Here's what really happened:
Day 1 - place order with Seller to deliver 34 chapters of a manuscript in 25 days at a cost of several thousand $$$. So this order was never about, say, a $50 logo design with 1-day turnaround
Day 5 – Seller delivers 1 of 34 chapters, labels it "Delivery #1". “Thanks for your order!” Followup questions from me about what happens with payment as project is being pieced out 1 chapter at a time go unanswered for 24 hours. I request 1 revision.
Day 6 – Seller delivers revision. This is "Delivery #2". Gives me sob story about illness. “Please be patient. You’ll love the results. Don’t be angry with me.” More questions from me about milestones vs. partial deliveries, what happens after fiverr automatically marks order complete in 3 days go unanswered.
Day 7 – Seller replies still not feeling well. Says Chapter 2 of 34 done but never delivers for review. Red flags going off all over the place now. I open a dispute with CS. Last time I ever hear from Seller.
Day 8 – CS still reviewing for possible TOS violations by Seller and order cancellation. My money goes to Seller’s clearance queue and 14-day countdown begins until he can draw it out. I contact cc company and alert them to suspected fraud.
Day 13 – CS replies after 5 days of silence that they are sending this dispute to another department for resolution.
Day 14 – open email inbox to find update from fiverr that I’m blocked from logging in and MY Buyer account has being PERMANENTLY DISABLED for multiple TOS violations including maintaining a false identity! (This after 6 successful projects with a different Seller.) 1 minute later a 2nd update from fiverr that my account has just been RESTORED, so this was obviously a whoopsie by fiverr. I check my cc account and full amount of my purchase has been credited back to me. I check Seller’s account and it is “no longer available”, so it’s as if this project never happened, except for 10 days of terror over a large sum of money. I would give the Seller’s screen name but it will probably get me a citation from the Sheriff.
Among many lessons learned: Seller’s profile shows slightly nerdy-looking kid who says he's based in US, graduate of an Ivy League school and certified in several software packages, even has some 5-star reviews, but all his communications read like they’re by someone whose first language is not English. He's probably never set foot in the US.