NB: SELLERS. I'm afraid this new buyer won't be buying again

[rich_me]

I’ve just discovered after purchasing a gig worth $45, that if a seller cancels an order, I can’t get a refund, only a Fiverr credit. I’m afraid that as I’d look to be spending an average of $50-$100 a gig in future, this condition of sale isn’t acceptable to me. Sorry!

[fastcopywriter]

That sucks. Fiverr needs to do something about that, because I do get orders from $25, $50 and more on occasion.

[rich_me]

Reply to @fastcopywriter: I accept the seller’s reason for cancelling, they’re overbooked and can’t meet the deadline. It’s fine. However, I’m looking to book large numbers of multiple gigs that would probably all be over $50 each and I’m just not willing to risk potentially having hundreds if not thousands of dollars in Fiverr credits should a seller cancel multiple gigs on me. Thanks for your understanding. 🙂

[fastcopywriter]

Reply to @rich_me: On the other hand, if you’re planning on using Fiverr several times in the future, does a $50 credit really hurt you? I think you should e-mail CS with your concerns.

[missashley8705]

I understand the frustration but Fiverr is very upfront about this policy. They make it so that everyone knows about this policy upon signing up or atleast you have to say that you read the info before signing up, whether you actually read it or not is up to you.

If you need a service and you purchase it from a seller who doesn’t work out, then you still need the service right? Most people would say yes, so you would use the refunded credits to purchase the service you still need from another seller. It’s an inconvenience but still offers you the ability to receive the service you purchased the gigs for in the first place just not from the original seller you imagined.

[thepromogirl]

missashley8705 said: Fiverr is very upfront about this policy. They make it so that everyone knows about this policy upon signing up or atleast you have to say that you read the info before signing up, whether you actually read it or not is up to you.

 

I completely agree, Fiverr's second paragraph of their Terms of Service states: "Please read the Terms of Service carefully before you start to use the Site. By using the Site, opening an account or by clicking to accept or agree to the Terms of Service when this option is made available to you, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy, found here, incorporated herein by reference. If you do not want to agree to these Terms of Service or the Privacy Policy, you must not access or use the Site."

 

How cancellations are handled is right in the Terms stating, "Fiverr does not refund payments made for cancelled orders back to your payment provider. Funds from order cancellations are returned to the buyer's balance and are available for future purchases on Fiverr."

 

This isn't like Facebook - you're putting your money into a site and buying a service. Fiverr is very upfront about their site and its processes. I encourage all my members of the community who haven't read the Terms of Service to take the 5 mins it takes read over the agreement they accepted. This will prevent a lot of potential issues from occurring on one's own behalf.

[theslackjaw]

I would suggest contacting the buyer first and confirm they are good to complete the gig. Also it would be a good time to see if you can get a sample of their work. Make sure it is what you want. After that’s all squared away, then you can be a little more confident sending your money into the Fiverr machine.



Just a thought. Good luck!

[thepromogirl]

rich_me said: they're overbooked and can't meet my deadline. It's fine.

 

If a Seller feels they are 'overbooked' they need to suspend their Gig, add more days to their Gig or set their Gigs on vacation mode as overbooked. This isn't something that should be happening on behalf of the Seller, they are responsible for adjusting their Gigs accordingly.

 

Cancelling an order under this type of circumstance isn't acceptable by Fiverr and they can get in trouble if a buyer reports them, as Sellers agreed in the Terms of Service "Sellers must fulfill their orders, and may not cancel on a regular basis or without cause." If the buyer refuses to cancel, it could get messy for the Seller - the buyer is in the right in this case. You do have the right to deny cancellation, especially if the Seller has the Gig up and available for ordering.

 

Just be polite to the Seller and let them know you don't want to cancel and would like them to complete the order as advertised, or at least contact the Seller before ordering if they can take on a big order if they say yes, they should deliver accordingly.

 

As long as you understand they will be delivering the work within the estimated time as will be working on orders ahead of yours for some time I don't see the need to cancel. I know some buyers want their work in an unrealistic amount of time, forgetting the fact they are not the only buyer in a Sellers queue. Each order is handled very carefully by a top Sellers and completed thoroughly in the order they are received.

 

Sellers need to fulfill the Gig in within the duration days they set up for their Gig. If they can't fulfill the order within the days they set for their Gig, they need to change it and add more time. Plain and simple. Sellers need to be proactive in this regard.

 

Fiverr only believes it's only acceptable for a Seller to prompt cancellations should the buyer lack materials and isn't responding, buyer is demanding work that wasn't paid for or isn't advertised, etc. - basically, any issues are not preventable and are out the of the Sellers control.

 

I'm sorry you've faced such an issue, I would be cautious when placing an over with that particular Seller in the future. Best of luck though, and happy gigging! :)

[emasonwrites]

Reply to @thepromogirl: I agree with you, but I would like to add a caveat. A seller may have time to complete a single $5 gig, but not a $45 within the current constraints of their schedule. I don’t know if it’s reasonable to say that a seller should have their gig suspended just because they can’t necessarily complete a larger order.



In this situation, it would always be best for the buyer to message the seller before placing a order, to make sure that the amount of work can be completed in the time frame the buyer wants. Here, it sounds as if the buyer had a specific delivery date in mind, that was earlier than the actual delivery time frame of the seller.



Obviously, the seller should have their gig set up so that gig extras added give them more time to work on the order–though some buyers opt for purchasing gig multiples, instead of extras, which can make things difficult on the seller’s end.



This happens sometimes with my gig–a buyer places a large without speaking to me first and needs it on some day well before my gig’s stated delivery date. I have my gig/extras set up to give himself plenty of time to finish large projects, but on my schedule, not on a schedule imposed by the buyer.



That’s not to say that the OP had some unreasonable schedule in mind, just that in my interpretation of what’s written, a fairly large order was needed earlier than the seller’s self-imposed deadline.

[craigscott]

Reply to @fastcopywriter: Precisely. If an order is made and for whatever the reason the seller opts to cancel the order, for example it the seller has a high work volume. I fail to see what the fuss is all about considering the fact that the buyer has the option to choose another seller.



Having said that, what we as sellers need to do however to make the buyer experience more enjoyable is to refer that buyer to another seller who offers the same services provided that the service is reputable and the you (the referring party) can guarantee that the buyer will not be disappointed.



It’s a basic principle of “We are our brother’s keeper”. We’ve got to work together to constantly improve the Fiverr experience not for just sellers but for the buyers as well. And whilst there may be some sellers who’s standard of work may not be up to par as yet. I firmly believe that if we pool together our ideas with suggestions and references we can take our experience to an entirely new level of success.



craigscott

[fastcopywriter]

Reply to @craigscott: I am my brother’s trader and I know referring talented people to buyers can result in more referrals for me in the future, which is why I do it.



Josh Altman from Million Dollar Listing said this: "It’s not about commissions, it’s about relationships."



That’s true, except that the ultimate goal of those relationships is commissions.

[craigscott]

Reply to @fastcopywriter: So Ture, and well said.

[rich_me]

Reply to @fastcopywriter: I did contact Customer Services, they gave me the option of closing my account, which I accepted. They’ve since come back and said in this specific instance they will refund. However, it still leaves me in the position that if I placed multiple high priced gigs with someone in the future and they cancelled, I wouldn’t be able to get a refund, only a credit. I’m afraid when I’m budgetting $2,000+ a month for gigs, that isn’t acceptable to me.

[rich_me]

Reply to @missashley8705: Yes, but why should I be restricted to Fiverr? I might decide that someone on Odesk, eLance or Fourrer would be my next choice. If you chose a specific phone on Amazon costing $300, paid for it, and they then told you it isn’t in stock but you could only have a credit to buy an alternative, how happy would you be? Wouldn’t you want a cash refund so you could shop elsewhere?

[rich_me]

Reply to @thepromogirl: I freely admit, I didn’t read the terms of service. If I had, I wouldn’t have signed up. I imagine that for many Sellers this will never be an issue, but remember, if another Seller does this to one of your regular customers, you might lose them too because of this policy. I have budgeted c. $2,000+ a month on Fiverr gigs starting next year, but now I won’t be risking that on a platform where I cannot get refunds if Sellers don’t provide the goods. Sorry, but I think any other business purchaser would feel the same way.

[rich_me]

Reply to @emasonwrites: I paid an extra $10 for 48 hour delivery instead of 72 hours, which the seller couldn’t meet. They only contacted me after the 48 hours were up to tell me. I probably should have realised that they had 17 jobs in their queue and contacted them first. However, do remember, this is only my second purchase here, my first one for $60 with another Seller went through perfectly and I was delighted with their service.

[rich_me]

Reply to @theslackjaw: I’m sure given the Sellers portfolio, I’d have been more than happy, and would have given them regular work, regardless of this one instance. If my orders were just $5 a pop, then I’d probably shrug my shoulders. However, where they will always be in the $50-$100 range, then I reserve the right to shop elsewhere, on another platform, if a specific Seller informs me they can’t provide the goods after I’ve paid for them. Sorry!

[rich_me]

Reply to @craigscott: However, I don’t have the option to choose another Seller on a different platform, do I? Fiverr has lost me as a customer, OK no big deal, but I always want to know why my own business has lost a customer. I thought Sellers might want to be aware that this policy has certainly alienated me. If it had been $5, I would have shrugged my shoulders, but seeing as all my daily gigs will be in the $50-$100 range, it’s not a situation I’m willing to tolerate. It might be worth bearing this in mind if you ever have to cancel a gig yourself, especially if it’s worth more than $5. It may be the first time a Buyer realises they can’t get an actual refund, only credits, unless they’re willing to close their account, as I was.

[xpertmarketer]

Always, always contact the seller before placing an order especially if it isn’t a simple $5 order.

[thepromogirl]

rich_me said: I have budgeted c. $2,000+ a month on Fiverr gigs starting next year, but now I won't be risking that on a platform where I cannot get refunds if Sellers don't provide the goods.

 

I would definitely find another Seller to use the refunded money towards another Gig or service. I don't know what service you purchased, but I know of dozens of amazing Sellers here that in a variety of avenues they can meet duration dates they advertise.

 

emasonwrites said: A seller may have time to complete a single $5 gig, but not a $45 within the current constraints of their schedule.

 

If this is even potentially going to be an issue, a seller should simply not offer services of that size within the days they have set for the Gig and the Gig extras. As I've mentioned before, Sellers need to adjust their Gig duration date, or Gig extra days. This is all adjustable by the Seller for their Gigs at any time. A buyer is placing an order with the understanding that the Seller will complete the order as it is advertised by the Seller.

 

A Seller, just like any business person, should accommodate their schedule to fit the needs of their client if they advertise any services within an advertised time. Anything less would be false advertising. With that said, yes, your schedule should be a factor when it comes to setting your Gigs duration dates. But, I can speak from personal experience that I have (and will continue) to miss some personal events or hold off on my own schedule because a large order has come in.

 

Not being able to meet a delivery date, one that a Seller sets themselves for their own Gig is simply inexcusable and unfair to the buyer is simply ordering based off what the Seller has advertised. A buyer should not have to deal with the effects of a sellers' poor planning or negligence to adjust delivery times according to schedules, volume, etc. If something is set to occur in a sellers' own personal schedule, they simply need to be proactive when it comes to setting or changing dates on their Gigs.

 

Otherwise, a Seller needs to accommodate their schedule to meet large orders they advertise in the times they set for their Gig and Gig extras. I am not saying emergencies don't happen, but there are so many features Fiverr has avaliable for Gigs that allows Sellers to adjust the time on a Gig or Gig extras (and do so at a moments notice) it's really no an excuse. I am not saying a Seller won't 'live and learn' and adjust their dates if an issue like this happen (because we're all not CEO's) but it's just better to air on the side of caution when it comes to setting these times.

 

emasonwrites said: a buyer places a large without speaking to me first and needs it on some day well before my gig's stated delivery date

 

I understand completely, but this is the fault of the buyer. A buyer needs to be mindful of their own schedule verses the time you noted on your Gig. If they want a 'guaranteed delivery' they should purchase the Extra Fast option should this be offered - as it's likely ahead of their own personal deadlines.

 

A buyer can't 'demand' a seller deliver in x-amount of days when their Gig page display x-number in their queue and a estimated delivery time. I do agree, yes, it would be in the buyers benefit to contact the Seller prior to ordering when it comes to delivery time concerns.

 

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

[thepromogirl]

rich_me said: I paid an extra $10 for 48 hour delivery instead of 72 hours, which the seller couldn't meet. They only contacted me after the 48 hours were up to tell me.

 

Yikes, this is just bad service. :( I am so sorry you've experienced this! This is not the type of Customer Service many Sellers provide here on Fiverr.

 

[emasonwrites]

Reply to @rich_me: See, that’s a totally different situation. If they can’t meet their 48 deadline for any size of order, they should definitely have that extra turned off.

[fastcopywriter]

Reply to @rich_me: I hope Fiverr changes this backwards policy, because as a seller I need buyers, and if the buyers aren’t happy, I’m not gonna make sales and frankly, I don’t want to deal with Elance or Freelancer. I hate those websites and what they do to sellers.

[prinzidesign]

what type of things you buy?

[lilianarice]

Reply to @rich_me:

I am sorry for your experience however as can be seen from all these responses, not all sellers are the same on Fiverr. Some are true professionals. I just want to suggest since you have received all this feedback from sellers, may choose one of them to complete your order or another equally good seller on Fiverr. I can’t imagine that your order was so out of this world that only one person could have fulfilled it. Maybe you could open yourself up to other service providers 😉