Have you ever been asked to cover the 5.5% fiverr fee by the buyer?

[lenasemenkova]

Did you do it? How common is it? 

 

I prefer smaller orders (safety reasons, easier to manage, quicker to finish). But I started to experiment with more complex projects this year (a few hundred bucks, nothing fancy). 

 

This is the second time this issue comes up. The buyer just goes: aha!, you said it was X but it *actually* is X + 5.5%, you sneaky liar.

The bigger the order is the more noticeable 5.5% addition would be, I guess. 

 

The first time I just withdrew the offer and let the buyer go because we only live once and I have zero time to spend arguing about $17.5.

 

Now it’s a bigger project and we spent a looooot of time discussing it. It’d be a bigger waste of time to just drop it. 

[Seven]

I had same experience for once. And I let the customer go away as that 5.5% is nothing related to the deal between a freelancer and a customer.

That's mostly a charge related to using the platform service.

Freelancers already deal with Fiverr 20% and same way customers had to deal with fiverr with their 5/5.5% charge.

 

I believe when a customer ask to cover that fees by freelancer, it means more critical situation coming along with the project soon from the customer.

[frank_d]

53 minutes ago, lenasemenkova said:

Did you do it? How common is it? 

 

I prefer smaller orders (safety reasons, easier to manage, quicker to finish). But I started to experiment with more complex projects this year (a few hundred bucks, nothing fancy). 

 

This is the second time this issue comes up. The buyer just goes: aha!, you said it was X but it *actually* is X + 5.5%, you sneaky liar.

The bigger the order is the more noticeable 5.5% addition would be, I guess. 

 

The first time I just withdrew the offer and let the buyer go because we only live once and I have zero time to spend arguing about $17.5.

 

Now it’s a bigger project and we spent a looooot of time discussing it. It’d be a bigger waste of time to just drop it. 

It’s not that common.

I sell $5k+ projects often and no one complains about the buyer’s fee, they understand cost of doing business.

Some have asked for clarification and I happily explain what it is.

I wouldn’t cover the fee if asked, not sure I would even take on the project if such a red flag appeared.

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by frank_d
Typo

[Alex.M]

53 minutes ago, lenasemenkova said:

Did you do it? How common is it? 

 

not common at all , never happened to me and I would refuse if someone would ask that , we already pay 20% to Fiverr , i'd avoid those kind of buyers

[moikchap]

Those buyers must be from jurisdictions where the sales tax is included in the aisle price rather than added at the register.
I've never once thought "Wait, this is way higher than they said", but I live in an area where 15% sales tax is added at the register, so I'm acclimated to a big jump at the last second.

[smashradio]

3 hours ago, lenasemenkova said:

Did you do it? How common is it? 

No. A buyer asked me about this once. I explained that Fiverr is already charging us 20% of our earnings, and that I'm not willing to work for less than my usual rate. 

A buyer fee is a buyer fee, not a seller fee. It's not a me-problem and to be honest, this is a red flag. If the buyer isn't willing to pay a small fee to Fiverr, you're probably dealing with a penny-pincher. I don't work with those. 

Edited July 10, 2022 by smashradio

[olyasr]

It happened once, it was like: You said "X", there is a fee, so send me an offer for "X - 5.5%".  It's funny because the order was under 50$. I explained, that a buyer fee should be paid by buyers, and I will pay the sellers fee.

He already had a lot of reviews as a buyer. It was probably a scheme that had worked before. But I decided to refuse

[lenasemenkova]

18 hours ago, smashradio said:

you're probably dealing with a penny-pincher

You’re probably right about that, the buyer is currently in communication with CS to figure out why Fiverr’s USD to EUR conversion is so wrong comparing to his personal calculations.

1 hour ago, olyasr said:

It was probably a scheme that had worked before.

If it *is* a tactic, it’s an effective one. Everything comes to a screeching halt seconds before the offer gets accepted and the blame comes in. “Oh I’ve been fooled, I’ve been deceived...” 

I’m so putting up a consultation gig after this. I wasted time to get a comprehensive brief together. 

20 hours ago, moikchap said:

Those buyers must be from jurisdictions where the sales tax is included in the aisle price rather than added at the register.

Right. 20% of fees is a bigger slap than 5%, I can understand it somewhat. 5% if a bit insulting.

I don't know the amount, the buyer's not telling me yet and I can't ask because "privacy". I just know that the amount is "wrong". 

[smashradio]

10 hours ago, lenasemenkova said:

You’re probably right about that, the buyer is currently in communication with CS to figure out why Fiverr’s USD to EUR conversion is so wrong comparing to his personal calculations.

Lol. 

Yeah that sounds about right. I would just block the individual right away. Run, Lena, run. 

[psykkopatte]

I never faced this situation but just once someone asked the question and I replied that this is fiverr fees, but your buyer sounds really unprofessionnal.

[moikchap]

>Penny pincher arguing forex with CS

This reminds me of another "favourite quote" which I can't find an attribution for, but I've been told is common in engineering circles.

"If you want it to cost a tenth as much, remove 90% of the material."

That buyer would probably be better off by re-planning his tasks so they take less work and can get an easier quote to handle, so they don't need to invest time in chasing down a nickel on the dollar. But now it also makes me wonder if he's from a LCOL part of the EU where $17.50 is a meaningful amount.

[anniejenkinson]

I always detail the 5.5% fee at the same time as advising buyers about the project price. I give my calculations, then detail the fees I pay, explaining that 'although I will input exactly X as the fee (of which I receive 80% and Fiverr retains 20%), please be aware that due to the exchange rate and your buyer's fee of 5.5%, the total will be slightly more but the extra goes to the Fiverr platform and I have no control over this'.

Buyers have never had a problem or queried it. Most projects are $1800-$3200.

I would not cover the 5.5% if requested to do so as that fee has nothing to do with me.

[miiila]

Never, so far. But like Annie, I sometimes mention the buyer fee - not that it's my job, as it's in the ToS, which they should have read, but, you know..., if I have the feeling it might be a stumbling stone, like the buyer is pretty new, or generally doesn't seem to have a good idea of how Fiverr works. 

The best reaction probably would be, "Sure, gladly, let's swap Fiverr fees, I'll take your 5.5% buyer fee, and you my 20% seller fee, let me update the offer." (If you don't want to work with them anymore now anyway, it's best to withdraw the original offer quickly, as they might accept it post-haste; if they'd accept the new offer, they may be a bit stingy, but have a sense of humour and be a good sport, after all, but, well, they might also just be more vengeful than stingy, and plotting a revenge feedback, you never know, that's why Fiverr is so much fun, innit. ;))

[lenasemenkova]

On 7/11/2022 at 10:04 PM, moikchap said:

But now it also makes me wonder if he's from a LCOL part of the EU

Germany. The previous guy was from Scotland. 

Could be a budget thing. They approved the number I gave, put it in all presentations, got the funding, shook hands on it, then got a slightly different number.

On 7/12/2022 at 10:09 AM, miiila said:

I sometimes mention the buyer fee - not that it's my job, as it's in the ToS, which they should have read, but, you know...

I keep forgetting buyer fee even exists. 🙂

Turned the offer off, won’t be blocking the buyer just yet, though. I’m curious about the whole currency rate conundrum.