Yes, I guess they're legitimate. I've used them 3 times to get some simple html work done. I posted a project and programmers bid on it and I selected the one I like. I got charged a small commission and the coder got charge a commission too. What I don't like it is that its members are not screened. So basically the customer needs to do all screening which is to check previous work and feedback. Since there are no value added service provided by the site, I prefer to use www.benefito.com and craigslist.org
You don't get screened cadidates either, but both sites offer absolutely free service. No commission, no fees. Benefito.com offers a little more than craigslist. It offers customer feedback and the providers' schedule so you can check all those out before you email them which saves you from receiving 100s of emails.