Understanding how Fiverr handles cancellations

[mateusbl]

9 hours ago, visualstudios said:

The real dread is revisions and extensions

100% all the times I check the order because the buyer disappeared, what I discover is that the buyer extended the order for 8 days... and Fiverr did not sent the notification of extension of time.

Most of the cases the buyer extend the order for 8 days, they disappear and the order is marked as auto-complete.

[katakatica]

7 hours ago, maitasun said:

Nonsense. There's no way to implement this unless the cancellation is done before delivery. Once an order is delivered, it is immediately available for download.

On 10/28/2024 at 9:14 PM, donnovan86 said:

But what if - (this might only work in theory, but it COULD work, it would just take extra resources from Fiverr, for sure) customers can only VIEW their files before they accept (or reject) an order? For example - if writers are told to upload PDFs only and the site is on view-only (they can't screenshot, download or copy the text) - if they choose to cancel, their only option would be... retyping the whole doc, which, well...

No one wants to do all that, right?

Obviously, this isn't a foolproof method and might not work in some niches (it works with art/writing, but it's limited, of course, people can still use external devices to take photos, etc.), but it could at least help? 

Then again, we are on the internet.

A lot of the cancellations I've had made very little sense.

(One interesting example I can have is people asking for outlines, me making sure that's what they wanted, them saying yes and then them going 'but... this isn't a full story... This has happened several times, so... )

 

[mateusbl]

7 hours ago, maitasun said:

How on earth will impeding the order from being downloaded is going to protect your work from being used once the buyer got their file(s)?????

True. If I cancel the order I don't care if the user still have access to it or not, authough can be unfair, is better just move on. Is worthless waste more time with these rare cases of buyers who disrespect you as a Seller.

[donnovan86]

5 hours ago, katakatica said:

But what if - (this might only work in theory, but it COULD work, it would just take extra resources from Fiverr, for sure) customers can only VIEW their files before they accept (or reject) an order? For example - if writers are told to upload PDFs only and the site is on view-only (they can't screenshot, download or copy the text) - if they choose to cancel, their only option would be... retyping the whole doc, which, well...

 

That's a great idea too, but they should also be fully inacessible once the order is canceled. Because they could view the file, mark the order as complete, go to CS and say it was a mistake, as they wanted to cancel. People that cancel are very manipulative..  The idea is, they have to do something and not just allow scammers to cancel left and right, while also offering them unlimited access to the files after the fact. If there are other ideas, sure, I was just starting a conversation on this topic. And yeah, graying out any files and not making them downloadable should be something Fiverr does. But most likely that will never happen. People can still order 20x the gig package if they want to, and you can't stop that. Even if sites way smaller than Fiverr have that option. 

5 hours ago, mateusbl said:

Is worthless waste more time with these rare cases of buyers who disrespect you as a Seller.

I bet you would care if the order is in the hundreds of dollars range and you spent quite a bit of time. If it's a $5, $10, $15 gig, fine. But when it comes to larger orders, those targeted by these scammers, that becomes an issue. You obviously don't want to lose money and also end up having that person use your stuff. I agree, for smaller stuff, it's not worth the effort. But I still find it unethical that buyers can have access to files even years after they canceled an order. It's not ok, no matter how you put it. They never paid for that, and they shouldn't have unlimited access to those files, right? 

[sujoydew]

On 10/29/2024 at 1:05 AM, Kesha said:

Finally, before closing out an order, check in with the buyer that they are satisfied with the results. Remind them that you’re available for any further revisions or assistance. Some buyers don’t always feel comfortable expressing their dissatisfaction, so being proactive and letting them know you're open to feedback can go a long way in preventing cancellations. 

I hope, following these lines can help us to minimize the order cancellation. Thank you! @Kesha

[rumonmrb]

Do you think after canceling the opportunity to leave a review is fair enough? As they got their money back completely. A canceling 1star review impacts hugely on my account. After that, I have no work in my Gig.

[mateusbl]

18 hours ago, donnovan86 said:

They never paid for that, and they shouldn't have unlimited access to those files, right? 

This Topic only show the dissatisfaction and how failure is the Cancellation System of Fiverr, there's no protection for Sellers.

[donnovan86]

16 minutes ago, mateusbl said:

This Topic only show the dissatisfaction and how failure is the Cancellation System of Fiverr, there's no protection for Sellers.

Well, it will always be up to the platform's discretion. And realistically, they will side with the buyer a lot of the time unless it's clearly the buyer's fault. Because hey, the buyer is the one paying and if he's not happy, how can you shove a bad service/product down their throat? That's why they encourage us, sellers, to avoid cancellations. And I always try to avoid that. But there will always be the random dude asking for a cancellation without any revision or any reasoning behind it..

 

[Kesha]

On 10/28/2024 at 4:14 PM, donnovan86 said:

Kesha, here's a suggestion I have.

What if whenever the order gets canceled, the buyer is unable to download or access delivery files uploaded by the sellers. They should automatically be grayed out and not downloadable when the order gets canceled. That way, our work is protected and not used even if the buyer already got the file. Sure, it would be useless in the case of writers where the buyer already downloaded and saw the document, but I am sure it will help in the case of many niches. At least it would be one way to fight scammers... 

That's a good suggestion, @donnovan86! I will definitely pass it along to the product team.  🙌

[Kesha]

On 10/28/2024 at 9:34 PM, iharismehmood said:

@Kesha 

This creates a challenging situation for freelancers, as maintaining account ratings is crucial. When everything rests in the buyer's hands, it can leave freelancers feeling frustrated and unsupported. This is an area that could use some improvement to ensure a fairer experience for sellers.

 

On 10/28/2024 at 4:49 PM, mateusbl said:

@Kesha 

Cancelations are normal everywhere, but not on Fiverr, here the Sellers are deranked because of 1 single cancelation. This Fiverr politic of penalization is what need change, this is what makes the Fiverr Freelancers life stressful. I still don't understand is: Why Fiverr allow buyers to review canceled orders? Fiverr need understand that not all canceled order is a fault of the seller! And the Customer Support must be teached how to deal with situations where the buyer is being disrespectful with Sellers.

I understand how frustrating this could be! Thank you for sharing your experiences and feedback. I will continue to pass along the sentiments to the relevant team for consideration. 

[mateusbl]

12 hours ago, Kesha said:

Thank you for sharing your experiences and feedback.

@Kesha

The only thing that need be changed is how the Customer Support deal with abusive and disrespectful buyers. Sellers are being punished unfairly and is stressful.  Most of cancelation reason appear after the buyer place the order, where they start to demand things that was not previously agreed by the seller:

1) Buyer Requesting outside scope: If the buyer refuse to pay for the additional work they will start to demand cancelation or request free work. In this case: Why allow the buyer cancel and review the order with a bad review? Why Fiverr punish the sellers for a buyer fault?

2) Buyer Requesting things not offered: After the order start, in rare cases the buyers ask for things the seller do not work with, and again buyers request cancelation. Why allow the buyer cancel and review the order with a bad review? Why Fiverr punish the seller for a buyer fault?

 

In these rare cases where exist lack of cooperation from Buyers (disrespect or abuse) Sellers must have freedom to cancel the order without be punished with cancellations or receive bad reviews, that derank and destroy the seller dedication with Fiverr.

[collinsconsult]

It's always the buyer's words against yours in front of customer support (the judge). And 80% of the times, customer support will favour the buyer. I understand they are the clients. Client is king! But Fiverr won't make money without sellers too. So we deserve some fair hearing too. 

[Kesha]

On 11/1/2024 at 9:09 AM, collinsconsult said:

It's always the buyer's words against yours in front of customer support (the judge). And 80% of the times, customer support will favour the buyer. I understand they are the clients. Client is king! But Fiverr won't make money without sellers too. So we deserve some fair hearing too. 

Our sellers are very valuable to us and we want them to be as successful as possible. Our CS team always tries to be as impartial when reviewing cases, only considering the factors listed above. That's why the most important thing is to always clearly state, with as much detail as possible, the scope of what you agree to deliver to your buyer. If there are any amendments during the order, also have everything stated clearly in writing. All of this helps CS determine if the order is eligible for cancellation or not. 

[omirodricks]

On 10/30/2024 at 1:57 AM, maheennadeem814 said:

I'm sorry to say that I disagree with this statement. Why does Fiverr even allow buyers to leave reviews, whether negative or positive after an order is cancelled? As @mateusbl mentioned, thousands of sellers have experienced the same issue, and their profiles were deranked because of it.

A few months ago, I had a full record of five-star reviews. However, I received a 4.3 rating from a buyer who was satisfied with the work but expected something different. Right after that review, I did not receive a single order for about four months—not even one conversation. This clearly shows that Fiverr does not protect sellers' rights. If a client feels dissatisfied, they should not be allowed to download the work, as @donnovan86 suggested. 

That could be one potential solution, but as sellers, we are still hoping for something better and more justifiable—something that isn’t merely analyzed by a bot or AI.

Well, I highly agree with what you just said. Fiverr - they don't protect their sellers as much as they protect their buyer. I've experienced something similar. Here's my story.

A month ago, I have had a good amount of order ratio. Plus my gig both were ranked on first page. But one stupid buyer, he ordered for a Mobile App Demo Video... Initially he said it was really good, then when I delivered the video they said it was not something they were expecting, plus they claimed that I didn't meet their requirements. Then I reworked on the whole project and redelivered the file again.. So then they were claiming that I didn't meet their criteria so they want refund and cancel the order. When I said fiverr about this, in their support they were claiming and blaming me that I wasn't good enough handling my client. I mean really? So I am not good. but the client downloaded both of the versions. So I ended up with order cancellation, refund, and also with a conclusion from fiverr support team that, I couldn't deal with my client.  Now it's been a month I'm hardly getting new clients orders, even texts! My impressions they are all down now. 


Here's another story....
A client from Netherlands, they had a simple task for me and I completed it with all their instructions. So they were very happy with the work they said me in chatbox. But they did provide me with 4star review. I mean how could it be fair? 

For this two particular story, I've started struggling with orders. Now you tell me Fiverr, how can you say that you are fair with us?? Either you dont allow your buyer downloading the file before they are satisfied or you dont allow them for reviews... 

[maheennadeem814]

4 hours ago, omirodricks said:

Well, I highly agree with what you just said. Fiverr - they don't protect their sellers as much as they protect their buyer. I've experienced something similar. Here's my story.

A month ago, I have had a good amount of order ratio. Plus my gig both were ranked on first page. But one stupid buyer, he ordered for a Mobile App Demo Video... Initially he said it was really good, then when I delivered the video they said it was not something they were expecting, plus they claimed that I didn't meet their requirements. Then I reworked on the whole project and redelivered the file again.. So then they were claiming that I didn't meet their criteria so they want refund and cancel the order. When I said fiverr about this, in their support they were claiming and blaming me that I wasn't good enough handling my client. I mean really? So I am not good. but the client downloaded both of the versions. So I ended up with order cancellation, refund, and also with a conclusion from fiverr support team that, I couldn't deal with my client.  Now it's been a month I'm hardly getting new clients orders, even texts! My impressions they are all down now. 


Here's another story....
A client from Netherlands, they had a simple task for me and I completed it with all their instructions. So they were very happy with the work they said me in chatbox. But they did provide me with 4star review. I mean how could it be fair? 

For this two particular story, I've started struggling with orders. Now you tell me Fiverr, how can you say that you are fair with us?? Either you dont allow your buyer downloading the file before they are satisfied or you dont allow them for reviews... 

Hey omirodricks,

I'm really sorry to hear about your negative experiences on Fiverr. It's frustrating when you work hard and still encounter unfair treatment. It sounds like you've been dealing with some difficult clients and unhelpful support. Ultimately, we can only hope to attract better clients and receive more orders. It took me quite a while to get back into the freelancing game on Fiverr, so we really have no choice, my friend.

I hope things get better soon. You’re not alone in this. Many freelancers face similar issues. 

[omirodricks]

14 minutes ago, maheennadeem814 said:

Hey omirodricks,

I'm really sorry to hear about your negative experiences on Fiverr. It's frustrating when you work hard and still encounter unfair treatment. It sounds like you've been dealing with some difficult clients and unhelpful support. Ultimately, we can only hope to attract better clients and receive more orders. It took me quite a while to get back into the freelancing game on Fiverr, so we really have no choice, my friend.

I hope things get better soon. You’re not alone in this. Many freelancers face similar issues. 

It's true, we can not do anything. But to wait for better days. Have a nice day!

[sayfdms]

Thank you for this thorough breakdown on cancellations. It’s reassuring to know that Fiverr’s Customer Support takes a balanced approach, carefully reviewing each cancellation request to ensure fairness. I appreciate the advice on avoiding cancellations, especially the tips on clarifying requirements and staying proactive with communication. It’s good to know that CS considers delivery accuracy and clear communication when evaluating cases, rather than just a buyer’s personal taste. The information on protecting work after cancellation is also valuable, as it gives freelancers peace of mind if their work is misused. Thank you for the support in helping sellers maintain fair transactions!

[youmedias]

On 10/29/2024 at 1:44 AM, donnovan86 said:

Kesha, here's a suggestion I have.

What if whenever the order gets canceled, the buyer is unable to download or access delivery files uploaded by the sellers. They should automatically be grayed out and not downloadable when the order gets canceled. That way, our work is protected and not used even if the buyer already got the file. Sure, it would be useless in the case of writers where the buyer already downloaded and saw the document, but I am sure it will help in the case of many niches. At least it would be one way to fight scammers... 

Absolutely agreed. Scammers get their work done at zero cost this way which is not right

 

[savan1133]

It just happened to me. I send all images to buyer to confirm the shape and size of the model as he asked for and than i send him offer. as i deliver the work buyer put order cancel request and i declined it and message buyer that if he want any changes please let me know but dont cancel order and he he didnt reply and within 3 hour order cancel by customer support team calming that files were not good after that i try to communicate buyer but he didnt reply, moreover i got warring on my account as well so i go to fiverr support for help and they said you are right there was no fault from your side and they will remove waring and also remove chancel order statics from my account. i thought all will be fine but its been 10 days and from that day my gig is getting almost no impression and  1-2 clicks since last 7 days although i have 11 order 5 star ratings. I dont understand what kind system is that which allow buyer to ruin any seller website as they want. There is no value of those 11 good order Infront of 1 bad client and fiverr system support such buyers. What should i do now to solve this ?

[desmond_aubery]

Based on the many preceding comments, it is clear that something is drastically wrong with CS, and platform ethics - sorry to say. 

Edited November 15 by desmond_aubery

[skydesigner]

Fairness for all parties involved? 🙃 Clearly, Fiverr is pushing sellers to refund buyers, which heavily favors buyers. Nowadays, allowing buyers to leave multiple reviews even after an order is canceled is absurd. The goal is simple: if the buyer doesn’t get a refund and is unhappy, there’s a chance they will leave the platform.🤑

Nowadays, if a buyer asks for a refund, you need to be extremely polite, even if the buyer is 100% in the wrong, just refund them immediately. Otherwise, you risk a higher cancellation rate, a negative review, a negative hidden review, and, on top of that, customer support stepping in to enforce the refund.

The only positive aspect of this terrible update is that all sellers are equally affected.

[desmond_aubery]

On 11/15/2024 at 7:17 PM, skydesigner said:

Fairness for all parties involved? 🙃 Clearly, Fiverr is pushing sellers to refund buyers, which heavily favors buyers. Nowadays, allowing buyers to leave multiple reviews even after an order is canceled is absurd. The goal is simple: if the buyer doesn’t get a refund and is unhappy, there’s a chance they will leave the platform.🤑

Nowadays, if a buyer asks for a refund, you need to be extremely polite, even if the buyer is 100% in the wrong, just refund them immediately. Otherwise, you risk a higher cancellation rate, a negative review, a negative hidden review, and, on top of that, customer support stepping in to enforce the refund.

The only positive aspect of this terrible update is that all sellers are equally affected.

This equation will eventually cause the platform bread-winners (the Sellers) to go elsewhere. Buyers will then exit as well.

For folks in the creative industry, there are so many useful platforms out there. For Engineers and Technical folks - precious few - sadly.

[asaolueben97]

On 10/28/2024 at 9:04 PM, mrubaid820 said:

Often, buyers use the delivered work even after canceling the order, since they already possess all the files. 

A few weeks ago, a seller shared a post here about an unusual experience with a client. The client placed an order related to a 'cat' theme (I don't recall specifics). The seller completed and delivered the work, but shortly after, the buyer requested cancellation, stating their team changed their mind. Strangely, a few days later, the same seller received another 'cat '-themed order, which they completed and delivered, and she faced another cancellation. And the seller had completed and delivered both orders, so if completed and delivered orders cannot be canceled, then why were they canceled?

Within a week, the seller had two orders canceled. Don't you think it's suspicious that both orders seemed to come from the same buyer using different accounts? It appears they exploited the seller twice, canceling the orders after receiving the final files.

In some cases, we don’t know where our work will be used, on which website it will be used, or on which channel it will be shown—we are completely unaware. So in this situation, how can we copyright our work when we don’t know anything?

Wow, thanks so much for the tips

[asaolueben97]

On 10/30/2024 at 9:25 AM, mateusbl said:

100% all the times I check the order because the buyer disappeared, what I discover is that the buyer extended the order for 8 days... and Fiverr did not sent the notification of extension of time.

Most of the cases the buyer extend the order for 8 days, they disappear and the order is marked as auto-complete.

Yeah, that's right

[alexfirefly]

I learned to use watermarks because of the problem I see others reporting here. Many scammers abuse cancellations by applying them when the job is finished or almost finished. Just now I have the classic client...Newly opened profile, ambiguous or abusive requirements that later could bring disputes, does not answer questions although I see that he connects.... I'm sending him the progress with watermark, but I already smell that cancellation.... And Fiverr as always tarnishes our seller's track record. The buyer should also have some consequence if he has already cancelled more than twice in a month.