How do you know a buyer is taking advantage of you?

#1

I recently started here on Fiverr so, as you all know, I’m a bit desperate to start gaining good reviews so I can bring in more buyers. I got a buyer for my editing services and I specifically told him that my edits come with spelling, grammar, sentence structure, redundancies, and, if needed, fact checking. He asked for unlimited revisions, which I’m okay with (to a point).

The first delivery, he asked for the track changes (I asked him before the first delivery if he wanted me to provide the track changes, but he said no), so he asked for a revision. For about 2 days after I delivered the track changes, he never responded to my messages and on the third day, before the order was automatically marked complete, he asked for a revision. However, this revision was for rewrites, which takes a lot of time to do.

I never offered revisions in my original custom order. I said okay because, like I said, I’m desperate to start bringing in good reviews (and I have a thing about telling people no, which I know I need to work on).

Anyway, how do you know if you’re being taken advantage of in a situation like this? How do you tell a customer you don’t provide that type of service without upsetting them and have that reflected in your reviews?

#2

Just use track changes anyway. And don’t let your desperation for orders make you do things that aren’t a part of the gig, especially for a confused buyer like that. More likely than not, those hardy souls leave negative reviews no matter what you do. Best avoided.

#3

One thing I’ll add is to consider this: “He asked for unlimited revisions, which I’m okay with (to a point).” If it’s unlimited, it’s not to a point. That’s a contract for revising every detail forever. Lots of new sellers offer “unlimited” and tell others to do it, but they don’t really do it. When you cut a buyer off, then, the buyer can rate you badly or cancel. CS can’t help you on that if you agreed to unlimited revisions.

#4

To expand on what fonthaunt and emmaki said, it is important in the gig description to say EXACTLY how many revisions you give. Don’t make it unlimited.

It does sound like he is taking advantage if he asked for a rewrite. Does your gig description say you will include a rewrite? If not don’t do it. Always refer them to the gig description and do not hesitate to say “I’m sorry but what you are asking for is not included in the gig.”

However, since you say you are desperate to bring in good reviews, you may do more work than was offered to achieve this. I spent my first two years doing a lot of free work.

#5

He might not have known what “track changes” meant at first. And he wasn’t necessarily taking advantage - clients won’t necessarily know what to expect from an editor, and they often don’t realise just how involved the process will be. And sometimes it’s a bit of a shock to them, which might explain the days when you heard nothing from him.

A good answer to his question about unlimited revisions might have been to offer slightly more than was listed in your gig, but with a clear limit. (i.e give a bit more, but not too much.)