Advice requested from experienced sellers, when to cancel

[capitalquality]

I have noticed that most buyers who order a gig without contacting me first tend to have requirements that blatantly exceed the basic gig.

I can’t work out if they are just hoping I will do the gig for $5, knowing that if they contacted me first it would be more (this is the cynic in me), or if they genuinely think that what they are asking for is only a $5 job.

Needless to say I’ve delivered on some of these (more fool me, I guess) and in most of these cases the buyer gets more of a stepping stone to what they wanted than a complete product.

So my question is, should I immediately give them a custom offer for the real value of the work when the order comes in and if they refuse to accept the custom offer, cancel the ordered gig? Or should I deliver something even if it’s only part of what they wanted?

By reading the forum, I’m guessing I should do the former as doing the latter is opening me up to a bad review. But doesn’t cancellation rate count towards something too?

[eoinfinnegan]

It’s difficult to know exactly. This can happen with two types of buyers.
The first is as you said, those who are trying to get more done than you offer.
The second, and there are many of these, is the ones who have absolutely no idea how Fiverr works. The solution that works for me is the same for each.
I simply send them a polite message explaining what is included in the gig and refer them back to my gig description. With the message is a custom extra for whatever the additional cost and time will be. I also suggest that they can cancel the order if they prefer and ALWAYS say that I won’t be starting the gig until the extra is paid.
All of this must be done politely and by giving them the option to choose. 9 times out of 10 they order the extra. The other cancels. Either way, you will have presented yourself professionally and cannot be accused of anything negative if they decide to complain about you.

[capitalquality]

Thanks. Sounds like a plan.

[diegow]

In addition to eoinfinnegan’s great advice, I’d recommend you double-check your gigs to make sure they are dummy-proof. In other words, are you positive a complete dummy would understand the scope of what’s involved in your gigs?

I’m not saying customers are dummies (OK, some are), but if your gigs can be comprehended by dummies, then anyone else would be crystal-clear on what’s involved.

If you have the chance, have someone -or a few people- take a look at them and tell you what they understand you’ll deliver based on your gig’s text.

[capitalquality]

Also a good idea. Thanks.

[sue_mcl]

I do exactly this and I find the same - around 9 times out of 10 they order. I don’t suggest they cancel though, just give them the polite message that what they are wanting will cost x (as per the gig) and include a custom extra for the shortfall 🙂 I’ve not had anyone complain, just the odd few come back and request to cancel - sometimes a bit rudely, sometimes apologetically.

[eoinfinnegan]

Yes! Having foolproof gig descriptions is a must. It helps avoid cancellations but also means that if someone goes to customer support about your work, you can easily point out that what you delivered is what it says in your gig description. Vague descriptions lead to the possibility for confusion.

[brandonmcfee]

It depends on the buyer. Some buyers are fishy, they just ignore your whole gig description, hit the order button for the minimum cost (basic gig price), require a work that costs about 2 or 3 times the cost of the basic gig they order and then vanish, no matter how many times you try to contact them. In such cases, I highly recommend contacting Fiverr support team and report the problem to them. On the other hand, some buyers are really friendly and honest, they apologize for placing the order without contacting you, and they have no problem at all on adding the extra cost whether ordering it through the extras panel or as a tip when the order is complete.