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Looking for Talent in the Fiverr Forums - Repeat Spammers are Not Suggested Sellers


fonthaunt

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Buyers,



When you want to see things like newly available gigs from new and established sellers, surf to see what kinds of gigs are available from forum participants, or just check to see which sellers on the forum know how to read instructions - check out the category called My Fiverr Gigs. It’s a great place to find all kinds of gigs and the people who have posted there are often really ready to take your orders.



Take some care about any sellers who have had posts marked “moved” to My Fiverr Gigs since it usually means they did not post in the correct place at first and the post had to be re-located. However, those sellers are still worth looking at to see what kind of gigs they offer, how their gig descriptions are written, etc. Try to find gigs offered by sellers who have some credibility. Things to look for:



-Sellers with descriptions you can understand

-If the seller is offering writing/articles/proofing, make sure the description is written in reasonably correct English

-Sellers with samples and/or gig images that look original and are not taken from the internet or other seller profiles

-Profile photos that have an original logo, a photo of the real seller, a well done original avatar - not a stock photo



If the seller has also been repeatedly placing advertisements in other areas of the forum (especially Tips for Buyers or Tips for Sellers) these should usually be at the bottom of your list if they are on it at all. The forum Do’s and Dont’s state that ads should not be posted in those categories and it has been re-posted many times. Sellers who do it anyway (repeatedly) may have difficult understanding instructions or may just ignore written instructions. This is a red flag.



If you enjoy reading the forums, you may also get some great hints at both the best and worst sellers just by reading posts. You’ll find all levels of sellers posting on the forum. There are many good sellers who try to offer help to others, encourage others to read the forum rules, enjoy chatting and sharing useful information. If they also have some good reviews and fairly recent deliveries, that is a plus. When you see sellers who are openly rude to others on a regular basis or seem dishonest, these may be ones to avoid. Please take note - this post is based on my own opinion as a buyer. I do both buying and selling but all of this information includes things I would do myself as a buyer. Good luck!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good post and surely credibility and building trust makes a big difference. I also occasionally post for buyers in a professional manner and provide tips and alerts of many fakes gigs that are being sold. Like yourself, I’m a seller and a buyer, the first thing I look at is the feedback. Then I would send a message to the seller to ask a question or two and see how long it takes to get an answer. But, usually the feedback is a reflection of the sellers ability although some feedback may be just out of courtesy. The biggest challenge is the amount of time it takes to find a good professional who can do the job. There are simply too many sellers.

Levels make a difference as well. Although, we were a Top Rate Seller, then it was taken away after three years because we made a simple comment on this forum that was harmless. So, there is favoritism which cannot be denied. Buyers will see the same people’s faces on the forum posts for weeks in almost the same place, this is also a form of spamming.

The best idea is for a buyer to review the history of the seller by asking some questions, reviewing videos if they have any and the ability to communicate. Many buyers will find that a lot of sellers got their experience only on fiverr which would be a red flag.

Although we are in the broadcast business, we enjoy helping out small business on fiverr as the market is changing and the cost of services is going in the US, in comparison to our international clients who are not on fiverr.

A true professional provides high quality service, on time, communicates well and is there when the clients needs them without hesitation.

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edume said: Levels make a difference as well. Although, we were a Top Rate Seller, then it was taken away after three years because we made a simple comment on this forum that was harmless. So, there is favoritism which cannot be denied. Buyers will see the same people's faces on the forum posts for weeks in almost the same place, this is also a form of spamming.

I agree with you about levels and spamming and I do reiterate my post was made based on my option as a buyer/seller, not as a moderator. My post was about people who put up “buy my gig” links in the Tips sections. The only reason I can guess that you responded to this post weeks later is that you feel like you are a spammer, but otherwise I am not even sure why you commented on this. I don’t know exactly why Fiverr made a decision to change your level. I can’t imagine why Fiverr would take away your level due to some harmless comment on the forum. You aren’t the only person I’ve seen demoted on Fiverr in my year on Fiverr but the ones I have seen have problems with not just forum posts but late deliveries, gig descriptions, profiles, ToS violations, etc.

I seriously doubt your demotion had a single thing to do with favoritism. I don’t think I get any favoritism although I don’t know why I would. I haven’t sold lots of gigs, I don’t make a ton of money for me or Fiverr, and the only reason I’m a forum moderator is because I’m on a lot, I have moderation experience, and I keep track of the ToS and Do’s and Dont’s as much as I can. My position as a mod has not increased my sales (and I didn’t expect it to) and it hasn’t given me any other special privileges. All it does is give me a line of communication regarding the forum itself, and even then I’ve been “voted down” on my opinions about forum activity when I’m the only one thinking something. It also takes up time that I could be spending on my own gigs and that’s my choice. Since the forum is my version of a break-room at work, it’s nice to have a clean and fun place to exchange ideas.

As far as this: “Buyers will see the same people’s faces on the forum posts for weeks in almost the same place, this is also a form of spamming” I entirely agree. I don’t know how long it would take to be considered spam, but I did see your profile pic repeatedly in the same place, and spamming might have gotten your level downgraded. Regardless, I have also seen people brought back up after making changes and I wasn’t referring to that kind of spam in my post. So, I don’t know what you are after but that’s the best I can do at a response.


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The demotion from TRS to level 2 was never explained to us. Someone, more than likely a sheriff like yourself, maybe not you, reported our posting which triggered several emails from admin. In those emails it was never explained why or what we said was wrong. Fiverr customer service is scripted, they only answer questions based on the script they can use to answer. Otherwise, they don’t answer. It had nothing to do with spamming which we have never done. (don’t feel offended)

They never explained why. But, in business, when you make a comment that is too close to the truth people don’t like hearing it. And, I’m sure that was the case.

There’s nothing wrong with being outspoken but unfortunately in today’s environment, especially in the US, if you talk too much you could potential get shot or thrown in jail. That’s not democracy or freedom.

Anyhow, who am I to judge how fiverr runs their business. You can read all the posts of anger on the forum and do a google, yahoo, bing search and see why people are angry after they bought something on fiverr.

This is why we previously posted on buyer tips. We tried to encourage buyers to get in on the conversion. But, it turned into a fiasco and bullying session with comments from several people including yourself which was not called for especially being a sheriff.

Our aim was to encourage, not to discourage. The forum is very unprofessional as it is and may be the reason buyers don’t participate. Hopefully, as I’m writing this the forum is being updated and hopefully will eliminate the baggage.

Yes, there is favoritism and it’s obvious. In our years in business, we’ve motivated people to succeed no matter the circumstances and we continue to do so. In our opinion, comments on this forum should be moderated, if not relevant to the topic, the comment should be removed.

In closing, to make fiverr a better buying experience requires sellers that can provide the benefits the sellers requires. Talent in fulfilling those requirements take years in business and understanding people’s needs. Not just delivering an order. Credibility, proof of ability and a proven track record (inside and outside of fiverr) all contribute to a buyers decision to purchase from you. It’s doesn’t matter if it’s $5 or $500 it’s the same effect.

Talent is learned, you are not born with it just like anything else. To become a good talent, you train and train and train more. Life is a training session, it is ongoing throughout our years in preparation for the next step beyond, which most people never think about!

Fiverr needs the positivity from talented sellers to go to the next step.


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Great piece of information for every buyers.

fonthaunt said: If the seller has also been repeatedly placing advertisements in other areas of the forum (especially Tips for Buyers or Tips for Sellers) these should usually be at the bottom of your list if they are on it at all

I particularly get worried whenever i see sellers advertising their gigs on “tip for sellers” section of the forum. These same people who don’t know where their posts fit in are likely to ignore buyers instructions and deliver something different from the requirements.

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Reply to @seofanatics: I also agree and if the post is not relevant, it should be moved or deleted. But, there is no moderation on the forum to make that happen. Or, another idea is to open more specific categories to post to.

There needs to be rules to determine what is content and what is an ad in Tips for Buyers or Tips for Sellers.

Previously, “fonthaunt” accused us of posting ads in the Tips for Buyers category but didn’t remove the post because it was content and not an ad. We provided specific information for the buyer. But, when we post occasionally, we submit three or four articles at a time to the same category which would be assessed as spamming, but it’s not. We provided content, it was not moved, yet others criticized that we were dominating the category which is ridiculous. Just look at the domination of the Podcast category.

Have a happy Friday! Cheers

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Reply to @edume:

edume said: I also agree and if the post is not relevant, it should be moved or deleted. But, there is no moderation on the forum to make that happen.

Is that why you posted your own rant on my thread regarding spam, even though you stated that you are not a spammer? Are you trying to force the thread to be moved, your comments to be removed, or what? No moderation on the forum… huh? This is really weird.

edume said: Previously, "fonthaunt" accused us of posting ads in the Tips for Buyers category but didn't remove the post because it was content and not an ad. We provided specific information for the buyer.

To me, you did post some useful tips while also promoting yourself. I considered moving/removing comments, but decided not to. For one thing, I felt like I was coming from a biased place and was better off not to act at that time. That’s a form of self-moderation. If another moderator had decided to move them, fine. Sometimes others are around and sometimes I’m on my own here.

That said, moderation is in no way an exact science. When we aren’t sure, we may reply to help gauge things based on the responses. The moderator group doesn’t always agree. But, that way we have a sort of set of checks and balances. You can make all the rules you want and then you put several people from different cultures with good intentions in a place to enforce the rules. You’ll find that each one will interpret rules just a little different. Moderators get upset, sometimes at Fiverr itself, or because they had a bad day but human moderation still has it’s merits.

The forum ran for a long time with little more than automation because there just weren’t enough mods with shorter queues and time and some were just worn out. I don’t know about you, but I thought the forum started to turn into a garbage heap of “fix me gig” posts and “bye 5000 likees and get 7000 free” posts. Other hours it was fake ID’s, prostitution, and phishing links. It was a set of flawed human beings with various talents that turned that around. If you don’t like the forum, you don’t really have to use it.

Finally -

edume said: others criticized that we were dominating the category which is ridiculous. Just look at the domination of the Podcast category.

I really hope this is a joke because if not, it’s no wonder you don’t understand the concept of category domination.


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Reply to @edume:

edume said: The demotion from TRS to level 2 was never explained to us. Someone, more than likely a sheriff like yourself, maybe not you, reported our posting which triggered several emails from admin. In those emails it was never explained why or what we said was wrong. Fiverr customer service is scripted, they only answer questions based on the script they can use to answer. Otherwise, they don't answer. It had nothing to do with spamming which we have never do

Look, you dragged up my post from Sept. 27. You confused me with yet another whining rant about yourself. I’m having to guess at why you picked a thread on spamming to air your own laundry again.

edume said: Someone, more than likely a sheriff like yourself, maybe not you, reported our posting which triggered several emails from admin. In those emails it was never explained why or what we said was wrong.

If I think a serious rule is being broken in the forums, I report it to other volunteers who have more forum rights than I do. Neither I or those forum volunteers can remove a level badge. I very serously do not know of any time a forum comment has resulted in a badge removal for anyone on Fiverr.

If a moderator like me or other user reads the forum, clicks on a profile and then sees ToS violations, we don’t have direct access to Fiver teams that handle that. We can submit tickets. CS doesn’t care if I’m a moderator or a movie star. CS is slow and sometimes they decide I’m wrong and they tell me they aren’t going to act on my ticket. All your posts about being the victim of level loss due to a forum comment just don’t hold water. You either violated the ToS outside of the forum or someone on staff otherwise had an issue with you and I can’t help you.

edume said: The forum is very unprofessional as it is and may be the reason buyers don't participate. Hopefully, as I'm writing this the forum is being updated and hopefully will eliminate the baggage.

I hope the forum continues to improve. I’m very far from perfect but I really, really try to make the forum better. The forum is what we all make it. I don’t know what baggage you mean. I know you’ve made accusations against some sellers, so maybe you want them gone, or me, or maybe you just want it to be you talking to yourself, but feel free to clarify so at least your suggestion is understood.

edume said: In our opinion, comments on this forum should be moderated, if not relevant to the topic, the comment should be removed.

Moderators are not encouraged to censor, so there are moderation limits since not all rules are black and white. If all topic-irrelevant comments were removed, we would lose some useless things and some funny tangents and some whole posts, like yours in threads on other topics. My intended topic here was about buying from spammers, not edume’s umpteenth rant. However, you seem to really need to say this stuff, maybe it’s therapeutic, so have at it while you can.


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Reply to @emasonwrites: Thanks to you and @misscrystal for that. I tend to be obvious on the forums since my goal is to help educate about forum rules and eliminate the simple spam by moving it to the right category or deleting it. I hope to think I’ve helped even if I’m sometimes brisk with wording. There is just so little time in the day.

I had little ability to fix the external serial spammers. The average mod spent hours deleting posts one at a time. I am lucky, some mods spent years having to do that. So, we tracked posts and @twistedweb123 used his skills to eliminate the worst. Others have continued to participate in direct moderation, record podcasts, advise newer mods, etc. Not everyone is grateful for those contributions, but many are. As we move forward, I think we’ve become a better team to serve the participants who are open to positive change.

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@emasonwrites You are correct. Importing is taking quite a bit of time and only so much can be done at one time without bogging down overall speed. It isn’t related to what was said or which user posted it. (For example, a truly helpful post by @jamesbulls with lots of good comments was still slowly updating when I checked.) This topic we are in that I made appeared with zero comments for quite awhile. It’s a process!

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I’ve seen plenty of controversial comments in various threads that imported fine though all the importing data hits bottlenecks so it’s just not all fast. No need for paranoia. If comments don’t show up after a month just submit a CS ticket.

One thing that you might keep in mind though is that some comments or posts that were edited by the user might take longer than others. I don’t know for sure but it seems that way watching my own stuff during import. Edits don’t work quite the same in the new forum.

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You may see some of our posts as “controversial” but the buyer does need to know the truth of whats really happening on this platform before they become a member or buy something.

We’ve seen many controversial moves from fiverr, but of course since fiverr operates mainly from Israel, I can understand that business ideas are different over there. It’s not a wholly owned American company. If you don’t believe me, do a search.

We aim to provide truth for buyers and others.

WOW, you’re going to love when our news channel starts broadcasting online and through Roku, Amazon Fire TV & Android TV.

Then you’ll hear and see a lot of news stuff that you thought was true, but isn’t, stay tuned!

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Um… it’s not a secret that Fiverr is based in Israel. They also have offices elsewhere which anyone interested can find out. I didn’t say anything about controversial moves by Fiverr, though I’m sure they have made plenty of them. I said I’ve seen plenty of controversial comments that were imported. Your comment that “Nobody wants to hear about reality, only fantasy!” did not necessarily mean that you thought your posts were controversial, so perhaps that was my own mistake. I do know I see an awful lot of reality as well as fantasy on the forums. Reading material for all tastes.

Good luck with all that other “stuff.” Streaming video is challenging for some, so I am sure you are very excited.

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Update on the original post here: I am glad to say that there are awesome and legitimate places to see information from sellers who read the forum Do’s and Dont’s and have offers for interested buyers! You can now see a new view in the My Fiverr Gigs forum. Sellers can place their ads there complete with links and buyers can view those posts in one click if the seller offers the option.

Posts in this category (Tips for Buyers) regarding sellers own gigs and seller self-promotion of any kind are still questionable and caution should be taken with these posts.

Another great place to look for new sellers who may need a boost (and even offer a discount in some cases) is in “Improve my Gigs” where sellers can ask for feedback on their gigs. You might find a diamond in the rough there. If you find a seller that has potential but isn’t quite there, you can also offer them advice to improve their gig offering. Good luck to all buyers!

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