Order Cancellation after Client Sexualized My Work and Unfair Warning

[frida_delange]

Hello Fiverr Community,

I’m Frida, a voiceover artist from Italy, currently dealing with a challenging and distressing situation on Fiverr involving a client from Pakistan. The issue has escalated to an unjust order cancellation and an account warning, and I am seeking guidance and support from the community.

    1.    Initial Client Interaction: I was commissioned for a voiceover project. The client’s initial instructions were vague: “do Spanish part” and “Mexican anccent”.  The script was written without correct grammar and some phrases were a little nonsensical. However I tried my best to deliver (it was about a product for tourists). Disturbingly, when I delivered the voiceover, the client used inappropriate language to describe my work, including “horny”. When I reacted to this feedback, he added also “pissed”. 
    2.    Order Cancellation Request: Due to the client’s unprofessional behavior and unclear instructions, I requested an order cancellation, explaining the situation to Fiverr support.
    3.    Client’s Insistent Requests and Second Revision: The client persistently asked me to withdraw the cancellation, apologizing and almost begging not to ruin their entire project as they would need to find someone else. After several requests, I empathetically agreed to continue, hoping for improved communication (on Saturday night, when I was at my 10th wedding anniversary. I paused the dinner and even my husband helped me out because we thought this client was somewhat stressed and worried). 
    4.    Further Miscommunication and Additional Work: Unfortunately, the client again failed to provide crucial information, neglecting to mention the need for English pronunciation in a primarily Spanish voiceover. This oversight led to the necessity of a second revision.
    5.    Client’s Reaction to Additional Charges: When informed about the additional charge for a second revision (as only one was included) and the need for a commercial license, the client resorted to insults, calling me “greedy” and “rude,” and falsely claimed that I had insulted him. I invited him to point out any instance of me doing so, but he could not and added that I I was trying to robe customers on the platform. 
    6.    Fiverr’s Response: Fiverr support responded by canceling the order in a favor of him (even when I delivered the work twice) and issuing a warning to my account, focusing solely on a technicality in the delivery process, rather than the serious issues of client misconduct (after sending a second brand new voiceover, the client refused the work and I delivered again and again saying  “Client refuses to pay for a third revision and commercial license for his product” without attaching AGAIN the work already delivered. Nothing was mentioned about the behavior of the client, they didn’t look the history of our interactions. Nothing. Only me being punished (what?) .

    7.    Impact on My Professional Standing: This situation has not only caused me undue stress but also jeopardized my imminent advancement to Level 2 on Fiverr, significantly impacting my potential earnings and visibility.

I am considering further action, including legal consultation, due to the client’s behavior and the unjust treatment I received on the platform. The final client is Mexican (he was the one sexualizing my work but the intermediary did all the rest) and my sister-in-law is an attorney at one of the most prestigious law firms in Mexico, so she would be of great assistance in this case and she already told me she would gladly help me out to ask for a compensation to the final client’s company.

Before proceeding, I would greatly appreciate any advice, support, or similar experiences shared by fellow community members.

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my situation.

Best regards,
Frida
 

[strategist_ceo]

15 minutes ago, frida_delange said:

Only me being punished (what?) .

There's often a need for significant communication with the customer service team to ensure they fully understand the issue. They tend to provide basic answers without delving into specific details.

Regarding any legal action, it might not be worthwhile. Implementing any legal plan in Pakistan could be challenging due to enforcement issues.

Moving forward, take this as a learning experience. Make sure to firmly insist on cancellation if a similar situation arises in the future.

[newsmike]

6 hours ago, frida_delange said:

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my situation.

Hi Frida, without even looking I can predict that you are selling at the $5 price point. The problem with $5 gigs is that they attract $5 buyers, who often behave like this.  I suggest you immediately put your prices up to the $15-$20 range.  99% of these issues will disappear, plus you will appear more professional to those who see $5 as way too low to get quality work. As soon as one gets their first 10-15 sales, you need to push price to reflect quality. 

Buona fortuna

[catwriter]

7 minutes ago, newsmike said:

Hi Frida, without even looking I can predict that you are selling at the $5 price point.

I did look, and you're correct.

200 words for $5.

And she has 44 reviews for that gig, all 5 stars, so increasing her prices would make perfect sense.

[mandyzines]

On 12/5/2023 at 4:24 AM, strategist_ceo said:

Moving forward, take this as a learning experience. Make sure to firmly insist on cancellation if a similar situation arises in the future.

And risk the bad review as well as a decrease in exposure and income from doing so.

Edited December 6, 2023 by mandyzines