Fiverr
recently unveiled its new “advanced” rating system. I put advanced in quotation
marks, but I really don’t see it as that. This 5-star rating system could turn
out to be one of the site’s worst changes ever.
It’s not
that I hate change. While I don’t always like it, it really depends on the
exact changes and the site/system. When Fiverr changed to version two, I didn’t
mind it. It took a while to get use to it but I embraced it. I just can’t do
the same with the new ratings system.
It’s Too Complicated Now
The new
system is complicated. Buyers are asked to rate sellers out of 5 stars for
three things: responsiveness, recommendation and satisfaction. There is then a
place to leave comments.
It seems
simple, but when you consider the original thumbs up and thumbs down system, it’s
really not. Buyers have to think about how they want to rate their Fiverr
sellers, and it can depend on the mood they are in on the day. Some don’t even
want to rate with a thumbs up or down, so why would they want to think about
stars?
More Fiverr Sellers Will Be Abused
I think the
bit that really annoys me is the responsiveness part. Buyers could use this to
abuse the sellers on the site. It is already happening with the thumbs up and
down system, so it will certainly happen with this new one.
Fiverr
sellers set their delivery times depending on situations. Mine are never less
than 7 days because I have other places to write and a life. Most of the time,
I keep my delivery times set to 10 days at least, and right now they’re at 20
days because I was on vacation. This new system can put pressure on sellers to
deliver quicker.
For example,
a buyer can come up and insist the work is done within a day, but not want to
pay for the extra. If the seller doesn’t do as asked, the buyer can simply
leave one-star reviews for the responsiveness and even the work done. If you
look at the forum, it is already being abused in this way to get back at the
seller.
It’s a Lot of Stress for $5
If someone
was paying me $100 for my base gig, then I’d be happy to allow the 5-star
rating system. In fact, I’d welcome it. However, as it is currently $5, it is a
lot of stress for the sake of the money. In more cases, I’m going to cancel
orders because a buyer seems shifty.
It’s already
affecting my work. I’ve had some messages requesting me to take on jobs. In
many cases I’ve turned them down because the new rating system is playing with
my mind. I know plenty of sellers who have shut down their gigs because of it,
and eventually Fiverr is going to lose money.
But It Works for eBay…
Yes, there
are plenty of sites that operate with a 5-star system. eBay is likely where
Fiverr got the idea from. However, I’m going to point out one thing: the buyers
are also rated.
Now, yes,
the buyers are rated with this new system, but the ratings mean nothing. The
Fiverr buyer ratings do not show up on the profiles at all; only on the gig
pages. This has been the problem all along with the rating system. This was
something sellers wanted to change with the original thumbs up and thumbs down
system. They didn’t want this complicated, open-to-abuse system.
What do you
think about the new Fiverr “advanced” rating system? Share your thoughts on it
below in the comments.
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