Fiverr Community Forum

Seller cancelled and I don't get full refund?

Your Fiverr Experience The Ranting Pot
#1

Hi, newish here and things are not going well. I have encountered so many irresponsible sellers here, I’m starting to wonder if this whole thing is just a scam.

I contacted someone whose work I liked, explained what I was looking for and asked if he was interested, he said yes and told me to place an order (I thought he’d make a custom order, but he didn’t.) I placed the order.

The next day (today) I arrive and find a note that he cancelled the order. Mind you, this is just the day after I ordered, which was the same day he told me to order. Now I have a note that he can’t be contacted and I have gotten a ‘refund’ to my fivver account. And I didn’t even get a FULL refund. What is that all about? I am not the one who cancelled the order, the seller cancelled, but I am being CHARGED a processing fee? That’s ridiculous and it smacks of a way for fiverr to line the coffers by creating fake accounts and charging people when the fake accounts cancel.

I am very much hoping this is just a mistake on the part of customer service, but if this is actually how they do business, then I am out of here. Can someone reassure me that this is not typical? Thanks.

#2

Sounds like the seller got the boot from Fiverr for some reason or another. As for he processing fee, it’s quite explicit in the TOS, which you agreed to when you signed up:

Processing fees are added at the time of purchase where a buyer can review and accept the total amount requested to pay. These fees cover payment processing and administrative fees. As of July 2016 the current fees assessed to the total purchase amount are $1 on purchases up to $20 and 5% on purchases above $20. When purchasing from your seller’s balance (i.e. out of your earned revenues) or buyer’s shopping balance (resulting from any credits or refunds) you will not be charged a processing fee. Funds returned to your balance from cancelled orders will not include processing fees paid.

The money that you paid the processing fee on is still in the system, so you can order another gig with it. If, uh, you want to.

#3

it smacks of a way for fiverr to line the coffers by creating fake accounts and charging people when the fake accounts cancel.

I assure you this is not the usual way of business here. Your seller must have broken a rule and had his/her account cancelled.

Understand, regarding the question you had about fiverr possibly creating fake accounts then cancelling the orders they get to get their hands on the processing fee, that fiverr has had a recent influx of $50,000,000 in investment money. It’s more money than they need.

#4

What a ridiculous assertion!
As Emmaki says, its all in the ToS to start with and it is once off in that you can use those funds for other purchases without an additional processing fee.
Before you do any more on the site, perhaps go through how it works.
Yes, there are lots of irresponsible sellers here but there are also irresponsible buyers. Those buyers who do not check out how the site works, do some checking into the seller they are going to choose etc. It takes effort to find good freelancers. Fiverr is a just platform where you can find freelancers, simple as that.
Alternatively, go to an agency, pay 10 times the price but have less involvement.

#5

I would have no problem paying the processing fee if I were the one to have cancelled. But I had no way of knowing that a seller would cancel on ME, particularly so soon after I had ordered and he had suggested I order. It’s beyond ridiculous to punish a buyer for the behavior of an irresponsible seller. If you can’t see that you haven’t any logic skills.

Fiverr needs both buyers and sellers in order to operate. But if there are no buyers, there is no fiverr. If buyers are going to be mistreated and punished for the actions of a stranger, I don’t think many will continue to come back.

#6

  1. it is in the TOS

  2. It is more likely than not that the seller was banned, which means that all existing open gigs for that seller were cancelled and refunded as a matter of course. We do not know the nature of the offense, but it is there to protect you from e.g. fraudulent behavior. The seller has most likely NOT cancelled on you

  3. the processing fee is administrative (see point 2) as well as covering the payment processing. The actual amount of money that you transferred has been refunded to you to spend as you wish without incurring additional payment/admin fees

  4. logic skills ad hom blah blah blah

  5. It happens, you were unlucky.

#7

It’s likely I’m not the only person this has happened to. If that is the case, as you suggested, then Fiverr should be aware of this and require sellers to keep a small amount of money in their accounts to offset such fees if they cancel. If Fiverr is the one to cancel, they too should absorb the loss. It should not be put onto buyers when buyers are what keep the site profitable. Abusing buyers is not advisable for any business that wants to stay in business.

#8

You seem awfully concerned about the processing fee, which is either $1 or 5% of whatever you agreed with your seller for the gig price. Most people get mad about the credit, which is the price of the gig minus the processing fee.

You are not the first person this has happened to, nor will you be the last. FYI, If a buyer is naughty and presses a nuclear cancel button, a seller can get stung, sometimes to the tune of hundreds of dollars with little to no recourse–whether or not they have credit in their account. In other words, a debt is incurred. I’m not sure what happens to the processing fee in that case.

I’m really not seeing your issue here, especially if you’re angry about what could potentially be $1 and you’ve got credit to find someone else to do whatever it was you wanted. Get it for the same price or less and the processing fee issue is taken care of.

Whither abuse? It’s written in the TOS, and you signed up in agreement with it.

#9

Abusing buyers is not advisable for any business that wants to stay in business.
Fiverr will survive I’m sure.

You do understand that when you purchase another gig the fee will be applied to that?

#10

You know what it seems to me that very few ppl actually read the TOS & FAQ, maybe Fiverr should force ppl to read them and then give them a Q&A afterwards? If they pass they can use the site, if not, too bad, use something else because I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve posted to read both… :stuck_out_tongue:

#11

It wouldn’t work for the seller to refund the fee because some sellers don’t even know there is a fee. The fee is actually still yours, it’s just held by Fiverr until you buy another gig with your refund. So, they would make money with fake accounts because Fiverr doesn’t get the fee unless YOU get a gig delivered.

#12

Trying to idiot proof the internet wont work.
If they dont do the little research thats required of them then they have only themselves to blame. They need to stop walking around the internet with a wad of cash hanging out of their pocket, figuratively speaking.

#13

True, the internet is an idiot magnet more than anything else! :stuck_out_tongue:

#14

They won’t ever do that, anything that doesn’t make the registering process simple and straight-forward could cost them thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s a nice thought, but as others have said… it won’t really help. =/

#15

The seller I ordered from got cancelled and I was refunded not including the processing fee. My personal balance had money on it for a day and now I that money disappeared, I basically didn’t get a refund at all

#16

Suggest you contact Customer Support.

Here is the link: https://fiverr.com/support_tickets/new

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