Fiverr is a popular freelance marketplace with millions of users. With freelancers in all sorts of industries working on the platform, it’s no wonder that many new to it may ask whether or not Fiverr is legit.
Fiverr is a legit freelancer marketplace, with built-in measures and protocols to ensure you’re not scammed out of your money or hard work. Fiverr acts as a third-party between clients and freelancers, handling transactions between the 2 parties. This makes the process run as smoothly as possible.
In this article, we’ll examine what exactly makes Fiverr legit, and we’ll discuss how safe it really is. But first, let’s give a bit of information about the platform itself
What Is Fiverr?
Fiverr is an Israeli start-up, designed as an online marketplace for freelancers. Clients can browse the platform for freelancers to hire, based on the services they need. Fiverr has a plethora of services to pick and choose from. These include entry-level logo design, data entry, advanced programming and animation. Fiverr acts like a matchmaking service for freelancers and clients.
Many freelancers start on Fiverr because it’s free. Anyone over the age of 13 can sign up for free and start to earn money when they complete their first job. On Fiverr, offering a service is called a “gig”, and freelancers must post gigs for a minimum of $5.
Fiverr’s Levelling System
Fiverr uses a tiered system to categorize its freelancers. The more experienced you are on the platform, the higher your level. You’ll have to complete a certain number of transactions and maintain an overall positive review rating before you can level up. To find out more about this, check out our article all about Fiverr’s levelling system.
So, Fiverr is a bustling marketplace for people to hire freelancers for almost any service, and those freelancers are categorized based on their abilities and experience. But is Fiverr legit?
Is Fiverr Legit?
Fiverr is legit, as it has shareholder backing and relies on its good business practices to stay profitable. The platform puts rigorous measures in place to ensure anyone that uses the platform is a real person offering real services.
Fiverr is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Companies listed on the NYSE have to meet certain requirements and are regulated by various rules and laws. So, if Fiverr tries to scam its users, regulators would likely sniff it out and Fiverr would face punishment as a result. It’s therefore in Fiverr’s best interests to operate a safe and legit environment for buyers and sellers.
Is Fiverr Fair To Freelancers & Buyers?
Fiverr strives to create a fair system for freelancers and clients. The platform does this by allowing freelancers to earn in accordance with the volume and quality of work they do. In return, clients should receive high-quality work. To understand how Fiverr does this, we have to talk about the whole transaction process.
Fiverr’s Transaction Process
After setting up a Fiverr account, a freelancer can post up to 7 gigs (for new sellers) to advertise their services on the marketplace. When a potential client likes the look of a freelancer’s gig, they might contact the freelancer to learn more about their services.
The client then chooses one of the freelancer’s gig packages. Clients can also request custom orders from freelancers, addressing specific requirements and guidelines for the job.
The client makes an upfront payment at this point. However, the freelancer doesn’t immediately receive the money, as Fiverr holds it until the order is complete. Even then there is a 2-week clearance period (1 week for top rated sellers). If a freelancer/client asks for payment outside of Fiverr, beware, as this could be a scam! We’ll talk more about this shortly.
The Buyer Needs To Complete The Order
After finishing the gig and fulfilling the request of the client, the freelancer marks the order as delivered. The buyer can then mark it as complete, or request revisions if need be.
If there is a problem with the order, and the two parties aren’t able to resolve the issue, they can always turn to the Resolution Center. Here, Fiverr’s customer service team assesses the situation and solves any issues.
By understanding the general transaction process of Fiverr, you can see how they strive to create a legit marketplace. Fiverr encourages legit business transactions, and heavily penalises scammers. As such, we can safely conclude that Fiverr is a legit marketplace, and also advocates for legit transactions. So, you can definitely trust the platform if you are a freelancer yourself or looking to hire one for a project.
Looking for some tips and tricks to hit the ground running with Fiverr? Check out my ultimate guide to the platform here.
Is Fiverr Safe?
Fiverr is safe, as the platform securely encrypts all your data. There are measures in place to ensure your personal and payment information are always kept safe, which is why you should only ever communicate or accept payments through the platform.
Fiverr does track and record your personal information. On their Privacy Policy page, they mention that they save your data for “as long as is required to fulfil the purpose for which is collected”. How long this period lasts is uncertain.
Both as a freelancer and as a client, you have to enter some personal information (including a payment method) when hiring or providing a service. So, it’s fair to wonder if this personal data is going to be kept safe.
Is Your Personal Data Safe On Fiverr?
Your personal data is safe on Fiverr, as Fiverr stores the data they collect securely. Any transfers of data to a country Fiverr deems to have poor levels of data protection are protected and governed by the European Union’s standard contractual clauses. In other words, your data is in safe hands.
If you are under EU regulation or are a California resident, Fiverr also has extra provisions in place to ensure that your data is secure and not abused. You should know that you can exercise your rights in connection with your personal information. If this sounds like something you want to do, you should open a Customer Relations Ticket, and Fiverr will process your request accordingly.
Are Fiverr Reviews Real?
Fiverr reviews are normally real, as the platform only allows real buyers to review gigs. This means the buyer has to go through a real transaction with the seller to be able to provide feedback. There are ways to tell if a Fiverr review is fake.
As with any online platform, Fiverr reviews can be fake in rare cases. Some sellers may work with fake accounts (although Fiverr makes this hard to do) or with other sellers to exchange positive reviews with each other. However, this is rare, especially for the top freelancers on the platform.
How To Spot Fake Fiverr Reviews
The most obvious would be if a gig had lots of the same reviews (i.e. the same or similar wording) from the same buyers. This indicates the seller has set up another account or is working with someone else to provide lots of fake reviews. The same wording of reviews from different buyers would also be a red flag.
You can also see when a buyer left a review. So, if you see a gig with lots of reviews from the same day or week, and not many either side of that, those reviews might be fake.
Can You Get Scammed On Fiverr?
You can get scammed on Fiverr. However, the only way this will usually happen is if you don’t abide by Fiverr’s Terms of Service. Fiverr has measures in place to ensure communications and transactions are secure. If you communicate or conduct transactions off the platform, you could get scammed.
Does Fiverr Refund If You Get Scammed?
Fiverr does refund if you get scammed. If you get scammed or if a freelancer doesn’t follow through with the work, you can usually get your money back fairly quickly. Note that this only applies if you paid for services on the platform. If you used external payment methods, you won’t get a refund.
How To Avoid Getting Scammed On Fiverr As A Buyer
To avoid getting scammed on Fiverr as a buyer, do the following:
- Always use the platform for communication and payment
- Do your due diligence on potential sellers before purchasing
- Check for reviews of the seller’s gigs
- Be mindful of potential fake reviews
- Don’t purchase gigs offering things like selling followers or subscribers
- Get in touch with Fiverr’s customer service team if you think your freelancer is acting suspiciously
How To Avoid Getting Scammed On Fiverr As A Seller
To avoid getting scammed on Fiverr as a seller, do the following:
- Do your due diligence on potential buyers by checking for reviews
- Be mindful of potential fake reviews
- Never communicate or accept payment off the platform
- Don’t begin work until the buyer places an order to avoid wasting your time
- Get in touch with Fiverr’s customer service team if you think your buyer is acting suspiciously
What To Do If You Get Scammed On Fiverr
If you think or know you have been scammed on Fiverr, you should get in contact with the customer service team as soon as possible. Be cooperative with them, and provide as much detail as you can about the issue and they will aim to resolve it quickly.
How To Use Fiverr Safely
In order to use Fiverr safely, you must stick to Fiverr’s guidelines. As long as you abide by Fiverr’s terms of service, and don’t try anything shady, you are fully protected by the measures the platform puts in place.
As a client, one thing you can do to use Fiverr safely is to do your own research in terms of who you plan to do business with. Freelancers on Fiverr usually have some reviews on their profile, so head there and check what other clients have said about each freelancer. Note that you can also see reviews of buyers too, which is a good way to do your due diligence as a freelancer.
Always Use The Platform
Always pay via Fiverr’s on-platform transaction process. Paying outside the platform is risky, and there’s a chance you might get scammed. Fiverr may take a cut of 20%, but this helps pay for the security of the platform that protects any payments you make. If you make a payment off the platform, you’re no longer protected by Fiverr. Note that this is also a breach of their ToS, so you may lose access to your account if you do this.
As a freelancer, you can stay safe on Fiverr by carefully choosing which clients to deal with. Some clients will message you directly asking for free write-ups before they pay. Others might request unlimited revisions to take advantage of you. Such buyers are rare, but there are those few who try to get things for free.
Final Thoughts
Fiverr is a legit platform and it is 100% safe to use. Staying safe on the platform is all about remaining vigilant and being aware of the kinds of gigs to avoid as a buyer. As a freelancer, avoiding giving out your personal information is the easiest way to stay safe.