Limit Buyer Review Period

[pfpgogo]

I know this has probably been suggested ad nauseam, but 30 days is way too long for a buyer to be able to go back and change their review. Unless the gig provides a tangible item (e.g. handmade crafts), there’s no need for it to be anything beyond a more reasonable 48 hours.



On a marketplace with tangible items like Amazon, it makes sense for customers to update reviews because tangible items change over time with use. Things might break or stop working and you want people to know that.



The majority of services provided on Fiverr aren’t tangible goods and don’t change. They are what they are upon delivery and the buyer’s impression is immediate, so there’s little reason for that impression to change down the road, let alone up to a month.



Besides, the good reasons why a buyer goes back to change their review seem to be outnumbered by the malicious reasons harmful to sellers, like lowering them out of spite.



I understand the other side of this is buyers not being able to improve old ratings, but if you legitimately aren’t happy with a service, you shouldn’t give it higher marks later just because you feel bad or the seller is being nice to you now. That may not be a popular opinion on the selling side, but don’t blame me, blame Fiverr’s levels model for ratings being abused in both directions.



No one likes negative reviews, but this is the only marketplace I’ve been on where buyers use them to manipulate to this degree and sellers beg, cry, and bend over just to get an extra star for fear of being demoted or losing their spot. That isn’t business, it’s drama, and having such a lengthy review period only adds to it. Sellers have a hard enough time as it is battling unwarranted reviews for present orders let alone blasts from the past.



If you won’t shorten the time, then maybe moderate it. After a few days, have a prompt where the buyer has to explain why they’re changing their rating and either approve the change or don’t. I don’t know if that’s possible, but it’s another option.