Avoid getting ripped off in a logo gig

[emberstudio]

Just wanted to share some concerns/issues I’ve noticed with logo design gigs at Fiverr, and hopefully help some buyers steer clear of scams.



There are two main types of scams I’ve seen running here. One is a bait-and-switch in which the “designer” uses other people’s work as samples to show what they can do for you, but then what they deliver is far inferior to the samples presented. These scams are surprisingly easy to spot, though. Be sure to browse the actual work samples in the gig to see what the “designer” has done and if it matches up in style and quality with what they promote in the gig preview.



The other scam I’ve noticed is harder to spot. This one uses copied logo designs or resold templates to quickly generate new logo designs for Fiverr customers. These logos can end up looking very good but the problem for the customer is that they may be unknowingly using a logo design that is copyrighted, trademarked, or otherwise owned by someone else already. In the case of using templates, even if the template is from a product that is sold for the purpose of creating new logos, since the template is being resold in this case, it falls outside of typical licensing terms and protections. So your new logo may look great but it could get you into trouble with the actual owner of the template. It also could be a logo that looks very similar to many others if it is based on a template.



Ultimately the best defense against these scams is to be diligent in researching designers on Fiverr, thoroughly browsing samples from actual completed gigs, comparing gig samples to gig preview images, and asking questions about how the logo is created, if templates are involved, and if the work is truly custom.