Fake negative feedback from buyer!

[mabdullahsial]

Hello Everyone. I hope everyone here is fine.
I recently fell victim to a buyer which is constantly giving fake 1-star reviews. I am a video editor. When I delivered the order, he was happy. I even delivered him more than my gig listings. He was happy and he acknowledged that the work is good. After a couple of revisions he accepted the delivery. After two days of this, he came and left a negative 1-star review for no reason except to prevent my account from being promoted to level coming evaluation. I even messaged him to tell me the reason so that we can resolve it. I was ready to even deliver the order again making it from scratch. But he never replied!
After this, I checked and asked other sellers he had worked with. They had exactly the same experience with the buyer. They even got the same review and comment as I did. This happened to two other renowned Level 2 sellers. This person is just purposely leaving fake negative reviews even though he gets what he asked for.
What should I do next about it?
Thanks

[lloydsolutions]

Hello Everyone. I hope everyone here is fine.

I recently fell victim to a buyer which is constantly giving fake 1-star reviews. I am a video editor. When I delivered the order, he was happy. I even delivered him more than my gig listings. He was happy and he acknowledged that the work is good. After a couple of revisions he accepted the delivery. After two days of this, he came and left a negative 1-star review for no reason except to prevent my account from being promoted to level coming evaluation. I even messaged him to tell me the reason so that we can resolve it. I was ready to even deliver the order again making it from scratch. But he never replied!

After this, I checked and asked other sellers he had worked with. They had exactly the same experience with the buyer. They even got the same review and comment as I did. This happened to two other renowned Level 2 sellers. This person is just purposely leaving fake negative reviews even though he gets what he asked for.

What should I do next about it?

Thanks

What should I do next about it?

There have been many forum posts where sellers have got a warning for discussing a review.

I even messaged him to tell me the reason so that we can resolve it.

You should not have contacted the buyer as this could be seen as review manipulation, or the previous sellers.

It is always best just to leave it and move on.

[mabdullahsial]

@lloydsolutions
I have contacted him but I never asked him anything about the review. I just asked him about the product he received and offered to fix it if there was anything.
The problem is that he is doing this to everyone. The very next day, he did it with another buyer. Same stars and even same comments.

[imagination7413]

Have you read the ToS?

Orders

• Users with the intention to defame competing Sellers by ordering from competing services will have their reviews removed or further account status related actions determined by review by our Trust & Safety team.

You’ll have to do the legwork to provide proof, though. AND stay professional and polite throughout the whole process.

[lloydsolutions]

Have you read the ToS?

Orders

• Users with the intention to defame competing Sellers by ordering from competing services will have their reviews removed or further account status related actions determined by review by our Trust & Safety team.

You’ll have to do the legwork to provide proof, though. AND stay professional and polite throughout the whole process.

As I understand it having looked at the recent reviews for this the buyer in question is not a seller.

[mabdullahsial]

@imagination7413
I have reached to customer support and provided them screenshots of buyer admiring that the work is good. I have been very polite and professional to the buyer even after the review. In fact, I have always been very polite and professional throughout my Fiverr career.
Thanks
Regards

[imagination7413]

Hmm… I’ll admit I agree with the OP, and find it suspicious. But if they’re using two accounts, they should be eventually caught. If that’s not the case, then this behavior doesn’t make much sense.

[miiila]

Hi there, I hope you’re fine too.

That sounds suspicious indeed, but yes, unless you can prove anything, probably nothing will happen.

I guess you could tell support about your suspicion and attach screenshots of the circumstantial evidence (buyer saying they are happy, then leaving that 1* review out of the blue, and you seeing that they leave the same 1* review and review text for other sellers) - did he only ever leave 1* reviews, or other star ratings too, and how many in total? If it was just for you and one other seller, that doesn’t prove much, however, if he ordered from 10 different sellers and left each of them the same 1* and review text, support might more readily tend to agree that it’s suspicious.

They might tell you that they are looking into this but won’t be able to tell you anything because of their privacy policy, or that a buyer is entitled to leave any review they see fit unless it violates the terms of service.
If you’re lucky and the support person thinks it’s fishy too, maybe they’ll keep an eye on that person’s account and find out sooner if they indeed are a competing seller on another account.

And of course, there’s always the possibility that it’s just some kind of “fake” person, not in the sense you meant (being a “fake buyer” and in fact a competitor and just buying for the purpose of leaving bad reviews), but in the sense of being someone who’ll say “great, I’m happy with this” to your face and then leaving a bad review because some revisions were needed and it wasn’t exactly as they wanted it right away, or whatever. Same as the “I never give 5* because nothing on Earth is perfect” people, those exist.

[lloydsolutions]

Hi there, I hope you’re fine too.

That sounds suspicious indeed, but yes, unless you can prove anything, probably nothing will happen.

I guess you could tell support about your suspicion and attach screenshots of the circumstantial evidence (buyer saying they are happy, then leaving that 1* review out of the blue, and you seeing that they leave the same 1* review and review text for other sellers) - did he only ever leave 1* reviews, or other star ratings too, and how many in total? If it was just for you and one other seller, that doesn’t prove much, however, if he ordered from 10 different sellers and left each of them the same 1* and review text, support might more readily tend to agree that it’s suspicious.

They might tell you that they are looking into this but won’t be able to tell you anything because of their privacy policy, or that a buyer is entitled to leave any review they see fit unless it violates the terms of service.

If you’re lucky and the support person thinks it’s fishy too, maybe they’ll keep an eye on that person’s account and find out sooner if they indeed are a competing seller on another account.

And of course, there’s always the possibility that it’s just some kind of “fake” person, not in the sense you meant (being a “fake buyer” and in fact a competitor and just buying for the purpose of leaving bad reviews), but in the sense of being someone who’ll say “great, I’m happy with this” to your face and then leaving a bad review because some revisions were needed and it wasn’t exactly as they wanted it right away, or whatever. Same as the “I never give 5* because nothing on Earth is perfect” people, those exist.

if he ordered from 10 different sellers and left each of them the same 1* and review text,

This buyer bought from a seller and gave a 5 star review.

Another time they bought from the same seller and left a 1 star review.

They are only showing a total of 4 reviews from 3 sellers including the OP.

[lloydsolutions]

(post withdrawn by author, will be automatically deleted in 24 hours unless flagged)

you might buy again from someone you gave 3 stars perhaps, but 1

The 5 stars came first.

Anyhow, maybe the OP will update us as to the reply from Customer Support.

[zerlina84]

It is very weird. He gave 4 reviews: I couldn’t find the first one, but he gave 1 star to the other 3 sellers he bought from (including OP)

I really hope CS sides with you, this is disgusting.

[miiila]

you might buy again from someone you gave 3 stars perhaps, but 1

The 5 stars came first.

Anyhow, maybe the OP will update us as to the reply from Customer Support.

Ah, got you now, I thought that were 2 different sellers and one got 2x 1* …

[marinapomorac]

Just to say the orders he is making are all fake I think. The intro he ordered from seller with 1000 5* reviews contains website and YT channel that do not exist. He says “It was OK” and leaves 1* review. And the video looks perfectly fine.

[enunciator]

In total, this buyer has left one five star review and three one star reviews. It seems this guy either likes or completely hates whatever the seller delivers, there’s no middle ground.

I’m not sure if this falls into a type of violation, but it is definitely a red flag to any seller to seriously reconsider working with this guy.

[humanissocial]

@imagination7413

I have reached to customer support and provided them screenshots of buyer admiring that the work is good. I have been very polite and professional to the buyer even after the review. In fact, I have always been very polite and professional throughout my Fiverr career.

Thanks

Regards

have reached to customer support and provided them screenshots of buyer admiring that the work is

None of that proves the buyer is trying to sabotage you to prevent your promotion and neither does his leaving the same reviews for multiple sellers.

After this, I checked and asked other sellers he had worked with. They had exactly the same experience with the buyer.

It’s not okay to breach buyer confidentiality or message sellers for non sales-relat3d things.

After you broke multiple ToS here, you want Fiverr to take action for you using evidence that isn’t evidence. It isn’t going to happen. Move on.

[mabdullahsial]

Just to say the orders he is making are all fake I think. The intro he ordered from seller with 1000 5* reviews contains website and YT channel that do not exist. He says “It was OK” and leaves 1* review. And the video looks perfectly fine.

Exactly, He is doing the same to everyone. This is where things get fishy! All his information of websites and YT channel are fake!

[miiila]

have reached to customer support and provided them screenshots of buyer admiring that the work is

None of that proves the buyer is trying to sabotage you to prevent your promotion and neither does his leaving the same reviews for multiple sellers.

After this, I checked and asked other sellers he had worked with. They had exactly the same experience with the buyer.

It’s not okay to breach buyer confidentiality or message sellers for non sales-relat3d things.

After you broke multiple ToS here, you want Fiverr to take action for you using evidence that isn’t evidence. It isn’t going to happen. Move on.

Good points. I agree it’s better to move on.

[mabdullahsial]

Yeah am just trying to get out of it and move on 🤐

[ducktheunicorn]

On the bright side, he left the portfolio sample attached to his review. Other buyers can decide for themselves if they think your work is mediocre, since it’s there on display. I wouldn’t say I agree with the review, but at least you have solid work to show.

[mabdullahsial]

On the bright side, he left the portfolio sample attached to his review. Other buyers can decide for themselves if they think your work is mediocre, since it’s there on display. I wouldn’t say I agree with the review, but at least you have solid work to show.

Thank you very much for these words of appreciation. The community here is really fantastic. Helping and supportive.

Thanks

Regards