Unfair Evaluation

[abbas25]

Okay so I got an order 2 weeks ago, the buyer placed the order without discussing the limitations. She wanted to automate something using the free plan provided by IFTT. But the free plan didn't support what she needed, we both agreed on cancelling the order so I initiated the order cancelation request. She accepted it and the order was cancelled. BUT as soon as the order was cancelled, my order completion rate dropped to 67% and now it is 50%.

How is this a just evaluation when something that's requested by the buyer isn't doable? OR if the buyer isn't open to suggestions? Why do we, the sellers always have to pay the price? Why can't Fiverr take into account issue like this when evaluating a profile? It's just a bot looking at order completed vs orders placed and then assigning each profile a number, if that number falls below the threshold, you're ripped off of your badges and levels and you're left there with nothing for a month (or more) FOR NO REASON!! Something that you spend months or even years on achieving is taken by a bot FOR NO REASON! 

 

How is taking badges and decrementing the scores just when you only have ONE option, cancel the order.. when you know that cancelling the order would cause a deduction in your scores and also you'll be ripped off of your badge and levels, something that most of the hardworking people here spend months and years to earn.

 

Oh and for almost 2 weeks I couldn't find a way to submit a support ticket because the Support page in the footer only has some help docs which don't help with situations like this and the My Support Requests has no option to submit a new ticker, the only way is to open a previous ticket and there's a button to add a new one which doesn't make sense (I saw that button today). I think the button should be on the main page where all the support tickets are listed. Also, the Contact Us button at the bottom right on that page has a bug, when you click it, the button disappears (I tried 3 different browsers and also my phone - same issue).

 

What do you guys have to say about this? Shouldn't Fiverr change it's policies about profile evaluation or order cancellation?

[katakatica]

Last time I marked 'the buyer ordered by mistake' I got back the x% that was taken away when I cancelled the order within a few hours. CS does help though (I'm on my phone and can never find the direct link but they've also helped me twice before.)

That being said - you have a 50% rate right now - that means you've cancelled half of your orders (and because it was at 67% before I'm assuming you didn't only have 2 orders in the past two months. This particular cancelation will not change much because your rate is low (of course if it's proven to be a mistake your 60 days to get back to 100% percent will be shorter for sure so it's still worth it to try. 

I do cancel orders from time to time (often mistakes or just things I don't manage to get done (not a time but a 'this is not something I can do' thing.)

Fiverr DOES need to revise the system - that's a fact. But it IS possible to keep the rate up. Of course if all of your cancellations were like this then that's not your fault but then they could have been 'negated' earlier on.

Cancellations aren't good for anyone - of course there are   scammers around to keep an eye out for but sometimes we as sellers make mistakes too, I certainly have. Plenty of times!

(My point is, keeping your order completion rate up helps in these cases if for some reason the cancelled order ends up counting. )

[therussmorris]

This is an interesting topic of discussion. As a newer seller, I've been fortunate enough to not have the need to cancel any orders yet. 

A quick question, I'm assuming it's possible for the buyer to also cancel? In these circumstances, is it better for the buyer to cancel the order as it was their mistake rather than the seller risk reducing their percentage? Or is that no different to marking the 'buyer ordered by mistake' button and doing it yourself? I guess in a time sensitive situation you don't want to leave the buyer to cancel when an order is active and time is running down?

 

 

[maezma85]

 

It is a very interesting topic that you just raised here. I think the cancellation fee should only apply when the problem is with the seller. Many times it happens that buyers do not even read the description of the ad in detail and then request things that they did not buy and you have two options: Give away work or cancel the order. Either way, the seller always ends up hurt.

[theratypist]

47 minutes ago, therussmorris said:

Or is that no different to marking the 'buyer ordered by mistake' button and doing it yourself?

It's no different, even if the buyer or the seller initiates the cancellation and the other party accepts the cancellation. Only through contacting CS and explaining the situation properly (with a valid reason such as buyer ordered by mistake) will it not affect your order completion rate.

[vickiespencer]

7 hours ago, therussmorris said:

is it better for the buyer to cancel the order as it was their mistake rather than the seller risk reducing their percentage?

I like to do the cancellation myself. Then I am certain it gets done before the clock runs down. If I have plenty of time I do not cancel through the resolution center. I go right to CS and ask them to cancel it without affecting my stats when the buyer orders something I do not do or can not do because it breaks TOS. CS usually gets back to me in 12 to 24 hours. Every time that the cancellation was due to buyer error my stats have not taken a hit. 

Also, if you do go through the resolution center be careful how you word the reason why. When I was a newbie the buyer got angry because "you made it sound like it was my fault" — which it was. The buyer would not accept the cancellation until I reworded it so it did not look like her fault, which is another reason I like to go directly to CS and not use the resolution center. 

[therussmorris]

That's really great advice @vickiespencer. Thanks!