OBSCURE SCENARIO. I want to refund my buyer AFTER completion!

[lollypain]

Okay this is a little complicated but hear me out.

I accepted an order from a buyer for a 4 script voiceover. The instructions were, for the most part, fairly extensive in terms of direction but there were also sections where they said I could be creative with delivery and they left it up to me.

I delivered all 4 scripts within the time frame. I offer 1 revision on the basis that Ive not followed instructions (standard prodge kinda thing, Ill do it again if you want some tweaks but if you suddenly want me to do it totally different to how you asked, its a reorder).

A week goes by. Nothing back from Buyer. Order is marked as complete.

About a week and a half later, he comes back to me asking for revisions. We’ve all been there, its annoying (he had 3 days to query it, but whatever) but I open the revision request thinking “sure, fine”.

The revision requests and complaints are actually laughable. The notes are easily double the length of the script itself and are beyond nitpicking. He claims the audio quality and volume was different on all 4 scripts but I recorded them in one long session and cut them into 4 to ensure this didnt happen. Hes complained that the audio is 0.03 seconds too long!!! (0.03!!!). Even when he does give feedback on delivery it makes zero sense (“I want the phrase to be said more off the top” whatever that means???) and has added audio file of how he wants it to be said but it literally sounds exactly the same as how I did them.

Anywho, I begrudgingly agreed to do it because I have too. I offer a revision and I stand by Fiverrs ToS, even if it doesnt go in my favour.

THIS IS WHERE IT WENT HORRIBLY WRONG.

I agreed to the revision request via my mobile whilst I was at my day job. In the time between replying and getting home to record it, I sustained a fracture to my upper jaw and dental trauma. This obviously has inpacted my ability to speak clearly. Note, I CAN speak, but as I have a slight lisp and I cant close my mouth totally without pain, doing long voiceovers are currently a challenge.

I very politely messaged the buyer and explained the situation. I offered for him to cancel and he could keep the original recording, or he could wait till I was able to record it. (My surgery is on the 27th and I will not be able to speak for at least 3 days, I should be speaking comfortably a week after).

He replied suggesting that I should do it anyway, despite my situation as he has promised his client the work. Personally, I was under the impression that he cannot sell on the voiceover as part of another product to a 3rd party as he absolutely has not bought out commercial rights from me. I pushed back again, saying If I were to do it, It would be WORSE than the first time. I TOTALLY get that my injury isnt his problem, but I honestly don’t get how he expects me to do it as he wants given the scenario. He said hes ask his client how they wish to proceed and hed get back to me.

If it were any other buyer, Id attempt to do it again, but I dont want to put myself through physical pain for him to just reject it again (which I know he will).

I want to contact CS but Im worried they’ll just absolutely rip into me for not even attempting the revision.

I dont even care about my cancelation rate at this point. Its stressing me out and I just dont need it right now. He seems the kind to leave a bad review just because he had to ask for revision in the first place, let alone all of this.

The problem is, as its technically completed, I cant cancel it?

Anyway to resolve this? I know its a lose lose situation but I just want it gone. ):

[j6nyc6]

Be truthful with your client. Tell them you don’t want to re-record it. Then have them cancel it on their end.

[lollypain]

Be truthful with your client. Tell them you don’t want to re-record it. Then have them cancel it on their end.

Ive been super clear and explained that to them. I made it clear they have option a) wait till im in a situation to rerecord it (mid may) or b) cancel it.

Theyve decided there is option C) Demand I do it now anyway. They wont cancel, but I want to ):

[designerguysl]

Contact CS mentioning the exact scenario! They will help you

[markhallva]

To be completely honest, I don’t think there’s any chance this ends in a favourable way for you.

If you cancel, they got your work for free. If you do the revision now, the buyer will complain again. If you simply redeliver the original recording as you now know the buyer is breaking ToS (selling on your work without purchasing rights), they’ll give you a 1* review.

I think you should contact CS and ask them to cancel the order for you. Block the buyer and move on.

[lollypain]

To be completely honest, I don’t think there’s any chance this ends in a favourable way for you.

If you cancel, they got your work for free. If you do the revision now, the buyer will complain again. If you simply redeliver the original recording as you now know the buyer is breaking ToS (selling on your work without purchasing rights), they’ll give you a 1* review.

I think you should contact CS and ask them to cancel the order for you. Block the buyer and move on.

I know, there’s no favourable ending for this.

Im actually fine with them getting away with the original recording, It wasnt a lot of money its a small price to pay for the headache to go away. Id rather lose the money then get a 1 star review or hassle.

Whilst this has all happened, Ive delivered a very short VO to another very chill buyer, who was fine with the product despite the slightly slurred speech. Im worried CS will use this against me, but they are very orders and I felt I was able to do this one, but not the one mentioned above.

ROCK me HARDPLACE

):

[gfxtariqul7]

Knock support.I am sure They will help you, and probably you don’t need to refund if you are on the right side.

[looseink]

Obviously the Buyer is the middleman here.

He/she must have made a promise to the third party and is feeling pressure and is transferring that to you.

Here’s what I would do.

Clearly the Buyer doesn’t give a rip about your situation and is trying to save face with the third party.

That doesn’t help you one iota.

You can’t do the job, simple as that. (at this time, that is).

So cancel the order.

Then block the jerk of a Buyer.

That is not the way to treat a freelancer who is recovering from an accident that is hampering their ability to work.

What a jerk.

[lollypain]

Obviously the Buyer is the middleman here.

He/she must have made a promise to the third party and is feeling pressure and is transferring that to you.

Here’s what I would do.

Clearly the Buyer doesn’t give a rip about your situation and is trying to save face with the third party.

That doesn’t help you one iota.

You can’t do the job, simple as that. (at this time, that is).

So cancel the order.

Then block the jerk of a Buyer.

That is not the way to treat a freelancer who is recovering from an accident that is hampering their ability to work.

What a jerk.

Can I borrow your backbone ):

As I’ve already delivered, its been marked as completed and its currently in the process of clearing the funds, I cant cancel it myself. He has to cancel or CS do it. I had a read through and it seems unless he mutually agrees to cancel, I have to at least attempt the revision. Since posting this, Ive been borderline begging him to agree to cancel. Hes finally agreed but wants the funds returned to him immediately (funny how hes now in a rush when he spent his sweet time to inform me of any issue with the product). Ive explained to him that I’ve submitted the request to have it refunded to him. Im awaiting his grumpy response.

[imagination7413]

I’m tempted to say ‘their client isn’t your problem’, but I know it’s not that simple.

I see a lot of advice that encourages the freelance tropes - the idea that we’re all workaholic night owls, perpetually hunched over keyboards, waiting at the beck and call of potential clients. Never log out… Always be agreeable to clients… Give free samples or mock ups… Answer right away… If you needed an experienced professional to give you permission, in plain words, here it is: it’s okay to be a human being. Never give out free work. No samples. No mockups. Period. That’s what your po…

(This is why I dislike resellers.)

[english_voice]

This is one of those nightmare scenarios that freelancers dread… circumstances beyond your control affecting your ability to complete a job. You have my sympathy.

I suspect that you’re going to get all sorts of advice on here from people telling you to do the revision regardless to others saying cancel now and save the pain. For what it’s worth (and I rarely ever say this on the forum), I think you should stop work on this immediately and cancel for the following reasons:

1. You’re not in a place health wise where you can provide a voiceover that will meet the client’s satisfaction. I’ve been here myself trying to redo parts of voiceovers when I’m feeling ill, the result is often crap. You know it the moment you open your mouth, and the client knows it the moment they hear the result. They won’t be happy.

2. This client sounds like a nightmare and is providing a level of direction that is totally unreasonable. If he wasn’t happy with your first effort when you were well, then there is no way he is going to be happy now. He’s also being a complete moron by expecting you to still try and record the voiceover again after your accident. What a horrible person.

3. You’ve already said this is stressing you out. Just make the decision that you’re not going to do any more work on the order. As you’ve said, you’ve recognised that you’re in a lose lose situation - so don’t invest anymore time in this. Message the buyer and tell them to place a cancellation request as you are ill and cannot continue with the order. Also message customer support explaining that you are ill and request for the order to be cancelled.

The worst thing you can do is to try and service this buyer any more. Good luck.

[daophung]

jeez sorry pal very sad story,im a buyer and would not treat my worst enemy like that

[lollypain]

This is one of those nightmare scenarios that freelancers dread… circumstances beyond your control affecting your ability to complete a job. You have my sympathy.

I suspect that you’re going to get all sorts of advice on here from people telling you to do the revision regardless to others saying cancel now and save the pain. For what it’s worth (and I rarely ever say this on the forum), I think you should stop work on this immediately and cancel for the following reasons:

1. You’re not in a place health wise where you can provide a voiceover that will meet the client’s satisfaction. I’ve been here myself trying to redo parts of voiceovers when I’m feeling ill, the result is often crap. You know it the moment you open your mouth, and the client knows it the moment they hear the result. They won’t be happy.

2. This client sounds like a nightmare and is providing a level of direction that is totally unreasonable. If he wasn’t happy with your first effort when you were well, then there is no way he is going to be happy now. He’s also being a complete moron by expecting you to still try and record the voiceover again after your accident. What a horrible person.

3. You’ve already said this is stressing you out. Just make the decision that you’re not going to do any more work on the order. As you’ve said, you’ve recognised that you’re in a lose lose situation - so don’t invest anymore time in this. Message the buyer and tell them to place a cancellation request as you are ill and cannot continue with the order. Also message customer support explaining that you are ill and request for the order to be cancelled.

The worst thing you can do is to try and service this buyer any more. Good luck.

You have my sympathy

Thank you so much. I’m absolutely heartbroken. When I went to the emergency dentist and she did the xray and told me its not just my teeth but my jaw thats smashed, my first question was "long term, will my speech be impacted. Not “Will you be able to save the teeth?” because my heart just dropped when it happened. All I want is for this side hussle to become my full time job and this has just thrown the largest spanner in the works. I came close to tears yesterday about it all. However, crying hurts atm so I quickly packed that in. 😂

Personal feelings aside, thank you SO much for this advice. You’ve managed to summarise everything I was trying to put into words when Ive explained this to others “if he wasn’t happy with your first effort when you were well, then there is no way is going to be happy now”.

All this, over $15. After fiverr takes its cut, currency conversion and taxes go in, this is less than minimum wage.

[lollypain]

UPDATE!

CS were angels, Theve cancelled it but given the scenario decided not to decrease my completion rate. 😭

Is this… a happy ending?

no. my jaws still broken but its as close as Im gunna get and imma take it.