Update: Addressing new level system questions and feedback

[emmaki]

1 minute ago, visualstudios said:

The problem with this platform is that you have quite literally millions if illiterate, talentless, clueless sellers on it. They are way too many. They can't read, they can't think, how they're able to even breathe surprises me. They would abuse the system like crazy. Get hit on stats? Doesn't matter. A lot of them would fall, but a million more new accounts would pop up in their place. It's like cockroaches. You can't let the cockroaches access a system that costs resources.

All encouraged to join and make money by gurus who I can only imagine make more money from other people's delusions than Fiverr... 

If Fiverr wants to keep them so much, it should just break off the marketplace and split it in two:

• Classic Fiverr
• Pro Fiverr. 

This will probably also make it easier to create better review systems.  But then again, there's probably terror about PR issues over who ends up in the classic corner... 

[voicedbyken]

1 minute ago, emmaki said:

I also have the first 200 people SP program discount! I sometimes wonder how long that will last before it is swiped away to pinch at those (relative) pennies....  

 

I do as well, I was under the impression that we were grandfathered into that price when the program launched and would be locked in unless we dropped out of it and tried to return. But who knows...

[visualstudios]

Just now, charlsmcfarlane said:

Well then maybe your suggestion of limiting it to specific seller groups makes more sense.

It's not about being elitist - it's just because Pro and TRS are the only manually vetted groups. If every seller on the platform was manually vetted, then this system I proposed should apply to everyone. But it's prohibitively expensive to vet everyone, there's just too many people. And this system, to work properly, should only apply to vetted sellers, as the quantity of scammers and non serious sellers is too damn high.

[newsmike]

23 minutes ago, voicedbyken said:

This scammer clicked on my promoted gig costing me money - they were pretending to be CS telling me I need to give them my personal information and login otherwise my account would be locked. I reported and they were removed, but I was still charged for the click.

Did they place an order?  Otherwise how would you know they clicked on your promoted gig?

[visualstudios]

Just now, newsmike said:

Otherwise how would you know they clicked on your promoted gig?

It says promoted by their name.

[virgoca]

1 minute ago, donnovan86 said:

Well they gave you that title based on your ratings, and they are also removing it based on your ratings. I don't really see the issue. The fact they are tracking way more things is what leads to your demotion, most likely. The lack of transparency is the issue, but then again that's why Fiverr relies on private reviews, because that's the only clear way a buyer can be very honest and not be judged or even harassed by a seller. 

I cannot be punished retroactively. If the rules are new, you cannot punish me for not having been aware of them previously to them existing. This is a nonsensical argument. Some people are being hit for having revisions requested or delivery extensions, features that are used by the Fiverr team themselves. If you take your time here you’ll see how people here are being punished for using use of the platform the way it was intended and now have to come up with workarounds in order to have their services work efficiently. There’s a reason why when laws change in a civilized country, they do not affect its citizens retroactively. I can’t believe I’m even arguing about this.

also, I’d like to clarify that I myself have not been demoted. Actually, I’m one of the few sellers here that apparently hasn’t been directly negatively affected by any of the new changes. However, I DO have ethics and principles, and defending the absurdity of these changes is far lower than I’m willing to fall.

[voicedbyken]

4 minutes ago, newsmike said:

Did they place an order?  Otherwise how would you know they clicked on your promoted gig?

It tells you in a system label next to their name, date and time stamp on the initial message whether they buy or not 

Edited February 17 by voicedbyken

[vhskid]

18 minutes ago, visualstudios said:

The problem with this platform is that you have quite literally millions of illiterate, talentless, clueless sellers on it. They are way too many. They can't read, they can't think, how they're able to even breathe surprises me. They would abuse the system like crazy. Get hit on stats? Doesn't matter. A lot of them would fall, but a million more new accounts would pop up in their place. It's like cockroaches. You can't let the cockroaches access a system that costs resources.

I think that insulting anyone isn't good on any occasion and hate towards any people isn't helping anyone

Edited February 17 by vhskid

[newsmike]

7 minutes ago, visualstudios said:

It says promoted by their name.

If they purchase, yes, does this apply if they simply message you?

 

[voicedbyken]

Just now, newsmike said:

If they purchase, yes, does this apply if they simply message you?

 

YES!

You don't get charged for promotions from their purchasing - you get charged the moment they click on your promoted gig. We pay for clicks.

[visualstudios]

3 minutes ago, vhskid said:

I don't think insulting anyone is good on any occasion

Facts are not insults. 

[newsmike]

Just now, voicedbyken said:

YES!

You don't get charged for promotions from their purchasing - you get charged the moment they click on your promoted gig. We pay for clicks.

Yes, I got it.  I was rather asking if the "promoted" flag was visible in inbox, as well as on an order.  I quit using it months ago and couldn't remember Thanks!

[newsmike]

1 minute ago, visualstudios said:

Facts are not insults. 

Have you met GenZ?

[voicedbyken]

Just now, newsmike said:

Yes, I got it.  I was rather asking if the "promoted" flag was visible in inbox, as well as on an order.  I quit using it months ago and couldn't remember Thanks!

The tag shows in the regular chat and in the order chat log. It shows even if they don't buy

[visualstudios]

There are entire verticals on the website that are straight up scams. There are sellers on the website that claim to speak english and can't string together a coherent sentence.

Is saying this an insult? Is saying this "hate"?

These people actively harm the platform. I've had buyers complain to me about them, and how their experience made them distrust Fiverr.

Edited February 17 by visualstudios

[rajamani255]

11 minutes ago, virgoca said:

I cannot be punished retroactively. If the rules are new, you cannot punish me for not having been aware of them previously to them existing. This is a nonsensical argument.

This! How were we supposed to know that things like order duration extension and multiple revisions were going to bring our rating down in future? Besides the whole point behind revising a delivery is to make it better which ultimately improves customer satisfaction. Why sellers should be penalized for doing everything they can to make the buyers happy is beyond logic.

[vhskid]

1 minute ago, visualstudios said:

5 minutes ago, vhskid said:

I don't think insulting anyone is good on any occasion

Facts are not insults. 

These are not facts, but your private remarks and negatively stigmatized expressions like 'cockroaches'

[visualstudios]

3 minutes ago, vhskid said:

These are not facts, but your private remarks and negatively stigmatized expressions like 'cockroaches'

It's a fact that there are a lot of people who are selling things they are unqualified for. There are a lot of people who lie about their skills, and their language and location. That's not a "private remark", it's a fact.

As for the cockroaches, that's a commonly used expression to refer to something that reproduces quickly, and is hard to get rid off. I could have gone with rabbits, I suppose, but those are easier to eliminate. I'm obviously not literally calling any individual a cockroach.

Edited February 17 by visualstudios

[emmaki]

I mean, there are a lot of cruddy sellers on here. The entire reason this catastrophic new system is here is to stamp them out. Success Managers have privately told sellers as much. 

Call a spade a spade. 

 

[newsmike]

3 minutes ago, vhskid said:

These are not facts, but your private remarks and negatively stigmatized expressions like 'cockroaches'

Isn't @visualstudios entitled to his own custom set of facts, just as you are? 

[catwriter]

2 minutes ago, visualstudios said:

I could have gone with rabbits, I suppose, but those are easier to eliminate.

And often thought of as cute.

[emmaki]

Also quite tasty in a stew, if a little bony. 

[visualstudios]

Fiverr with the new success score:

 

[virgoca]

Just now, visualstudios said:

Fiverr with the new success score:

 

And it buried them alongside every average to upstanding seller in the process 😪 

[leonormiserol]

1 hour ago, levinewman said:

Long Post Incoming

 

Quick Reference/Background:

My name is Levi and I started on Fiverr about 10 years ago. I worked hard to grind out my spot amongst the writers and in that time I've had a modicum of success. As you can see above, "top-rated", I'm considered a "Pro", and I've got a Success Score of 10. Here are a few other notables I've achieved while working on Fiverr:

• Chosen to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange when Fiverr when public.
• Recognized by Forbes, MSN, Business Insider, and other platforms for my success as a freelancer.
• Contributed to the Fiverr digital book and other resources.
• Contributed to more than 10 meetings with upper management and Fiverr teams (combined).
• Cultivated nearly $1.4 million in sales strictly on Fiverr.
• I've got bachelor's degrees in both English and Communication from the University of Missouri. 

Problems to Address

As the forums show, Fiverr is in a rough place. It has been for a very, very long time. Leadership doesn't listen, customer service can only respond to positive messages with boilerplate information, and buyers can take full advantage of sellers with zero safeguards. I'm going to highlight some of the issues here that I will also be sending to the New York Post, Fox News, CNN, MotleyFool, and other news/stock outlets.

1. You can get free work from any seller by simply using the phrase, "The delivery didn't meet my expectations." No exceptions. If the buyer simply states the delivery didn't meet their expectations, no matter what you do as a seller, they will get their money back and you'll be out your hard work, time, and money. This is something that continually happens to sellers at all levels. For reference, I've gotten that same message from at least three buyers this week alone. 
2. Fiverr makes a big deal about transparency but provides no actual transparency. While I'm rated a 10 above, I have no idea why. I have no idea what I'm doing compared to any other top-rated seller, Pro seller, or level 0 seller. A rating of 10 means nothing to me and no amount of shouting the word "transparency" from the rooftops is going to change that fact. I could bury my head and not care about others because I have a 10, but that's not who I am. It's not right; it's not transparent. 
3. Bugs, bugs, and more "bugs". For a long time, I thought the rating bugs and other issues plaguing Fiverr were just technical bugs. But the focus on "transparency" and the gaslighting has me questioning if they were simply trying to drag our ratings down the entire time on purpose. Now that I can see everyone around me flailing and losing out after all their hard-fought work has been for naught, it makes me realize that these "bugs" weren't really bugs at all.
4. Fairness does not exist and sellers are fodder. This is the heaviest on my heart. There is no such thing as fairness or protection for sellers on Fiverr. Any buyer can get back their money and get free work no matter what you're doing. You can't complain about it; you can't fight about it; you can't protect yourself. The bullies have won. You will take your verbal beatings, harassment, and loss of money and like it. It won't ever change until people are so mentally tired they quit; like me.
5. The community cares, but Fiverr doesn't. There are a thousand-and-one posts about the problems that exist here and the ways in which they can be fixed by sellers who are engaged, successful, and genuinely care about the work they do. @emmaki @newsmike @vickiespencer @visualstudios @ssj1236 @catwriter The list goes on and on. But Fiverr is unwilling to listen to people who are putting in the work with boots on the ground for reasons I simply cannot comprehend. 

This is my final straw. As of June 1, 2024, I will be done with Fiverr and shutting down my account because of these recent ratings changes and because I can't take the abuse any longer. This person sent the boilerplate, "The delivery didn't meet my expectations" right after my initial delivery and when I expressed I don't provide refunds, had me do minor revisions, only to again send "The delivery didn't meet my expectations" and then say they'd be talking to Fiverr support to get their refund the entire time. 

I am not going to be bullied, pressured, gamified, ridiculed, insulted, belittled, or taken advantage of by Fiverr or anyone else. No more, no longer, not ever. 

Fiverr, you gave me a lot of opportunities, but you also took advantage of my mental and physical health so often that my wife told me to quit 5 years ago. You let people take advantage of me. You don't protect me. You don't care about me. I'm a person. I'm not a number. In fact, I spent 10 years in the Army and was part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF1), the very first rotation into Afghanistan two weeks after 9/11, and not even that was more stressful than working here day after day.

I deserve better. These sellers deserve better. You're not listening and you don't care, but I do. And I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is by quitting altogether. 

June 1, 2024--unless you ban me because of my honesty and transparency.

@Lyndsey_Fiverr @Kesha

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and vision of this problem, let's hope that with all our voices raised they really make a positive change. There are many mistakes like the ones you mentioned that should be admitted and corrected. Since it is thanks to us sellers that their platform (which is also ours, because we live here) has been so successful for so long.