FIrst time using - tips on how not to waste my time and money

[stgap1111]

Hello!
I need help or maybe hope that my first experience is not the norm for Fiverr.

I just put my first order in for a flyer thinking it would be easy and I could save some time and help someone else out that could whip out a quick easy one page marketing flyer.

I was totally shocked and appalled at what I got back.
The person I selected said they were creative and good with marketing.

What I got was cut and paste of the info I had said I needed on flyer. No eye appeal layout. Nothing. Just basically took what I sent and cut & pasted on a background. No bullet points. No clean lines. No eye appeal. Then was told I had one opportunity to edit and essentially design my own flyer to be eye appealing and marketable. The product order is totally unusable and not even worth my time to edit as i would be the one doing the work and creating it while paying someone else to let me do it for them under their name.

Is this the normal experience?
How do I avoid this from happening again or do I just cut my losses and not use fiverr again.

[leannelrivers]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you had this experience. Fiverr is full of talent but full of not so great gigs too. Always assess the work samples the seller has on their profile, what their reviews are like and how much they are charging before you go with a seller.

[eliiclaire]

I am really sorry about your experience. If the seller had items in their gallery that are higher quality than what you received, that is against Fiverr’s Terms of Service, so you can cancel the order and report it to Fiverr.
Honestly, the best way to avoid a repeat experience like this is to look through the seller’s gig/profile carefully and then message them in a sort of “interview” to ensure they can offer the service you need before placing the order.
Edit: You can also just cancel the order regardless of what the seller has in their gallery, so you can get your money back.

[looseink]

It is unfair of you to colour us all with the same brush based on one experience.

But what do I know?

I’m sure you’ve NEVER had it happen to you.

I’m saddened by your reaction.

Sure, the Seller you chose let you down.

That’s not good.

But in case you didn’t know, there are thousands more freelancers here who would blow your mind and contribute to your business success.

But, you’ll never see that since you view Fiverr in the way you do now.

Good luck finding what you need.

Lucky for you, Fiverr is not your only option.

[stgap1111]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you had this experience. Fiverr is full of talent but full of not so great gigs too. Always assess the work samples the seller has on their profile, what their reviews are like and how much they are charging before you go with a seller.

Thanks for the encouragement. I looked at the samples … definitely not same style of work sent.

[stgap1111]

I am really sorry about your experience. If the seller had items in their gallery that are higher quality than what you received, that is against Fiverr’s Terms of Service, so you can cancel the order and report it to Fiverr.

Honestly, the best way to avoid a repeat experience like this is to look through the seller’s gig/profile carefully and then message them in a sort of “interview” to ensure they can offer the service you need before placing the order.

Edit: You can also just cancel the order regardless of what the seller has in their gallery, so you can get your money back.

THanks for the encouragement and information. I checked the shown work examples … which is why I was definitely shocked and very disappointed. Appreciate your comment.

[stgap1111]

It is unfair of you to colour us all with the same brush based on one experience.

But what do I know?

I’m sure you’ve NEVER had it happen to you.

I’m saddened by your reaction.

Sure, the Seller you chose let you down.

That’s not good.

But in case you didn’t know, there are thousands more freelancers here who would blow your mind and contribute to your business success.

But, you’ll never see that since you view Fiverr in the way you do now.

Good luck finding what you need.

Lucky for you, Fiverr is not your only option.

Wow … glad I had the positive feedback and comments of assistance before I got your put down. Obviously you have some issues to deal with. Hopefully you don’t slime other people who are reaching out looking for positive feedback and assistance on how to locate good connections for work. When someone is looking for positive feedback and assistance … you probably should not respond with direct put downs and slams.

[teachernita]

Hi! I have had a very similar experience. I wanted a website built, I chose someone who had about 20 people rating him 5 stars with no bad ratings.

He was not a Level 1 or 2 sellers, but I thought I would give him a try. I was also limited for cash at the time and his offer was low. (My own fault!)

He was useless and delivered me an unfinished website, so I immediately canceled the order. This infuriated him and he said I wasn’t being fair. (I was fair as he had not completed the website, only the front page, with no changes as I had asked). He ended up finishing the website with a lot missing and I ended up paying him and finding another website builder to fix his mess.

There are professionals on Fiverr and I don’t mind paying for their services, but there are the odd person who should never be working on Fiverr. They are doing something they are not good at.

I am now very careful when choosing a seller. I look at the sellers rating, Level 1 and up. I look at when they started using Fiverr (how many years their account has been opened). I also only choose someone with excellent 5 star ratings.

I know this makes it difficult for new comers, but I have had more than one bad deal!

[stgap1111]

Hi! I have had a very similar experience. I wanted a website built, I chose someone who had about 20 people rating him 5 stars with no bad ratings.

He was not a Level 1 or 2 sellers, but I thought I would give him a try. I was also limited for cash at the time and his offer was low. (My own fault!)

He was useless and delivered me an unfinished website, so I immediately canceled the order. This infuriated him and he said I wasn’t being fair. (I was fair as he had not completed the website, only the front page, with no changes as I had asked). He ended up finishing the website with a lot missing and I ended up paying him and finding another website builder to fix his mess.

There are professionals on Fiverr and I don’t mind paying for their services, but there are the odd person who should never be working on Fiverr. They are doing something they are not good at.

I am now very careful when choosing a seller. I look at the sellers rating, Level 1 and up. I look at when they started using Fiverr (how many years their account has been opened). I also only choose someone with excellent 5 star ratings.

I know this makes it difficult for new comers, but I have had more than one bad deal!

Thanks for the information. I just found out I could cancel the order instead have waiting for the seller to do it which she did not do as it just closed and charged. I am going to be needing a web page designer, maybe I should get your recommendations.

[teachernita]

Thanks for the information. I just found out I could cancel the order instead have waiting for the seller to do it which she did not do as it just closed and charged. I am going to be needing a web page designer, maybe I should get your recommendations.

I don’t know if I am allowed to give you names in this chat. The website designer I was using and that was good is no longer working on Fiverr and I think he must have done something wrong and his account was canceled. If you choose someone choose a Level 2 seller and higher with 5 star ratings.

[ashiqraazz]

Hi! I have had a very similar experience. I wanted a website built, I chose someone who had about 20 people rating him 5 stars with no bad ratings.

He was not a Level 1 or 2 sellers, but I thought I would give him a try. I was also limited for cash at the time and his offer was low. (My own fault!)

He was useless and delivered me an unfinished website, so I immediately canceled the order. This infuriated him and he said I wasn’t being fair. (I was fair as he had not completed the website, only the front page, with no changes as I had asked). He ended up finishing the website with a lot missing and I ended up paying him and finding another website builder to fix his mess.

There are professionals on Fiverr and I don’t mind paying for their services, but there are the odd person who should never be working on Fiverr. They are doing something they are not good at.

I am now very careful when choosing a seller. I look at the sellers rating, Level 1 and up. I look at when they started using Fiverr (how many years their account has been opened). I also only choose someone with excellent 5 star ratings.

I know this makes it difficult for new comers, but I have had more than one bad deal!

Sorry to hear that kind of bad situation you faced…

But i love to work with your projects, cause your behavior & communications skills excellent …

[benedictrm]

I am sorry to hear about your frustration.

I understand Mr Ink’s commentary. It may have been a bit blunter, or perhaps pointed, than is usual for him (normally I am the one who seems to offend people) but I would ask you to understand his point as one (and sadly there is more than one) bad seller does not make all sellers bad.

There are plenty of good sellers (and I believe Mr Ink to be one of them) so tossing everyone into a basket labeled "Bad’ is very frustrating for those of us who are then mislabeled/misjudged and therefore lose all opportunity for work (to feed our families) - I thought society was supposed to be doing less labeling, not more.

Now I note no mention of price. This is where I normally upset people:
More often than not, when we find out what budget was set for these failed tasks due to bad seller conversations, we find that the budget indicated a not fit for purpose result. In other words, the buyer attempted to buy a Ferrari for $5.

While it would be nice to say that if you saw an advert that said you will get a Ferrari that is perfectly red & fast for $5, we all know that if a real Ferrari is $250,000 that $5 is just not enough to get anywhere near the right outcomes. This is the essence of Buyer Beware and while the law discourages dishonest sellers, it also encourages buyers to avoid such sellers as no one ever buying from them (no matter how pretty the brochure) discourages these people more than any rule (that they intend to break).

Please, have another go. Follow the advice above to talk to sellers after really looking at who they are (not who they want you to think they aren’t). Also, budget closer to “real world” pricing. If a job would cost $550 from the person at the local shops, allow closer to that. $5 or $50 will not equal proper pricing therefore ≠ not proper results.

I hope you can find the right solution here.

🙂

[looseink]

I am sorry to hear about your frustration.

I understand Mr Ink’s commentary. It may have been a bit blunter, or perhaps pointed, than is usual for him (normally I am the one who seems to offend people) but I would ask you to understand his point as one (and sadly there is more than one) bad seller does not make all sellers bad.

There are plenty of good sellers (and I believe Mr Ink to be one of them) so tossing everyone into a basket labeled "Bad’ is very frustrating for those of us who are then mislabeled/misjudged and therefore lose all opportunity for work (to feed our families) - I thought society was supposed to be doing less labeling, not more.

Now I note no mention of price. This is where I normally upset people:

More often than not, when we find out what budget was set for these failed tasks due to bad seller conversations, we find that the budget indicated a not fit for purpose result. In other words, the buyer attempted to buy a Ferrari for $5.

While it would be nice to say that if you saw an advert that said you will get a Ferrari that is perfectly red & fast for $5, we all know that if a real Ferrari is $250,000 that $5 is just not enough to get anywhere near the right outcomes. This is the essence of Buyer Beware and while the law discourages dishonest sellers, it also encourages buyers to avoid such sellers as no one ever buying from them (no matter how pretty the brochure) discourages these people more than any rule (that they intend to break).

Please, have another go. Follow the advice above to talk to sellers after really looking at who they are (not who they want you to think they aren’t). Also, budget closer to “real world” pricing. If a job would cost $550 from the person at the local shops, allow closer to that. $5 or $50 will not equal proper pricing therefore ≠ not proper results.

I hope you can find the right solution here.

🙂

Very well said.

Your posts are spot on!

[leannelrivers]

Thanks for the encouragement. I looked at the samples … definitely not same style of work sent.

Hey,

It’s understandable that you’re put after your first experience being a bad one. Once bitten twice shy. It’s an open market place so it does happen. But Fiverr is full of extraordinary talent and if your deadline allows you time to browse it’s definitely best to look at a few sellers and narrow them down for your needs.

Many great sellers sell work starting at $5 but in reality, not many people can afford to work for that which is why it’s not just a $5 platform anymore regardless of the name Fiverr.

I’m in no way suggesting that all low priced sellers are intentionally providing work at a lower standard than is acceptable, people want their shot and they want to make money. Having said that, I’m cautious of low priced work. I’m mainly a seller here but I have bought services and always gone for people with at least a couple of reviews and prices a little higher. If they’re low priced but I love their work, I’ve given them a tip.

As for samples, if a seller has no reviews then there is no way to know if the samples are genuine and if you’ll get the same standard. I’m not a fan of asking for free work up front as a test because I don’t appreciate that as a seller.

It’s a tough one because every one of us here started with nothing but some samples and we needed the trust of buyers in order to grow our businesses.

[rrgraph]

I thought it was normal for my first client to think that I was a bad seller even with a profile that I’ve been building for quite a while and with thousands of good reviews. Because basically, this is an open platform for either talented designers or bad designers.

Then the easiest thing a buyer can do is look at the reviews, besides how many times a seller gets repeat orders from a buyer’s review, that is an easy measure to see. And there are many other things that can be seen from the quality of a seller from his profile

[miiila]

Looking for happy repeat or regular buyers in the seller’s reviews indeed is a good tip.

Sellers who constantly deliver good work will usually have them, while some customers might buy, would never buy again, and yet leave a good review, because they feel the seller might have had a bad day, they don’t want the bad feeling of maybe ruining their profile, they are too kind to leave a bad review, whatever.

Of course, there are categories/gigs that cater more to one-offs, and where it might be harder to get repeat customers, let’s say, someone might only need a brand name once in their life (although even in this example, there are customers who’ll need more, and there are also resellers, or agencies ordering from Fiverr sellers - you might be in for a surprise if you ordered a service “somewhere around the corner” in person and would somehow learn who actually did the job), but I think the overwhelming amount of sellers who really know their job will have at least some repeat buyers.

This is not failproof, of course.
Depending on the service, there might be buyers who receive bad work but leave good reviews and keep coming back because they either can’t evaluate the work, or have low standards, or a low budget, can’t or don’t want to spend more for better quality, …
And obviously, if a seller is new and or hasn’t had enough customers yet, you might not find reviews by repeat or regular customers, but they might still be great and you might miss out on them, but if you want to reduce your risk of being disappointed, it’s certainly a good method to look for sellers with satisfied regular customers.

Personally, for example, when I wanted a logo, pretty important thing, and had been satisfied with one sellers’s job, I hired the same seller for another important job, while I’m up for “taking risks” by testing a service by a seller with few or no reviews, if their profile and everything convinces me enough to do so, when I need something not so important or not so expensive. Depending on the result, I’d then hire the same seller again, maybe also for more important or expensive work, or not.

Depending on what you need, it can absolutely make sense to invest some time and money in finding the right seller/s and sticking with them as far as possible (good sellers tend to be busy), hence the tendency of good sellers = return customers.

[basicolors]

@benedictrm, very true to your point about correlation - price of project and quality of project. As I understand from other users’ responses - buyers are choosing a seller by their rating and time they spent working on the platform. Yes, there is some logic to this, but in reality it doesn’t work properly. I often look at the gigs of other sellers and among first and second level sellers I see not seldom works that are much worse than that of sellers without a level. How can it happen that a seller with a low product quality reaches a higher level? It’s very easy to explain - there is huge demand for $5 services regardless of their quality, so $5 sellers get to the next level with their mass deliveries, but the gig’s cost and low quality of deliveries remain the same. I realize that looking for the right seller by clicking through dozens of gigs is time consuming, but it’s worth it, trust me.

As for me personally, I decided initially to do an honest business. I put a 100 percent on each order, and my prices will never be at the level of 5 dollars. Yes, I will reach level 1 not in the first month, but it will be a true first level.

[looseink]

Wow … glad I had the positive feedback and comments of assistance before I got your put down. Obviously you have some issues to deal with. Hopefully you don’t slime other people who are reaching out looking for positive feedback and assistance on how to locate good connections for work. When someone is looking for positive feedback and assistance … you probably should not respond with direct put downs and slams.

Considering you “slimed” all Fiverr freelancers with your OP, I suppose you figured all of us were going to shudder in fear that a Buyer was seeking “tips on how not to waste my time and money.”

I have 40+ years of experience in Media/Marketing.

I’m not one of the types of freelancers you nailed as providing you with a “product order (that) is totally unusable and not even worth my time to edit…”

So, like it or not, I’m responding with my opinion, which I am entitled to have and share.

If you thought you could get freelancers in your corner so you could rant a little more about the poor quality work you received from ONE freelancer, then I think you are sadly mistaken.

I take posts like yours seriously as you have grouped us all into the same category.

That’s not fair to any of us.

And I don’t much care if you dislike my opinion or not.

[gongor32]

Tip! If you want good quality and cheap service. Try new sellers. Look at their profile, gigs then purchase their service with 5,10 dollars it’s cheap. You can try 5,6 of them if it’s not your liking you can leave review or a maybe cancel. Most of them or one of them will do good job give, then you have found good gig with cheap price. They are willing to do best they can. Instead of someone with 1k purchase.