Fiverr Community Forum

A buyer just asked me to work for him without placing order

Fiverr Tips Tips for Sellers
#1

Someone ( a buyer ) just asked me to work for him without placing his order as he is saying that he has a payment problem right now. And he also made a commitment that after a few days of the work done he will pay me through a custom offer. Now should I do the work or not? And if I do such kind of work for anyone without his/her order then will it be legal and create any problem for me in future? Please give me the legal suggestion on this issue.

Thanks.

8 Likes
#2

No, you should not work for free just because you got a promise to get the money later - it could be a scam to get your work for free and disappear afterwards.

If it’s not a scam, the buyer will agree to wait until they will have the money to make the purchase.

There have been too many scam attempts and too many sellers who worked for free to not see a cent later.

P.S. tell the “buyer” that you cannot do any work if there is no order - once they have the money and will place the order, then and only then you’ll be happy to serve them.

16 Likes
#3

Thanks for your valuable suggestion.:+1:t6:

1 Like
#4

How did he or she make that commitment?

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#5

He wouldn’t pay you once he got the free work.

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#6

No you should not work for free, you won’t get any dollar from him after he take your free work

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#7

You’re kidding right? Hell no. Never work for free.

8 Likes
#8

I agree with all don’t do it for free but if you’re guts says you should do it.Water mark it and give it in low res if you are graphic designer or else do everything to protect your work and send it .
It’s not illegal in Fiverr.
If that buyer is a fraud you lose money if he is’n you will gain one more potential customer. Either way you will get reference for you showcase.It’s up to you.

#9

No!No!!! They are lies and would never pay you If you try to work for the seller without an order it like working for free.

#10

I see a lot of people saying you should not accept, and that IS the norm. However, there are exceptions, and only you know how your relationship with this client works. I have worked with deferred payment with specific clients, and don’t regret it one bit.

My two rules for accepting work payable after delivery are:

  • This is an extremely trustworthy longtime client who will to a degree of certainty bring more work in the future (either directly or by recommendation) AND refusing to deliver the work on time will be a hindrance to him and will strain your commercial relationship.
  • Weigh the above against the chance that you won’t get paid. In other words, are you willing to risk not getting paid in exchange for the possible benefits stated above? E.g., don’t do 8 hours’ worth of work for someone that will bring you 3 small projects per year in the future, but a couple of hours may be acceptable.
5 Likes
#11

There is no reason ever to do work with without an order first.

I don’t know why this subject has been brought up so much. Are sellers really so naive as this? If someone can’t first place an order then they are not interested in spending money.

2 Likes
#12

It’s your time. You can’t say we didn’t warn ya. Good luck.

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#13

Thank You. Once one buyer ask like this. i am not accepted.

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#14

I only do this for buyers I trust and have worked with for a long time. A new buyer requesting this is an obvious red flag, I would not proceed without a payment.

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#15

if the buyer was trusted then you can do this…
i think it

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#16

Unless you’ve worked with them MULTIPLE times and know they always pay, you should never do that. I’ve worked with my accountant multiple times (say, over 30) so sometimes I actually do have payment problems, and he understands, and since I’ve never been more than a day or two late in paying, he trusts me to do work prior and get paid after. That’s VERY occasional though!

If it’s the first time, I would not do it. Also, many buyers just place and order, receive the product, and say they hate it just to get it for free. Always be sure to send a non-editable copy (example, pdf) before delivering the final product to ensure they’re satisfied.

3 Likes
#17

Thank you so much for your valuable information

1 Like
#18

If the buyer was trusted then you can do this. But in your situation, we can’t trust this buyer. Thanks.

#19

well, I think that will depend on your level of trust with such client and they way he make commitments to the job. thanks