Bad buyer experience =(

[hateunfair]

I got a buyer that needed a postcard design for his company. He only had the title, so I had to come up with ideas myself.

I come up with 3 ideas about how to illustrate the program he presents. He liked one of them, I asked about the colors, details and started working. Once I was done, he said that now he wants me to draw something completely different. When I asked why did he make me to finish this illustration if now he needs something else. He answered “My ideas are a work in progress.”

He didn’t suggest to pay for the time and work I have already done, he just wanted me to start over again with something else. It was a 5 dollars request and I spent 3 hours drawing + some time making research.

I was disappointed and sad, I didn’t see a solution but to cancel this order. Is there any way that fiverr can protect me from such buyers? I wasted my time and didn’t get anything, that’s obviously not my fault.

[mariashtelle1]

I got a buyer that needed a postcard design for his company. He only had the title, so I had to come up with ideas myself.

I come up with 3 ideas about how to illustrate the program he presents. He liked one of them, I asked about the colors, details and started working. Once I was done, he said that now he wants me to draw something completely different. When I asked why did he make me to finish this illustration if now he needs something else. He answered “My ideas are a work in progress.”

He didn’t suggest to pay for the time and work I have already done, he just wanted me to start over again with something else. It was a 5 dollars request and I spent 3 hours drawing + some time making research.

I was disappointed and sad, I didn’t see a solution but to cancel this order. Is there any way that fiverr can protect me from such buyers? I wasted my time and didn’t get anything, that’s obviously not my fault.

I was disappointed and sad, I didn’t see a solution but to cancel this order. Is there any way that fiverr can protect me from such buyers? I wasted my time and didn’t get anything, that’s obviously not my fault.

He didn’t suggest to pay

He doesn’t have to suggest it. But did YOU tell him that it will cost extra?

How do you expect fiverr to “protect” you? It looks like you yourself offered to cancel the order. And it’s not fiverr job to hold your hand on communication issues.

When you are in those situations YOU have to communicate with your buyer to explain to them what was included in your order and the work that he is requesting will be extra x$ and send him a custom offer for that.

You can also attach a screenshot of the part that you can find below the requirements that says that buyer agreed that all additional work that’s not in the requirements might cost extra.

[hateunfair]

I was disappointed and sad, I didn’t see a solution but to cancel this order. Is there any way that fiverr can protect me from such buyers? I wasted my time and didn’t get anything, that’s obviously not my fault.

He didn’t suggest to pay

He doesn’t have to suggest it. But did YOU tell him that it will cost extra?

How do you expect fiverr to “protect” you? It looks like you yourself offered to cancel the order. And it’s not fiverr job to hold your hand on communication issues.

When you are in those situations YOU have to communicate with your buyer to explain to them what was included in your order and the work that he is requesting will be extra x$ and send him a custom offer for that.

You can also attach a screenshot of the part that you can find below the requirements that says that buyer agreed that all additional work that’s not in the requirements might cost extra.

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

[mariashtelle1]

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece.

That’s an additional work and it is still your (not fiverr’s) responsibility to explain to your buyer that work on this order is completed and what he is asking Is a totally new order( or additional work call it whatever you want) And it will cost him x$ if he want to try new idea.

[coerdelion]

For the future: Don’t cancel, point out you’ve done the work as described in the offer.

Someone - can’t remember who - mentioned receiving a delivery that included a custom offer for revisions, which may well be something you might consider.

Also, I suggest you are clear about what constitutes a revision and what a do over - both in the FAQ and in the buyer requirements.

Some buyers here are scummy … and you got one. Protect yourself and don’t be a doormat.

[hateunfair]

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece.

That’s an additional work and it is still your (not fiverr’s) responsibility to explain to your buyer that work on this order is completed and what he is asking Is a totally new order( or additional work call it whatever you want) And it will cost him x$ if he want to try new idea.

honestly you are not helping at all. thanks for your time, but I don’t think you understand the scope of the situation. have a good day.

[hateunfair]

For the future: Don’t cancel, point out you’ve done the work as described in the offer.

Someone - can’t remember who - mentioned receiving a delivery that included a custom offer for revisions, which may well be something you might consider.

Also, I suggest you are clear about what constitutes a revision and what a do over - both in the FAQ and in the buyer requirements.

Some buyers here are scummy … and you got one. Protect yourself and don’t be a doormat.

thank you so much for your suggestions. I will be careful next time and will try to protect myself better. Highly appreciated.

[mariashtelle1]

honestly you are not helping at all. thanks for your time, but I don’t think you understand the scope of the situation. have a good day.

but I don’t think you understand the scope of the situation.

I totally do, I’ve been freelancing for quite some years and those situations happen all the time and most of them easy solvable with proper communication from your side.

1. You need to define the scope.
2. You need to define what is revision.
3. You need write clear description what is and what is not included.
4. You need to remind client if they go out of the scope.

If you don’t want to listen an advise and still want to put responsibility on someone else and expect “platforms” to resolve communication issues then that’s also totally fine.

have a good day.

Being passive aggressive also not a great example of good communication.

[surajrenuka]

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece.

So charge him accordingly !

Now if Buyer is asking for extra work ( totally different piece ), Its you who will explain him the circumstances , I don’t get what fiverr can do on seller’s behalf here !

[hateunfair]

but I don’t think you understand the scope of the situation.

I totally do, I’ve been freelancing for quite some years and those situations happen all the time and most of them easy solvable with proper communication from your side.

1. You need to define the scope.
2. You need to define what is revision.
3. You need write clear description what is and what is not included.
4. You need to remind client if they go out of the scope.

If you don’t want to listen an advise and still want to put responsibility on someone else and expect “platforms” to resolve communication issues then that’s also totally fine.

have a good day.

Being passive aggressive also not a great example of good communication.

I am new to this platform, so I was asking is there any way that platform can protect me from such situation, this is not communication problem, this is not honest buyer problem, I still don’t see my fault here, I did my job and even did additional job by coming up with ideas instead of the buyer. So you just continue saying that I have communication problem. I don’t see that.

You didn’t give a single advice, you only said that I have problems. Moderator above gave some real advice and that’s what is called “advice”.

[hateunfair]

He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece.

So charge him accordingly !

Now if Buyer is asking for extra work ( totally different piece ), Its you who will explain him the circumstances , I don’t get what fiverr can do on seller’s behalf here !

I am afraid that if I charge extra in the end buyer will leave bad review, that’s why I prefer to cancel the order. Maybe I am overthinking but with this buyer I really felt like i had no choice. I will either draw another piece for free, or have the first bad review.

[mariashtelle1]

I am new to this platform, so I was asking is there any way that platform can protect me from such situation, this is not communication problem, this is not honest buyer problem, I still don’t see my fault here, I did my job and even did additional job by coming up with ideas instead of the buyer. So you just continue saying that I have communication problem. I don’t see that.

You didn’t give a single advice, you only said that I have problems. Moderator above gave some real advice and that’s what is called “advice”.

You didn’t give a single advice

Check this out. I’ll quote myself again 👇 You hear only what you want to hear

• You need to define the scope.
• You need to define what is revision.
• You need write clear description what is and what is not included.
• You need to remind client if they go out of the scope.

explain to your buyer that work on this order is completed and what he is asking Is a totally new order( or additional work call it whatever you want) And it will cost him x$ if he want to try new idea.

explain to them what was included in your order and the work that he is requesting will be extra x$ and send him a custom offer for that.

You can also attach a screenshot of the part that you can find below the requirements that says that buyer agreed that all additional work that’s not in the requirements might cost extra.

[hateunfair]

You didn’t give a single advice

Check this out. I’ll quote myself again 👇 You hear only what you want to hear

• You need to define the scope.
• You need to define what is revision.
• You need write clear description what is and what is not included.
• You need to remind client if they go out of the scope.

explain to your buyer that work on this order is completed and what he is asking Is a totally new order( or additional work call it whatever you want) And it will cost him x$ if he want to try new idea.

explain to them what was included in your order and the work that he is requesting will be extra x$ and send him a custom offer for that.

You can also attach a screenshot of the part that you can find below the requirements that says that buyer agreed that all additional work that’s not in the requirements might cost extra.

Okay! I have to apologize. I was just pissed of by the situation and not being able to protect myself. Sorry for saying all these negative things to you, you totally didn’t deserve any. I’ll remember your advice for the future as well. Sincerely sorry.

[coerdelion]

I am afraid that if I charge extra in the end buyer will leave bad review, that’s why I prefer to cancel the order. Maybe I am overthinking but with this buyer I really felt like i had no choice. I will either draw another piece for free, or have the first bad review.

in the end buyer will leave bad review,

A bad review isn’t really an issue - you can respond to it. The “secret” review is more of an issue. Also bear in mind that a perfect 5* record can be off putting for some buyers - they think at least a proportion of the reviews must be fake.

“Feel the fear - and do it anyway!”, to coin a phrase …

[blavaro]

I got a buyer that needed a postcard design for his company. He only had the title, so I had to come up with ideas myself.

I come up with 3 ideas about how to illustrate the program he presents. He liked one of them, I asked about the colors, details and started working. Once I was done, he said that now he wants me to draw something completely different. When I asked why did he make me to finish this illustration if now he needs something else. He answered “My ideas are a work in progress.”

He didn’t suggest to pay for the time and work I have already done, he just wanted me to start over again with something else. It was a 5 dollars request and I spent 3 hours drawing + some time making research.

I was disappointed and sad, I didn’t see a solution but to cancel this order. Is there any way that fiverr can protect me from such buyers? I wasted my time and didn’t get anything, that’s obviously not my fault.

In my opinion you should be grateful for such an experience.

He only had the title

automatically implies that Buyer does not know what they want, what they will actually like etc.

You will move on and next time when similar Buyer contact you, use the advices of other experienced people in this thread.

[surajrenuka]

I am afraid that if I charge extra in the end buyer will leave bad review, that’s why I prefer to cancel the order. Maybe I am overthinking but with this buyer I really felt like i had no choice. I will either draw another piece for free, or have the first bad review.

You could have asked buyer to mark this order as complete and later start new one ? if you feel comfortable with reviews and his response ?

You could even reply to Buyer’s reviews if he would have left bad reviews just because you asked for extras ?

He might have threaten you to leave bad Reviews , and you could have reach to CS with tht screen shot ?

so there are lots of possibilities to save your self from this kind of situations, You worked and you deserved to be paid so never rely on cancellation rather choose to fight back !

PS : When I said Mark as complete I mean the purpose of order is already served and thing that he is asking is not included in same order…

[coerdelion]

Never do anything that might be interpreted by CS - especially now! - as manipulation. DO NOT ask buyer to mark anything complete, leave a review or feedback or anything related to it.

A warning is more serious than a bad review.

[filomena_silva]

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

I sell voice over services and that was happening to me very often. People were changing their mind after I deliver all the work done and asking a completely different thing compared with what they asked me first.

I solved this problem by putting the information at my GIGs description that all change to my end will cost extra and for the more distracted ones, I have that warning at my requirements as well, and if the person send me a message prior to the order I always discuss the project and I do my best to make clear to the buyer what’s included and what it’s not, even if I repeat myself or do a copy paste of my description.

Still, sometimes I get people trying to take advantage on me. I check if I was clear with my communication or I say no, sending an additional offer. Usually the buyer refuses and try to convince me to do it for free and then I send a screenshot explaining that I was very clear about it. Some of them understand and stop, others claim and ask an order cancelation and I simply refuse. When it’s my mistake and I gave space for a misunderstanding I accept and I do what the client is asking, but when I’m right and I know that I was very clear about it I don’t give them a chance.

It’s all about boundaries. Don’t let people take advantage on you. They will always try and, unfortunately, it’s part of your job to educate your customers.

[kometbeats]

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

I had a customer who gave a very poor explanation of what they were looking for, I delivered quality work and they demanded I re-do the entire project, they insisted that they would be minor changes, but what they were asking for was a complete re-work of the project. I didn’t cave in or cancel the order, instead I spent an hour going back and forth explaining why he would need to pay extra for me to re-work the project.

It’s understandable when it’s minor changes or you made a mistake with the order, but if you delivered good quality work that was on point with the brief, you have no reason to keep working on the project for free. As a freelancer you’ll find plenty of people who will try to walk all over you or guilt-trip you, if you can’t stand your ground with your pricing and your work then freelancing might not be right for you.

[english_voice]

I’ve read through most of the replies and you’ve got some good advice…

As a seller you have to retain control of the situation and communicate with the buyer, which is essentially what @mariashtelle1 is saying. Never be afraid to (politely) tell a buyer that they’ve received the service they paid for. It’s not your fault the buyer saw your concept as a work in progress. He paid for a design. He got a design. If he wants another one, he pays for another one.

Also, by offering or agreeing to a cancellation you are giving in which, as you’ve alluded to, will leave you feeling aggrieved. As @coerdelion said, in this situation accepting a cancellation probably wasn’t the right course of action for you.

A simple message to your buyer along the lines of “While I’m happy to continue working together, I do feel that I have fulfilled your original order. Although you now see this as a ‘work in progress’ please understand that for me each design is a unique order that takes around three hours to complete.” You could also add a couple of lines like “I’m sure you can appreciate that it is not reasonable to expect me to work for 6 hours on two original designs for $5. Can we please continue by placing a further order for a second design?”

None of that is meant to be a criticism of you, it’s just how I would handle the situation. I really do think that if your buyer was reasonable, they would understand. And even I they didn’t, you could have turned to customer support - demonstrating that you had fulfilled the order.

[yasinmoon68]

in my Instagram The same thing was happened with me before some day

[english_voice]

Don’t you see a problem at buyer’s communication? He didn’t ask for additional work, he asked for a completely different piece. I cancelled the order because I don’t see a way to work with a buyer that don’t know what he needs and don’t appreciate the work that have already been done. I expect fiverr to protect workers from buyers that don’t know what they want.

I sell voice over services and that was happening to me very often. People were changing their mind after I deliver all the work done and asking a completely different thing compared with what they asked me first.

I solved this problem by putting the information at my GIGs description that all change to my end will cost extra and for the more distracted ones, I have that warning at my requirements as well, and if the person send me a message prior to the order I always discuss the project and I do my best to make clear to the buyer what’s included and what it’s not, even if I repeat myself or do a copy paste of my description.

Still, sometimes I get people trying to take advantage on me. I check if I was clear with my communication or I say no, sending an additional offer. Usually the buyer refuses and try to convince me to do it for free and then I send a screenshot explaining that I was very clear about it. Some of them understand and stop, others claim and ask an order cancelation and I simply refuse. When it’s my mistake and I gave space for a misunderstanding I accept and I do what the client is asking, but when I’m right and I know that I was very clear about it I don’t give them a chance.

It’s all about boundaries. Don’t let people take advantage on you. They will always try and, unfortunately, it’s part of your job to educate your customers.

Great point about educating buyers.

As sellers we can’t be annoyed / enraged by something if we hadn’t made it clear to buyers in the first place.

Again, this is why clear communication is vital. Even if our buyer is poor at communicating, it doesn’t mean we should be.

[imagination7413]

I am new to this platform, so I was asking is there any way that platform can protect me from such situation, this is not communication problem, this is not honest buyer problem, I still don’t see my fault here, I did my job and even did additional job by coming up with ideas instead of the buyer. So you just continue saying that I have communication problem. I don’t see that.

You didn’t give a single advice, you only said that I have problems. Moderator above gave some real advice and that’s what is called “advice”.

is there any way that platform can protect me from such situation

The platform will protect you, if you are proactive and take steps to protect yourself.

Do you not first wrap up dishes and mugs before packing them in a box and moving them? A box can protect from dust, but not from bumps. If you don’t wrap them and they break, you can’t blame the box for not protecting them.

Okay! I have to apologize. I was just pissed of by the situation and not being able to protect myself. Sorry for saying all these negative things to you, you totally didn’t deserve any. I’ll remember your advice for the future as well. Sincerely sorry.

You have just earned my respect. Being humble enough to admit you were wrong is a good thing to see in any worker. Thank you for your admittance.

Now to help you with the boundaries issue. If you can’t say ‘no’, then your ‘yes’ means nothing.

For those of you who do not know me or those of you lurking the threads without logging on; take it from a buyer - know how to say “NO!” If you spend any time reading these forums, you’ll find plenty of posts where a seller, typically new - but not always, say they were scammed or the buyer is holding them hostage. They are literally begging forum members, to help them with a really bad scam artist, who is threatening them with bad reviews or giving them a sob story to get things for free. Rem…

[bishalbarua]

Some buyers are so heartless & cruel. They take everything for granted. That’s why I make sure everything even before creating an offer & clears out everything.
I always make sure no cancellation, no refund. Only like that we can get rid of those cruel & fake buyers