"Bad"
8/100
Contents
I used to roll my eyes at all the horror stories floating around about essay writing services. You’ve probably seen them too – students ranting on Reddit or Quora about how they got scammed, paid way too much, or ended up with a paper that could barely pass for middle school work. I always thought, “Maybe they just picked the wrong site,” or maybe they were exaggerating because they didn’t want to admit they’d cut corners in the first place.
So when I first stumbled onto 99Papers, I wasn’t expecting disaster. Honestly, I was tired, overbooked with assignments, and thought I’d finally give one of these services a try. Their website looked professional, the promises were bold, and the whole “cheap essay writing service” angle hooked me in. I figured I’d pay a little extra for peace of mind and get a decent essay out of it.
But what I got instead was an eye-opener. Money gone, time wasted, and an essay that looked more like something dashed off at 2 a.m. by a freshman than the graduate-level work I ordered. That’s when it finally clicked: the bad reviews weren’t exaggerations. If anything, some of them were being too kind.
The website is clean and fast to load. You land there and immediately see this bold claim: “Take the academic weight off your shoulders.” I was exhausted from juggling part-time work and classes at NYU, so the slogan got me. They also brag about being cheap, which honestly, is what most students are looking for.
IMAGE: Homepage screenshot of 99papers with slogan
But behind the “student-friendly” look is a system that bleeds you dry.
The first weird thing I noticed: the site doesn’t actually show you a clear, detailed list of what they provide. Sure, there’s a flashy homepage with a few examples – essays, research papers, term papers – but if you’re trying to figure out everything they offer, you have to go through the order form and scroll through a drop-down menu.
It feels backward. Why make the basic info harder to find? Every legitimate company I’ve seen (EssayPro, PaperHelp, even Fiverr gigs) lays it out clearly so you know what you’re paying for. Here, it almost felt like they were hiding it on purpose.
And even when you do find the options, they’re nothing special. Essays, book reports, case studies, coursework, even dissertations. Standard stuff. No mention of editing-only services or subject-specific experts. Just the basics, but dressed up with promises that don’t hold up.
[IMAGE: Screenshot of 99Papers “order form” service type dropdown]
To be fair, the payment process itself didn’t give me trouble. They accept PayPal and credit cards, which made me feel a little safer since PayPal has some buyer protection. The site has the usual security badges plastered on it – McAfee, Comodo, DMCA protection – so at first glance, it looks trustworthy.
But here’s where I got skeptical: everything is prepaid. You pay upfront before even knowing who your writer is. No escrow, no staged payments, no option to release funds only after approving the paper. It’s just, “Pay us now, trust us later.”
That alone should’ve been a red flag. And when I tried to dispute the plagiarism issues, I realized those security logos don’t mean much if the company’s policies are designed to stonewall you.
IMAGE: Checkout page screenshot
Ah yes, the “guarantees.” On paper, they sound fine: money-back if you’re unhappy, free revisions for 10 days. In practice? They’re barely worth anything.
When I complained about plagiarism, I was told I needed “valid proof” and that similarities under 20% didn’t count as a problem. That’s absurd. Most professors I’ve had would flip if they saw even 5–10% copied sections without proper citations.
The revision policy is also vague. They’ll make small edits – grammar tweaks, formatting fixes – but don’t expect major rewrites. And if your deadline is tight, revisions can take days, which ruins the point of paying for urgent delivery in the first place.
Here’s how it looked from my side:
|
Guarantee |
Their Promise |
My Reality |
|
Money-back |
“Full refund if unhappy” |
Denied due to “not meeting conditions” |
|
Free revisions |
“Unlimited within 10 days” |
Only cosmetic changes, no plagiarism fixed |
|
On-time delivery |
“Always meet deadlines” |
Delivered late by 8 hours |
|
Plagiarism-free |
“Original work guaranteed” |
17% plagiarism on Turnitin |
IMAGE: Screenshot of refund policy fine print
Here’s where things started feeling off.
I ordered a 3-page graduate-level essay with a 3-day deadline. The site calculator said it would be around $106+, which made me pause, but I thought, “Okay, maybe the quality justifies it.” Spoiler: it didn’t.
To give you context:
Why is 99Papers more expensive while delivering way less?
IMAGE: Price calculator screenshot showing $106.40 for 3 pages
When I got my essay back, I felt that sinking stomach-drop. Sentences didn’t flow, citations were messed up, and I ran a quick Turnitin check–boom, 17% plagiarism.
That’s not just “a few similar phrases.” There were literally paragraphs copy-pasted from an open-source journal. Imagine turning that in to a professor.
To be blunt: if I handed this essay in, I’d risk an academic misconduct warning. And for $106, that’s unacceptable.
They have a chat box that looks promising. The first day, the agent was polite and said, “Don’t worry, your paper is in safe hands.” After I complained about the plagiarism, though? Radio silence.
Messages left unread. Emails ignored for two days. When someone finally responded, it was a copy-paste apology about “miscommunication with the writer.”
IMAGE: Screenshot of ignored chat messages
It felt less like talking to a real support team and more like arguing with a bot.
Here’s the trick: they say they have a money-back guarantee. But the policy page is full of vague conditions. Unless your writer literally doesn’t deliver anything, they’ll fight you on refunds.
I asked for a revision. It came back with only grammar changes–plagiarism untouched. They actually told me, “We do not guarantee zero similarity.” That’s wild.
Here’s their promise vs. reality:
|
Feature |
99Papers Claim |
What I Got |
|
Cheap prices |
“Affordable for every student” |
$106.40 for 3 pages |
|
High quality |
“Top experts” |
Messy grammar + plagiarism |
|
Money-back |
“Full refunds available” |
Excuses, no refund |
|
Customer support |
“Always available” |
Ghosted for days |
IMAGE: Screenshot of FAQ or policies page full of generic text
I’ll be blunt: 99Papers is not worth your time or money.
They’re not an outright scam–they do deliver a paper. But what they send you isn’t safe, isn’t polished, and definitely isn’t worth $20–30 per page. If you’re desperate, you’d honestly do better writing a rough draft yourself and having a friend proofread it.
Pros:
Cons:
If you’re in the same boat I was–working part-time, short on sleep, scrambling for deadlines–don’t waste that last bit of energy (and money) on 99Papers. Look at alternatives – EssayPay, KingEssays, or even Fiverr freelancers. You’ll get more transparency, cheaper pricing, and less stress.
At the end of the day, I’d rather pull an all-nighter with coffee and bad Spotify playlists than risk my grade on 99Papers again.
Yes and no. Technically, it’s a real company with a working website, customer support, and writers who send you something after you pay. But “legit” in the sense of quality or trustworthiness? That’s where it falls apart. The papers I got were filled with mistakes and plagiarism. So, while you won’t get outright scammed with nothing delivered, you won’t be impressed either.
Not exactly. You’ll receive a paper, so it’s not a total scam. The problem is what you receive: overpriced essays that don’t meet academic standards. If you’re looking for top quality, this will feel like a scam because you’re not getting what you pay for.
Prices vary depending on the paper type, length, and deadline. Their calculator shows something like $22 per page with a long deadline, but once you need it faster, the price skyrockets. For example, I paid around $84 for just three pages with a 3-day deadline. That’s expensive compared to alternatives.
Nope. I couldn’t find any welcome offers, student discounts, or seasonal promo codes. Most competitors throw at least 10–15% off for first orders, but 99Papers doesn’t bother.
The payment side of things seemed fine. They use PayPal and credit card processors with SSL protection. I didn’t see evidence of shady billing or leaks. So yes, your payment data is safe – but that’s about the only “secure” thing here.
In theory, yes. In practice, it’s nearly impossible. Their refund policy is written so vaguely that most requests can be denied. Unless your writer completely fails to deliver anything, don’t expect to get your money back.
They claim so, but my experience proved otherwise. My essay came back with 17% plagiarism flagged by Turnitin. That’s not “plagiarism-free” by any reasonable academic standard. And when I complained, support brushed it off as “acceptable similarity.”
Spotty at best. The first chat felt friendly, but when I raised issues, they either went silent or gave me generic copy-paste responses. You can’t rely on them for real help when things go wrong.
They cover the basics: essays, research papers, term papers, case studies, and dissertations. Nothing innovative. No editing-only services, no proofreading help, no real subject-matter specialists you can choose from. Just generic academic writing.
Honestly, no. My “urgent” paper was still late, and revisions would’ve delayed it further. If your grade depends on a strict deadline, 99Papers is a risky choice.
Plenty of services. Students I know have had better luck with EssayPay or even finding freelance academics on Fiverr. At least there, you can see writer ratings and negotiate directly.
About the Author
Jack M.He believes that a good paper should be tailored according to the unique needs of every customer. Jack does his best to offer custom-made papers.
