Need advice from experienced sellers only

[solidgoldextra]

Very interesting conversation. I can’t say I’m an experienced seller, so please bear with me @woofy31. I just had to chime in with my 2 pence.



This seems to be a common problem, and I think it’s down to the perception of Fiverr across the board. E.g.:

1. Some of these people value your work less, because it is $5. I’ve actually had a potential buyer cuss me out, for exactly this reason, then demand that I do the work for free and get payment after delivery.
   
   
2. Some other people expect the the world for $5. Perhaps because that amount of money is a lot to them (I don’t know).
   
   
   
   In either case, it is a mismatch of expectations. No amount of explanations, gig descriptions or salesmanship can help these sort.
   
   
   
   There’s also those who are genuinely jealous of your success on Fiverr, and are trying to take you down. Frankly.
   
   
   
   Across the internet, and on a lot of forums, Fiverr services are derided. The assumption is that Fiverr sellers are “morons, and have very little skill or ability” (I’m quoting from a forum thread that I read). I find this shockingly distasteful, but that is what I’ve discovered on a lot of places online. That explains why some buyers arrive here, expecting to find drooling slaves.
   
   
   
   I have gotten into heated debates (on forums, and even with some people I know offline), trying to explain that in actual fact, Fiverr sellers are extremely talented experts, who are trying to help grassroots businesses.
   
   
   
   In any case, that is where a lot of the bad behavior comes from: misinformation on the internet.
   
   
   
   So, the real question is: what to do?
   
   
   
   My suggestion would be (in no particular order):
   
   
   

1. Stay on top of things. Insist to be contacted before an order is placed. This will give you a chance to screen more than half of those from the defaulting country.
   
   
2. For those who order first, send them a questionnaire, detailing some information that you need from them, before the job can begin. Add this as a requirement in your gig description. A lot of the bad eggs will drop off here too
   
   
   
3. Follow up new orders with a welcome message, and a brief inquiry question. Read their response. This will help you understand the sort of buyer they will be
   
   
   
4. Be prepared to request mutual cancellation of orders that you feel might result in negative feedback. You have to be brave, and don’t be afraid of losing your badge. The whole point of working on Fiverr is to provide personal and financial freedom to you and your family. If you’re going to lose hair over bad clients, would you not be better off looking for a day job, where you get a bigger paycheck? So please, keep your sanity. Don’t be afraid to lose your badge and ratings, if it means peace of mind and happiness in your work
   
   
   
5. Try to avoid negative feedback, by whatever means necessary. Even if it means gifting the service.
   
   
   
6. Take some time off work. Even if it is for 1 day. Charge your batteries, and come back ready to go.
   
   
   
7. Start looking for other ways to promote your Fiverr gigs. Perhaps on forums where your work will be appreciated, and also on social media. Look for alternative traffic to your gig. Don’t depend on the internal Fiverr rating system, only.
   
   
   
   I know you’ve probably done these things already, but just thought I’d mention them.
   
   
   
   All the best, and keep your head up!

[viser1000]

Reply to @woofy31: Whoa, it seems you are not alone, I googled ‘fiverr ip trace’ and this thread came up: http://forum.fiverr.com/discussion/12953. This was last year and it seems the seller is now out of comission. Man, this is some scary stuff here.



I can’t help but feel sad for you. I know how it’s like to feel helpless and without cash for sustenance. If you’ve already contacted the Fiverr team maybe they have already something to help you fix this? Maybe they can run an ip trace like the seller in that link suggested and block all orders from that area? (If that’s possible)



Just thinking… Maybe you’ve done something bad to a certain person (something that you might not be aware that you did…) as sometimes we do things that is ok to us but might be hurtful or offensive to others due to some cultural barrier. Have you tried apologizing to this person? Or maybe ask them what it was that you’ve done… Maybe research that country’s background in case that might have something to do with it. Good luck…

[woofy31]

Reply to @viser1000:

viser1000 said: Maybe you've done something bad to a certain person

I never did anything wrong to anyone.. I'm always being polite, friendly, sincere, although it's so hard when buyers are the exact opposite.. but if people see my high ratings as bad for them, then I'm afraid I cannot control their envy :(

viser1000 said: Have you tried apologizing to this person

Even when I feel that a buyer could misinterpret my words due to their poor English, I try to apologize just to be sure that they don't misunderstand me..

viser1000 said: Maybe research that country's background in case that might have something to do with it

I did research the country's background, and a worrying fact came out: it looks like most people from that country have a tendency to be jumpy and aggressive with strangers, looking to take advantage of others, and overall behave badly :(

[woofy31]

Reply to @solidgoldextra:

solidgoldextra said: There's also those who are genuinely jealous of your success on Fiverr, and are trying to take you down

First of all, thank you so much for taking a bit of your time to write to me and try to help me :) Regarding what you said above, they are jealous of nothing, because having high ratings doesn't mean to be successful, especially since I barely make survival money and can't afford anything else for me and my family.. so they're jealous for nothing.

solidgoldextra said: Don't be afraid to lose your badge and ratings, if it means peace of mind and happiness in your work

Actually, losing my badge and ratings would mean the exact opposite: more stress and pressure for not being able to bring money to my family.. as for happiness, never had any chance of actually feeling it :|

solidgoldextra said: would you not be better off looking for a day job, where you get a bigger paycheck?

The problem where I live is that the real day jobs are so poorly paid that you can't even survive most of the time.. the jobs you are talking about are in a city that's far from where I live, and moving there with my family is really hard not to mention that we can't really afford moving out :(

solidgoldextra said: Try to avoid negative feedback, by whatever means necessary. Even if it means gifting the service

Always done that, however a handful of people who left bad feedback 2 years ago don't want to remove the feedback, not even after offering them more than one gift - that is just mean of them :(

It's been 2 years, my work has improved so much and yet other buyers see that old feedback that is now irrelevant and thus affect my sales :(

solidgoldextra said: Take some time off work. Even if it is for 1 day

I'd do that more often if it weren't for the consequences.. 1 day of pausing my gigs equals 1-3 days without sales until my gigs go back up in search results :( so the more I take time off, the more I lose money, and I can't have that going on.. It feels like slavery sometimes, but that's the only thing I can do for my family, and I'm holding on to this job as much as I can..