I miss Fiverr! 💔

[addiefied]

Hi everyone, I really miss Fiverr as my account got temporarily disabled 10 days back for a report that I did regarding a client who was insulting me. That was my first bad experience and surprisingly, the first time he ordered my services, he was really amazed and we completed the first order in the right manner, but soon he came for another order as he was satisfied with me and my work. This time, things didn't turn out well as I was working on a QB-Core-based FiveM server and he told me he has all the stuff that needs to be in there. The first order I did for him was to create a QB-Core-based FiveM server from scratch. This time, we were supposed to work on scripts, MLO's & vehicles for his newly made server, for which, I told him we'll work in milestones as we need to put a lot of things in there. Long story short, he kept giving me things that weren't even discussed in the first place. This is where I told him that it's not how things work, we'd need to tweak the order and add the extra services I'm offering. This was the moment he started calling me "greedy". I was still nice to him and told him if he's unable to pay for the extra services, I'll try to cover them in the current order and finish it off. He agreed upon this and I finished working for him. Only the vehicles were left and that was for a reason. I was contacting him but there was no reply from his side and I had to finish the order as the promised order time was about to finish and everything else was on time. I sent him the delivery. He came back the other day and told me that I've not finished his work and I was somehow sabotaging the server, which I wasn't obviously, and started putting false allegations about me. This was the moment I decided things are not going well here so I really need to report this to Fiverr. The worst part from my end was the discussions were done on Discord, while all the order updates/payments were on the Fiverr platform. I never had an idea about outside communication thing at that point and for this reason, my account was temporarily disabled and was told its in review by the trust and safety centre and would take around 60 days. All the screenshots were also attached to the report ticket I made.

 

I am one of you who was working hard day and night on Fiverr with utmost honesty. This was the first time it happened and it eventually ended me up in a shock. I didn't get any warnings or what so ever in my entire journey on Fiverr, in fact, I was always mindful of all the actions I take on the platform so nothing goes off the policies mentioned. Mistakes do happen in life and we as a human, tend to do mistakes. I contacted support regarding this that I haven't been involved ever in anything that might break Fiverr's TOS, but this time I unknowingly ended myself in this, but they said all I need to do is to wait for the time given for the trust and safety centre to complete their review.

I really hope and pray that I get my profile back up and running again so I can resume giving my services again, if you came this far, thanks for reading and remember me in your prayers, have a good day everyone! 🙂

[christinemungai]

So sorry for this experience. Let's hope it'll be reinstated after the review period is over.

[vickieito]

3 hours ago, addiefied said:

The worst part from my end was the discussions were done on Discord, while all the order updates/payments were on the Fiverr platform. I never had an idea about outside communication thing at that point and for this reason, my account was temporarily disabled and was told its in review by the trust and safety centre and would take around 60 days.

Unfortunately, before you sign up for an account on Fiverr, you have to check a box saying that you read their ToS, which states that all communication has to be on Fiverr's platform. Taking communication off of Fiverr is a big deal and not one that Fiverr takes lightly because this issue directly affects its revenue.

Most accounts put under review for communicating off of Fiverr's platform get shut down for good after 90 days. These sellers are banned from ever creating another account on Fiverr.

3 hours ago, addiefied said:

if you came this far, thanks for reading and remember me in your prayers

I do wish the best of luck for you. It looks like you probably won't be able to have your account back on Fiverr, but that should not limit you from pursuing other opportunities to earn a living. 

[catwriter]

3 hours ago, vickieito said:

before you sign up for an account on Fiverr, you have to check a box saying that you read their ToS, which states that all communication has to be on Fiverr's platform.

Additionally, on top of every inbox message thread, there's this, and yet so many people don't notice it or don't pay attention to it:

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by catwriter

[addiefied]

Quote

Most accounts put under review for communicating off of Fiverr's platform get shut down for good after 90 days. These sellers are banned from ever creating another account on Fiverr.

@vickieito Well, I have a lot of people who work on Fiverr and they did the same mistake I did in the past as well, but when Person X gets a warning for outside communication, Person Y is someone who got warned for the 2nd time for using outside communication, how come the rule exhibits on me in a different manner? I wasn't the one who was reported/flagged in this instance, it was me who reported the buyer for first initiating the outside communication and then when we did communicate outside, all the screenshots are already with the team to review.

Edited July 20, 2023 by addiefied

[addiefied]

Quote

Additionally, on top of every inbox message thread, there's this, and yet so many people don't notice it or don't pay attention to it:

@catwriter Unfortunately, that wasn't there in my case. I've noticed that warning when I accidentally write "@" logo and I clear that away right away.

[vickieito]

58 minutes ago, addiefied said:

it was me who reported the buyer for first initiating the outside communication and then when we did communicate outside

It doesn't really matter who initiates the communication ... if you are communicating outside of the platform, Fiverr can shut your account down. And if there are any issues with a buyer while communicating off the platform, Fiverr can't protect you because you are breaking their rules.

1 hour ago, addiefied said:

Well, I have a lot of people who work on Fiverr and they did the same mistake I did in the past as well, but when Person X gets a warning for outside communication, Person Y is someone who got warned for the 2nd time for using outside communication, how come the rule exhibits on me

At first you mentioned that you didn't know about Fiverr's rule, but now you know a lot of people who did the same mistake?

It looks like you were aware of this rule and chose not to follow it, chancing that you wouldn't get caught, or that you'd only get a warning. Not everyone gets caught. So that's a risk you took, and the consequences are that you could lose your account permanently, as well as the right to work on this platform forever.

In any case, it's up to Fiverr to decide if your account will be reinstated or not. If it is, keep all communications within Fiverr's platform. If a buyer asks to move conversations off the platform, kindly let them know that it's against Fiverr's ToS. This will also make sure that CS can help you if the buyer starts to threaten you or acting like your buyer did. 

[addiefied]

Quote

At first you mentioned that you didn't know about Fiverr's rule, but now you know a lot of people who did the same mistake?

It looks like you were aware of this rule and chose not to follow it, chancing that you wouldn't get caught, or that you'd only get a warning. Not everyone gets caught. So that's a risk you took, and the consequences are that you could lose your account permanently, as well as the right to work on this platform forever.

Have you never made any mistakes in life? If you did, and went out to ask people where you went wrong, and once you know where you where it went wrong, how would it feel if I come and tell you that you knew it already & still you did that mistake intentionally knowing the consequences, how does this sound to you? This is the exact feeling I got from your reply. 

Set rule of guidelines are for everyone, and are mentioned visibly by the platform but forums is a place where you discuss things with the fellow community to learn, discover & educate about the other possibilities that something has, could be anything, not just the rules, & eventually grow together in a better way, but unfortunately, the replies coming from you are just a mirror of set of TOS being posted here in forums. 

What I've mentioned in my post is my experience, & I want to learn & and discover new possibilities around my community, please let's just keep it that way. 

[imagination7413]

13 minutes ago, addiefied said:

 If you did, and went out to ask people where you went wrong, and once you know where you where it went wrong, how would it feel if I come and tell you that you knew it already & still you did that mistake intentionally knowing the consequences, how does this sound to you?

Ah, so you didn't know until after you sought the 'why'. The way you phrased it initially implied that you knew ahead of time and ignored it. That is what @vickieito was commenting on. 

I'm sorry to hear this happened to you, but we are not mind-readers. We only know the information you provide.

I'm glad to hear you regret not reading the rules, so be sure to do that if Fiverr does ban you, if you try another platform. Read, as close to the source as you can. 

[vickieito]

22 minutes ago, addiefied said:

Have you never made any mistakes in life? If you did, and went out to ask people where you went wrong, and once you know where you where it went wrong, how would it feel if I come and tell you that you knew it already & still you did that mistake intentionally knowing the consequences, how does this sound to you? This is the exact feeling I got from your reply. 

All the time. My most recent mistake was related to cyber security - I knew people get hacked all the time, but didn't really think it would affect me. It did.

Several months ago, my Fiverr account was hacked, all my Earnings were withdrawn, and the hacker shut down my Fiverr account. I also had my identity stolen and lost thousands of dollars due to online transactions performed in my name.

Did I know about cyber security? Yes, I did.

Did I take all the necessary security measures to protect myself against a cyber security attack? No, I didn't.

Do I feel responsible for not taking those security measures, and losing thousands of dollars? Yes, I feel pretty stupid. But it was a risk I took, and I lost because of it.

31 minutes ago, addiefied said:

What I've mentioned in my post is my experience

What I shared was my experience as well. Sorry if what I said sounded harsh, but I saw a bit of me in what you were saying. And I am pretty harsh on myself when I make mistakes. I know how strict rules can be and how hard it can be when those consequences come crashing down on you.

41 minutes ago, addiefied said:

I want to learn & and discover new possibilities around my community, please let's just keep it that way. 

I also want to provide help and support, but I also didn't want to create a false sense of optimism or get your hopes up. There are many sellers who were in the same situation as you and were never able to get their accounts back. You may get a second chance, and that would be awesome! But if not, this is definitely a learning experience that you can apply to whatever you decide to pursue.

[catwriter]

6 hours ago, addiefied said:

Unfortunately, that wasn't there in my case. I've noticed that warning when I accidentally write "@" logo and I clear that away right away.

This isn't a warning that shows up when you write something. It sits there at the very top of every message thread in your inbox as soon as you receive the first message from a new prospect. If you click on any message in your inbox on the main platform (if you still have access to your account, that is), and scroll up to the very top, you should be able to see it.

A lot of people seem to overlook it.

[addiefied]

8 hours ago, vickieito said:

Several months ago, my Fiverr account was hacked, all my Earnings were withdrawn, and the hacker shut down my Fiverr account. I also had my identity stolen and lost thousands of dollars due to online transactions performed in my name.

I really feel sorry for your loss.

 

8 hours ago, vickieito said:

What I shared was my experience as well. Sorry if what I said sounded harsh, but I saw a bit of me in what you were saying. And I am pretty harsh on myself when I make mistakes. I know how strict rules can be and how hard it can be when those consequences come crashing down on you.

Everything is hitting me hard these days, I'm sorry if I sound awkward.

 

8 hours ago, vickieito said:

I also want to provide help and support, but I also didn't want to create a false sense of optimism or get your hopes up. There are many sellers who were in the same situation as you and were never able to get their accounts back. You may get a second chance, and that would be awesome! But if not, this is definitely a learning experience that you can apply to whatever you decide to pursue.

That's absolutely right. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enlightening me, giving me hope that everything's gonna be all right. You are surely an amazing soul!

[addiefied]

5 hours ago, catwriter said:

This isn't a warning that shows up when you write something. It sits there at the very top of every message thread in your inbox as soon as you receive the first message from a new prospect. If you click on any message in your inbox on the main platform (if you still have access to your account, that is), and scroll up to the very top, you should be able to see it.

A lot of people seem to overlook it.

Oh, so this is overlooked by me as well because I never noticed it sitting there. See, this is how you learn and fix your mistakes and make a will that they are never repeated. I believe and wish Fiverr will consider this likewise too and give me a chance to fix my mistake this time so it's not repeated in future.

[vickieito]

4 hours ago, addiefied said:

Everything is hitting me hard these days

Stay strong @addiefied! 

There's not really much that you can do besides wait while the Trust & Safety team makes their decision. They do mention 60 days, but it can take up to 90 days for them to get back to you ... which is a really long time of silence/no communication. I was very lucky that my account was only shut down (not put under review) so it only took me 6 days to get my issue resolve (and that felt like it took forever!).

In the meantime, focus on what you can do - I saw that you are into computer systems engineering and gaming/live streaming (in addition to being a content creator) so you have a lot of great skills and talents that will serve you well wherever you go.

Feel free to hang out on the forum as well to connect with other sellers and decompress. I had a good laugh watching the videos on this thread: 😊

[chris_ld]

Now Wish you best of luck

[addiefied]

@chris_ld Thanks man!

[addiefied]

@vickieito Thanks a lot! I hope this time too passes away 🙂

[slightly_mad]

On 7/20/2023 at 7:50 PM, vickieito said:

Several months ago, my Fiverr account was hacked, all my Earnings were withdrawn, and the hacker shut down my Fiverr account. I also had my identity stolen and lost thousands of dollars due to online transactions performed in my name.

@vickieito I am very sorry this has happened to you!!

i would be gratefull if you could share HOW this has happened to you here on Fiverr, so that we could be more aware and prepared! I know that my question is not absolutely relevant to the original subject of this thread, however i believe this info to be extremely valuable! that is of course if you are ok sharing a bit more about this. Thank you! 🙏

[vickieito]

8 hours ago, slightly_mad said:

i would be gratefull if you could share HOW this has happened to you here on Fiverr,

@slightly_mad - My FIverr account hacking was due to malware found on my computer. Which came from me downloading a zip, rar, or other file (I do get a lot of requests for me to view resumes that I have to rewrite ... there were a few files that didn't open correctly). I had several tabs open on my browser when the malware/Trojan software that was downloaded, so it didn't matter that I had two-factor authentication on all my accounts - any tab that was open was vulnerable to the attack.

At the time of the attack, one of my clients had just requested a revision on an order and I tried to respond but was immediately kicked out of my account. So to my client, all she knew was that she requested a revision, then her order was immediately canceled, and there was no way for her to contact me. I later found out that all of my orders in queue were canceled when my account was shut down.

For me, I could see a red banner across my screen saying that my account was no longer active and an email was sent to me explaining why. The email was in my spam folder and it said, "As you requested, we have shut down your account ...." I immediately forwarded the email to support@fiverr.com and asked why my account was shut down and told them that I didn't make that request.

My Seller Plus manager also looked into this issue for me and told me, "You made a request to shut down your account because you have multiple accounts." Which wasn't true, so she told me to wait until CS responded to my ticket. They did two days later, and told me that suspicious activity happened right before my account was shut down (all of my Earnings were withdrawn to a different PayPal account). So CS believed me and reinstated my account (in restricted mode) so that I could go through a list of security measures to protect myself. I followed their steps and got my account fully restored after four days. CS also compensated me for the loss (unlike PayPal and other online accounts that were created/affected by the hacking), restored my seller level (I dropped down to Level 1), and fixed my stats for me. I was disqualified from the Seller Plus program for a month, but I got that back as well.

Now I have a continuous scan for malware (and also scan every file that I download), changed all my passwords so that there are no duplicates, and also have ID theft protection with continuous monitoring for suspicious activity. I also no longer keep multiple tabs open when I work on my computer. It's a pain to have to log back in so many times a day, but it's worth it to have that extra step to ensure my accounts are secure.

[uk1000]

36 minutes ago, vickieito said:

I also no longer keep multiple tabs open when I work on my computer. It's a pain to have to log back in so many times a day, but it's worth it to have that extra step to ensure my accounts are secure.

Couldn't having one browser for Fiverr and another browser for everything else reduce the risk if most of the risk is through Fiverr?

[yourbrandingpal]

4 minutes ago, uk1000 said:

Couldn't having one browser for Fiverr and another browser for everything else reduce the risk if most of the risk is through Fiverr?

I agree. At the moment, I am using virtual machines or AWS instances to access external files. The worst part is that prominent apps such as MS Office and Windows have vulnerabilities that haven't been patched yet. Opening one of these malicious files is enough for the machine to be compromised. So not taking any chances as of now.

[slightly_mad]

@vickieito WOW!! very frustrating (the least i can say) and you got really lucky with the CS here! Tough experience, huge lesson though .. 

Thank you very much for sharing your experience.

I have been using Fiverr from a separate browser, and have thought about a VM as @yourbrandingpal says and seems a good idea eventhough you say that still you can be compromised?? I am not a tech, but will look into it more carefully so that i minimise chances of getting compromised ..

 

[chris_ld]

Best wishes for your future, 
its really bad to hear. May GOD bless you many more success