[Increased efficiency and trust: new tools and ratings update]

On 8/7/2023 at 5:46 PM, Shiran.M said:

Managing orders starts with having the right tools. In an effort to help you stay flexible while navigating changes that may come up, we’re launching more resolution tools designed to: 
- Enable you to efficiently navigate order challenges 
- Give you more control in unpredictable situations
- Improve our rating system and customer trust
- Help freelancers stand out for delivering great experiences

Get to know your order resolution features:

• Streamline resolutions with partial refunds
  Orders may change, but hard work should still pay off. In case a project’s scope changes or you and your customer decide not to complete the whole project, now you can easily offer partial refunds through our Resolution Center—allowing you to make any needed payment adjustments, get paid for your work, and conclude with customers on good terms.
• Gain flexibility with extended delivery time
  Your ability to deliver on time can be impacted by unexpected factors, such as changes to project scope, missing or unclear requirements, customer communication, and more. In order to extend your delivery time when needed and give you more flexibility and control with every order, we’ve shortened the customer response window from 4 days to 2 days, automatically extending your delivery date if they don't respond to your request in that time. 
• Pave your path to Top Rated Seller status
  In order to bring you and our diverse seller community more chances to achieve Top Rated Seller status and benefit from more perks, we’ve adjusted the lifetime earning threshold from $20k to $10k. We’re committed to keeping the vetting standards high through a professional evaluation process, while providing more freelancers who deliver high-quality experiences a chance to earn the status, showcase their talent, and attract more customers.
• Increased trust with our improved rating system 
  A reliable review system is essential for building trust between freelancers and customers, and for helping freelancers who provide high-quality services stand out. In order to increase transparency and trust, we’ve updated our rating system with the option to leave a review for canceled orders under certain conditions. By improving our rating system to encourage buyer confidence, Fiverr will be able to bring and retain more customers and generate more business opportunities for you.

We value our freelancer community and heard your feedback on our previous update. We have safeguards in place to prevent abuse or misuse on the platform. Please keep in mind that reviews for canceled orders are only available under specific conditions, meaning that not every cancellation is eligible for a review. Cases of first-time Fiverr customers, customers with seller accounts, orders made by mistake, and chargebacks have been excluded. We have also shortened the canceled order review window from 14 to 5 days. In addition, Fiverr may remove this option for customers who have violated our Terms of Service or Community Standards.

Be sure to encourage positive reviews by providing exceptional service throughout the process, maintaining clear communication, responding promptly to inquiries, and making customers feel valued and supported.

We are always open to hearing from you and value your feedback. If you have any further questions or need assistance with order resolutions, please reach out to our Customer Support team.

Thanks,
The Fiverr Team

Unfortunately, the current review system seems to be biased against sellers, often resulting in sellers bearing the negative consequences. It would be beneficial to introduce a mechanism that allows sellers to file complaints regarding unfair reviews, instead of merely increasing the buyers' ability to negatively impact a seller's reputation or livelihood. As a Top-rated seller myself, I am well aware of the inequities associated with this system.