Questions about creating a gig where I make and sell handmade jewelry

[teentweety]

Hi there ! I plan on creating a gig through which I can sell handmade jewelry but I am scared of any issues that may occur and I am concerned with the shipment of the product that I make (about its charges, whether I should afford them or that I ask the buyer to do that ) and what happens in case the product is somehow damaged during shipment. Also , how can I safeguard myself from fraudulent buyers who demand repeated modifications or claim the product is not what they wanted after they receive it .

I will really appreciate any guidance or advise in this matter.



Thank you

[theslackjaw]

I can’t speak directly about selling actual goods via Fiverr but I have done it on another site with some success.



Fiverr allows you to charge for shipping and I absolutely recommend you do so. I’m sure there already is some overhead going into whatever you are making and you don’t want shipping to eat into that as well. Everyone expects to have to pay for shipping actual goods when they purchase from sellers in marketplaces like this. (Only the biggies like Amazon can afford to not charge for shipping and even then it’s for “premium members” who pay for the privilege.)



Over on my store at another marketplace I had one big rule, make the buyer happy. If that meant that an item was damaged via shipment I would remake the item and resend at no extra charge. (One thing to note, if the item was worth more than $20, I would get insurance on it when I shipped it. I would charge a little more for shipping on items worth more so I could pay for insurance. That way if it was damaged I can make a claim and maybe get some money back. This helped me a few times.)



Basically if the buyer wasn’t happy with product, I did everything I could to make them happy. In almost every case, the buyer would come back or refer their friends to me when I did this. So I maybe lost $20 bucks because I had to remake an item and resend but I would get $100 in repeat business and referrals.



In regards to safeguards, you are basically in the same boat as the rest of us. If you get a fraudulent buyer report them to Customer Support. That is about all you can you can do. Be very clear in your description what you sell and include pictures, videos, whatever you can so the buyer can’t claim they thought they were getting something different. (You still will get people who do that, but you’ll be able to go to CS and show them your gig.)



So those are my thoughts. Good Luck!

[ardicus]

Well One suggestion I would make would be to keep them informed of your status with the jewelry you are making while making it, allowing for mods as you go. For starters you can put the mods you offer in the Description so they can order right away. Maybe in the video (if you do one) show examples of product A, product B, Product C etc…



Description:

-different product choices

• No refunds/returns
  
• Product as is
  
• Updates/pictures given prior to shipping to allow for mods before shipment.
  
• Questions before ordering need to be made clear BEFORE order is made
  
  
  
  Buyer Note:
  
• Don’t forget to chose from selection
  
• Replies needed when update is given
  
• If no reply is given to your visual sample within (set hours) you will ship the product as final.
  
• Ensure everything buyer wants is upfront
  
  
  
  For the buyer note they receive when they order put in there to have them chose everything they want from what they offer, you can even make a free site with pictures they can choose from within that as well.
  
  
  
  As for shipping have it described in the buyer notes, that once shipped its the final item, so it important for them to inquire mods during the production.
  

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I hope this will help you some.

[webtelly]

@teentweety The advice from ardicus and theslackjaw is excellent. I only do virtual gigs, but I have extensive experience selling on ebay and other markets. I would boil it down to using US Priority mail. This gives you tracking and delivery confirmation with a good amount of insurance for the best price. Next, I would work continuously with the buyer each step of the process, starting with a simple list, a check off, then a simple drawing, another check off, then a color mock-up, placement of mounts, stones, etc. (i’m not a jeweler), then when they are really serious, send them the custom order for the full price. If they pay up front for something, then a) they have a brain b) they are serious c) serious people with brains and money do not usually flake on you. Then, a few pictures of the finished work before you send it. At that point, they may just want a minor adjustment. Then, you are shipping that puppy cheaply, tracked, and insured. This has got to work 99% of the time (according to my logic, Captain).

[teentweety]

Dear all , thank you so much for your brilliant advice . Now I can create a bracelet making gig with confidence and proper direction. You’ll see it pretty soon on fiverr .



Take care and good luck to you too . 🙂