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[Guide] How to avoid bad buyers, and how to deal with them if you can't


smashradio

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If you’ve been a seller on Fiverr for some time you’ve probably come across some bad buyers every now and then. Whether it’s someone treating you without the respect you deserve, or someone trying to take advantage of the fact that you’re a new seller, this guide will hopefully come to some use.

It’s by no means a complete guide or magic potion against bad buyers, but if you follow these tips you might be able to avoid some of the bad buyers out there, or at least deal with them if the order already is in your dashboard.

I hope you’ll share your tips and tricks for avoiding this type of buyer below, as I’d love to learn how you guys deal with this as well!

#1 The disrespectful buyer

You know the one I’m talking about. The first message that pops into your inbox might start with “you have to…” or “I want this done but I’m not paying 20USD for it. What’s your best offer?

Or, it might be that they demand free extras. I’ve worked as a waiter, and let me tell you, if the customer asks for a free dessert, they won’t get one. People don’t go to the gas station to fill their tank, demanding a free tire change on the way out.

The same goes for buyers who contact you with a single sentence, most often a “what’s your best price for…?”. There’s no hi, hello, or thank you. It might happen because the individual was short on time, but honestly, showing some courtesy goes a long way.

I’m always a bit careful if the first thing a potential buyer sends is a question about my best offer, with no curtesy whatsoever.

Red flag! This is the buyer that might demand you do more work than agreed upon or pressure you into lowering your rates. Just by looking at the way the buyer communicates, to begin with, you can begin to sort out the ones you’re comfortable working with, and the ones you want to avoid.

Your rates are what they are for a reason. Haggling over price or treating me like a servant is a sure-fire way of getting blocked. This doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate your rate (within reason) if you are working on a long-term project, or the buyer wants you to complete an effortless task compared to what you’re offering in your gig packages. Still, it has must be done respectfully – both in terms of your pricing and the way the buyer treats you. Remember - there’s a big difference between negotiation and demands.

#2 The let’s talk outside of Fiverr-buyer

This might be my number one alarm bell; If they ask you to do work outside of Fiverr, ask for your contact information, demanding to talk on other platforms, or ask you to deliver the work outside of Fiverr, there is a big red alarm bell, a gong, a few bombs, and a loud voice screaming “don’t do it!!” in the back of my head.

First of all, it’s against the Terms of Service. Second, it’s a reason why the buyer wants to avoid Fiverr: these people often wish to circumvent the security that this platform provides in that they have to pay upfront and stick to the terms of service.

In addition to keeping revenue on the platform (after all, Fiverr have to pay their bills, too!), this is one of the main reasons why you’re not allowed to share contact info. If someone tries, they receive my standard reply:

"Unfortunately, asking for or sharing that information is a violation of Fiverr Terms of Service. Since I’m making a living here on Fiverr, I make it a point to follow the guidelines. I’m sure we can work together, but I’ll only deliver and accept orders here. I ask for your understanding in this matter. "

If they ask again, I’ll block them, and most certainly, I won’t do business with them.

Things you can do to avoid bad buyers:

  1. Be specific in your gig descriptions and custom offers. Never make it " easy to misunderstand " - because I damn well guarantee that someone will do just that - whether on purpose or not. Being specific will ensure that people can’t easily take advantage of you being new to the platform, because they can’t claim this and that after the fact.
  2. Don’t sell at 5$. This type of gig almost always attracts the cheapest buyers, and sometimes even the unpleasant ones. If you want to sell your services for 5$, that’s up to you, but I tried, and I’m never going back. I made a 5USD gig, basically offering the same type of service as I do with my 10USD gig, but fewer words included. The result was three bad buyers in a row coming from that gig.
  3. Always be courteous, but firm. Don’t let the buyers treat you like a servant. Be firm about what you’re offering, and what you’re not offering, but do so pleasantly and politely.

I hope this guide has helped you, and I’d love to see your suggestions to avoid bad buyers below!

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I’ve seen buyer requesting 5$ on websites and logos and it’s ridiculous, since I’m new in fiverr I’m ready to make a discount on a product but not 5$ for a product that can make days of work

 

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I’ve seen buyer requesting 5$ on websites and logos and it’s ridiculous, since I’m new in fiverr I’m ready to make a discount on a product but not 5$ for a product that can make days of work

Indeed, this is a returning issue for many new buyers. I experimented a lot with increasing my rates, lowering rates for extras, etc. and I found that a low base price of more than 5USD (for example, 10USD) with required extras for popular services yielded the best results for me.

My pricing starts at 10USD. That ensures I avoid the 5USD buyers, while at the same time making the entry price low enough for the buyers with a small project or limited budget. I then utilize the gig extras to charge more for additional services.

I increase my rates every year to match the average wage growth, but not by increasing my base price; instead, I increase the amount for my most popular extras as needed. I do this based on a calculation of how many orders I’m likely to receive with said extra.

That way, I seem to avoid some of the feared disgruntled client issues, while at the same time increasing my revenue. If I see a drop in one extra that causes me to miss out on income, I’ll adjust as needed. For example, I lowered my broadcast rate from 50 to 35 last year, and that increased my revenue since more people ordered the extra.

So it’s a balance. You want your base price to be low enough to hook the buyers without a big budget, and be visible in search, even though the buyer filters out high-priced sellers, yet high enough so that you avoid the cheapest buyers who are more likely to cause trouble.

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  • 7 months later...

I love the number 1, I never dealt with it yet but I always saw them in buyer request descriptions :rofl:

Indeed! I’m happy to say I never used the buyer requests myself, since it’s very rare for my niche to have any relevant posts there, anyway. But I’ve used it a couple of times as a buyer, and I never liked it. I actually never ended up being happy with what I got through requests, even the well written ones! So I stopped using them and I prefer to manually vet my buyers through search instead.

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Indeed! I’m happy to say I never used the buyer requests myself, since it’s very rare for my niche to have any relevant posts there, anyway. But I’ve used it a couple of times as a buyer, and I never liked it. I actually never ended up being happy with what I got through requests, even the well written ones! So I stopped using them and I prefer to manually vet my buyers through search instead.

I don’t know if it’s common or not in my niche but I must say buyer request is really cancerous, I saw people looking for video editing pro work for 10€ with the famous: “if you’re not able to do this DON’T waste my time”, or “I’m looking for PRO ONLY” (budget: 5€)

It’s clearly another level than my 13 years old kid :rofl:

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On 1/1/2021 at 2:45 PM, psykkopatte said:

I don’t know if it’s common or not in my niche but I must say buyer request is really cancerous, I saw people looking for video editing pro work for 10€ with the famous: “if you’re not able to do this DON’T waste my time”, or “I’m looking for PRO ONLY” (budget: 5€)

It’s clearly another level than my 13 years old kid :rofl:

Haha! Yeah, the level in the requests is a whole new deal. Your 13 year old kid might have been a challenge, but getting anything good to come out of a buyers request is nearly impossible in my opinion. :rofl:

It’s not just for us sellers, either. As a buyer looking for a writer, for example, I’d put “Native Speakers Only” in my request. That would, of course, lead to 200 answers from buyers who are clearly NOT native speakers. They would often go like this:

“dear sir wirting purrfekt inglish is my best side love plz giv me job!”.

At least it’s good entertainment.

😃

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Haha! Yeah, the level in the requests is a whole new deal. Your 13 year old kid might have been a challenge, but getting anything good to come out of a buyers request is nearly impossible in my opinion. :rofl:

It’s not just for us sellers, either. As a buyer looking for a writer, for example, I’d put “Native Speakers Only” in my request. That would, of course, lead to 200 answers from buyers who are clearly NOT native speakers. They would often go like this:

“dear sir wirting purrfekt inglish is my best side love plz giv me job!”.

At least it’s good entertainment.

:smiley:

True :rofl:

Sellers are crazy to answer buyer requests, I never used it but when I watch it I don’t even know if people are actually serious or just trolling or simply don’t know to communicate at all.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 8 months later...

Recently, I received a curt request from a user. Despite their lack of courtesy, I asked for more information.

The adventure before me was setting my spine tingling, hairs on end. Thunder growled in the distance, prophesying an approaching storm.

Suddenly, another behemoth order thundered in, casting a shadow over the rudeness of the first. Tales of this ill-mannered user, their inappropriate demands, and their unsettling reputation echoed through the halls of past sellers.

The foul fusion of a Demandogorgon, Scopoflayer, and Toxic Spider Monster seemed to be unfolding from the Up-Side-Down. 

Read all about them here. 

With a pure heart and the utmost politeness, I apprised the buyer of the unposponable project. The response? A vile tirade accusing me of wasting their time.

The Demscospidermon was expeditiously blocked, their inexcusable conduct echoing into the void.

The saga ends thus, whispering its wisdom: Heed your intuition, scrutinize the historic records of anyone crossing your path. It's a shield against a storm of anguish.

In short: Trust your gut feeling. Vet your buyers. If you feel like something's up, take a step back and re-consider. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I got stuck with a bad buyer and don't know what to do about it. He contacted for design work and asked for sample, I wasn't getting any orders before so I think it's as an opportunity to get one because the buyer ratings were good. Hep liked my work and ask if he get some discount or something. I asked him to get subscription if he want a discount and he subscribed my gig for next three months. First order started and I delivered the work. Then buyer just got ghosted. Order completed automatically. Then he came after a week and asked if he still get any revisions and I said ok (as I think it's a right of buyer to get best of their product). Now it's been 2 weeks and he is still asking for changes in the design, I already have shown him a lots of concepts with same design but he kept saying our team don't like it. 

I'll be obliged if you consider this and give me advice, how to handle this. Thank you for giving this a read 😊🙏

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  • 3 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 5/7/2020 at 11:21 AM, smashradio said:

If you’ve been a seller on Fiverr for some time you’ve probably come across some bad buyers every now and then. Whether it’s someone treating you without the respect you deserve, or someone trying to take advantage of the fact that you’re a new seller, this guide will hopefully come to some use.

It’s by no means a complete guide or magic potion against bad buyers, but if you follow these tips you might be able to avoid some of the bad buyers out there, or at least deal with them if the order already is in your dashboard.

I hope you’ll share your tips and tricks for avoiding this type of buyer below, as I’d love to learn how you guys deal with this as well!

#1 The disrespectful buyer

You know the one I’m talking about. The first message that pops into your inbox might start with “you have to…” or “I want this done but I’m not paying 20USD for it. What’s your best offer?

Or, it might be that they demand free extras. I’ve worked as a waiter, and let me tell you, if the customer asks for a free dessert, they won’t get one. People don’t go to the gas station to fill their tank, demanding a free tire change on the way out.

The same goes for buyers who contact you with a single sentence, most often a “what’s your best price for…?”. There’s no hi, hello, or thank you. It might happen because the individual was short on time, but honestly, showing some courtesy goes a long way.

I’m always a bit careful if the first thing a potential buyer sends is a question about my best offer, with no curtesy whatsoever.

Red flag! This is the buyer that might demand you do more work than agreed upon or pressure you into lowering your rates. Just by looking at the way the buyer communicates, to begin with, you can begin to sort out the ones you’re comfortable working with, and the ones you want to avoid.

Your rates are what they are for a reason. Haggling over price or treating me like a servant is a sure-fire way of getting blocked. This doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate your rate (within reason) if you are working on a long-term project, or the buyer wants you to complete an effortless task compared to what you’re offering in your gig packages. Still, it has must be done respectfully – both in terms of your pricing and the way the buyer treats you. Remember - there’s a big difference between negotiation and demands.

#2 The let’s talk outside of Fiverr-buyer

This might be my number one alarm bell; If they ask you to do work outside of Fiverr, ask for your contact information, demanding to talk on other platforms, or ask you to deliver the work outside of Fiverr, there is a big red alarm bell, a gong, a few bombs, and a loud voice screaming “don’t do it!!” in the back of my head.

First of all, it’s against the Terms of Service. Second, it’s a reason why the buyer wants to avoid Fiverr: these people often wish to circumvent the security that this platform provides in that they have to pay upfront and stick to the terms of service.

In addition to keeping revenue on the platform (after all, Fiverr have to pay their bills, too!), this is one of the main reasons why you’re not allowed to share contact info. If someone tries, they receive my standard reply:

"Unfortunately, asking for or sharing that information is a violation of Fiverr Terms of Service. Since I’m making a living here on Fiverr, I make it a point to follow the guidelines. I’m sure we can work together, but I’ll only deliver and accept orders here. I ask for your understanding in this matter. "

If they ask again, I’ll block them, and most certainly, I won’t do business with them.

Things you can do to avoid bad buyers:

  1. Be specific in your gig descriptions and custom offers. Never make it " easy to misunderstand " - because I damn well guarantee that someone will do just that - whether on purpose or not. Being specific will ensure that people can’t easily take advantage of you being new to the platform, because they can’t claim this and that after the fact.
  2. Don’t sell at 5$. This type of gig almost always attracts the cheapest buyers, and sometimes even the unpleasant ones. If you want to sell your services for 5$, that’s up to you, but I tried, and I’m never going back. I made a 5USD gig, basically offering the same type of service as I do with my 10USD gig, but fewer words included. The result was three bad buyers in a row coming from that gig.
  3. Always be courteous, but firm. Don’t let the buyers treat you like a servant. Be firm about what you’re offering, and what you’re not offering, but do so pleasantly and politely.

I hope this guide has helped you, and I’d love to see your suggestions to avoid bad buyers below!

I've been through with some of these kinds of buyers as a New Seller, but thank God not all of them are the same 80% of the Clients are respectful and show patience and help all the way during the order.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello Fiverr community,

I hope you're all doing well. I've recently encountered a challenging client and I'm looking for advice on how to handle such situations in a professional and effective manner.

What are some strategies you use to manage difficult clients and resolve conflicts? Are there any communication techniques or boundaries you find particularly helpful?

I believe this is a common situation many freelancers face, so any insights or experiences you can share would be invaluable.

Thank you!

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Always be polite. Try to make the client understand that what they are asking is something not in your offered packages if they are asking for things you can not do or asking for more service without increasing payment. In worst case scenario, ask help from Fiverr support. That's all I can say for now since you have not provided any details about your situation. 😐

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