Fiverr is a legitimate freelance marketplace that caters to both buyers and sellers. It has been in operation since 2010, with over 2.1 million active customers and 830,000 active sellers from over 160 countries, demonstrating its credibility.
However, the popularity of the freelance platform also attracts many scammers looking for fast money. Thus, it is critical to know that you will get the service you have paid for if you’re seeking competent freelancers to outsource work to.
So, how can you tell the distinction between the wheat and the chaff? Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while dealing with Fiverr sellers to ensure you get your money’s worth.
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Table of Contents
Tips on How to Avoid Getting Scammed on Fiverr
Before engaging in any transaction, always conduct a background check on the seller
Before doing business with any seller, make sure to read their reviews and ratings from other buyers to determine the quality of service the seller is providing.
If a Fiverr seller promises a good result at an unreasonable price, you may want to dig a little deeper to determine the potential drawbacks of this great deal.
It’s possible that the person behind the Fiverr account lacked experience and wanted to price their service accordingly.
Sticking to top-rated sellers and Fiverr Pro sellers are one way to avoid scammers on Fiverr. These freelancers have been vetted by Fiverr and have a proven track record of producing excellent work.
The likelihood of you being duped by one of these sellers is extremely low.
These sellers have typically worked their way up to this level and would not jeopardize their reputation by engaging in malicious behavior. It is worth noting that these sellers tend to charge much higher prices, which is understandable.
If the fees are too high for your budget, you may have to look further down the rankings.
Avoid Generic Fiverr gigs
It is almost certainly a scam if a Fiverr gig includes a generic stock photo of a person, is riddled with spelling errors, or has the exact text as another gig. The occasional spelling error happens to the best of us, but anyone who is a true professional will proofread their ad thoroughly.
Of course, this is especially vital for writing and digital marketing jobs (from SEO to social media content). If someone is trying to market their writing skills and doesn’t bother to edit, it’s safe to think they’re not a serious seller.
Finally, if the language of the gig appears to be too generic, try typing the first few lines into Google and seeing what comes up. Look for another seller if you see the same gig advertised by a different Fiverr account.
Never negotiate outside Fiverr
Dealing outside of Fiverr to avoid Fiverr’s commission is one of the key reasons most buyers get scammed on Fiverr. Fiverr’s website contains some helpful information for first-time users, and the FAQs section advises you to report any buyer who requests an alternate payment method.
Overall, this is yet another example of common sense. You should never transmit money directly to merchants, no matter what rationale they present. Fiverr offers a few payment choices (PayPal, credit card) except for scammers. Thus, there’s no reason someone would want to use the platform as a middleman.
Bottom line: Never deal outside of Fiverr, and if a seller or buyer compels you to do so, it is a red flag that you are dealing with a fraud.
Examine the seller’s claims for verification
Whether it’s a scam or simply poor service, other people’s negative experiences with a Fiverr seller are a major red flag to avoid at all costs. Giving people the benefit of the doubt isn’t bad, but if there isn’t a single positive review to be found, this freelancer, scammer or not, is probably not worth your time.
Looking at other people’s experiences with the seller can be very instructive. Another sign of a Fiverr scam is an account with no reviews or only generic star ratings with no text.
For a little more than $5, it’s relatively simple to arrange for a few friends to pose as buyers (or even create fake accounts yourself) to leave positive reviews.
In some cases, it is recommended to ask the seller to share their portfolio with you. Do not, however, request a free sample of their work. It does not reflect well on you, the buyer, because you ask them to work for free.
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Verify the order within three days of delivery
If you placed an order but did not respond to the seller’s messages or queries, it could be due to your hectic schedule. However, some sellers may try to defraud you by delivering your order without completing it.
Because the sellers are aware that if you do not mark your order as complete or request a revision within three days, Fiverr will release the buyer’s payment to the seller.
On the other hand, Fiverr has a grace period of 13 days after an order has been marked completed, during which time they can cancel your order for you.
Make sure to review the order within three days of delivery, and once you’re satisfied with the service, mark the order as completed and leave feedback for the seller.
How to Find Credible Sellers on Fiverr?
Follow these tips before purchasing their services to find credible sellers for your projects:
- Look through the reviews to discover what others have to say about the seller’s service. Always choose a vendor with at least 100 reviews and a rating of 4.7 stars or higher.
- To understand what you’ll get if you order the service, read the description of the gig you’re interested in.
- If you have not obtained an answer to your question in the gig’s FAQ section, contact the seller and inquire before purchasing.
Note: Fiverr also offers a level system for sellers, and when a seller performs excellent customer service, provides high-quality service, and maintains high ratings, the seller will be awarded level one, two, or top-rated badges based on their service performance. Any seller with one of these three badges is likely to be a legitimate merchant who can meet your needs.
Can You Cancel an Order on Fiverr?
You can cancel your order on Fiverr regardless of whether you are a buyer or seller, but you must have a reasonable reason for doing so. It would help if you had a legitimate reason, such as the seller’s delivered service not being described in the gig or the buyer requesting additional work that was not defined in the gig.
When it comes to canceling an order, you will be faced with one of two options:
- When both sellers and buyers decide to cancel the order, you must go to the resolution center from your order page. Then, select the reason for the order cancellation and submit it.
- In this case, if the buyer/seller refuses to cancel the order but you have a valid reason, you must contact Fiverr’s customer support team, who will manually review the situation.
Overall, when it comes to canceling an order, Fiverr prioritizes the buyer over the seller.
Takeaway
Fiverr is a legitimate, safe, and secure freelancing platform with many rules in place to protect both buyers and sellers, but there is a chance of being scammed if you don’t know what to look for before dealing with a seller or buyer.
When in doubt, follow these tips, and I doubt you’ll have any problems with being scammed on fiverr.com. It is genuinely a fantastic marketplace that instantly connects buyers to freelancers and simplifies the process.
