smashradio

We should get everyone together and send a joint letter to Fiverr (leadership level), signed by as many sellers as possible.

Hey name brother! (I'm Leo, too!) This right there ^ should be your indication that working with this seller was not a good idea in the first place. I have a rule: if a buyer is difficult to work with for any reason, even if they leave a five-star review, I'll never work with them again. If I have to offer a refund, I'll never work with them again. If we have to cancel an order, I'll never work with them again. If you already had to offer this buyer a partial refund, that should have told you to stay away from them in the future. If support said they could cancel the order based on the buyer not feeling as if they got what they paid for, the support representative should re-read their own terms: "Orders are not eligible to be canceled based on the quality of service/materials delivered by the Seller if the service was rendered as described in the Gig Page. " The following is from Fiverr's payment terms: Payment Terms (fiverr.com)

The evil part of me always wanted to go to Italy and order a Cappuchino at 10 pm.

This is a textbook case of Fiverr screwing us over and then having the audacity to charge us for the fix. Anyone can place an order without contacting you first, increasing the risk of cancellations. Every cancellation has the potential to kill your business entirely. If you just pay for Seller Plus Premium, you get access to RTO, giving you a modicum of control. Unethical – yes. But effective.

If you want to graduate, you have to first become a seller and hit TRS. 😄 Yeah it's kept me afloat but I just got wind of my BSR dropping this winter, so it's probably time to get a prescription for valium. 🤣

I can't handle sweet coffee drinks. In fact, I can't handle anything called a coffee drink. Coffee is supposed to grow hair on your chest, otherwise, it's not coffee. 😛 I'm a sucker for Red Bull Zero though. 🤭 Nothing I do is healthy 😀

I've been making fun of Fiverr staff's coffee habits for years. And then you go ahead and top my Fiverr staff secret recipe. Nicely done, @Kesha 🤣 My secret is black coffee. With a double pump of black coffee, and an extra shot of black coffee. For the days when Fiverr launches a new AI product, a shot of Norwegian 96% home made ultra flammable spirit is added, for extra courage.

Remember that public reviews aren't always the same as your private feedback. You never know when someone might leave no review or even a positive one publicly, and then give negative feedback in private. But you're not alone. We're influenced by so many factors, it's hard to tell exactly what's affecting your performance if it's not clearly reflected in your stats. I hope things get better for you soon!

Let's just say I know people, yet I'm in the dark about my private reviews and all the factors that affect our success scores, just as everyone else. What I do know is that they have no intention of changing how things operate. So, we can complain all we want, but we're stuck with it. Instead of just complaining (though I do get a kick out of poking fun at Fiverr's AI), we need to figure out how to work with it. Sure, we could leave, cry, yell, complain, and tell Fiverr how much we hate it, but from their perspective, we might as well be preschoolers throwing a tantrum for more candy.

Yeah, like I said, the issue is compounded by the success score system. The SS is the new BSR, and it can make or break you. With that said, I own an entire newspaper, on top of a voice over business outside of Fiverr, and I run my copywriter business on Fiverr. (But on Fiverr, it's only me) But you're right in saying it's an issue. And I sure hope Fiverr will find a way of balancing that. Then again, we're competing against agencies everywhere.

This may sound blunt, but you're not worth much to Fiverr, nor am I. Consider the massive scale of the company. At this level, they aren’t concerned about one user. To them, neither you nor I significantly impact their bottom line. That’s just how it is. With that said, I'm not just a buyer or seller, I’m also an investor, and I hold Fiverr stock. From that perspective, especially with their recent announcement to buyback up to $100M in shares, Fiverr obviously believes in their stock. Fiverr isn't known for changing course. Mika is all in on AI right now, convinced that just adding "AI" to anything will draw investors. He’s banking on the AI boom, and if it hits, he stands to profit significantly. And to be fair, so do I. This confidence in their stock is the sole reason I’m still holding mine, even though I’m not sold on their AI strategy. It might take years, but Fiverr doesn't want to be left behind while others innovate. It’s just disappointing that Fiverr’s attempts at AI are... let me try to find a nice word here... lackluster. You have five reviews, three of them being from the same buyer. Is that the entirety of your data? I get where you're coming from, but I have no basis to trust you since I don't know you. None of us do. You're just another user upset about the new system, but you claim to have definitive proof that the system is flawed. That would indicate that you haven't considered the you-factor at all, and while you might very well be the most talented seller on Fiverr in all of history, we would have no way of knowing, hence the need for you to present actual data. Academically speaking, you're not entitled to your opinion; you're only entitled to what you can argue for, and something being "unfair" isn't really an argument in a business context. So far, I've heard lots of complaints about the system being just that – unfair – claims I've seen daily for years from sellers not happy with the way Fiverr works. By all means, I can't force you or require you to provide us with anything. You do what you feel is best. But you can't expect us to accept an argument that's not being backed up by any real data. You just complained about it being unfair, but it's not about what we feel is fair? If it's a flaw in their AI, what is that fault? How does it affect sellers, why, and which sellers are being impacted?

So did the old system, just using fewer data points. This is nothing new. Do I like the new system? No. Do I think it's here to stay? Yes. Is it working as intended? Sort of. And I expect they will refine it as we move forward, and combine it with other upcoming changes to the platform. As for agencies competing with freelancers, this is not new. Agencies have been on here for a long time. Misrepresenting yourself is, as far as I know, still not ok on Fiverr. So claiming you're just a freelancer when you're an agency is, based on my understanding, not ok. Your revenue/average selling price/number of orders has always played a part in the algo. But Fiverr was and is still a freelancing platform first, not an agency platform, so I do hope they find ways of balancing the system, and soon. What you're pointing out is an actual issue that only gets worsened with the success score system.

You claim to have "your own ways" that could "cause me harm" but are "not against the terms of service." I find that to be suspect, at best. While many of us have concerns about the success score being controlled by an AI developed by the same folks who brought us Neo (and we're on the same page there), making groundless accusations and asserting without question that a system is flawed based on "data" you won't share doesn’t build confidence in your methods, nor does it help anyone form an opinion about your conclusions.

How's your success score for each gig? Noticed any shifts in the factors impacting it, like changing from a "Strong positive impact" to a "Negative impact"? This could just be the effect of a bad private review, which might not yet be reflected in your success score. That score tends to stay stable over time, considering your long-term gig history, but it doesn't guarantee the algorithm will always favor your gigs, even if your score is perfect. You're not the only top-rated seller seeing a drop. A mix of factors could be impacting you right now: businesses cutting costs, people struggling with higher bills and costs due to inflation, AI, the onset of spring causing more people to spend time outdoors rather than on their computers, and competitors pulling ahead. It's hard to pin down exactly why, but it's a reminder not to put all your eggs in one basket, especially when that basket is filled with Fiverr's brand of AI.

I'd raise a ticket with support and have them take a look at it. When it happens across four browsers, I'd say you have tried everything you can try. You could perhaps check on a different network just to make sure it's not a device/network issue, but this isn't supposed to happen.

New sellers do get a boost in the beginning though, so perhaps that makes up for the time it takes to build a success score.

Fiverr actually favors buyers over sellers most of the time. In this case, you can expect the seller to get a big dent in their success score, which might even lead to loss of their level, loss of business and decreased visibility on the platform. It's unfortunate that you had to experience this, but know that we sellers are (usually) held to pretty high standards. In your case, I'd say all of the above consequenses are appropriate. 🙂

Building on my previous post, you have 39 reviews, which suggests you haven’t yet established many long-term relationships with buyers. It takes time. Sure, I get a good amount of new orders, but I also have ongoing work with buyers I’ve built relationships with over the years. Those are your most valuable clients, and to earn (and keep) their business, you need to prove yourself over time.

Hey from another Scandi! I've got to agree with vibronx on this one. Sure, most Scandinavians are proficient English speakers, but it takes more than that to wow buyers. You've got to really sell those benefits, not just in your gig description but in every delivery. There's a tough step from C1 to C2 because being fluent isn't just about understanding the language, but also being able to express yourself clearly and creatively. Your grades likely won't impress anyone. Show, don't tell.

With all the latest "improvements" on Fiverr, like success scores, Fiverr's AI fetish, and changes to the level system, our mental health as sellers is more on the line than ever before. Fiverr has always gamified our careers, but it has gotten to a point where many veteran freelancers are ditching the platform or have stopped caring due to sheer mental exhaustion. Fiverr will tell you that it's for your own good – bless their hearts – so while they're busy generating some GPT drivel about these changes being improvements empowering sellers like you, I thought I'd look into the techniques you can use, at the very least to make it less miserable. At the end of the day, my conclusion is that being a freelancer on Fiverr isn't fun anymore. The community has died off thanks to low quality mumbo jumbo, while actual contributors are getting banned left and right for raising their voices about it. Anyway, I digress. Here are some stuff you can do to stress less. Set boundaries: Yes, I'm banging the boundary drum again, because it's so important for your sanity. If you've got buyers messaging you at midnight and expecting you to answer, it's time to set some office hours and stick to them. Tighten up your revisions policy: No free lunch. Make it clear from the get-go and have an easy to understand revision policy that includes you getting paid for your time. Working for free makes Fiverr even less fun. Knowing your own value has the added benefit of attracting buyers who also understands this concept. Take real breaks: And no, scrolling on Insta isn't a break. Get up, get out, get some air. It keeps burnout at bay (and it's good for you). Keep learning: Stay on top of the changes happening and read all you can about it. And when Fiverr spews out some GPT corporate speak about stuff like success scores and alike, read between the lines. There's a lot to be learned and knowing how stuff works instead of guessing will make things less miserable down the line. Know when to say no: No, that project isn't worth your mental wellbeing. If it smells fishy, it's probably not sushi, but Surströmming (if you know, you know.) Only work on projects that feels right, even if it means earning less this month. Being picky about your buyers is more important than ever, and a 100 bucks today could mean endless revision loops tomorrow. Vet your buyers. Fiverr seems intent on cranking up the stress, but you don't have to let it rule your life. Disconnect, take a real vacation, regroup, and come back when you're good and ready. Your well-being is worth more than their bottom line.

Get some sales and feedback to get things going again. That should help, as long as your gig quality and all other metrics are good. 🙂

Yeah, even though Fiverr isn't what it used to be – I remember when you could get videos of a guy singing with his goat for five bucks – you still encounter those buyers occasionally. I checked out your profile, and I noticed you have a gig starting at only five dollars. That's just asking for trouble. In my experience, you can avoid most bad buyers simply by raising your prices. I totally understand the fear of getting a bad review, especially when you're new, and you should be a bit afraid. I just find the idea of working for free even more terrifying, haha. Glad I could help! (And sorry you had to learn this the hard way. I sure did, and it wasn't fun at all.)

I'm not sure if it will affect your response rate, but if it does, I'm sure support will help you out. So I suggest contacting support and letting them know.

After a decade on Fiverr, I’ve learned not to let anyone push me around or expect me to work for free. I've had my share of tough customers (though not many), and in your situation, I'd simply send a custom offer and make it clear that I’m willing to do additional work—for a fee. I don’t work for free, and I don’t offer refunds for work that’s already done, whether it's partial or full, unless it's my mistake. If I’ve completed the agreed-upon work, I just resend it if they're not willing to pay for extra revisions. This approach quickly shows the buyer that I'm not someone they can bully or trick into working for free. It sets a clear boundary and expectation right from the start: you pay for my time. If they refuse, I'm prepared to have a delivery button standoff until they cave, or until customer support steps in, whether in my favor or theirs. They can’t force them to accept a delivery, so it might drag out and as a worst case scenario, they might side with the buyer and cancel the order forcibly. That's one of the key metrics in the new success score, so I'm more careful about the buyers I chose to work with now compared to before. I once had to redeliver an order for two months (every single day) before the buyer finally backed down, but ultimately, I got paid. Another time, a buyer chose to just complete the order rather than pay for my time, and left a one-star review. I’m okay with that. I'd rather take that hit than start down the slippery slope of letting people push me around. Canceling an order just to avoid negative feedback is essentially review sanitization, and doing that means your pride goes down the drain along with your earnings.

I don't have time to check out all your gigs, but I did look at a few, and I noticed your gig descriptions are heavy on the features, but they don’t emphasize the benefits. People don’t buy the features, but the benefits they'll get from those features. For example, in your gig description you list features like: WordPress Installation Impeccable layout Well Designed Newsletter Try to showcase the benefits instead. Instead of just "WordPress Installation," describe how this allows the buyer to effortlessly start their website on a globally recognized platform, freeing them to concentrate on their expertise while you handle the technical aspects. "User-friendly newsletters" could be promoted as a way for them to easily stay connected with their customers, boosting customer loyalty and encouraging repeat business. "Well designed" could enhance their professional image, reassuring visitors that they’ve made the right choice. And so on and so forth. You could also try using a gig video to sell these benefits. From my experience, gigs that include professional videos tend to convert better. P.S. I recommend not offering unlimited revisions unless you like working for free. 🙂 Hope this helps.