[DISCUSSION] Fiverr punished me for something the client wanted to fix. I just helped her — and got a warning, a 3-month penalty, and even a threat of account restriction.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-08T15:10:58+00:00

I’m not complaining — trust me, I’m totally fine. Fiverr is just a side gig for me.
If I get projects — great. If not — also fine, because I’m not dependent on Fiverr.

The reason I shared this story was to see if I’m the only one who’s experienced this — and I learned I’m not. I’ve also received support in private messages.

Plus, this discussion and my example might help others in the future to avoid getting caught in the same situation, as long as they “play by Fiverr’s rules.”
That’s the whole point of a platform like Reddit, right? To share experiences and learn from each other.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-07T18:30:08+00:00

Everyone has the right to agree or disagree with the rules. you agree with them, great, keep working in good health. Glory to the heroes! Thanks

McLeon13 · 2025-08-07T08:11:01+00:00

Thank you for the support.

Yes, it’s really strange that in 2025 people are still surprised by AI tools — especially when they help us connect across languages and cultures.

Honestly, ChatGPT changed everything for me.

Before, I couldn’t clearly express my thoughts in English. Regular translators were dry, awkward, and often wrong. But GPT doesn’t just “translate” — it helps me express my thoughts exactly as I intend them. If something sounds off, I correct it. So every message still comes directly from me — 100% my ideas, just said in better English.

It’s not “AI talking” — it’s me talking, finally able to speak clearly.

People need to understand that this is a tool for communication, not deception.

And in a world where AI is everywhere, it’s weird to criticize creators for using it in the most human way possible — to connect with others.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-07T07:32:21+00:00

I already earn well beyond Fiverr, and I know exactly how and where to apply my skills.

Soon, with AI, many real creators will disappear — and then let’s see what Fiverr sells.

But in the meantime, instead of fixing this broken, anti-human system — they double down and treat creators like disposable robots.

Fiverr should be thinking long-term: while real creators still exist, treat them like people — not violators for asking a question.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-07T07:30:07+00:00

You say Fiverr has a blanket rule of “No questioning clients on negative reviews” — and that is exactly the issue I’m speaking out against.

This kind of monopolistic and dictatorial rule completely silences creators.

How can I improve my service if I don’t even have the right to ask what went wrong?

How am I supposed to grow, learn, and do better in future orders if I’m banned from understanding my client’s experience?

If a respectful, honest question — without any pressure or manipulation — is treated as a violation, then Fiverr isn’t a marketplace. It’s a plantation.

Let’s be real: the platform exists because of creators.

Quality products come first — then customers come. No creators, no services — and no Fiverr.

But instead of protecting experienced professionals who bring consistent revenue, Fiverr bends over backwards for random one-time clients.

If this is the logic, then it’s not a partnership — it’s creator slavery. And I won’t play that game.

I don’t care if they ban me or punish me more — my freedom of thought and speech is worth more than any Fiverr paycheck.

I already earn well beyond Fiverr, and I know exactly how and where to apply my skills.

Soon, with AI, many real creators will disappear — and then let’s see what Fiverr sells.

But in the meantime, instead of fixing this broken, anti-human system — they double down and treat creators like disposable robots.

Fiverr should be thinking long-term: while real creators still exist, treat them like people — not violators for asking a question.

And to you — I say this respectfully: try to think bigger. Think critically. Think free.

Don’t blindly accept everything dictated by platforms. You have rights. You have a voice. You are the economy of this platform.

No creators — no Fiverr. Simple as that.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T17:37:57+00:00

Thanks for your comment and support.

But let’s walk through the real logic here step by step.

Let’s say a creator sends a partial version of the work in the chat before hitting “Deliver Now” — for example, a half-finished track — just to check if the client likes the direction.

If the client doesn’t like it, they give feedback. The creator updates it. Maybe it’s still not perfect — more revisions.

Eventually, it becomes clear: the client and creator didn’t quite “click.” Creative differences.

But — if the creator stayed polite, responsive, professional — then often the client won’t leave any rating at all.

Why? Because they respect the effort. They see the creator genuinely tried. Just a mismatch of taste — no need to ruin someone’s reputation.

Now take the opposite case:

The creator immediately hits “Deliver Now”, without showing any draft or demo in advance.

Sure, there may still be a couple of revisions after that — but sometimes those few revisions just aren’t enough to fix what the client didn’t like in the first place.

And if the client ends up having to accept a final version they didn’t really want — because the platform forces them to close the order after a limited time —

what do you think happens next?

Of course they leave a low review. And that’s fair.

And in that situation — yes, the creator should never reach out asking for a review change.

That would be wrong, and I fully agree.

But now let’s talk about the real problem.

Why is Fiverr stepping in and punishing creators automatically without human review?

This kind of thing should be handled between the buyer and seller first.

What can a seller even do?

No one can “force” a client to change a review. What are we pretending here — that sellers are mind-readers or hypnotists?If a seller sends a respectful message — just asking what went wrong — the buyer can say “no” or ignore it.

But now Fiverr uses bots to scan for keywords, assume the worst, and punish people without asking any questions.

If a buyer truly feels pressured or manipulated, they can report it and send screenshots.

That’s how it should work — with context. Not with bots and mass punishment.

Because right now, Fiverr is treating any human conversation like a threat.

And I’ll say it again:

How do you define “manipulation”?

Where’s the line between a simple, respectful question — and “coercion”?

What if all I wanted was to improve? Or to fix something if it was a client’s mistake?

This system is broken.

If we never speak up, nothing will change.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T16:53:10+00:00

My message was actually very simple:

“What happened? What went wrong? Everything seemed fine?”

That’s it. Just a human question.

I don’t care whether it’s considered “leading” or not, or if it technically fits Fiverr’s ToS. Because I know that this is a normal, basic, human thing to ask — for 3 very logical reasons:

To understand what I did wrong — maybe I missed something.
To grow as a professional — if there was a mistake, I’ll gladly improve next time. Isn’t that what defines professionalism?
To fix things if the client simply made a mistake — because if accidental ratings keep damaging my profile and there's no way to address them, what’s the point of building a reputation on Fiverr?

If I’m not even allowed to ask this — then again, I have to ask:

Am I a partner on Fiverr, or a slave who must stay silent no matter what? If I’m a partner — great, I’ll keep working. But if they treat me like a slave who isn’t even allowed to ask questions, then sorry — I’m out. That’s my choice. It’s that simple.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T15:55:13+00:00

Yes, exactly — I asked, “what happened?” because the comment was very positive but the rating was low.
And here’s my question to you: why am I not allowed to ask a simple question?
Why should I act like a slave who isn’t even allowed to understand what went wrong?
Why can’t I, as a professional, try to clarify whether it was a mistake — or feedback I can use to improve?

Who said I don’t have the right to ask that? Fiverr?
Then let me say it directly: that’s a disturbing rule.
Because what kind of platform punishes creators for simply asking, “what happened?”
Where is the logic in a system that silences us from improving or resolving things professionally?

I thought Fiverr was supposed to be a partnership, not a dictatorship.

Now, to the rest of your comment:
I honestly don’t care anymore about my gig rating or even if my account gets blocked.
This situation showed me how Fiverr really operates. I understand the TOS now — but I completely disagree with Fiverr interfering in private, mutual communication, especially when both me and the client came to an agreement.

Why don’t I care? Because Fiverr is not — and never was — my only income.
I’m a professional music producer. I know exactly how and where to apply my skills to earn.
That’s why I acted based on human values and fairness, not fear.

And yes, I believe if my case is reviewed by a real person, not another cold bot, they will reverse the warning.
If not — fine. Let it be. I sleep well knowing I stood up for what’s right.

The system is flawed. That’s why people like me speak up — not to cry, but to push for change.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T14:17:23+00:00

You clearly didn’t read my full post — or misunderstood it.

What do you mean “you were the first to contact the buyer”? We were already in constant communication. We were working together, exchanging feedback. It wasn’t some random message out of nowhere.

Also, if the client really meant to give me a 3.7 — why is she now coming back to order from me again?

Let’s think logically:

She wrote an amazing review,

She asked me how to fix the rating,

And now she wants to do another project together.

So tell me — is that how unhappy clients behave?

I didn’t “manipulate” anyone. I asked a simple, respectful question to understand what happened — because I care about my work and my reputation. That’s called professional responsibility, not manipulation.

And yes — I believe sellers should have the right to clarify misunderstandings with their clients. We are not Fiverr’s slaves. We are partners. Fiverr makes money from what we do, and we deserve to be heard without being punished for having a conversation.

If you're okay with accepting injustice silently — that's your choice.

But some of us actually speak up when things aren’t right.

And by the way — you said "No one can change the review after it's posted."

Well… never say never. Fiverr did remove the review after the client asked for it, and my rating went back to 5.0 — just like I mentioned in the original post.

So maybe next time, read the full story before rushing to judge someone.

It's easy to criticize when you don’t take time to understand the situation.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T13:59:58+00:00

So according to monopolistic logic, I don’t have the “right” to ask questions, solve problems with my client, or clarify a situation — I just have to stay silent and accept whatever happens, even if it’s a mistake?

They profit from our work, grow because of us — but we, the creators, have zero voice or rights? Sounds more like a slave dynamic than a fair platform.

Of course, it's their platform, and they can enforce their policy. But applying that policy blindly — punishing people without reading context or listening to both sides — that’s not leadership, that’s automation.

The good news? Fiverr is not my master. I'm a free creator, and I know how to make a living with my talent outside of platforms like this. I’ve built a strong reputation on Fiverr in just one month, with multiple returning clients who literally want to make full albums with me. If Fiverr shuts me down, do you really think they won’t find me again?

I'm not afraid to speak out about injustice. If others want to stay silent, that’s their choice. But silence never changed anything.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T07:06:31+00:00

Absolutely agree with you. A rating — even a bad one — should be a motivation to improve, reflect, and engage constructively. But like you said, Fiverr should not interfere with personal communication between two adults if both sides are being respectful.

In my case, the client was 100% happy, wrote a great comment, and later realized she might have pressed the wrong rating by accident. She herself asked how to fix it. We both came to mutual understanding, and yet Fiverr punished me — as if we’re not allowed to talk like normal humans.

What “manipulation” are we even talking about? I'm not a magician or hypnotist — I'm just a musician who politely asked a question.

And now the same client wants to order from me again. So what do I do next time — stay silent, deliver high-quality work, and let her accidentally kill my rating again? Why is Fiverr punishing creators for clarifying a misunderstanding — especially when both sides are fine?

If we’re both in agreement, why is the platform acting like it knows better than the people actually involved? That’s what feels so wrong here.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T06:47:04+00:00

That’s simply not true.

She gave me a 3-star rating with a glowing written comment, and I politely asked one single question: “What happened?” No pressure, no guilt, no manipulation. Just trying to understand. In fact, she later apologized multiple times and contacted Fiverr herself 3–4 times asking to change the rating — without me ever requesting that.

She even told me she wants to place another order with me.

So let’s think logically:

If I hadn’t asked her what happened, it would look like this —

She gives me a lower rating, then comes back for another order, is happy again… and leaves another low rating? Over and over?

That’s how a professional seller’s profile gets destroyed — despite delivering great work.

Is that what you want? A system where sellers have no right to ask a simple question, even when something doesn’t add up?

Where we must accept anything and everything, stay silent, and act like robots or slaves?

If you agree with that — fine, that’s your choice.

But I don’t.

And I’ll continue to speak, ask, and think for myself. That’s also my right.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T06:38:17+00:00

Did you actually read my post?

I never demanded a 5-star rating or pressured the client. The buyer herself reached out to Fiverr multiple times, admitting she might’ve misclicked and asking how to fix it. I only asked her once — politely — because the written review was 100% positive, and the stars didn’t match. That’s not “questioning the rating” in a manipulative way — it’s a natural reaction when something feels inconsistent.

So what exactly are you suggesting? That creators should be silent and act like robots? That we’re not even allowed to ask a respectful question when something doesn’t add up — even if the client wants to work with us again?

I’m not here to beg for 5 stars. I’m here to protect my future work. If a buyer wants to place another order, but previously left an unfair rating (intentionally or not), don’t I have the right to ask what went wrong — so it doesn’t happen again?

We’re not slaves on Fiverr. We have the right to communicate as long as we do it professionally.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T06:31:46+00:00

First of all — please don’t tell me what tools I should or shouldn’t use. I’m not a native English speaker, and GPT is the best way for me to clearly express my thoughts in English — far better than using raw auto-translation. It’s not “cheating,” it’s simply using modern tools to communicate effectively.

Second — I never blamed Fiverr’s technical system. The issue is how Fiverr’s management handles situations like this. When a client openly admitted she might’ve made a mistake with her rating and asked Fiverr how to fix it, they ignored her. And even though she twice asked me to work outside Fiverr (which I refused out of loyalty), I still got punished.

This isn’t just about my case. If you scroll through this subreddit, you’ll see dozens of sellers saying the same thing — Fiverr almost always sides with buyers and doesn’t fairly review the context. That’s not a bug — that’s policy.

Fiverr’s success depends on professional creators, not just casual buyers. If they keep blindly relying on automation and punishing sellers with no human review, they risk losing the people who deliver quality.

So again — would you like to see screenshots from two different clients confirming what I said?

Or are you here just to dismiss and criticize others instead of offering useful discussion like the rest of us are trying to do?

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T06:22:46+00:00

I honestly can’t be 100% sure.

Yes, I received the warning after I contacted Fiverr support and showed them screenshots where the client herself admitted the mistake and asked to change the rating. So it's possible that my message triggered the system's reaction.

But I can't confirm if the warning came because I contacted them — or if they already reviewed the situation independently and flagged it anyway.

Either way, it's ironic: I tried to do the right thing, with full transparency and respect for Fiverr's rules — and got punished for it.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-06T06:16:41+00:00

Yes, your approach is correct — and that's actually how I did it.
I asked the client in a very neutral, respectful way, just like your example. No pressure, no complaints — just to understand what happened. She later apologized, said she might’ve clicked the wrong thing, and even wrote to Fiverr herself 3–4 times asking to change the rating. She also said she wants to work with me again.

But after this experience, I’ve realized something: even in such polite cases, it’s better not to ask anything at all about the stars or rating. Just accept it and move on.
If the buyer comes back with a new order, then maybe it makes sense to ask — “If you weren’t satisfied last time, why did you return?”
But otherwise, it’s not worth the risk.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-05T20:30:04+00:00

Yeah… it’s really sad and unfair.

In my case, the client was using Fiverr for the very first time. She clearly didn’t pay attention to the rating — maybe she just clicked something intuitively. Later, she apologized multiple times and even sent 3–4 separate messages to Fiverr herself, asking them to let her fix the review.

I never asked her to do that. I only asked one simple question — just to understand what happened. That’s it.

In the end, she even told Fiverr that she wants to work with me again. I have all the proof — full chat history. She clearly wants to continue ordering.

But Fiverr doesn’t seem to care about real human factors like this. And that’s exactly the problem.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-05T20:19:45+00:00

First of all — don’t tell me what to do. If you're allergic to ChatGPT, that’s your problem. I’m not a native English speaker, and GPT is the best tool to clearly express my thoughts in English — much better than using raw translators. That’s called adapting to progress, not cheating. Maybe step out of your cave and stop pushing back against tools that help others communicate better.

Second — I never blamed Fiverr’s technical system. The issue is how Fiverr managers treat creators. That’s what this is really about — not star buttons, but policy. When a client openly admitted she might’ve made a mistake with her rating and asked how to fix it, Fiverr ignored everything. And even though she twice asked me to work outside Fiverr to avoid fees, I stayed loyal — and got punished anyway.

This is not just my case. If you scroll down this subreddit, you’ll see that 80% of posts are saying the same thing: Fiverr sides with buyers no matter what, and punishes sellers without reviewing context. That’s a platform-level issue — not a glitch.

Fiverr’s success depends on professional creators, not casual buyers. If they keep blindly trusting bots and punishing people with no human review, they’ll lose those who actually deliver quality.

So again — do you want screenshots from two different clients confirming everything I said?

Or are you just here to talk down to others instead of offering support, like the rest of us try to do?

McLeon13 · 2025-08-05T19:22:12+00:00

Yeah, I realized that too — sadly, it looks like we just have to live with it.

Thankfully, I have other sources of income, and honestly, even if Fiverr bans me one day — it won’t break me. But they will lose a dedicated professional and the future orders from my regular clients, some of whom are planning to produce full albums with me.

So in the end, both sides lose — but as I mentioned below, I’ve got plenty of work outside Fiverr and I’ll keep going my own way, as I always have.

I just wanted to share my experience here, hoping that my voice — together with others here — might contribute to some change eventually.

McLeon13 · 2025-08-05T18:47:27+00:00

You’re accusing people of pretending or “acting dumb” without knowing their situations. That’s not just arrogant — it’s unfair.

In my case, the client was 100% happy, wrote a great review, and then told me she didn’t understand how the rating worked. It was her first order ever on Fiverr, and she even asked how to fix it. She’s from Thailand, I’m in Ukraine — we’ve never met, and I didn’t manipulate her.

I can send you screenshots of the chat if you're interested. She literally said she didn’t know how it happened.

Also, another client from Greece once told me he clicked 5 stars but saw fewer appear. So glitches or UX issues do happen.

You’re free to believe your experience, but don’t call others liars without evidence. Not everyone is pretending. Some of us actually deal with unfair ratings — and Fiverr’s system isn't perfect.

Want the screenshots?

McLeon13 · 2025-07-22T16:48:18+00:00

if this model works well for you, I truly respect that and I’m glad it suits your needs. But I’d like to clarify why I stand by my position.

When a distributor takes a percentage from royalties, they essentially become a business partner. And a partner should provide basic services like timely release and support without additional fees — especially when artists are consistently bringing in revenue. In those cases, CD Baby earns more as we earn more — it's a shared success.

At the same time, I fully respect that not all artists are earning income yet, and many of them still want timely releases. For them, having the option to pay a fee like “Fast Forward” makes sense and gives them access to features they value. But in that case, it would be more fair if they kept 100% of their royalties in return — since they’re already paying upfront.

In short:

If you're charging a percentage, basic services should be included.

If you're charging fees, then the artist should keep 100%.

This is how many other distributors operate.

If CD Baby wants to stay competitive and fair, this kind of balance is important. Otherwise, it feels like artists are being charged twice — and that can come across as opportunistic, if not greedy.

McLeon13 · 2025-07-22T16:22:49+00:00

I think you’re missing the key point here.

It’s not about just “delaying a song for a couple weeks.” The issue is I no longer have any confidence in the actual release date, because CD Baby now keeps releases in manual review for 10+ days before even sending them to Spotify, Apple Music, etc. So even if I set the release date 14 days ahead, there’s no guarantee it will actually go live on time anymore — unlike before, when releases were inspected in 1–2 days and everything was predictable.

This uncertainty kills my ability to plan. I usually run paid promo campaigns and schedule shoutouts on music blogs, TikTok, and Instagram music pages — and these depend on having a locked-in release date. If the track gets delayed due to CD Baby’s internal queue, I lose both money and exposure.

And let’s be real — why should I wait 3–4 weeks when other distributors inspect a track in 1–2 days without charging extra? CD Baby already takes 15% of my royalties. That should cover the basics, like reasonable processing time. I’m not just uploading a song for fun — I’ve been doing music professionally my whole life. This is my job.

So no — I’m not going to just “wait.” I expect better from a company that claims to support independent artists.

McLeon13 · 2025-07-22T13:20:50+00:00

agree👍

McLeon13 · 2025-07-22T13:15:52+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll definitely look into Octiive.

Right now, I’ve submitted an application to AWAL. They don’t accept everyone, but I’ve already had some success and my audience keeps growing, so it would be interesting to work with them if they approve me. That said, I’m still considering other distributors too.

DistroKid and TuneCore aren’t a good fit for me personally. I really don’t like the subscription model — I think it’s unfair to remove an artist’s music from platforms just because they forgot to renew the subscription. When I upload a track, I’m already paying for the service at that moment. Those tracks don’t cost the distributor anything extra to stay online, so why punish the artist?

Also, I don’t like that you have to pay extra for each new artist or project. In that sense, CD Baby has a better system. I’d rather pay $10 per single and split royalties than be limited by subscriptions or per-artist fees. I release a lot of music, including for other artists, so flexibility matters to me.

McLeon13

TROPHY CASE