Scrolling Thru the Gigs - What I was NOT looking for

[gina_riley2]

So, I was looking for some virtual assistants to help me research various topic for my next book. Two people meet while on a business trip, fall in love, yadda, yadda, yadds . . .

Well, anywho, I caught myself doing something without even realizing it. As I was scrolling through the 3000 or so sellers in that category, in between watching televison, this is what I was doing:

1. Put my mouse over the gig (without clicking) to see the seller’s username and their star rating.

2. If it was less than a perfect 5, I didn’t even bother clicking - I just moved onto the next one. I caught myself clicking on the new - no review - and five star reviews, only.

During a commerical break, it just hit me. I’m not sure why I was doing that.

I have bought from sellers with less than a perfect five - but now that I think about it - those were people that post on this forum regularly.

As I am going through my spreadsheet - I realized I have bought from many new sellers, many five star sellers and the only less than five are only the ones who happens to be regulars. – Strange –

Wondering if any other regular buyers noticed anything like that?

[zeus777]

I haven’t bought that many gigs myself, but I get the feeling if I was to buy a gig from
someone, I’d go for the sellers with a high rating ( but will make sure to reeeaaallly check since I have seen some shady sellers with a perfect rating), but if I do come across a seller with less than a perfect five…but a name I see often here at the forum AND I like his/her comments, yup, I think it will make me click the name and place the order!

[gina_riley2]

I haven’t bought that many gigs myself, but I get the feeling if I was to buy a gig from

someone, I’d go for the sellers with a high rating ( but will make sure to reeeaaallly check since I have seen some shady sellers with a perfect rating), but if I do come across a seller with less than a perfect five…but a name I see often here at the forum AND I like his/her comments, yup, I think it will make me click the name and place the order!

I guess it was a matter of how a buyer, without knowing or with knowing, really can mess up a new seller. If he/she gives something less than five stars - you know the type that says, “I don’t believe in giving anyone five stars.”

That led me to realize the importance of educating new buyers. Not everyone reads the forum before placing an order and the ToS does not give instruction on how to rate or the impact to sellers.

** Just food for thought. If you are a new/first time buyer reading this - keep in mind that Fiverr is NOT like any other system you are used to - GIVE 5 STAR FOR EXCEPTIONAL WORK! **

I ended up using Buyer’s Request as I was looking for a special nitch and it was too hard to filter through hundreds.

[capitalquality]

I admit to doing that when I’m looking at some easy gigs, though I’m really wary of new sellers now as I’ve only had bad experiences (I didn’t order much in the days I had an account I ordered from so that is almost certainly my bad luck). I figure that my time is valuable (obviously this is why I spend so much time on the forum 🙂 ). Conversely though, I distrust anyone that has a lot of orders and 5 star reviews for all of them. I mean, everyone comes across a disgruntled buyer at some point.

[misscrystal]

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Why? It’s possible to have all 5 star reviews. I don’t understand. Are you saying you think they are not real reviews?

[Guest offlinehelpers]

I admit to doing that when I’m looking at some easy gigs, though I’m really wary of new sellers now as I’ve only had bad experiences (I didn’t order much in the days I had an account I ordered from so that is almost certainly my bad luck). I figure that my time is valuable (obviously this is why I spend so much time on the forum 🙂 ). Conversely though, I distrust anyone that has a lot of orders and 5 star reviews for all of them. I mean, everyone comes across a disgruntled buyer at some point.

You’ve got excellent reviews on your gigs (well done!) - why would you distrust another seller with equally good reviews?

I really am interested BTW!

[djgodknows]

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I am very skeptical of those sellers with all five stars.

I have one ⭐

(from a Psyko buyer tho… 😕)

[gina_riley2]

I am very skeptical of those sellers with all five stars.

I have one ⭐

(from a Psyko buyer tho… 😕)

** Sigh **

Not what I had intended.

[capitalquality]

** Sigh **

Not what I had intended.

lol. That’s the way it goes 🙂 I know what you mean.

[capitalquality]

You’ve got excellent reviews on your gigs (well done!) - why would you distrust another seller with equally good reviews?

I really am interested BTW!

I do have excellent reviews, but I also have 2 (I think, if I remember rightly) 4 star reviews, one from an idiot, and one from a regular customer who ordered from me for months but never gave me 5 stars.

What I’m saying is that in a marketplace like Fiverr, if you have a lot of orders, you’re going to find an idiot and someone who never gives 5 stars out of principle. So yes, I’m suspicious. I’m suspicious that the seller’s refunded to remove a bad review or cancels if things look bad or bribes buyers to leave 5 stars in some way. I’d much rather see the occasional review < 5 stars. It mean’s the seller’s a normal person doing normal business with normal buyers.

No doubt there are sellers with a lot of gigs under their belt and genuine all 5 star reviews. Maybe they’re better than most at spotting troublesome buyers. Kudos to them because they’ve beaten the odds.

[capitalquality]

I am very skeptical of those sellers with all five stars.

I have one ⭐

(from a Psyko buyer tho… 😕)

Do you feel deprived? I don’t mind helping 🙂

[djgodknows]

Do you feel deprived? I don’t mind helping 🙂

Do you feel deprived? I don’t mind helping

You mean adding the rest of the missing ⭐s?

No thank you very much… lol

[thevideostore]

Interesting to point out.
I would be willing to bet that the regulars on the forum care a bit more about their store here more than others but thats just my assumption. Personally , I’d rather not have any of my buyers see my forum posts… they’ll see 90% of it in the rants section which would be offputting… But I’m constantly helping other to even it out =P All I’m saying is … I certainly care about the business I do here. And it’s hard work.

As someone who can “feel it in their gut” that they are about to drop below 100% rating… I can start encouraging others to buy from less than 5 star sellers… Because it’s just not worth it maintaining a 5 star 100% rating when the marketplace contains so pitfalls. Its just the sad truth for many of us.

[zeus777]

Why? It’s possible to have all 5 star reviews. I don’t understand. Are you saying you think they are not real reviews?

Right now I had all 5 stars review but I’ve had 4.5 stars here and there a while ago.

I managed to get a loooooong string of 5 stars after that and those non-perfect rating eventually got covered up/drowned by the 5 stars. I hope I can keep it that way!!

As for the sellers with perfect reviews, I’m sure most of them are “real” reviews, but I’ve read some stories on the forum where the buyers gave the sellers 5 stars NOT knowing that the work they have received was not legit ( like copied essays, logos, google translation etc) and found out weeks or even months later and by then it was too late to change the review. Plus I’ve heard about sellers buying each other’s gigs for a 5 star rating exchange, and I guess the agreement was to give a 5 star no matter what the quality of the delivered gig was.

…so I guess some of those reviews could be not real…but again, yeah, I’m assuming they are in the minority.

[gina_riley2]

Interesting to point out.

I would be willing to bet that the regulars on the forum care a bit more about their store here more than others but thats just my assumption. Personally , I’d rather not have any of my buyers see my forum posts… they’ll see 90% of it in the rants section which would be offputting… But I’m constantly helping other to even it out =P All I’m saying is … I certainly care about the business I do here. And it’s hard work.

As someone who can “feel it in their gut” that they are about to drop below 100% rating… I can start encouraging others to buy from less than 5 star sellers… Because it’s just not worth it maintaining a 5 star 100% rating when the marketplace contains so pitfalls. Its just the sad truth for many of us.

I’d rather not have any of my buyers see my forum posts.

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The Ranting Pot was creating so that both buyers and sellers can vent their fustration. Most buyers and even many sellers come to share a bad experience and disappear.

Any reasonable person knows that Fiverr is a platform designed so that each seller is basically a “small business owner.” When dealing with people, everyone will eventually run across a bad experience.

I use it as a learning experience.

When I read about something similar to what I did, I make a point not to do it - you know like not sending a seller the, “Hi, how are you? Are you available?” message.

When I read about something that I have never done, I can sympathize - the chargebacks, the unreasonable free revisions, etc. I have to deal with those type of people in my own small business - I go to a different venting forum about them. 😄

[gina_riley2]

Right now I had all 5 stars review but I’ve had 4.5 stars here and there a while ago.

I managed to get a loooooong string of 5 stars after that and those non-perfect rating eventually got covered up/drowned by the 5 stars. I hope I can keep it that way!!

As for the sellers with perfect reviews, I’m sure most of them are “real” reviews, but I’ve read some stories on the forum where the buyers gave the sellers 5 stars NOT knowing that the work they have received was not legit ( like copied essays, logos, google translation etc) and found out weeks or even months later and by then it was too late to change the review. Plus I’ve heard about sellers buying each other’s gigs for a 5 star rating exchange, and I guess the agreement was to give a 5 star no matter what the quality of the delivered gig was.

…so I guess some of those reviews could be not real…but again, yeah, I’m assuming they are in the minority.

Plus I’ve heard about sellers buying each other’s gigs for a 5 star rating exchange, and I guess the agreement was to give a 5 star no matter what the quality of the delivered gig wa

I’ve read about that as well. There are websites and Facebook groups set up as a secret society. They are wasting their time and money trying to defraud others. When they get a real client who discovers their work is subpar - well, forked out money to trade reviews just to close up shop.

[miiila]

Plus I’ve heard about sellers buying each other’s gigs for a 5 star rating exchange, and I guess the agreement was to give a 5 star no matter what the quality of the delivered gig wa

I’ve read about that as well. There are websites and Facebook groups set up as a secret society. They are wasting their time and money trying to defraud others. When they get a real client who discovers their work is subpar - well, forked out money to trade reviews just to close up shop.

This calls for fiverr undercover agents. 😼