Reasons for mutual cancellations are many

[misscrystal]

I want to point out that there are many reasons for mutual cancellations. And they are usually for $5 orders. I offer a service for $5 which may not be what the customer wanted, but failed to read the gig description and so was not aware of what was being offered for $5.

But there can be several other reasons for them. I never have had the problem of refunding money to buyers who were unhappy to avoid negative feedback.

There are other reasons for mutual cancellations than the buyer being unhappy with what he got such as:

Buyer ordered by mistake
Buyer decided he wanted a different gig and got the wrong one
Buyer trying to get $50 worth of work for $5
Buyer being a past customer who proved to be very difficult or unpleasant
Someone who has been sending dozens of unpleasant messages over a period of time.
Buyer not reading gig description and misunderstanding what was offered
Buyer unable to communicate in English
Having a personal crises such as ill health

It might appear as if some sellers cancel $5 orders too much when the reasons are not as simple as a seller trying to avoid negative feedback. Working with a variety of people from almost everywhere in the world can have some challenges.

In general these issues almost exclusively apply to $5 orders.
When doing a high volume of orders these issues have increased. Recently there was some discussion about mutual cancellations, and the question of their effect on sellers. While any cancellation is to be avoided if at all possible, they can happen through no fault of the sellers.

[catwriter]

I agree with everything you said.

Here’s another reason: Buyer ordering something that’s illegal, unethical, breaking third party’s Terms of Service, or copyright infringement.

[cyaxrex]

Yes, I’m currently waiting to hear back from a buyer who wanted a popular pop music track added to a video as the soundtrack. This request came in as a revision request after the order was delivered and I have obviously declined to both make the revision and/or cancel. In this case, it’s going to be interesting to see how they react.

[writer99025]

Here’s the question…I have a buyer who gives me a 4 star review every time…I want to avoid him…how can I say “no”? He keeps ordering. What reason should I give for mutual cancellation? Is “I don’t want to work with you” a valid reason? He might complain to customer support about it.

[cyaxrex]

Have you tried asking your buyer directly why he feels that your work is never 5-star quality?

I had a repeat buyer who did the same thing a while ago and they told me that they were trying to encourage me to develop better within their company. In this case, I very politely told them to perhaps consider another seller as I wasn’t interested in working so closely with them due to other commitments. After this, they never ordered again and I was obviously hugely relieved.

[writer99025]

No, I don’t talk about reviews to anyone. I just can’t do it.

[writer99025]

Guess I will say I am busy and push him off next time.

[cyaxrex]

Well I’d do it in this case. I never ask a buyer to change a review. However, if anyone leaves below 4 star feedback or consistently low feedback, I simply say:

"Hi,

Thanks for your feedback. Out of curiosity, though, would you be able to let me know how you think I could have improved on the service you received? If so, this will greatly help me provide better service to you and other customers in future."

Simples.

Then of course, if I get a response like the one I mentioned previously, I kindly tell people to go teach their Grandma how to suck eggs.

Either way, it’s definitely worth asking.

[misscrystal]

If you can word it so that it is honest but polite it would be the best.

Say that since you are not doing 5 star work for him he would probably be better served with a different seller. Based on this you would suggest that we agree to part as friends.

[writer99025]

Will use that line next time.

[writer99025]

LOL… don’t say that, you will get an account warning and you will start getting hysterical on the forum like last time 🙂

[esthernyambura]

It’s nice to stand strong. You will not care if he leaves a negative review?

[cyaxrex]

I’ll care but I’m not doing work which I know is illegal. I give the best service I can to my customers. This guy tried to take advantage of that and I’d rather him look silly trying to leave a bad review than me loose my credibility.

[fitrigwrites4u]

@misscrystal It seems to me you really have good marketing skills. I can almost say that you are a natural (or maybe you studied it, I don´t know). You remind me of my ex boss. She was a very nice boss and is a very good succesful business woman. Just saying 🙂

[misscrystal]

Thank you so much!

[wittywoman]

I absolutely agree. I’ve had to cancel a few gigs where the buyer requested something unethical or illegal. I generally send them a message saying, “I’m sorry, but that’s not a service I provide. I will be sending a cancellation request.” I do worry about my completion percentage decreasing though, so unless it’s something clear like that, I will usually try to work out a solution first. For instance, my gig is letter-writing. I offer a one page letter for $5, with a five day completion time. If someone wants a multiple page letter, I explain the basic gig, and then tell them I’d be happy to provide a longer letter, for which we can discuss the increased price. If they don’t want to do that, I then explain how I will reduce the letter they want to one page, as that is what the gig is. I’m very kind about it, as well as professional, and it nearly always results in a gig extra for me, or a 5-star review and tip when it’s all said and done.
Also, if someone is just clearly not happy with my work, I will deliver the product and then request cancellation. I’d rather lose the $5 than have a negative review. I don’t worry about them getting it for free. If they really don’t like it, it’s doubtful it will be helpful to them anyway.
Lastly, I’m honest in my review responses. When someone told me she felt my letter was like something you could google, I reminded her that I’d offered several revisions which she didn’t request, and then let her know I wouldn’t be offended if she consulted google instead of me next time. There are ways to say what you need to say without sounding ridiculous.

[fitrigwrites4u]

ur welcome 🙂