9+ years as TRS here and randomly demoted to Lvl 2 seller....

[provoiceworks]

I wanted to share this situation with the community as I think it is pretty questionable as far as fiverr practices goes. I have been a provider on this site for 10+ years and grossed over 100k in revenues. 9 of those years I have been a Top Rate Seller, never having ANY issues with meeting criteria, negative feedback, account warning, etc. Stellar feedback from over 6K clients and counting. Never lower than a 4.9  rating. Last week I received an email stating I was being demoted to a LVL 2 seller and absolutely no reasoning was given as to why the decision was made. The general statement in email given was... "Unfortunately, after a thorough review of your recent orders and deliveries, our team found that you no longer meet the criteria for the Top Rated Seller status".

I have been doing this for a LONG time and frankly I am one of the top providers here on this site for the type of services I offer and have been for some time now. A cruise through my feedback and demos is all clients need to see and hear and the quality of my work past and present has never gone under par. I actually went from a 4.9 to 5.0 again the same week I received this email.  So being confused was natural.

I contacted support and stated the above and asked to look into this recent change and wanted to know specifically WHY I was demoted as I have never not met criteria (currently above all criteria requirements). The response I got was another general email stating...

"Upon further review, I can see that your account was demoted to Level 2 on 15 June 2023, due to no longer meeting the quality and performance standards needed to retain the TRS badge. 
 
Our marketplace is constantly being reviewed by our Editorial team and they take into consideration your performance from the previous 60 days to confirm eligibility. You can regain your Top Rated Seller badge after three months if you meet our high-quality work and delivery criteria.
 

• Performance is assessed based on internal indicators, which may change from time to time at our sole discretion.
• Changing seller levels isn’t always related to the leveling achievements displayed in your analytics, and performance criteria may be updated from time to time, at our sole discretion.
• Sellers can regain TRS status 3 months after the demotion.
• We constantly measure the satisfaction of the businesses that leverage Top Rated Sellers.   This threshold is calculated through internal measurements that follow buyers’ satisfaction."

So no reasoning other than someone thought I was al of a sudden after 9 years of being TRS not keeping up to par when my statistics and work still deliver above and beyond. I responded stating they have provided no reasoning still and this did not add up. The following was the last response...

"I completely got your point of view as you wish to know the exact reason, however, as these actions are taken by our editorial team after a specific review, we are not able to provide further information about this or make any changes to it.
 
As already mentioned, I am unable to share any details about the internal metrics on which your performance is measured that are needed to retain the TRS badge. However, rest assured that you can regain your Top Rated Seller badge after three months if you meet our high-quality work and delivery criteria."

 

So basically, Fiverr can simply demote you for no reasoning what so ever and they do not have to tell you why. This is shady business practice as you could get. Leaves so may questions. Did the person who reviewed my account have ANY experience or background in audio production or voice over? What factors could have possibly led to the decision since I meet all criteria and have stellar feedback for 9+ years. Is this appropriate treatment for one of the Veterans of this site having crossed the $100K revenue threshold? This should make you worry about the policies fiverr has as they continue to lean more towards caring less about providing a balance and fair market for sellers and more and more on how they can take more money in fees and commissions.

 

[meldawn9]

I had the same happen to me. I got demoted from Level 2 to beginner 0 or whatever it's called. It was re-instated after 3 weeks with zero explanation.

[michmikaia]

1 hour ago, provoiceworks said:

I wanted to share this situation with the community as I think it is pretty questionable as far as fiverr practices goes. I have been a provider on this site for 10+ years and grossed over 100k in revenues. 9 of those years I have been a Top Rate Seller, never having ANY issues with meeting criteria, negative feedback, account warning, etc. Stellar feedback from over 6K clients and counting. Never lower than a 4.9  rating. Last week I received an email stating I was being demoted to a LVL 2 seller and absolutely no reasoning was given as to why the decision was made. The general statement in email given was... "Unfortunately, after a thorough review of your recent orders and deliveries, our team found that you no longer meet the criteria for the Top Rated Seller status".

I have been doing this for a LONG time and frankly I am one of the top providers here on this site for the type of services I offer and have been for some time now. A cruise through my feedback and demos is all clients need to see and hear and the quality of my work past and present has never gone under par. I actually went from a 4.9 to 5.0 again the same week I received this email.  So being confused was natural.

I contacted support and stated the above and asked to look into this recent change and wanted to know specifically WHY I was demoted as I have never not met criteria (currently above all criteria requirements). The response I got was another general email stating...

"Upon further review, I can see that your account was demoted to Level 2 on 15 June 2023, due to no longer meeting the quality and performance standards needed to retain the TRS badge. 
 
Our marketplace is constantly being reviewed by our Editorial team and they take into consideration your performance from the previous 60 days to confirm eligibility. You can regain your Top Rated Seller badge after three months if you meet our high-quality work and delivery criteria.
 

• Performance is assessed based on internal indicators, which may change from time to time at our sole discretion.
• Changing seller levels isn’t always related to the leveling achievements displayed in your analytics, and performance criteria may be updated from time to time, at our sole discretion.
• Sellers can regain TRS status 3 months after the demotion.
• We constantly measure the satisfaction of the businesses that leverage Top Rated Sellers.   This threshold is calculated through internal measurements that follow buyers’ satisfaction."

So no reasoning other than someone thought I was al of a sudden after 9 years of being TRS not keeping up to par when my statistics and work still deliver above and beyond. I responded stating they have provided no reasoning still and this did not add up. The following was the last response...

"I completely got your point of view as you wish to know the exact reason, however, as these actions are taken by our editorial team after a specific review, we are not able to provide further information about this or make any changes to it.
 
As already mentioned, I am unable to share any details about the internal metrics on which your performance is measured that are needed to retain the TRS badge. However, rest assured that you can regain your Top Rated Seller badge after three months if you meet our high-quality work and delivery criteria."

 

So basically, Fiverr can simply demote you for no reasoning what so ever and they do not have to tell you why. This is shady business practice as you could get. Leaves so may questions. Did the person who reviewed my account have ANY experience or background in audio production or voice over? What factors could have possibly led to the decision since I meet all criteria and have stellar feedback for 9+ years. Is this appropriate treatment for one of the Veterans of this site having crossed the $100K revenue threshold? This should make you worry about the policies fiverr has as they continue to lean more towards caring less about providing a balance and fair market for sellers and more and more on how they can take more money in fees and commissions.

 

Hi there.

I am sorry for that. Your feeling is understandable.

I think the information that they cannot share to you is about the private review which lead your demotion to level 2.

@donnovan86 , I think you might have some information to share.

Edited June 17, 2023 by michmikaia

[donnovan86]

7 hours ago, michmikaia said:

I think you might have some information to share.

Thanks for inviting me to the conversation.

Well, after checking the OP's profile, I did see he had some bad reviews within the last half year. So that might be a factor.

Fiverr is harsher with TRS and Pro sellers, because you can easily get removed from these programs if you don't fit their criteria. The thing is, if they see bad reviews or they have buyer complaints, they can remove these titles. Remember that TRS are manually vetted, and they do check every TRS manually from time to time to see if they still fit.

Also, there might also be the case that becoming a TRS requires you to charge at least $10 or $15 for your lowest gig package these days, which OP doesn't. So there can be a number of things. I get it that Fiverr wants to keep their criteria secret to prevent abuse, so I understand why the reply was generic. 

8 hours ago, provoiceworks said:

9 of those years I have been a Top Rate Seller, never having ANY issues with meeting criteria, negative feedback, account warning, etc.

There were a few negative reviews over the past half a year or so, I think that might be the reason. Either that, or buyer complaints that led to them removing the badge. Or, which I think might be the main issue here, you have a lower buyer satisfaction rate than you should as a top rated seller. If that's the case, then they push you back in search. Apparently they also study every TRS manually to see their performance. 

[Alex.M]

11 hours ago, provoiceworks said:

I actually went from a 4.9 to 5.0 again the same week I received this email.  So being confused was natural.

The strange thing is that from tomorrow Fiverr will lower the rating score threshold from 4.7 to 4.2  '' to help sellers better maintain their levels. '' ( based on that new review policy for some cancelled orders ) 

Also, are you in the seller plus program? 

[powerjinglesnl]

Don't you need Seller Plus premium for that nowadays?

[donnovan86]

45 minutes ago, cre8iveartwork said:

from tomorrow

They said next week, tomorrow is Sunday?

[Alex.M]

11 minutes ago, donnovan86 said:

They said next week, tomorrow is Sunday?

sorry, I am suffering from a hangover from last night, next week indeed 😄

[donnovan86]

Just now, cre8iveartwork said:

I am suffering from a hangover from last night

Hope you had a great time 🙂

 

[provoiceworks]

5 hours ago, donnovan86 said:

Thanks for inviting me to the conversation.

Well, after checking the OP's profile, I did see he had some bad reviews within the last half year. So that might be a factor.

Fiverr is harsher with TRS and Pro sellers, because you can easily get removed from these programs if you don't fit their criteria. The thing is, if they see bad reviews or they have buyer complaints, they can remove these titles. Remember that TRS are manually vetted, and they do check every TRS manually from time to time to see if they still fit.

Also, there might also be the case that becoming a TRS requires you to charge at least $10 or $15 for your lowest gig package these days, which OP doesn't. So there can be a number of things. I get it that Fiverr wants to keep their criteria secret to prevent abuse, so I understand why the reply was generic. 

There were a few negative reviews over the past half a year or so, I think that might be the reason. Either that, or buyer complaints that led to them removing the badge. Or, which I think might be the main issue here, you have a lower buyer satisfaction rate than you should as a top rated seller. If that's the case, then they push you back in search. Apparently they also study every TRS manually to see their performance. 

Those negative reviews I brought up to support as they were left without warrant and they refused to remove them. Another huge issue I have with their policy is allowing buyers to leave false or negative feedback when I had all the proof that everything was produced and sent to same standards. A few of those were clients trying to get free services. Fiverr used to remove feedback like that when proof was shown but the response I got was...

"I’ve looked into your buyer's review and found that as much as I understand your frustration, the review does not include any violations of our Terms of Service.  
 
Feedbacks are an important part of every marketplace that helps us to maintain the integrity of the Fiverr marketplace. For this reason, Customer Support doesn't remove the feedback that is written by our customers unless there is a clear violation of our Terms of Service or Community Standards
 
As a general reminder, Buyers on Fiverr are regular users. Creating a Fiverr account is free and available to people internationally. As this is the case, Fiverr cannot know or guarantee in advance how a Buyer will behave. We are not in constant communication with them. As such, your experience is certain to vary from one to another."

Then support goes on to say...
 
"On a positive note, I have checked your account statistics and they seem to be near pitch-perfect, so there should be no reason whatsoever that this one review should discourage you in any way from continuing to provide high-quality services."

 

This was 5 months ago.

[provoiceworks]

3 hours ago, cre8iveartwork said:

The strange thing is that from tomorrow Fiverr will lower the rating score threshold from 4.7 to 4.2  '' to help sellers better maintain their levels. '' ( based on that new review policy for some cancelled orders ) 

Also, are you in the seller plus program? 

I am not. Just another way for them to get money. I have issues already with them double and triple dipping on the promoted gigs feature.

[provoiceworks]

5 hours ago, donnovan86 said:

Also, there might also be the case that becoming a TRS requires you to charge at least $10 or $15 for your lowest gig package these days, which OP doesn't. So there can be a number of things. I get it that Fiverr wants to keep their criteria secret to prevent abuse, so I understand why the reply was generic. 

 

Where is info on this? This is the first time hearing this. I will gladly raise my prices. Lol

[provoiceworks]

18 negative reviews out of 5,659 reviews in total!

the recent ones were clients trying to change scripts or get free services not included in the price and I don't do work for free. Fiverr refused to remove them.

[grayprogrammerz]

21 minutes ago, provoiceworks said:

Where is info on this? This is the first time hearing this. I will gladly raise my prices. Lol

 

17 minutes ago, provoiceworks said:

18 negative reviews out of 5,659 reviews in total!

the recent ones were clients trying to change scripts or get free services not included in the price and I don't do work for free. Fiverr refused to remove them.

Not just that, Raising prices will also prevent freebee buyers 😄

[vickiespencer]

7 hours ago, donnovan86 said:

Also, there might also be the case that becoming a TRS requires you to charge at least $10 or $15 for your lowest gig package these days,

I do not know where it is written, but one of the first things my Seller Plus Manager told me after I became a TRS was, "Of course, we expect you to raise your prices gradually".  And I did not have any $5 gigs at that time. 

 

 

2 hours ago, provoiceworks said:

I am not. Just another way for them to get money.

I credit the Premium Seller Success Program with my getting a TRS badge.

By following all of my SSM's advice, my profile and gigs became the level where Fiverr thought I should have the TRS badge.

I do not want to seem rude, but when I first took a peek at your profile and gigs, I could see why you lost your TRS badge. Do you update your images to compete with other sellers in your niche? I just searched for "DJ drops" and sorted for TRS—there are only 35—and most gig images were superior to yours. On top of that, I could tell that many of them must have been members of the Seller Plus Program merely by viewing their gig images. Maybe if you consider them too, you can figure out why they are better than yours.  

Your starting price on your gigs is $5. If you raise your prices, you can afford to join Seller Plus Premium and reap the rewards and get your TRS back. Good luck! 🍀

 

[catwriter]

2 hours ago, provoiceworks said:

Where is info on this? This is the first time hearing this. I will gladly raise my prices. Lol

Look here (and then scroll a bit down, to "Dos", and you'll see "Start Gig pricing from above the minimum limit"): https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/15140188560913

I guess it might be the time to revamp your profile and gigs...

[donnovan86]

2 hours ago, provoiceworks said:

Where is info on this? This is the first time hearing this. I will gladly raise my prices. Lol

If people want to become TRS these days, that's the requirement. Among many many others. TRS has become a lot more stringent when compared to the early days.

https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/15140188560913#h_01GZXDBQT2VP37JF9XCNHZ6M19

In this article they say this:

There's no specification when it comes to what is the limit, but there's clearly a limit and I can tell you for sure that the limit is not $5.

@vickiespencer, this is what I was talking about 🙂

[smashradio]

21 hours ago, provoiceworks said:

I wanted to share this situation

 

I'm sorry to hear about your demotion.

There could be multiple explanations for what happened, but here are some potential factors that immediately come to mind:

It could be related to private buyer feedback, which might have caused your buyer satisfaction rate to fall beneath the threshold needed to maintain Top Rated Seller (TRS) status. As far as I understand, Fiverr determines your score based on overall buyer satisfaction over the past 60 days, heavily relying on the private feedback provided by buyers after completing an order. 

For instance, I experienced a slight drop in my BSR around the time my son was born (understandably, I couldn't devote as much energy to my work). My success manager warned me that this could cause my rating to drop below "a threshold," resulting in a demotion.

Since Fiverr's editorial team and support aren't allowed to disclose details about your BSR, you're left with vague explanations like this. However, they're giving you a pretty big clue: 

"We constantly measure the satisfaction of the businesses that leverage Top Rated Sellers. This threshold is calculated through internal measurements that follow buyers’ satisfaction."

I always assumed that the editorial team doesn't just look at candidates for TRS but also existing TRS accounts. It has always kept me on my toes. I've assumed that they check my ability to communicate well with buyers, deliver to their satisfaction, keep my promises, and always be honest, transparent, professional, and polite.

While I'm not implying that you're not providing a professional service to your buyers, reflecting on this might help you pinpoint any potential areas of improvement. Have there been any distractions in the past 60 days? Did you have a new buyer who didn't leave a public review? Did those buyers raise any red flags at all?

These are just a few points to ponder.

Then there is your pricing strategy... Your base rate stands at five dollars. Fiverr wants to attract high-budget buyers and constantly strives to move upmarket (you only need to read their shareholder letters to understand this).

Your five-dollar price tag doesn't help achieve that. Instead, it's conveying the message that top-rated services are available for a mere five dollars.

It undermines Fiverr's goal to position itself as a business platform, not just a place for cheap microservices.

Just as one wouldn't expect a five-dollar wine to be a Decanter World Wine Awards-winning Premier Cru Classé, your price point might have contributed to your demotion.

This is only a hypothesis, but Fiverr has urged numerous Top Rated Sellers to increase their prices, introduced minimum rates in certain categories, and modified its algorithm to give higher ranking to more expensive gigs - all signs pointing towards its shift in direction.

I hope this helps, and that you get your golden badge back!

[provoiceworks]

7 hours ago, vickiespencer said:

I do not know where it is written, but one of the first things my Seller Plus Manager told me after I became a TRS was, "Of course, we expect you to raise your prices gradually".  And I did not have any $5 gigs at that time. 

 

 

I do not want to seem rude, but when I first took a peek at your profile and gigs, I could see why you lost your TRS badge. Do you update your images to compete with other sellers in your niche? I just searched for "DJ drops" and sorted for TRS—there are only 35—and most gig images were superior to yours. On top of that, I could tell that many of them must have been members of the Seller Plus Program merely by viewing their gig images. Maybe if you consider them too, you can figure out why they are better than yours.  

Your starting price on your gigs is $5. If you raise your prices, you can afford to join Seller Plus Premium and reap the rewards and get your TRS back. Good luck! 🍀

 

Not rude at all. I am definitely at fault for not updating gig pictures and videos in a bit. Feedback noted!

[provoiceworks]

I appreciate all the feedback above and info. I will focus on restructuring gigs and pricing as it has been something I have put on the back burner for too long. Will also be updating gig pictures and videos and some sprucing up on the profile over all. I guess I got too comfortable in my current TRS level and wasn't paying attention to other accounts and my own as far as appeal visually.