Risky Buyers In Sheep's Clothing ( '-' )

[speedy876]

Hello Team,



Today I want to share a small observation that can have dire consequences if you’re not on your guard. So I am suggesting the below precautions to take going forward.

1. When a Buyer Orders your GIG - Please ensure you check their “Member Since” Date before you get too friendly with them. (Your Professionalism and firm answers can go a longer way.)
   
   –If the Buyer’s Member Since date is in the Current Month, it’s possible this buyer is not yet up to terms with the TOS, the Dos & Don’ts, and MAY just order the GIG Just to get their work done, then erupt like a volcano to get their money back with loaded guns ready to Bang on Customer Service’s Door
   
   
2. There are some buyers who seem to have an uncontrollable love for Pushing Buttons, even if the description says “Push To Die”. These Buyers are the ones that Hit “Order Now!” without reading a word in your GIG Description. Now… Guys, Girls, Friends… We know we want to SEAL EVERY ORDER… but I am sure when someone Orders a GIG, and demands that you Raise Michael Jackson from the dead for $5… You now fall violently in love with the Cancel Order Button. These are most times those early members who Don’t Care if their 1 Week old account gets banned. So Please, before you open your heart too wide to Buyers, Please do a little check on their AGE. It could save you the 10 Day Toil, only to hear that your ‘masterpiece’ was not what they wanted, that you scammed them and that they are going to drop a nuclear warhead on your eyeball. (After saving your work to their PC and now may just want back their $).
   
   
   
   So ALL - Please, Be Professional Shepherds. B-)
   
   
   
   Regards,
   
   Speedy876

[julipalmer7]

I know right, I get some new buyers who ordered and then said it was a mistake or the sort. I always check, but what to do when they have already order, when a buyer starts being unresponsive or wants to cancel I might in most cases comply. I dont think it’s worth it to argue with a buyer who did not respect my time when I was contacting them for certain periods and no response.

[speedy876]

@julipalmer7, this is the exact thing that a lot of sellers face here, and most times it may not be possible to catch them while they’re online. Those new sellers don’t understand the importance of responding in a timely manner (as we have response time % that we must uphold), and actually care about. I;m wondering if I’m the only person who ever even had a new buyer order a “LARGE” Order… then disappear… (the temptation to be patient is unbearable).

Regards,
Speedy876

[fivergraphics5]

Great advice Shepherd Speedy876,

It is always great knowing someone is looking out for new and older Sellers/members!

Best advice I’ve read in awhile. This will help out a lot of Sellers.

Muchas Gracias,

Fiver/Graphics5

[rameezrob]

Great advice,

I recently encountered a buyer who behaves in a similar fashion.

[speedy876]

@fivergraphics5 - Thanks, I know it happened to me one too many times, and after awhile, I realized the same start date… these guys did not know how Fiverr works and just tried getting free work done or create problems for us. NOT ALL of them are like that, but just that one little detail can be used to keep us on our guard.

@rameezrob - Just keep a look out for them, and try to leverage with them before they go offline. CS will have to save us if they go through with the order then want their money back after receiving perfect work.

Regards,
Speedy876

[legalteam]

I have experienced instances of these scenarios with New Buyers 7 times out of 10. I honestly believe there should be a tutorial for each person that creates an account.

Excellent post nevertheless.

[speedy876]

@legalteam - That is a good suggestion, as it would give them a general (Mandatory) overview of how to operate after signing up and getting ready to buy orders.

I also believe some form of penalty should be in place for Existing Buyers who create orders without leaving details, then disappear (they should know better), and also those existing buyers who order a GIG and expect results outside of the GIG scope. The buyers who also get work that they know is properly done, but then request a cancellation without giving the seller an opportunity to fix, should also be penalized.

These issues can be addressed with small penalties, then a lot more caution would be taken not just on the Seller’s side, but also on the Buyer’s side.

Regards,
Speedy876

[primitus]

Hi,

I read your comment and just bursted out laughing, how right you are.

Let me give you my scenario a couple of days ago. I had a customer asked for a ‘specific’ plugin installed. Please note ‘specific’, I did not recommend any plugin. The project was completed, the buyer then mentions that this was not the look and feel they want. I am already out of pocket as I had to purchase the plugin to do the gig.

I was not letting this go, as I had done was requested and already out of pocket as well. To cut the long story short, I documented everything, contacted Fiverr Customer Services who sorted everything satisfactorily. Fiverr Customer services were extremely brilliant here.

My advice here is to document everything, gather your evidence and then write a compelling argument to Fiverr Customer Services stating your case.

Regards,

[estymcmahon]

waaaa waaaa…and many of you sellers are not up to date with tos

I just had guy from pakistan begging demanding for five stars but I gave one - and am asking for refund
waaaa waaaa

[julipalmer7]

Hmm you wouldnt guess what happened since commenting here a buyer order without contacting me, the buyer’s English is not so good but managed to make out what he/she wanted, fast forward and I delivered the work only to get a modification, telling me that he wanted more to be done, at first I upsell but then remember to check the buyer’s profile only to see the privacy notification came up so I cancel, waiting for it to be automatic or if not the buyer will comply. Oh boy.

[speedy876]

@julipalmer7 - Preach! This is exactly what I am talking about, but yet… they GOT THEIR ORDER and ran off like a little kid who got to steal the cookie from the cookie jar.

Please be cautious, and remember - Those users who are new, this month/last - are to be cautiously dealt with.

@primitus - that is a good suggestion - documentation, and pray Fiverr holds their funds as a precautionary measure - If they Order, then Leave (that 14 day clearance period should award us the $).

Regards,
Speedy876

[julipalmer7]

Amen. Thanks and best wishes.

[rameezrob]

I agree with @legalteam to have a tutorial setup. This post should be read by some admins. Great observation @speedy876 - This is something that would be really helpful.

[speedy876]

@rameezrob - Thanks. Yes I also support their claim. We sellers most times will do our best to avoid anything less than 5 stars, but there are some new persons who recklessly just abuse our kindness for weakness.

Regards,
Speedy876

[Guest qckprint]

@speedy876, I’ve heard of a lot of situations of this nature where new buyers are creating problems to sellers due to not understanding the TOS.

This post will definitely keep all sellers on their guard as long as they adhere to these golden precautions.

[speedy876]

@qckprint - Just continue being careful, and ensure to be clear in your conversations so they can be used as proof if something unplanned for happens.

Regards,
Speedy876

[londonpros]

Yep… Just had to cancel an order I actually had to spend money on (assuming the money they paid would cover it anyway so wasn’t a problem.) They wasn’t happy, despite it being a perfectly professional and satisfactory piece, and then had to cancel it in fear they was going to give me negative feedback. So yeah… I actually lost money. Be careful out there folks, you live and learn I guess.

[mdalikes]

Hi,

I produce video’s for all my gigs. I have been burned once by this very tactic. The buyer had the video I produced already downloaded to their computer, then says they were not happy with the video, and wants a refund. Needless to say, this person received their refund, then a week later, I discovered that video that they were not happy with, posted on Youtube.

Now, what I do is, I put my watermark right smack dab in the center of the entire video, and deliver it to the buyer, with a note that tells them to reply to the message, that they are happy with their video. I will then redeliver the video without my watermark. Now, they cannot dispute that the video is not what they wanted and ask for a refund, because, I now have the reply stating they are happy. So far, I have not had this problem again.

[speedy876]

@londonpros - I can definitely understand what you mean, keep a look out for them and remember not to be too friendly unless you’ve already worked with that customer.

@mdalikes - This is Brilliant! If only there was some way to add watermarks to documents that only we can remove, then we would all be free from this type of abuse 😑

Great thinking, and let me know if there is a way to do this do an actual document that a normal MS Word Wiz won’t be able to remove.

Regards,
Speedy876