How safe are large custom orders

[sue_mcl]

Fiverr have this awesome feature where custom orders can be made to a pretty high amount - in the thousands, but after seeing stories of sellers having chargebacks against them and the seller losing their funds, even though they have the proof of delivery etc etc, how safe is it? It seems that fiverr side with the buyer pretty much every time this happens.



I was recently asked to quote on a very large order which whilst amazing, also made me feel a little wary, as what would happen if I did all that work, but then months later, payment for that work was taken back.



Can anyone who deals with larger orders give any suggestions as what to do - whether to just risk it, break it up etc - although would that help anyway? I guess the customer could do a chargeback on everything if they were unscrupulous. A small order would be super annoying, but a losing funds from an order a really big order, on the off chance the buyer was planning on a scam for a large amount of free work, would be devastating, which then makes me wonder if it is worth the risk of doing large custom jobs, as with all the fiverr anonymity, we don’t really get the chance to due diligence on big customers like you would if dealing direct…

[Guest norrsken_marc]

Seeing as though you do voiceovers and spokesperson gigs, what you can do is first ask the buyer to try you out on a small gig, to see whether they like your service. Then, if all goes well, break down the order into safer chunks. Depending on the timeframe or the monetary value, you may choose to split the total amount into an agreed upon value, and every time you reach a milestone in the project, the buyer pays up this new amount, until completion of the orders.



There’s not much sellers can do beyond that to protect themselves against chargebacks, so it’s best to develop trust with the buyer with constant messages and making sure you are both on the same page from the start of the projects. And keep in mind that reputable buyers won’t risk getting their account banned by doing a chargeback, so try to stay away from very new buyers for these large orders to avoid running the risk of getting scam artists. You can also do a Google search to find out about all of your buyer’s Fiverr reviews: if they have never left any positive reviews for anyone, don’t take a chance with them.

[Guest]

I think the above advice is spot-on. Definitely break it down into smaller orders. If it’s a large order it should be expected to take some time, so doing it in ‘sections’ shouldn’t make much of a difference to the buyer.



And don’t be afraid to explain to them that you’re more comfortable doing it that way until you build up a relationship. If they are a reputable buyer - someone you’d want to continue working with - they will respond well to the honestly and professionalism. Otherwise, it’s better you know sooner than later. Good luck.

[Anna]

I agree with the above. I actually were lucky to have 3 big orders in the past month and all of them went well. I did send out a customized sample first to make sure they will like my voice on their project before making the commitment. Good luck !

[sue_mcl]

Reply to @norrsken_marc:



Awesome advice, thanks so much! 🙂 I will do the google search and check out some more information.

[Guest norrsken_marc]

Reply to @sue_mcl: Glad you found it useful. It’s all about eliminating the unnecessary stress involved in these large orders and being smart about how to go about your business. Best of luck!

[Guest norrsken_marc]

Reply to @itsyourthing: Like you wrote, it’s through dialogue that sellers and buyers build that relationship of trust. Both parties must be comfortable with whatever is decided, and keeping that line of communication is a key part in achieving that.

[sincere18]

yes, but how many people are doing custom gigs in the thousands? Do you normally do gigs in the hundreds right now?



I think you should only consider large custom quotes like that if you have done a gig for that buyer in the past. Doing a quote is also different than communicating through an actual job, so you want to make sure they are good to work with also. Don’t let some large amount of money knock you off your game, and put off your instincts.

[Guest]

Reply to @norrsken_marc: Good communication helps in every situation. 🙂