You know when a buyer just makes all of your warning lights start flashing?
Back in December, someone contacted me asking for samples. I explained why I do not give away free samples, but let this person know that they are welcome to order a test article. They did and things were OK. I say Ok, as they needed a revision that really wouldn’t have been necessary if they provided a more detailed brief. Then, they were one.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and this person messaged me asking for a quote for 30+ articles. I let them know that I don’t take large orders like this. The maximum number of articles I write is 6 per customer, as per my premium gig package.
The buyer says this is fine, then asks me how much I will charge. Then they flip to being a rude pain in the A. It started with "what, no discount?"
Then after I clarified that my premium gig package includes a discount an that I take away over 40% less after commission, taxes, etc, the buyer came back with: "you are not the only writer on Fiverr or the only person in the world who pays taxes."
At this point, I really wasn’t interested in working with this person. However, before I could reply, they ordered my premium package directly.
I knew from the start that this order wasn’t going to go smoothly, and it didn’t. First, the buyer asked for a revision a few minutes before the order would have automatically completed. In this, they accused me of not adding links citing my sources and in a very thinly veiled way, accused me of plagiarism.
This was ironic, as on their original test order, they had asked me to remove links.
I redelivered and three days later, the order automatically completed. Then last night, the buyer messaged me to say that some of their files are missing. This is blatantly untrue. Their order was delivered twice and all the files delivered are still available for download on their order page.
I decided right then that I would send the supposedly missing files, but then block this person. Their entire demeanor stinks. However, before I could finish replying, they go and place another order for 6 more articles.
Would you do that? Accuse someone of plagiarism and not delivering your full order, only to then order again? - I know I wouldn’t.
My paranoid brain is also saying that this person knows exactly what they are doing. i.e. Using buzzwords so that at some point in the future, they can take some manufactured excuse for a refund to CS.
Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a way I can get rid of them. I can’t block them while I have an active order with them. Neither can I block them until I deliver their next order and they mark it as complete. Even then, though, I could block them and they could use a ‘missing files’ accusation with CS to get their order refunded.
Any ideas?