The industry has flipped. In 2022, you were worried about getting an ESL writer. In 2026, you're worried about getting a guy with 3 browser tabs open.
How they operate now:
Service charges you $50/page.
"Writer" pastes your prompt into Claude 3.7 or GPT-5.
Runs it through a "humanizer" tool...
I tested two services side-by-side (don't ask how much money I burned). Both claimed to be "native writers." Here is the breakdown:
US-Based Service ($2,100 for 3 chapters):
Pros: American spelling, understood APA 7th, good customer service
Cons: Writer clearly an undergrad. Analysis was...
I was skeptical. I read the Reddit threads. I still fell for it because the salesperson was so convincing.
The Red Flags I Ignored:
They asked for my university login. "So we can check your rubric." Nope. They wanted to know which Turnitin database you use.
They promised a "native UK writer."...