to fix any failures in their firmware programming.

Exactly for this reason Italy and France are already investigating against Samsung for the reason of "Planned obsolescence". Samsung seems to be so stupid to think that customers, who made already a bad experience with one of their products will buy a new device from them.

So I have written on their website about my problem with the TV-set:

I have with the specified TV the problem, that I'm running into a reboot loop when I'm connecting a HDMI device. I have tested it with different HDMI devices (DVD player and cable modem). Some times the reboot loop starts after hours and some times a few minutes after turning the TV on. At the moment the TV is running without problems using the AV Input.

So I don't think about a problem of the power supply. I'm thinking more about a timing problem of the processor. The mainboard from the TV got changed around 2 years ago for the reason that the remote control did not work.

Maybe you have some technical idea about the failure and how to fix it without trashing the TV and by a new one.

Samsung replied me with the following standard information:

• Make sure to use a High-Speed HDMI cable using a new HDMI cable (ver.2.0 or up). Secure that the HDMI cable is tightly connected to the HDMI port of the TV and the proper source was also selected, for example, HDMI1, HDMI (ARC).
• Disconnect and reconnect all cables between the TV and the home theater
• Make sure all cables are properly inserted
• Ensure that your cables are not faulty. To verify, try using a different cable
• Make sure the correct input is selected on the TV
• Restore the unit to factory default settings:
  1. To factory reset your TV, press the MENU button on the remote
  2. Select Support
  3. Select Self Diagnosis
  4. Select Reset
  5. Enter the PIN (The default PIN is 0000)
  6. Select OK

As I had already all the points except the last one checked before I have sent them the failure description, I have made the factory reset from the TV and which wonder it has been working for the next nine hours. After 9 hours the TV has been running into the same problems like before.

At this time I have unplugged the HDMI cable without unplugging the power cable and the reboot loop stopped immediately. I made again a factory reset on the TV and plugged in the HDMI cable again. The TV has been working fine again.

Exactly this behavior is showing that there is no hardware failure available. It looks like there is a usage counter built in, which is defined to small and produces an overflow. In such a case the failure is a built in feature that you need to trash your device after a given time. Samsung will only make money by selling some unnecessary services and hardware (mainboard), which gets refurbished for the next customer with the same TV set. Why else does not get initialized the storage area, which gets only initialized during a factory reset, during each start of the TV? I had also tried to simple unplug the power cord during a reboot loop and let it unplugged for more than one day. The reboot loop has continued immediately after plugging the power cord on again. So during booting the TV the memory does not get initialized.

I had given them a new chance to bring up some information about the problem by giving them a feedback about the results I had found out:

I'm trying only to reproduce the failure. Especially such a failure seems not to be a simple hardware defect. Maybe Samsung will find the problem in the firmware. For this purpose you should also inform the technical department as it looks that the same failure exists in other models too. You only need to make a search in Google about "Samsung reboot loop" and you'll get enough results. I'm not asking for some money, I would be happy already if the problem gets found and fixed.

According your last email I have made a factory reset at the TV. Plugged in the HDMI cable and the TV has been running fine for 9 hours without any problem. After these 9 hours the failure has been back. The TV rebooted 2 times like in the reboot loop, has been running fine for a few minutes for ending up in the endless reboot loop afterwards.

I unplugged in this situation only the HDMI cable without unplugging the power cord before and the reboot loop stopped. The TV switched itself into the TV mode, but I have no antenna connected as I have here cable TV.

I switched to the AV mode and the reboot loop has been coming back. In this situation I unplugged the AV cable (only the yellow one for the picture transmission has been connected) and have been running a factory reset.

Afterwards I reconnected the HDMI cable and the TV has been running fine again.

I think that your software is writing something back to memory and after a time the memory content has some wrong information and results into the reboot loop. During booting of the system this part of the memory does not get initialized and for this reason the reboot loop is coming up, even when you have unplugged the power cord for more than 1 day (like I have found out during my tests before I have contacted you the first time).

Maybe the problem is coming up with the aging of the used chips too, but for me it looks like a stack overflow (typical programming failure). Don't worry, nobody is perfect and something like that happens to other companies like Microsoft, Apple, etc. too.

If you simple initialize during each boot the part of the persistent memory where you are updating something during the normal use of the TV then the reboot loop will be avoided. A simple reboot can even happen during a power failure. But in any case you should search for the failure, which is the reason for the reboot, in your firmware. It seems that you have the same problem in many models.

On the other site Samsung will run into problems if they are not fixing such problems, because Italy and France are already preparing another law suite against Samsung for the reason of "planned obsolescence". If Samsung is faster in fixing their program errors than these countries are starting their law suites, than Samsung will have no problems and will not destroy their own reputation more than it is already destroyed.

That Samsung has some problems with programming gets shown here on the website too. By following your link in your email response and filling out the form here an error message is coming up - simple take a look at the attached file:

As the device is already out of warranty, they tried to send a technician to me on my costs for verifying the error. It is cheaper in such a case to trash the device and buy another one from another vendor, who is providing a better quality. The technician will not sit in front of the TV for hours for free of charge.

If you buy today some consumer electronics, then you should not buy the newest model. Search for an older model and verify the problems published online before you decide to buy the device.

Every customer from a company likes to get something in return for his hard earned money. The chances that you get nothing in return and even get teased if you are a customer from Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is very high. One guy from Converge or one who is only licking on their shoes even asked me why I have a rant against Converge. I have no rant against Converge, I have only a rant against technical and business incompetence, especially if someone tries to tease me. I had a good experience with the Converge field technicians as they try to understand the problems of their customers, but the support staff has no idea about what they are doing. Here can everybody find how service request are getting handled from this deadbeats. They do everything for avoiding to move their own ass and fix their own internal network problems. It looks like that Converge is even not able or does not have the knowledge to fix their network problems.

Before you take a look at the traces I have made, you should understand how they need to get interpreted. Here is the description of the IP addresses shown in the traces:

1. 192.168.1.1 is the private IP address of my home router
2. 10.105.0.1 is the router from Converge, to which the cable modem is sending all the traffic.
3. 202.69.189.77 is a router from Converge where all the outgoing traffic for US and Europe gets routed
4. 10.70.10.33 a private IP address of a router inside the Converge network, which is not answering to pings. For this reason the IP cannot get monitored with standard tools.
5. 202.69.189.177 one more router inside the Converge network on the way for reaching the oversea lines
6. 202.69.188.109 one more router managed by Converge on the way to the oversea lines.
7. 202.69.189.218 the last router inside the Converge network located at the Philippines. This router sends the traffic to Los Angeles/US using the services from Level 3 Communications Inc.

For knowing the way packages are taking you can even take the tool tracert from the Windows command line. The result is looking like shown in the following screenshot:

As we like to monitor only the IP addresses at the Philippines in the responsibility from Converge ICT, we take as last IP their last router with the IP address 202.69.189.218. I have used as monitoring tool the open source software Ping Tracer. Ping Tracer is sending out each second a ping to the routers on the way and shows the time needed until the answer got received and the lost packages (red colored) in a graphic. If you are debugging a network, then you have to start at the nearest router where the lost packages are starting. All other failures can be a follow up from the first router. By respecting this rule you have to search in our case, as the following screenshot is showing, for the problems in the connection from the router with the IP 10.105.0.1 (0.76% packet loss) and 202.69.189.77 (13.9% packet loss). The 0.76% packet loss at the IP 10.105.0.1 can be a result of a tailback of IP packages in a retry queue when the queue is full.

Here the results of such a monitoring, which I have sent to the support from Converge ICT solutions on January 14, 2018:

One day after the above support request got sent, the situation die not get changed. I have sent on January 15, 2018 the next support request to Converge ICT Solution with the values of a new trace:

On January 16, 2018 I got the email response from Converge ICT Solutions, that the "problem got solved". Here a screenshot from the email:

A sign of quality of the Converge support is already the empty link (http://), which shall get clicked to reopen the ticket. As expected is the result from their "work" the same like before. With other words - they have nothing done to solve the problems as the following screenshot is showing. The email got received on January 16, 2018 03:07pm and the screenshot got taken on the same day at 07:50pm:

A nice detail how Converge ICT Solution is how they are scamming their customers. It gets shown, by the following screenshot taken on January 16, 2018 at 04:33am, that Converge ICT Solutions is selling more bandwidth than they are able to handle inside their own network. As at this time normally all people are still sleeping and the network is during this time not really under heavy traffic. So the packet loss at this time is low, but still available. It is the problem from Converge that they have been too lazy for fixing their own internal network and the problems are now falling to their head by making problems for their customers.

A trace back from a server in Austria/Europe shows that not one package at the oversea lines gets lost. The problem is getting found in the internal network structure and the network design. The outgoing routes are taking a different way as the incoming routes. While outgoing routes are passing Los Angeles by using the Level 3 network are taking incoming routes to the users IP addresses from Europe a route from ntt.net and if you like to trace the last IP address 202.69.189.218, where the router sends all traffic to Los Angeles, then the inbound route is taking the routes from hgc.com.hk passing Hong Kong. A OSPF (Open Shortest Part First) seems to be a foreign word for the Converge ICT network technicians.

Summary: If you have the possibility to avoid this Internet provider you should avoid them. Even Internet amateurs are able to bring up better results and a better connectivity.

The largest lie from the service center today has been that an undersea cable got cut in front of Hong Kong multiple times. The problem is only that the routing problems are getting found at the Philippines inside the network from Converge ICT Solutions and not somewhere else.

This fact get shown very simple by reading a tracert (Windows systems) or traceroute (Linux systems). Undersea lines having a longer ping times. And it would make no sense for any Internet provider to register IP-addresses in a foreign country.

The route from Converge ICT Solution to Hong Kong has in common some routers to Los Angeles. So the service staff and managers from Converge hat the stupid idea, that they can sell force majeure to their customers instead of telling the truth to them.

As you can see on the red marked lines in the following screenshots the problem starts between the IP-addresses 202.69.188.109 -> 202.69.189.218 on the Route to Los Angeles, USA, Level3 Network and 202.69.188.109 -> 202.69.178.141 to Hong Kong, Telia.Net.

Here the route to Los Angeles:

The router 202.69.198.218 is really the last router at the Philippines before the undersea cable. But in the following screenshot, the route to Hong Kong, we see the same router with the same IP-address which is before 202.79.198.18. This router has the 202.69.188.109. As 202.69.189.218 makes already problems the failure has to get searched between the routers 202.69.189.218 and 202.69.188.109 in this case.

A little bit more clear is the situation with the route to Hong Kong. There are after the router 202.69.188.109 two more routers cascaded before the data are entering the undersea line. The first one is the router with the IP-address 202.69.178.141 which is forwarding the traffic to the router with the IP-address 202.69.178.54. Both routers are at the Philippines and not one of them gets found underseas:

If an undersea cable got cut on multiple places, then the packet loss is 100% and not like shown in the screenshots 25%. Here we see which deadbeats are working at Converge ICT Solutions.

The first try from the technical support of converge has been to make someone other guilty for their problems - with other words a big lie:

Tsr3 (Converge ICT) Aug 28, 14:42 CST Dear Mr. Faix, Please be advised that we're having a technical issue on our third party which is the main provider of our internet connection. As we verified the main problem causing this is the cables connected under the sea that links to Hongkong is currently on checking. We also receiving many reports same as this issue, rest assured that we prioritize this problem to resolved immediately. Thank you for you patience, Sincerely, Jaypee Technical Support Representative - Regional ( Pampanga ) Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

The problem from the message above is not only that the content is a lie. The problem is that Converge ICT Solution is the one, with whom I have a contract and who is responsible for the contract. It is their problem if they have hired any subcontractors.

The next lie, which has arrived at my inbox has been:

Tsr3 (Converge ICT) Aug 28, 15:14 CST Dear Mr. Faix, As of 28 August 11:00 am, last update Our International backbone providers are still working on the resolution of the Submarine Cable Cut issue. Multiple fault points have been detected, to wit. AAG: Approximately 85 kilometers from South Lantau Cable Landing Station based in Hongkong. ASE: Approximately 63.5 kilometers from their Hongkong Landing Station. TGN-IA: Approximately 54 Kilometers from their Hongkong Landing Station All of our providers have initiated their repair process. Estimated time of repair will depend on the availability of submarine cable ships, international permits and weather conditions. Thank you for your understanding.  Sincerely, Jaypee Technical Support Representative - Regional ( Pampanga ) Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

I did not know that from the Philippines is it only 65km to Lantau. The airplane takes a little bit longer than 2 hours. In any case Jaypee has forgotten, that Los Angeles and Hong Kong are not reached over the same undersea cable. I have been thinking that the people at the Philippines are more intelligent, but here we can see, that they are even not able to lie in a way that it sounds believable. If a undersea cable gets cut, then the packet loss is 100% and not only 25%.

Converge ICT Solution promotes at their homepage: "Experience better at home and in the office WITH END-TO-END PURE FIBER TECHNOLOGY". The reality is very different to the promotion. Everybody can see which technical deadbeats they are if they need to use such lies in the case of problems because they are not able to solve the problems. Routing problems and high drop rates are normally at their network.

It looks like that Converge ICT Solutions has big problems by organizing the land transport for a submarine at the Philippines, because they are not able to fix their internal routing problems the whole day. It looks like the only person, who is able to configure routers is on vacations.

A trace done from the other site shows that the international lines from Converge ICT Solutions are not showing any problem and there is no packet loss:

Here is a screenshot from Austria/Europe to the Los Angeles gateway of Converge ICT Solutions located at the Philippines:

It is a bad situation for such deadbeats if they lie to the wrong person!!!

Each provider is using different routes for the case if one drops for the reason of a failure, that the others are overtaking the routing of the traffic. Converge ICT Solutions sees it different. If one route fails, then the others have to stop too.With this system they are only increasing the risk with each additional route that they have a full black out for the case one route fails.

Additional they have increased the bandwidth for the users with the beginning of this month, that the users have now less bandwidth than before, but have to pay more for less. That can get called to be a scam.

Such an amateur Internet provider needs to hide their own routing failures from the public. All incoming traces from the Hong Kong and Los Angeles routes are ending up at the IP address 202.69.188.110. Here an example using the Hong Kong Route:

  1     2 ms     2 ms     2 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     3 ms    15 ms     2 ms  153-108-142-078.ascus.at [78.142.108.153]
  3    11 ms    11 ms    10 ms  asr-2.ix2.vie.at.as39912.net [77.220.110.79]
  4    13 ms    10 ms    23 ms  Vl2699-c76-5.ix2.vie.at.as39912.net [95.143.81.73]
  5    22 ms    21 ms    22 ms  vl72-ae0-mx80-1.ix2.ffm.de.as39912.net [81.94.62.68]
  6    23 ms    22 ms    22 ms  100ge7-2.core1.fra1.he.net [80.81.192.172]
  7    31 ms    38 ms    42 ms  100ge5-2.core1.par2.he.net [72.52.92.13]
  8    52 ms    38 ms    38 ms  flag-as-as15412.10gigabitethernet7-13.core1.par2.he.net [216.66.89.214]
  9   222 ms   222 ms   222 ms  xe-2-2-0.0cjr02.prs001.flagtel.com [62.216.129.173]
 10   222 ms   222 ms   222 ms  xe-0-0-0.0.pjr04.ldn001.flagtel.com [85.95.25.181]
 11   221 ms   232 ms   221 ms  ge-0-1-0.0.pjr01.hkg005.flagtel.com [85.95.27.12]
 12   222 ms   246 ms   222 ms  xe-3-0-1.0.cji02.hkg003.flagtel.com [62.216.129.225]
 13   227 ms   226 ms   236 ms  80.77.1.94
 14     *      275 ms   276 ms  global.hgc.com.hk [218.189.23.198]
 15   274 ms   285 ms   274 ms  202.69.188.13
 16   274 ms   274 ms   275 ms  202.69.188.110
 17     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 18     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 19     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 20     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 21     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 22     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 23     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 24     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 25     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 26     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 27     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 28     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 29     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.
 30     *        *        *     Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung.

Ablaufverfolgung beendet.

The German phrase "Zeitüberschreitung der Anforderung" has the meaning "Request timed out".

Normally you can expect nothing from low-cost suppliers. But what I've experienced online at AirAsia beats all negative experiences I've ever seen. The support staff from AirAsia is even too lazy to sell you a ticket.

Everything started with a not functioning captcha at their booking website. Everybody can see in the following screenshot that the captcha gets shown and there is nothing readable in it:

Failures can normally happen every time, so I decided to send them a message by filling their form on the website. The only reply I got until today is the automatic reply from their mailserver shown in the next screenshot:

As an email address is not getting provided and I did not get any answer on my request above, I tried their other customer support channels - the online chat. The impressing screenshot of their online chat gets shown below:

The only support channel, where I got a reply has been Twitter. But you shall take a look about the kind of the replies. I have attached a Adobe Acrobat document with the content of the Twitter messages from AirAsia for the case that the Twitter Messages are getting deleted. The support personal even did not know that the only thing what is functioning at their website is the session expiring routine.

Anyway, the first answer from the support of AirAsia has been:

Oh no! Sorry about this Faix, please clear your browser's history, cookies and cache or change browser and try again. -Ed

Wow, that is a standard answer, somewhere from a prayers book. Maybe it helps it some special cases, but I had tried it with Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Microsoft Edge and had everywhere the same result. It shows only that the support personal has been even too lazy to take a look at their own website.

The next Twitter messages (here and here) have been showing already more interest in the case.

Really sorry about this Rudolf, have you tried clearing your browser's data too? For us to replicate the issue, kindly DM us current location, IP address, the device you're using and were you logged in as a member when booking the flight? -Floi

I have sent them the data they asked for. About the IP address I have not been sure as AirAsia needed for a reaction a few hours. After they had received the requested data they excused themselves and made the following suggestion on Twitter:

We also advise you to alternatively try via Mobile App. We're sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience. -Floi

With other words someone shall have trust into a program from a source who is even not able to bring up an error free functioning simple website. This Floi seems to be a little bit crazy, that someone will install an app from such a source, where got found in the Apple App Store malware 'infected 4,000 apps' during the year 2015 and the app store from Google is not better: Hundreds of Android Apps Containing Dresscode Malware Hiding in Google Play Store (published by Norton) and Interpol is warning actually about INTERPOL-led cybercrime operation across ASEAN unites public and private sectors.

Under the above circumstances, a deadbeat from a company, which has programmed their own website cheap, quick and dirty, likes that their potential customers should install software on their devices only for the reason that they are able to book flights from them. Which quality of software someone can expect from such a cheap company?

By taking a look at their website, everybody can see, that they are using their own booking system for flights and a soon as you like to add a hotel, then they are taking the content from expedia.com.ph and name it as AirAsiaGo. They are even not able to handle the parameter passing to the Expedia website, because if you enter a 4 night trip into their form you'll get at the Expedia Website the error message: "That's a long trip! Hotels only allow a stay of 26 consecutive nights or less."

Such people or programmer are even not able to handle their own computer security. Why someone shall install their apps in this case?

Another deadbeat from AirAsia had written on Twitter:

Hi Rudolf, we are truly sorry for the inconvenience caused. We advice you can make the booking via Airasia Sales office or you can do the booking via mobile apps. We also send your feedback to the relevant team to investigate on this issue. -Raj

Sure, I'll go to Manila, what takes depending on the traffic around 2 hours for one way, that AirAsia does not need to move his ass! A better idea from them would have been, that they are coming to me, bring the ticket and I pay it cash. But such an idea, had not one from them.

By taking a look at the name at the end of the message, everybody can see that a center from India is answering the customer request. This center is not able to do something or provide some real help, except providing unsuitable means and advises. AirAsia is in this case only trashing some money for nothing. The result is, that their reputation, which does already not exist, is going down to a negative promotion.

This poor communication got done in public. I did not get any answers to my email inquiry. At this point the support staff from AirAsia found it already embarrassing and asked a few times to change to direct messages, which I have more or less ignored, because they have ignored my requests, where they could answer by email.

There are only two options as in Europe, US, Australia, etc. exists a data protection law:

1. The customer service from AirAsia has no access to the booking data. In this case the customer service from AirAsia does not make any sense, as they are not able to give help to their customers.
2. AirAsia is ignoring the data protection law and will get soon fined for breaking the law. The article from the New York Times shows an example F.C.C. Fines AT&T $25 Million for Privacy Breach which kind of fines can happen. An additional loss of European and US licenses can happen too in such a case. If it will happen, AirAsia will be only a negative example where future manager can learn from it.

Anyway some people and manager will never learn how to make business. Intelligence is commercially not available. Maybe some stupid AirAsia managers are thinking that someone, who has made such a negative experience with their first level support, will try a second level support by using another channel. People, who are having all their senses in place, will avoid to get in contact with such a company in future.

They even had the idea to chose other payment options and one stated even that it is a security feature to show no content in the captcha:

We're so sorry about this Rudolf as we've got a very high security measures in our website to avoid Fraud transactions.

The best fraud protection for AirAsia will be to shut down their website and their business, as the most people are not able to book their services online. I'm happy, that I could not book a flight there, because what will I do in the case I have booked one of their services and need really help from their customer service? In such a case they have already the payment and would even not reply to a public posting. Such companies, who are handling their valued customers in this way will not exist a long time. Saving money in customer service is exactly the wrong way for making some business. Everybody and every company gets exactly that for what they are paying.

AskAirAsia Twitter Messages.pdf (867.92 kb)

Where ever some money can get earned, you'll find scammers. Nobody is able to hindrance them in doing their dirty business. Even the restrictions for signing up at upwork.com are not able to avoid scams. On the other site it can be also a trick from upwork.com for bringing more of their subscribers into a paid membership.

All scammers have one common property: They are lazy. Some are even too lazy for using their own God given brain. In the actual case where I got yesterday on March 18, 2017 an invitation for a work, which got posted on December 24, 2016 and the result of the work should got delivered on February 1, 2017! Nobody can get done a work in the past. LOL

The funny thing about the invitation above is, that the invitation for the interview got withdrawn before I had the possibility to react on it. This makes upwork.com also suspicious, because at this platform everybody has limited connection possibilities. Their official reason for limiting the possibilities for bidding on offers is avoiding spam. On the other site is the behavior from their clients, withdrawing invitations before they get answered, counterproductive for their own reputation.

Suspicious is also that Philip Pateman is offering since more than 2 month a part time job, where you have to work only 2 hours a day and get a payment of $1,500/month + bonuses and nobody takes such a job or is able to fulfill the requirements for the job. It gets shown in the following screenshot, where is written under the job offer that he has hired one from 781 sent invites and under the caption "About the Client" is written 3 Hires, 0 Active - $0 Total Spent!

Another joke of the century gets found in the job description. Philip Pateman needs to hire 5 Freelancers, who are working at least 2 hours per day and are getting paid $1,600 per month. That makes a sum of $8,000/month. For this amount of $8,000/month I even would work 10 hours a day and 6 or 7 days a week. LOL

Anyway, I even would not be able to fulfill the requirements for this job, because of my problems with the Internet provider here at the Philippines. In the job offer is written "Must be accessible, online during agreed-upon hours". If someone takes a look at my article Converge ICT Solution Inc. - a service desert and teasing their customers then he will find out that I'm not able to guarantee such a requirement. For this reason I don't need to apply for such a job.

For the case that Philip Pateman is not an invention from upwork.com for stealing your connection points, then Philip Pateman from Belfast is using his real name and location. A search for Philip Pateman from the UK phone directory returns 19 results and only one is living in Belfast. Based on the 2006-17 Electoral Roll is he in the age group between 40 and 44. He is living together with Karen Mary Pateman (Karen Mary Mcmahon). A Philip Pateman from Belfast gets also found at LinkedIn. He is providing the following information about himself: He likes to be an Assistant Assembly Clerk to the Committee for Finance working at Northern Ireland Assembly since August 2009 and has at the moment 124 friends or contacts at LinkedIn. He describes his job as:

Supporting the Assembly's Committee for Finance in undertaking its advisory and scrutiny role in relation to the Department of Finance. Includes procedural advice, policy analysis and professional support.

For the case that all the information described here, is also fitting together in reality, then Philip Pateman has sent me an invite for his sham job offer and has been searching afterwards by using his favorite search engine for my name. In the result he has found my blogs and did not like to get famous. So he has withdrawn the invitation.

An alternate possibility is still available too. upwork.com has invented Philip Pateman from Belfast for reducing your connection points faster.

In any case is the job offer provided at upwork.com by Philip Pateman nothing else than a scam or an offer for being partner in crime of Philip Pateman.