Fiverr Forum

Why Would You LIE?

#1

I found myself in a position where I had to post a request recently for a writing assignment. It was a simple enough rewrite. I specified that it had to be completed by someone who was a native English speaker. It was the most important requirement I had. I had to sift past the usual responses until I found one who was from the UK, glory be and all hands raised in celebration. I quickly checked her profile and found it to be acceptable grammar-wise, so I placed the order.

She was obviously NOT from the UK or possibly even from the planet Earth; if she was, the concept of the Queen’s English has eluded her completely. Her work was so bad that I requested a revision, hoping she was just having an off (really really off) day. The second was even worse. I finally suggested kindly that she accept my cancellation or risk a poor review. She did, but now I find out the $2 processing fee is not refundable which, since I paid out of Fiverr funds, shouldn’t have been charged anyway. Of course, it’s only $2, but it’s beyond aggravating. I already know better than to try to contact customer service for help.

Why would a writer LIE about something like this? It is obvious from the first sentence you wrote that you can’t deliver my project as specified, so why bother? I’m not paying money for a rewrite that I have to re-rewrite; it’s completely frustrating.

I love all my Fiverr friends, but please don’t lie about a simple requirement!

#2

That bit may have been true - not everybody who lives in the UK was born here. :slightly_smiling_face:

#3

Just a friendly tip (even though people don’t like getting advice when they just want to rant …) Posting a buyer request is not the best way to go (usually). Better to do your own search.

#4

Plus I don’t know how, but some sellers find a way to set their location as if in another country.

I’m also wondering, did you check the seller’s reviews? What was your impression?

#5

One could engage in brief dialogue with one’s chosen seller prior to ordering. This may help to ascertain whether one’s chosen seller is suitable for one’s writing assignment :slight_smile:

#6

Sadly, I did an extensive search and found very few profiles that indicated English as the first language. It is so frustrating! But yes, this is very good advice that I will take to heart from here on out. Thank you!

#7

True enough point here!

#8

In the editing category??

#9

They were remarkably all good. I’m suspicious of even the rating system now; I’ve been scarred for life!!!

#10

She reached out to me with what I now realize was a canned reply. This is definitely great advice to take, thank you!

#11

They changed it. Now you pay the processing fee even if you use your Fiverr balance.

#12

Seriously? Heavy heavy sigh.

#13

Indeed. And there was no official announcement or anything, everyone had to check the ToS after the unpleasant surprise, and there it was.

#14

Well, that’s easy but not the worst… Few days back I learned of a seller having no location (From = Unknown) :open_mouth: :thinking:

#15

hahahahahahhaahhahahahahaha

Actually I might prefer dealing with an alien from Mars cuz I’ve had it with human beans!

#16

There is also the possibility that they simply used rewriting software and that is why it was so bad.

Check the likes you got on the original post, one of them is an excellent native US speaking rewriter.

#17

Sadly, a good number of sellers here not only steal sample images, they also copy/paste
profile and gig descriptions.
Have you seen people post stuff here with (sorry to sound harsh) pretty bad English asking for help, and when you go check their gigs, they have PERFECT grammar for their descriptions?

In the future it would be a good idea to message the person first if you have the time, ask a few questions in a way the seller needs to use a full sentence rather than just yes/no.
Usually a sentence or two is enough to check if the person is a native/native level speaker.

I’m sorry this happened to you.

Many people lie here because they are desperate, or seriously believe they
have the skills and think they can pull it off. :disappointed_relieved:

#18

That seems odd, I can find hundreds of sellers who claim English as a first language. I don’t think they are all legit, but I can find a dozen that look good right away. The hardest part is that these are not cheap writers. The ones that look legit and can engage in a dialogue to prove it are often well above the $5 minimum even at low word counts.

This is definitely what I would do. A seller can easily use a canned reply for a quick answer, even in a normal message. If you engage in a little conversation about your topic, it is much harder for a seller to fake. Even if they are putting everything through Google translate you will see red flags.

As far as why people lie, I think it’s usually pure desperation. People who need money very badly will do what it takes to get it.