No experience here, but I have a book at home that has offshore assistants as one of its topics. IIRC the author tried a bunch of them in India. They worked per hour, and IIRC you just had to be VERY clear in your instructions. Otherwise, they'd work mad hours on something that should really only take an hour tops. Their hourly rate was peanuts though, so the insane overage didn't cost a whole lot. I'll see if I can remember the title while I'm at work, otherwise I'll check and post it tonight.