Making friends with buyers and sellers on fiverr

[misscrystal]

I wondered if others have ever had the experience of becoming chat buddies with any previous buyers, or with other sellers. I have someone I chat with regularly who was a previous buyer. It’s inevitable that it may happen when you’ve been here for years probably.
We use the messaging system and know it’s not private, but that’s ok with us. I stay awake all night and get most of my sales late at night, probably because buyers can see I’m online, but often I’m chatting to pass the time. It’s not easy being a nightowl but it works for me.
Many buyers seem to like that I am available to talk and answer questions between 11 P.M. and 4 A.M.
The nature of some of my gigs also is conducive to this, since I hear personal stories and problems of buyers quite often.

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[aslamgraphics]

Same 🙂

[ryangillam]

One of my best friends is also a Fiverr buyer and seller here.

I mentioned her in a ticket once because I had an issue related to her. Well, she had an issue resolved one way in the past and I needed an issue solved the same way.

They told me I was no longer able to talk to her outside of Fiverr as it breaks the ToS. (actual true story).

I mean, I didn’t stop. I knew her for five years before I encouraged her to sign up to Fiverr. I am expecting a ban for breaking the ToS sooner or later!

[wordandrecord]

For sure !
We connected with a graphic designer here on fiverr, and over time has kept in touch. We are from different parts of the world, and tell each other about the place we live in and how it is.

Cheers 🙂

[mariokluser]

I sleep with most of my buyers as a gig extra.

But all jokes aside, there are people I have a short conversation so now and then. Most of the time it’s pure business talk though.

[writer99025]

I have many regular buyers and am friendly with most of them. But beyond a little chit-chat when they make the order, there isn’t much to talk about.

[writer99025]

In the past, when I was new, I was very friendly with my buyers, but now am more business-like.

[ur_cover_design]

It works for me. Though i had one buyer that disappointed me.

[designer_pro2]

A quick response works.

[rrgraph]

It same with me, some clients come at the same time as you. 😃

[positive_pete]

I try to be very diplomatic, theres no telling if you should be business like or friendly, all are useful tools in my hands and i use them well.

[fonthaunt]

Ryan, I’m not surprised at what you said about:

“They told me I was no longer able to talk to her outside of Fiverr as it breaks the ToS. (actual true story).
I mean, I didn’t stop. I knew her for five years before I encouraged her to sign up to Fiverr. I am expecting a ban for breaking the ToS sooner or later!”

When Fiverr has events in NYC or elsewhere, people meet in person and get contact info. The forum team is required to have online meetings. I have family who sell here. People at all levels from zero to TRS and to Ambassador eventually run into each other. I’m sure that if it was mentioned in a CS ticket, CS would tell those people to stop talking to each other. It’s officially not allowed. Those I know just don’t mention it in tickets. I would NEVER want do that without an extreme reason, but that’s not me.

I would advise people to be careful who they trust no matter how nice that person seems. I chatted with a helpful Fiverr connection about this very thing today. You are lucky and should be thankful that you have a friend you can trust and hopefully it will never get you in trouble, since you never know who will do you harm! Fiverr can read things wrong too. I am thankful that I do have friends on Fiverr and at Fiverr! I try to help people here who are harmed without strong enough cause, even if it doesn’t always work. 🙂

[fonthaunt]

What is also scary to me is that another Fiverr user who I don’t know outside Fiverr contacted me recently just to chat about some of the forum problems and some common ground we have that is not Fiverr related. it was an ordinary inbox conversation.

Without writing any flag words at all, the other person received a warning about potential ToS violations, and it seems to be just over a casual conversation that was deemed unprofessional since it wasn’t about buying and selling. I know this has happened to several other people lately, it’s definitely not just him or me. That’s a new level and I don’t know what to make of that. People seem to get penalized talking in the inbox or outside it, even without using red box words.

[nimrakhan123]

Late night and quick response always work for me

[dijatul]

I am sorry to say you that I dont have anyone that I can chat all the time. But its okay . I think They dont want to bother me.

[writer99025]

Seriously? Flagged for having a simple conversation? I talk sometimes to my friends from Fiverr Forum on inbox, and obviously we don’t talk about buying and selling. Does that mean I can get flagged for that?

[echaminya]

What works? And disappointed in what way?

[misscrystal]

There is a problem if someone somehow gets your email address and contacts you on it, and you didn’t give it to them. Then they are in a bad spot potentially as far as being in violation of TOS through no fault of their own. I don’t turn in people either unless I am being put in potential trouble. It’s a bad spot to be in since you don’t understand what’s happening, how they got it or what might come of it.

I know lots of sellers do have other websites or places on the internet where their email address can be found but I don’t and definitely don’t expect to get a email from a seller or fiverr user outside of fiverr.
Just like you said: “You don’t really know that they don’t mean you harm” I too was in this situation. It caused lots of fear and confusion and not knowing what to do.
I know you have friends on and in fiverr. Imagine my horror over the whole thing.

If I don’t report it I can be in violation. I knew nothing would happen. I just didn’t have a good solution to being between a rock and a hard place. What would any person do in this situation? If you do one thing you can get in trouble with that person. If you do another thing you can get in trouble with fiverr. Blood pressure and stress levels go through the roof.

Never get in touch with anyone outside of fiverr for any reason. Not only are you violating TOS but you also put that person in a situation of not knowing how to handle it, and potentially
causing them to be in violation of TOS also. They really have no alternative but to report it if
they want to ensure they are following the Terms of Service of the site.

My punishment was a total nervous collapse when someone contacted me by email when that information is a closely guarded secret from everyone and everywhere. I almost had to be hospitalized the next day. I am still on tranquilizers from the experience. I physically felt and still feel like I have been run over by a truck.

I did not automatically say Oh I will turn in this person. It’s someone I chat with in the forum and I do feel I know them and like them. It was a really bad situation for me. Just awful.
The stress was extreme. I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to be in that situation.

[misscrystal]

Fiverr should say what the violation was about when they do that.
It’s not obvious to people why it happened many times.

[miiila]

Kinda sad, but good to know, thanks, Ryan and Maddie.
I guess I can as well plan something else to do for the day if there´ll ever be an ‘in person’ meeting in my area. Wouldn´t want to like someone really much and then be told by fiverr I may not talk to them… 😉

[miiila]

I was actually just recently wondering about that thing, because of TOS changes and all I wondered if there are any official guidelines about ‘how inbox chat is to be used’, as fiverr obviously mainly 😉 is a buy/sell work platform and not a private message service.
I do ‘chat’ sometimes with other sellers, or buyers, but if that´s not okay, and ‘chatting’ should be restricted to the forum, I´d appreciate clarity on that.

[mariokluser]

Are you serious??? You know somebody outside of Fiverr and at the moment when they join you both are not allowed to talk to each other?

If this is something the ToS says, the ToS are against the law and therefore invalid and may be ignored.

[misscrystal]

What if it’s your own grandmother?

[misscrystal]

I would like some ruling on that too.

I don’t want to do anything outside the rules.

Lots of buyers of mine want to chat and tell me their problems though so

at what point is it not ok to do that? It’s part of my service. I provide guidance and counseling in personal areas of my buyer’s lives quite often when they request it.

[fonthaunt]

What? I think we are talking about different things. I would say more, but I can’t without revealing another user’s name so I won’t. Anyway, there is contact between people that happens organically. I had a buyer that just asked me directly to give him s***e info and I said no. If he persists, I just click the report button. I’m glad I have some good friends here, but I advise caution to anyone who considers discussing what is unofficially done. Just focus on the crazy buyers.

I’m on anti-anxiety meds as a daily (doctor prescribed) thing and it bites, so that part I get. Dealing with people is hard and confusing. My best friends are horses and cats.