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Scribendi.com is a Canadian-based editing and proofreading service that has been in business since 1997. We have had several users provide comments and feedback about this company to us and have decided to do a full Scribendi review, using the same factors for all writing services – the website content, Scribendi customer reviews that have been submitted to us and posted on the web, samples (if available), the responsiveness of customer support, pricing and any Scribendi promo codes for discounts, other benefits, researching the company online in search of legal issues, and, finally, our experience of reviewing an edited work that we secured for quality and completion. This Scribendi.com review is our summary. Keep reading to learn if this is a reliable service that can be trusted to deliver their services as promised.
SERVICES AND FEATURES AVAILABLE
Scribendi edits and proofreads only English documents. It lists as its services help for ESL students, authors’ manuscripts (plus a query package), business and corporate materials (materials, reports, websites, blogs, etc.), and personal documents (resumes, letters, etc.). This feature is similar to any other writing services you may find online, as very few of them offer translations – although it would have been a nice extra.
On the website, you can see that the service is broken down into several categories: Academic, ESL writing, Business, Author, Corporate, Personal, and Student. The array of services is wide, so whether you need a paper for college or work, you should be able to find someone capable of handling your task. With that in mind, there is no actual proof that the writer assigned has expertise on the actual task at hand.
On its website, the company has “case studies” of editing services it has provided to corporations and authors. There are no examples of editing and proofreading for students, and this is a concern. There were also quite a few Scribendi complaints in this regard, as it felt like the website was not truly transparent with the services that they provided.
For the record, because this is not a writing service, they don’t provide long-form writing. As a result, if you need to have an entire dissertation written, you will likely not be helped on the matter. However, they will edit a variety of documents. This includes thesis and dissertation editing as well as other high-level academic document proofreading. We find it disappointing, however, that they do not offer dissertation writing even if all you need is just one chapter or two; only Scribendi editing can be opted for.
PRICING SYSTEM AND DISCOUNTS
There is a method for calculating Scribendi prices on the site, by entering the information relative to the document and the deadline urgency. We obtained a 2000-word essay that had been edited by the Scribendi staff.
We also discovered that prices depend on the amount of time given to editors and proofreaders to complete the requested work. Prices ranged from $117.93 to $59.97 respectively. When compared to other writing services that offer editing and proofreading, this is high. However, this alone did not bother us. We expect a service that specializes in a niche like this to charge more money for their expertise.
There are no Scribendi.com discounts for the services they provide. And, after speaking with customer support, we learned that no customer should ever look for any type of Scribendi coupon code. Their prices are firm and permanent. This means that the Scribendi pay rates are clear from the very beginning – the only disadvantage being that you cannot really get any advantages in terms of its price.
Scribendi accepts all standard payment methods. This includes PayPal, debit or credit cards, and specific payment methods for customers in China. We believe these payment options are safe and use the standard SSL technology implemented by other eCommerce businesses.
WRITERS EXPERTISE AND DELIVERY
From all the Scribendi reviews we read, there has never been a problem with delivery. There have been issues with quality in some instances. ESL students who have used the services state that, after submitting an edited piece of writing to an instructor, there were still grammatical and composition errors pointed out. This is troubling as these students may not know if those mistakes exist until they receive a poor grade, or have their paper rejected.
By reading Scribendi Glassdoor reviews, this was further confirmed to us. While some people did indeed find use in their service and managed to get a good grade, others were not as lucky. This is why their rating is not specifically among the highest, but it’s not rock bottom either. For the price that you pay for it, many people would consider it to be a fair bargain.
The same thing did not apply to the essay that we received from them, to say the least. The essay we received was intentionally written with multiple mistakes. The original writer inserted a number of errors in sentence structure, word usage, and paragraphing. What we received back was mediocre at best.
The editor did not pick up on the paragraphing errors (no topic sentences, no transitions, etc.). And there were very few suggestions for improving our writing as the company states an editor will supply. We expected there to be greater attention to the details, considering that the company also provides Scribendi proofreading. Even if the price for the paper was low, the writer should have at least made sure that there were no grammatical errors in the text. We were disappointed overall.
Keep in mind that a professional editing and proofreading service should do more than check for spelling and grammatical errors. They should be ensuring that structure and format or correct. Further, they should make edits to ensure that the writers' ideas are clear and cogent.
Despite the Scribendi testimonials that are posted on the company website, we do have concerns about the quality of work. The Scribendi reputation is fair, with most people being content with the product that they have received in return for their pay. Moreover, since the website has been providing services for over two decades now, you can expect then to have a fair trustworthiness level.
It may depend on the individual editor that is assigned, and there is not a specific process for getting revisions. Nonetheless, we can certainly say that Scribendi is legit.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Customers should not look for additional benefits. There are a number of ways to contact the company with questions or issues – email, chat, phone, and a contact form. When we called and asked questions, we were told to read through the FAQ section and then call back if we still had questions – this is not appropriate.
We were also disappointed to find out that the papers are not checked for plagiarism. They claim that since they only edit existing papers, there is no need for a plagiarism check. However, we believe otherwise. In the event that the writer added extra sentences or paragraphs in an edited text, the existence of a plagiarism checker would have been reassuring. This way, the client would not turn in a non-plagiarized paper only to find out that they received a plagiarized one in return.
We did find some additional content that was interesting. A section called articles and advice is the company’s blog. There is also a word count tool for students to use. We also found case studies and customer reviews. The company clearly has a large customer base in China. There is an entire section dedicated only to Chinese students.
Finally, we took some time to read the policy documents that we found on the site. We paid the most attention to the privacy policy. This document is detailed and easy to read. Unfortunately, it didn’t mention GDPR regulations, or any other state or region-specific privacy laws. In terms of placing orders, the SSL encryption brings some peace of mind, meaning that your credit card is not placed in any danger there. With that in mind, there could still be problematic issues now and again, with Scribendi complaints saying that the platform occasionally freezes.
CONCLUSION
For the price and the quality, if you need editing and proofreading services, there are many other companies that do a better job at a lower price. Further, many students may find they get better results by combining writing with editing and proofreading services. Our overall Scribendi.com rating is “Fair.”
