I prefer not to go into any detail about my dealings with any individual here. But I will go so far as to say that I agree with Steve’s post on every point. And I base this on my own experiences.
I don’t really have anything to add, because Steve almost described my own experience exactly. I share almost every opinion he expressed.
And I would reiterate Steve’s advice–if you’re paying someone to do work for you, do not pay them in advance.