What to Do When a Fiverr Buyer Threatens You

What would you do if a buyer threatened you?

I recently found myself in a difficult position. I had a Fiverr buyer threaten to leave negative feedback that wasn’t true unless I gave him a refund.

Now, I’d done the work and delivered according to his instructions and my Fiverr gig descriptions. The problem was that he wanted something more after delivering it and expected it for free. His instructions weren’t exactly clear to start with, but due to the way Fiverr is set up I had to start work and hope for the best.

So, what should you do when you’re threatened by a buyer on Fiverr?

Inform Customer Support

The first thing I did was to inform customer support. I don’t expect them to do much—I’ve heard of them not doing anything and most of the time siding with the buyer—but they need to know.

They’ve not gotten back to me yet, but I’m ready to throw their Terms of Service at them and get them to give me a straight answer why they’re not upholding their end of the deal. Not sure what it will do, but it’s worth a try.

I recommend anybody who has a threatening buyer to do this.

Don’t Give In!

Please don’t give into the threats. I’ve seen it all the time, even on the forums, of people being advised to allow the cancellation to go through. I chose to take the negative hit because I will not let a buyer get away with this sort of behaviour.

What made me really mad is that this buyer is a fellow seller (or at least used to be, but now has an 86% rating). He should know the way that Fiverr works and still went about in this uncool way.

The only time I could see someone now wanting to take the negative hit is because they’re just starting out. If you are just starting out, I’d suggest doing anything you can to avoid the negative. However, please contact support first and get them on your side if you can!

Are You in the Wrong?

Look at it subjectively first. Could you possibly be in the wrong?

I did this and was ready to apologise and make right if I was. However, I read over the instructions again and looked through the delivered work three or four times before deciding that there was nothing more I could do. I delivered as requested the first time round.

If you really believe you have delivered to the best of your ability and according to the instructions, don’t give in.

If you know that you could have done better but can’t do anything about it, accept the cancellation and move on.

Post a Polite Reply

You have the opportunity to tell your side of the story. Do it but do it positively.

I went straight online to explain the reality. It was nothing to do with quality—as the buyer suggested—it was to do with the buyer expecting more.

Remain polite at all times. Never ever show that you’re angry with the buyer. That looks bad on you to prospective buyers in the future. Explain what you tried to do to correct it and what the problem was. You have to leave a short message though because you don’t get much room!

I’m really hoping my 800+ positives will make up for this negative. The problem is its sitting at the top right now. I really need some of my buyers who I’ve delivered for over the past couple of days to come in and leave some positive reviews to push this one down.

What would you do if you had a threatening buyer? Leave your comments below!

The Importance of Reading Fiverr Gig Descriptions and Buyer Instructions

I’ve recently had a few problems with people not reading my Fiverr gig descriptions or buyer instructions. One or two and I don’t mind explaining, but it is getting to the point of annoying.

There is a point to gig descriptions and the buyer instructions that seller have in place. It’s to create uniform, and to make sure orders are seamless and easier to complete.

Why Read Fiverr Gig Descriptions?

The gig descriptions tell you what you can expect from a gig. It will tell you about it in more detail, such as the number of words that are covered in a writing gig or the length of time for a video. It will tell you about whether you can have a script written—for extra—or if there are other extras that you can purchase.

The gig description will also tell you more about what the seller will not do.

Just recently I’ve had a handful of people asking me to do their homework. If they read the Fiverr gig description on my writing gig, they would realise that I fully state that I do not do homework reports, assignments or anything similar. Not reading the description and contacting me about it is wasting their time and my time.

You can find out more about Fiverr gig descriptions here.

What About the Fiverr Buyer Instructions

There is a small box for sellers to add instructions for the buyer. If nothing is entered into the gig page when these instructions are in place, the countdown timer will not start.

The buyer instructions can reiterate parts of the gig description, but they will usually have new instructions for the buyer. It could be to answer a few questions, or to enter all the information required to complete the gig.

I’ve got a very clear notice to say enter all information, even if we have spoken through messages. It may sound annoying for the buyer, but it stops me missing anything should something be included in the messages and not on the order page. I can lose track of the people who have messaged me and those who haven’t, or those who have asked for extra stuff through messages after placing an order.

So, as a buyer, ready the Fiverr gig description and follow the buyer instructions. It is really important. They are all there for you!

Tips for Hiring an Article Writer or Rewriter on Fiverr

There are many people who will hire an article writer or rewrite on Fiverr.

I offer this service and believe that quality over quantity is much better. However, you may have a need for a lot of pieces written in a short space of time.

While I’d love you to check out my gigs, I understand if you want someone different. However, I still want to give you some tips on hiring an article writer or rewrite on Fiverr.

Read the Fiverr Gig Descriptions in Full

It really annoys me when a buyer places an order and then asks for something completely out of the gig’s scope. I’ve had people ask for legal documents to be written, medical journals, homework to be completed and much more.

Please read the gig descriptions in full. They are there for a reason and yes, the things I will and won’t do apply to YOU! It is the same with every Fiverr seller.

If you’re not sure what a gig description will tell you, you can check out my previouspost on the matter.

Check Out the Feedback on the Gig

Scroll to the bottom of the Fiverr gig and check out the feedback. This will tell you how many people liked the article writer or rewrite on Fiverr and how many people didn’t.

Good suppliers will have negative feedback—we can’t all please everyone. However, take the time to read the feedback and the reply from the seller. If you’re unsure, then message the Fiverr seller about it for more detail.

The feedback is a good starting point to determine if someone is good enough. I know a few Fiverr writers won’t send samples because the feedback is often enough.

However, I know that the feedback system is flawed and may not give you an honest view of a Fiverr article writer.

Ask for Samples

Saying that, don’t be afraid to actually ask for samples. This is a great way to make sure the quality is good and the style is in a way that you prefer.

When asking for article rewrite samples, don’t expect the seller to send through a copy of both. My rewrites aren’t completed for me so are not in my portfolio. I believe that my writing skills are a good look at how my rewriting skills would be.

Check Out the Extras

$5 isn’t a lot for an article. I offer 400 words for an original and 500 words for a rewritten article. If you want more than that, then I do offer gig extras.

Check out gig extras to see if you want them. It could be for keyword research, images or for sales copy. If you can’t find something that you want, message the seller to talk to him or her about it.

Contact the Article Writer or Rewriter on Fiverr

There is a “contact seller” options. Use it if you are in doubt at all.

If your project is long or especially technical, find out whether the Fiverr seller is happy to do it first. If you need a quicker delivery time, find out whether the seller offers this if it isn’t already in the extras. You get the idea!

Remember that a shorter time frame isn’t everything. Article writing is time consuming, especially when you consider the research. You are only spending $5, so you can’t expect miracles. If you want something quicker, offer to pay extra for it.

Finally, I really need to point this out. When looking for an article writer or rewriter on Fiverr, if something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Someone sending 10 500 word articles for $5 should raise alarm bells!

If you do want a high quality Fiverr article writer or rewriter, I'd love it if you would check out my gigs. If you want samples...well, you've seen my writing on here or you can ask for other samples.

Let me know if you come from my Fiverr blog and I will give you one free article (up to 400 words and without extras) with your first order!

Is 20% Fiverr Commission Too Much

If you’ve sold anything on Fiverr, you will know about the Fiverr commission. If you’re not yet a seller, I encourage you to read the Terms of Service to find out more about it.

The Fiverr commission is a whopping 20%, which seems like a lot at first; until you remember that gigs sell for $5! That 20% is just $1 for Fiverr.

Many people complain about the commission being so high. My first instinct is to tell them that they knew this – or had the chance to know this – before they signed up for the site. But it’s important to consider why there is this 20% Fiverr commission.

Fiverr Is One of the Biggest Sites

Fiverr is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, micro-jobs website. There are now millions of people buying and selling things through Fiverr on a daily basis. For an idea, within the first 10 days of July, I have made around $430 and there is still much more time for orders to come through.

The ability to have such a large customer base is worth that commission. It helps to increase the chance of sales and make a living. There are many top rated sellers using Fiverr as their sole source of income.

Increase in Web Traffic

Starting your own business takes time. You need to build your reputation, do a lot of marketing and generally help to increase traffic to your website. This isn’t the case with Fiverr – much of the hard work is done for you.

Fiverr gigs show up on the Google search engine and Fiverr has a high page rank. It offers tools for marketing so you don’t need to learn them yourself and you can even hire a Fiverr seller to help  you out. Building your reputation takes less time so it’s worth paying the 20% Fiverr commission for that.

The Platform Is Quick and Easy to Use

There is nothing worse than trying to send large files over an outdated platform. The Fiverr platform is quick and easy to use – and there is Customer Support on hand should you run into any problems.

The new version does have some bugs but that doesn’t mean the support isn’t still there. Messaging people and delivering work is still just as simple; with a click of a button. The site is also secure for sending documents and using your PayPal for receiving the money you earn.

The Money Is Paid Upfront

There are a lot of scams online, especially people not paying for the work they’ve had done. Fiverr tries to cut that out by getting the buyer to pay upfront. This money is then put on hold until the seller completes the gig. Once it is marked complete, the money is transferred into the seller’s account.

There are still some problems getting paid. The Fiverr buyer may not like the work and reject it or may choose to cancel through PayPal (even though the Terms of Service state not to do that). However, there is more protection than doing it alone.

When you consider what Fiverr does, the 20% Fiverr commission doesn’t seem as bad. Remember to look at it as a figure too – that’s $1 out of your $5, which is very little for Fiverr!

What Should Fiverr Gig Descriptions Tell You?

I’ve just been let into the new Fiverr and been editing my Fiverr gig descriptions with the new system in mind.

Gig descriptions are extremely important – for a Fiverr seller and a Fiverr buyer. This details everything that a person will and will not do within their gig. It helps the buyer determine whether it is something worth spending their $5 on. It helps the seller explain more about the gig and limit the amount of cancellations.

But what should you actually see in a gig description on Fiverr? As a seller, what should you add to help protect yourself?

Here are a few considerations to make:

1.       What Your Gig Offers

What are you offering within your gig? If it is a writing gig, you need to clearly state the amount of words that you will write for that basic $5 price. If you offer a video gig, you need to state how much you will film for that base price.

You can then go into the gig extras and what you offer within them.

2.       What Your Gig Doesn’t Offer

This is just as important as what you offer. The Fiverr seller needs to clearly state the things that are not done for $5. This could be any adult content that you will not provide or if you don’t do homework assignments.

For example, my writing gig for up to 400 words clearly states that I will not do homework assignments/essays or anything similar. I do get people messaging me to ask about it and I lead them back to the description where I clearly state that.

3.       Your Revision Policy

Always make it clear how many revisions a Fiverr buyer gets within that base gig. Offering unlimited revisions or not clearly stating is never a good thing – there will be buyers who take sellers for a ride!

As a buyer, you want to know about the revision policy beforehand. I make it clear that I will only make revisions where the mistake was my own fault. I’ve had Fiverr buyers decide to change the instructions afterwards – that isn’t my fault and the buyer needs to pay the extra for that.

The revision policy helps to protect Fiverr sellers from many unscrupulous buyers. If one is constantly demanding more work, by showing your revision policy, it is possible to point them back to that and ask for more. If the buyer becomes threatening, you can send your proof of the messages and your revision policy to Fiverr Customer Support for help.

4.       Sell Your Gig!

For Fiverr sellers, the Fiverr gig description is the place to sell your gig! You can’t go into a lot of detail but go into more than just a couple of lines. Tell buyers why they should choose your gig over the many others on Fiverr.com.

Talk about your experience, the people you have helped or your previous jobs to help sell your work. You can include a link to a YouTube video or your Flickr account too so you can show off samples or explain things in more detail.

The Fiverr gig description should clearly state everything the seller is offering for the basic $5, along with the things that they won’t do. Some Fiverr sellers will also cover their gig extras and the revision policy.

As a Fiverr buyer, please READ THE GIG DESCRIPTION. This is a common complaint of sellers. Most of the time, your questions can be answered by reading the description. This will also inform you if the seller would like you to contact them first and whether your gig is possible for the base $5 or if you need to order more! If you can’t follow the seller’s instructions and take the time to read the description, why should the seller?