Is there racism on fiverr

[acaciakibera]

I am a buyer who was shocked that a video maker blocked me the moment i mentioned I wanted to use stock footage of black people.Anyone else experience this

[kabeer674]

Hello,

I am really sorry that you had to experience this I hope you report this if you’re SURE the person was a racist because there could be some other reason for him/her to block you that you may or may not know about, if you’re sure then I hope Fiverr will take some action on them. About racism on Fiverr, I am new and hence I won’t comment on it, the experienced users might know better.

Cheers

[agenciawem]

I am a buyer who was shocked that a video maker blocked me the moment i mentioned I wanted to use stock footage of black people.Anyone else experience this

From where he is? You should report him, it is against the TOS

[zeus777]

Hello,

Personally I believe that won’t qualify as racism, but nobody can tell.
There is a possibility for example, that when this person had a specific type of people in mind like white, Asian, or Hispanics, but if he said he didn’t want black people he might get accused of racism.
Maybe this person got worried and decided to just block you without getting too deep into the conversation.

I myself have not experienced racism BTW.

[coerdelion]

There is racism everywhere, but you might be hard pressed to prove that speicific seller blocked you because of it - they gave no reason, after all.

It’s actually quite hard to find stock photos and videos that reflect the diversity of our modern lives … I’m often disappointed by it. It is possible, however.

Put it down to experience and move on. Find someone who agrees with your vision for your video - there’re lots of them here.

[joshuaayodele]

Well you may be right…but only he know the reason for doing that. You are not so sure so don’t judge quickly…

Thank you
Joshuaayodele

[cyaxrex]

You need to be very careful here. Ideally, you need to be careful to the extent of not not putting something down to racism or prejudice unless a seller (or buyer) explicitly makes an overtly racist or prejudiced remark.

When you are communicating online, things can easily seem to go wrong, when really there is a completely benevolent explanation. i.e. Maybe your seller just got a call saying there was a family emergency and blocked all messages quickly to attend to that.

Alternatively, maybe your seller is black and has recently had someone be abusive to them in their Fiverr inbox. A lot of sellers receive some pretty horrendous verbal abuse sometimes, and a lot of the people doing the harassing open multiple accounts to keep at it.

It doesn’t have to be racist abuse, it can be someone trying to pressure a seller into doing free work or lots of other things. I and I am sure lots of other sellers have blocked people because they suddenly arrive just after a very difficult person using similar verbiage and a similar username. At the same time, I’ve not blocked others and it really has turned out to be a coincidence that they are called buyer1234 and my last verbally abusive buyer was called buyer1233.

These are just two possible examples of things that can go wrong. However, I have also had buyers threaten to report me for racism/prejudice. In one case, I had a request to make a video with Hispanic people in the background in a restaurant setting. I said:

"Hi,

I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t be able to help you with this.

Kind Regards,

Andy

(As this is my standard response to any project I can’t help with.)

My reason for not being able to help was that I create videos using free stock footage, and I know from experience that most such footage predominantly features Asian and Caucasian people. I had to explain this when this person messaged me accusing me of refusing service based on their race.

The problem is that if I was to give every single potential buyer I can’t work with an as thorough explanation why, I’d never get any actual work done.

In short, it can be extraordinarily difficult to know why a seller or buyer might block someone. However, at the same time, it is very easy to project a reason. Moreover, we all do this every day in one way or another.

This is why I say that the only time people should take offence and hit a report button, is when something is obviously typed in a message which constitutes a racist, prejudiced, or simply uncivil comment, purposefully directed at a message recipient.

[misscrystal]

That is not racism. Advertisers have target audiences in mind they want to appeal to. As long as nothing negative was mentioned, simply describing a certain type he wants in his video is in no way racist.
Whether he wanted a specific gender, ethnicity, age group, whatever, that is perfectly ok in advertising.

I have experience in advertising and wanting specific types of people is what is normal in ads.

What if he said he wanted only seniors (elderly) in his video?
What if he said he only wanted men in his video?
What if he said he only wanted Hispanics in his video?

Would these have triggered you the same way? All of these are ok, as well as saying he wanted black people in the video.

Describing various types this way is called “demographics” and it is all about what advertising looks at, as a target audience.

[acaciakibera]

That is not racism. Advertisers have target audiences in mind they want to appeal to. As long as nothing negative was mentioned, simply describing a certain type he wants in his video is in no way racist.

Whether he wanted a specific gender, ethnicity, age group, whatever, that is perfectly ok in advertising.

I have experience in advertising and wanting specific types of people is what is normal in ads.

What if he said he wanted only seniors (elderly) in his video?

What if he said he only wanted men in his video?

What if he said he only wanted Hispanics in his video?

Would these have triggered you the same way? All of these are ok, as well as saying he wanted black people in the video.

Describing various types this way is called “demographics” and it is all about what advertising looks at, as a target audience.

You seem to have misunderstood the post. I am the buyer who described that I wanted to use stock footage of black people in my video. The seller then immediately blocked me after that description. I found that racist. He never explained that he didn’t have any such footage. Didn’t say a word we had been chatting perfectly fine until that moment when i described that I wanted to make a video with stock footage of black people .

[hanshuber16]

You seem to have misunderstood the post. I am the buyer who described that I wanted to use stock footage of black people in my video. The seller then immediately blocked me after that description. I found that racist. He never explained that he didn’t have any such footage. Didn’t say a word we had been chatting perfectly fine until that moment when i described that I wanted to make a video with stock footage of black people .

You seem to have misunderstood the post. I am the buyer who described that I wanted to use stock footage of black people in my video. The seller then immediately blocked me after that description. I found that racist.

I see that you have received many wonderful replies from forum members. They have presented several possible reasons for why your seller might have reacted that way.

They have also explained that since your seller didn’t really give any reason for why they chose to block you, there is no knowing for sure what their intentions/reasons were. You cannot just “assume” that he had racist intentions just because you think that’s the case. Since there’s no way of knowing the seller’s actual intentions, you cannot just assume the worst and cry foul!

Besides, Fiverr’s block feature is at everyone’s disposal. There’s no such thing as “misusing” Fiverr’s block feature. A Fiverr user can choose to block anyone at any point in time. They have every right to do whatever they think is right. It’s also not like you had an active order with the seller when he blocked you.

Don’t like someone’s Fiverr username or profile picture? You can go right ahead and block em, and Fiverr ain’t gonna do nothin about it. 😉

[misscrystal]

You seem to have misunderstood the post. I am the buyer who described that I wanted to use stock footage of black people in my video. The seller then immediately blocked me after that description. I found that racist. He never explained that he didn’t have any such footage. Didn’t say a word we had been chatting perfectly fine until that moment when i described that I wanted to make a video with stock footage of black people .

No way to tell why he did that. Be glad he showed his true “colors” before you hired him.

I love the block feature when someone is bothering me. I wouldn’t do it for the reason you mentioned but it’s very nice to stop people from messaging me. I’m sure it feels like unfair rejection when it happens to you when you didn’t do anything wrong but there are other sellers you can message.

[mariashtelle1]

I don’t see racism at all here. I think nowadays “racism” word is heavily misused.

I’m quite sure that the seller blocked you because of “I want to use stock video”. We are not allowed to use stock copyrighted materials cause fiverr is blocking accounts for that. So probably he simply didn’t want to get into debate of what’s legal on fiverr and blocked you. Which shouldn’t be a biggie for you.

[fastcopywriter]

You seem to have misunderstood the post. I am the buyer who described that I wanted to use stock footage of black people in my video. The seller then immediately blocked me after that description. I found that racist. He never explained that he didn’t have any such footage. Didn’t say a word we had been chatting perfectly fine until that moment when i described that I wanted to make a video with stock footage of black people .

I am the buyer who described that I wanted to use stock footage of black people in my video. The seller then immediately blocked me after that description.

There are two possibilities.

1. The seller doesn’t have stock footage of black people. Some sellers have a limited number of footage that they use for every order, and have no desire to purchase additional footage.
2. The seller assumed you will never need his services again, so blocked you to end the conversation.

Was it rude? Maybe, but it’s 100% the sellers prerogative. Remember, here on Fiverr, each of us has the freedom to reject orders, reject clients, etc.

I accept almost every order, other colleagues don’t want to do alcohol, pork, adult, MLM’s, politics, etc.

We have the right to discriminate, what Fiverr doesn’t allow is personal attacks.

Sellers can reject orders like this:

“I’m sorry, I’m unable to work on this project.”

“I can’t help you, I lack the stock footage you desire.”

“Sorry, this isn’t my area of expertise.”

“I apologize, but I don’t feel comfortable writing about this topic.”

If they won’t take “no” for an answer, you can block them.

[salehayat]

That is not racism. Advertisers have target audiences in mind they want to appeal to. As long as nothing negative was mentioned, simply describing a certain type he wants in his video is in no way racist.

Whether he wanted a specific gender, ethnicity, age group, whatever, that is perfectly ok in advertising.

I have experience in advertising and wanting specific types of people is what is normal in ads.

What if he said he wanted only seniors (elderly) in his video?

What if he said he only wanted men in his video?

What if he said he only wanted Hispanics in his video?

Would these have triggered you the same way? All of these are ok, as well as saying he wanted black people in the video.

Describing various types this way is called “demographics” and it is all about what advertising looks at, as a target audience.

You are right Ma’am. But what’s the point to block him without discussing anything.

[misscrystal]

You are right Ma’am. But what’s the point to block him without discussing anything.

@salehayat Who knows? It’s not a big deal. People get blocked and then they can find someone else. It’s not like there is just one seller on fiverr.

Don’t spend time worrying about why someone blocked you. Just find someone else.

We do not know what was said in this case. We do not have a way of knowing what went on in this person’s mind. It’s pointless to try to wonder why he decided to block him. It’s a waste of time.

[jaobiofficial]

You can’t actually tell the reason why he did that.
Just report to the fiverr support to get your money back

[salehayat]

@salehayat Who knows? It’s not a big deal. People get blocked and then they can find someone else. It’s not like there is just one seller on fiverr.

Don’t spend time worrying about why someone blocked you. Just find someone else.

We do not know what was said in this case. We do not have a way of knowing what went on in this person’s mind. It’s pointless to try to wonder why he decided to block him. It’s a waste of time.

Alright! 🙂

[steve_maxell]

I’ve had borderline racist/sexist requests in Voice Overs on other sites too. Of course I refuse to do them. You have to look at the context and history of the buyer.
I think you were blocked because your request for footage should have been expanded on.
In psychology it is well know that if you add the word “because” after asking a stranger for something you are more likely to get a more positive response and willingness to help.
So I don’t think racism has anything to do with it.
" I need stock footage of black people (because)…" . It’s more likely the seller thought you were being flippant or insensitive and therefore quite the opposite of what you perceived.

[rayfield1]

I recently saw a new arrival in the voice over section offering to say racist things. Pretty stupid.

As others have said, there is no way to tell what the seller was thinking. Perhaps he thought it was you that may have had racist intentions. It’s silly to just try and guess and detrimental to judge based on the experience you’ve presented. Forget about it and move on. Plenty of other options available. Good luck.

[algenaun]

@acaciakibera
Dear Fiverr community because you don't see racism yourself doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's real, even when you utilize the law of attraction. It's not the great people behind Fiverr; the buyers/sellers from different walks of life, and religions. Please, don't gang up against someone who is reporting their experience here. 

The feeling of exhilaration washed over me when a client reached out, their excitement was evident as they praised the examples of my previous work. Our conversation conveyed a promising beginning, marked by insightful questions. To solidify our collaboration, I even provided a substantial discount. However, everything took an unexpected turn when Madiha discovered that I am a black man. Madiha had requested assistance in optimizing their LinkedIn page, but upon receiving a picture featuring a black individual, all communication abruptly ceased, shattering the momentum we had built.

Sadly, such occurrences have become all too familiar, prompting me to remove my personal photo and replace it with a logo. It pains me that an unwritten rule exists, one that forbids revealing my racial identity to clients. Curiosity led me to create a second account, this time featuring a non-black male profile, offering the same services and utilizing identical algorithms. The results were astonishing—someone from a different racial background would have been treated more favorably, and Madiha would have likely availed of my services.

In the end, I even offered the same gig at a staggering 90% discount, desperate to change Madiha's mind. Regrettably, their decision remained unchanged. I am left with no choice but to report this distressing experience as a case of racist abuse and direct discrimination. This has been going on since the time I joined this great platform. 

[nika_3dartist]

On 6/6/2023 at 7:15 PM, algenaun said:

@acaciakibera
Dear Fiverr community because you don't see racism yourself doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's real, even when you utilize the law of attraction. It's not the great people behind Fiverr; the buyers/sellers from different walks of life, and religions. Please, don't gang up against someone who is reporting their experience here. 

The feeling of exhilaration washed over me when a client reached out, their excitement was evident as they praised the examples of my previous work. Our conversation conveyed a promising beginning, marked by insightful questions. To solidify our collaboration, I even provided a substantial discount. However, everything took an unexpected turn when Madiha discovered that I am a black man. Madiha had requested assistance in optimizing their LinkedIn page, but upon receiving a picture featuring a black individual, all communication abruptly ceased, shattering the momentum we had built.

Sadly, such occurrences have become all too familiar, prompting me to remove my personal photo and replace it with a logo. It pains me that an unwritten rule exists, one that forbids revealing my racial identity to clients. Curiosity led me to create a second account, this time featuring a non-black male profile, offering the same services and utilizing identical algorithms. The results were astonishing—someone from a different racial background would have been treated more favorably, and Madiha would have likely availed of my services.

In the end, I even offered the same gig at a staggering 90% discount, desperate to change Madiha's mind. Regrettably, their decision remained unchanged. I am left with no choice but to report this distressing experience as a case of racist abuse and direct discrimination. This has been going on since the time I joined this great platform. 

Nobody is ganging up against OP, from what I see here. People were just explaining why the buyer can't accuse and report someone for being racist, when only a block was received with no official explanation. If the seller had sent a message prior to that, explaining they refused to work on the project for that reason, I would totally understand and agree with the client's point of view. Simply put, the CS may not see this as proof and they can't penalize a seller without evidence, whether it is true or not.

I'm sorry to read that you felt the need to remove your photo not to reveal your race. However, please note that creating a second account is against Fiverr's TOS and this may lead to unpleasant consequences (some people were banned from the platform after creating a second account). I understand you wanted to experiment and prove your point, but you need to be careful. You are also mentioning a name publicly, not sure if it is just a madeup name to describe the situation, or an existing Fiverr user. If it's a real name/username, that is also forbidden.

Edited June 9, 2023 by nika_3dartist