If you’ve never used Fiverr before, you may have one burning question: “Is Fiverr legit, or is it out to scam me?” It’s a good question, because while Fiverr is legit, it has millions of users. It doesn’t matter if you are a seller or a buyer; if you work with the wrong person, you could have a very bad time.
Key Takeaways
- Fiverr is a legit freelance platform that acts as a middleman for buyers and sellers.
- There are risks and scams on Fiverr, including quality concerns, scams, communication issues, and a dispute resolution process that tends to favor buyers.
- Tips for buyers on Fiverr include keeping interactions on the platform, reviewing orders promptly, conducting due diligence on sellers, and using common sense throughout the process.
- Services to avoid on Fiverr include low-cost logo design, buying fake reviews or followers, questionable SEO services, and ineffective link building services.
If you search for Fiverr online, you can see a ton of people sharing their bad experiences on Fiverr. So, is Fiverr legit? Over the years, the platform has made significant strides to maintain Fiverr legit business practices, thereby protecting both buyers and sellers from scams. It also acts when scams are reported.
If you don’t know what Fiverr is, it’s a popular freelance marketplace that connects buyers with sellers offering a wide range of services, mostly digital. Fiverr itself acts as a middleman, ensuring smooth transactions between the two parties. Is Fiverr legit? Absolutely, in my opinion.
However, Fiverr is also free to use before you buy or sell, making the barrier to entry a low one. Just like any online platform, there are risks involved. Keep reading to discover if Fiverr is the right choice for you and learn how to use it safely.
And, when in doubt, always ask. This is easy to do: just search or make a post in the Fiverr Forum community, a place where buyers and sellers share their knowledge. You will soon have your answer, as the community is constantly fighting to make Fiverr legit against bad actors.
Is Fiverr Legit or a Scam? My Fiverr Review After 10 Years of Experience
I’ve used Fiverr since 2013, and I’m still on the platform. It’s changed a lot! I buy and sell on Fiverr and can spot a would-be scammer miles off. At the same time, I’ve also watched the platform grow from a cheap ‘n’ cheerful place with some bizarre services to a professional platform that huge companies like Microsoft use to source freelance talent.
It’s safe to say I find Fiverr legit.
From my perspective, Fiverr is safe and protects me. However, I know the platform. I know things that many people don’t, such as how Fiverr gives refunds to buyers – and also to sellers (sometimes). I know that you get your money back if you play by the rules.
If you unknowingly don’t play by the rules, then Fiverr will punish you and you may call it a scam – and making other people ask “is Fiverr legit? Why are there so many negative reviews?”
And, of course, if you deliberately do something malicious, you won’t find Fiverr legit at all when it takes action.
The truth is that It is buyers and sellers with bad intentions who create most issues. Does this Fiverr legit? Unfortunately, the answer to this question depends on the user and their subjective experience on the platform.
While Fiverr provides a rating and review system, there are still scams and poor quality services. To avoid getting scammed on Fiverr as a buyer, you must do your research, review profiles and gig descriptions, and communicate before making a purchase. Likewise, sellers should know the TOS.
Using common sense and listening to your gut also helps, especially when you notice red flags. In this guide, I’m sharing tips and tricks that I’ve learned from both sides of the aisle. It’s worth reading the whole thing – some behaviours that are normal can easily come across as “scammer!” on Fiverr if you’re not aware of them!
(And yes, Fiverr users can be very paranoid about scams – whether that is healthy is another debate!)
Is Fiverr Legit Platform Or a Scam Paradise?
Fiverr is an online marketplace that is safe to use. Fiverr itself isn’t a scam. That’s not to say it’s scam-free (no platform with millions of users is). Fiverr has several measures to ensure the safety of its users. These include:
- A complex rating and review system
- Escrow payment systems
- 24/7 customer support
- TOS rules designed to protect users from scams
- Robust refund policies
Fiverr treats fraudulent behavior seriously and acts when someone on Fiverr is a scammer. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to detect scammers until after the scam, which can make victims ask that question “how is Fiverr legit when this happened to me?”.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much Fiverr can do – you, the user, have to be on guard to protect yourself.
It’s important for users to exercise caution and do their due diligence on Fiverr. Following the platform’s rules, being careful of who you work with, and using common sense will give you a safe and positive experience on the platform.
Fiverr Legit Only Vets Certain Types of Seller Such as Fiverr Pros
One important thing to know about Fiverr is that it only vets some sellers, such as Fiverr Pros and TRS. These sellers have the Fiverr stamp of approval for delivering high quality, professional work. When Fiverr Pro first launched, it was aimed at the top 1% of freelancers around the world (I was one of them!).
It’s a less exclusive now as the program was perhaps a little too exclusive, but the vetting remains. This process looks at expertise, portfolio, and previous work experience, as well as their ability to deliver great customer service.
This vetting process is part of what makes Fiverr legit, ensuring that buyers can trust the services offered by Fiverr Pros.
If you want to avoid problems with people overselling their meager abilities, then Fiverr legit has a wide range of Pros in most categories today. The con? As you might expect, Pros have a higher starting price point. If you want top quality work and peace of mind dealing with a professional, Fiverr Pros are who you should go for.
Fiverr’s Top-Rated Sellers (TRS) are also vetted for quality, though this is a part of Fiverr’s Level system. If you want Fiverr’s best talent, look for a Fiverr TRS who is also a Pro (like me!).
Recently, Fiverr also launched Fiverr Certified, a program where sellers who specialize in services for a specific platform – such as Wishpond for lead generation – are hand-picked by Fiverr. This is a very new program with only the cream of the selling crop (and yes, I’m in it).
So, if you want to jump in with less research, definitely use Fiverr Pro. Which is now also confusingly the new name for the old Fiverr Business marketplace.
The Fiverr Pro marketplace is simply a marketplace full of Pros. So if you really want to enjoy Fiverr legit with vetted sellers, you have plenty of options. The only con is that you pay more – but that’s often worth it.
Fiverr Handles all Payments and Can Act in Disputes
One reason people consider Fiverr legit is that it handles payments. When you pay a seller on Fiverr, you’re actually putting your money into Fiverr escrow. It will not be released until you have accepted the seller’s work delivery.
If there are issues, then Fiverr will request that you both try to fix the issue between yourself. Fiverr, like most businesses, tends to lean toward buyers when it steps in. However, Fiverr legit will not typically step in unless its Terms of Service have been violated. If no TOS is broken, you need to try to resolve the issue fist.
This system requires that all money and communication is done through Fiverr. This can be inconvenient, but going off-platform is a violation of Fiverr’s TOS. Fiverr also will not help with dispute resolution should you go off-platform, so it’s important to stay on platform.
Many complaints that cause people to ask “is Fiverr legit or a scam?” are closely related to breaking the TOS or people manipulating the TOS. If you want to use Fiverr a lot, learn the TOS.
If you do everything by the book, Fiverr will protect you! There is a winner and a loser in every dispute, and the loser will always be unhappy. Learning and following the TOS will help to put you on the winning side more than anything else – and keep Fiverr legit for you.
Fiverr Has 24/7 Customer Support and an In-Depth Help Center
Fiverr has 24/7 Customer Support (CS) team and a huge Help Center. Together with the TOS, the Help Center can answer most questions. If you still can’t find an answer, I’ve always found CS happy to help. The Help Center is a great resource. It’s sometimes a bit difficult to navigate and find the information you want (pro tip: use Google search instead!).
Many people make the mistake of only using Fiverr CS when they’re in trouble. This sometimes means there are Fiverr can’t help. I think it’s better to approach them before you do something that might be troublesome to get advice.
For example, you might want to start a gig that is borderline not okay with Fiverr’s policies. They can help you before (and save you time!) but afterwards, you’re asking for robotic answers and apologies that you can’t be helped. When faced with this brick wall, many will answer no to the question “is Fiverr legit?”
While this is frustrating, it is fairly typical for customer support in companies the size of Fiverr. When you have any concerns, search the Help Center, ask other Fiverr users on the Fiverr Forum, and approach Fiverr CS for advice. In the most cases, you’ll come out knowing what to do.
Is My Money Safe on Fiverr?
Yes, your money is protected on Fiverr. Remember, it is an escrow platform, so Fiverr holds money until the job is completed. When buying on Fiverr, it’s important to remember not to accept an order delivery unless you are happy with it. As a seller, you need to know that if you don’t deliver everything as promised or break Fiverr’s TOS around deliveries, Fiverr will refund the money to the buyer.
Buyers generally have the upper hand here. Sellers need to spend time learning the rules and making sure their deliveries are compliant. One thing Fiverr does not have control of is chargebacks, the bane of online merchants around the world. The good news is that as a seller, you are protected by the Chargeback Protection Program… but only if your service and delivery was fully compliant with Fiverr’s Terms of Service.
If you want your Fiverr account to be safe, secure, and avoid getting scammed, then following the TOS is the best way to do it.
What are the risks of Fiverr for Freelancers and Clients
When it comes to using Fiverr, there are risks that both freelancers and clients should be aware of. One of the main concerns is whether your personal data is safe on the platform. While Fiverr does have measures in place to protect your data, there’s always a risk of security breaches when people trust the wrong people, giving away personal data to persuasive scammers.
Is Personal Data Safe on Fiverr?
To ensure the safety of your personal data on Fiverr, it’s essential to follow the best security practices recommended by online experts. These practices include
- Using secure, complex passwords
- Keeping your password private
- Enabling two-factor authentication
- Being cautious when sharing personal information
Some services on Fiverr will require you to sensitive data. As an example, you might need a web developer to fix a problem on your website that requires them to log in. In these cases, I strongly recommend looking up best practices and following them. You should also ask questions to sellers before hiring them to judge whether they’re professionals or a potential risk.
So, what does Fiverr do to protect your personal data?
How Fiverr Protects Your Personal Data
I believe that your data is safe on Fiverr, especially if you practice personal data security at the same time. As a legit platform, Fiverr understands the importance of safeguarding sensitive information. They have implemented various security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of personal data. They also comply with local data privacy laws, such as GDPR in the EU.
In the event of a data breach, Fiverr legit has a dedicated team in place to address any concerns or issues promptly. They will work resolve any potential risks and provide assistance to affected users. While no system is completely immune to threats, Fiverr strives to maintain a trustworthy platform by prioritizing the protection of personal data.
Here is the Fiverr Privacy Policy if you’d like to read it. TOS;DR also has an excellent overview of how Fiverr treats your privacy, showing that it is rouglhy in line with other major online brands like Amazon and Facebook.
Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed on Fiverr
When it comes to avoiding scams on Fiverr, there are a few key points to keep in mind. Some of this is obvious: if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is, so exercise caution. You should also be wary of sellers who ask for payment upfront or try to take the conversation off the Fiverr platform – if you’ve been reading this article, you already know that both of these actions breach Fiverr TOS!
If It’s Too good To Be True… It Probably Is
We all love a good deal, but avoiding unrealistic promises is vital if you want to protect yourself from scams on Fiverr. While the platform is legitimate, the lack of vetting for low-level sellers means that anyone can set up shop with very attractive prices for premium services.
When browsing through the various gigs on Fiverr, be skeptical of sellers who offer extravagant results or extremely low prices. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
To avoid falling for scams, take the time to thoroughly research sellers by reading their reviews and understanding their gig descriptions. Additionally, reach out to sellers before placing an order to gauge their communication style and suitability for your business on Fiverr.
Requesting Payment Before Delivery
There is only one way you pay Fiverr. Through Fiverr’s official payment channels. The money goes into escrow and is released to the seller when you accept their delivery.
Any other type of payment should be rejected. It’s not only breaking the TOS, it’s also a good sign that your Fiverr freelancer is a scammer. Either way, this is definitely someone you don’t want to work with on Fiverr. The best thing to do is to report them and find a legitimate freelance seller instead.
If you do go ahead and pay them upfront, Fiverr won’t be able to help you – and you may receive an account warning or even a ban. This is an easy scam to avoid, simply because it happens place before you even pay.
They Want to Talk Elsewhere
Fiverr wants you to stay on the platform for your safety. Staying on Fiverr for all your communications also lets Fiverr investigate the issue fully if issues happen. It’s important to know that if you do go off-platform to Discord, Telegram, Zoom, or any other place to chat you reduce your chance of getting help: Fiverr will not look at any records of conversations off-platform.
Whether you sell or buy, the scam is essentially the same.
This is also one of the TOS rules that is grounds for an immediate ban. If your seller or buyer is new, he may not realize this, so just remind them. Depending on their reaction, you may want to report them to Fiverr and move on. Scammers know they will get banned sooner rather than later – their only intent is to get you off the platform so they can get your money.
One thing that can happen when you go off-platform is that you will be asked to pay before they start work. The most likely outcome here is that you never see the work – or your money – ever again. In contrast, Fiverr is a safe online marketplace with an escrow system, customer support, and robust dispute and refund policies in place.
How to Avoid Fiverr Scams as a Buyer
When using Fiverr as a buyer, it’s important to be cautious of gigs that offer income opportunities, as they often promise unrealistic results and may turn out to be scams.
Additionally, be wary of generic gigs that claim to provide certain services but may deliver subpar or sketchy results.
To ensure a positive experience, thoroughly check for negative and fake reviews before making a purchase, as they can be indicators of the quality and legitimacy of a seller’s work.
Check for Negative and Fake Reviews
To ensure a safe and satisfactory experience as a buyer on Fiverr, it’s crucial that you carefully check for negative and fake reviews.
By checking the reviews, you can gather valuable insights into the freelancers’ reputation and the quality of their work. Negative reviews can indicate issues such as poor communication, missed deadlines, or subpar deliverables. Look for patterns in the negative reviews to identify any recurring problems.
Additionally, be wary of fake reviews that may artificially inflate a freelancer’s rating. Fake Fiverr reviews can be misleading and may lead you to hire a freelancer who doesn’t meet your expectations. Take the time to read through the reviews and pay attention to any red flags.
Doing so can help you avoid falling victim to a Fiverr scam and ensure that you make an informed decision when hiring a freelancer.
When going through the reviews, bear in mind that some unscrupulous buyers manipulate sellers into doing free work with the threat of a bad review; check the seller’s response to bad reviews carefully!
How to Handle Fiverr Scams
Sometimes, you can’t avoid a scam. Even people with years of experience on Fiverr can get wrapped up in a scam. You don’t need to deal outside of Fiverr to get scammed. You don’t need to communicate outside of Fiverr to get scammed.
You can get scammed on the platform. If you’re a seller, a buyer might cancel an order on Fiverr with you via chargeback after leaving a great review.
If you’re a buyer, you might be fooled by seller reviews on Fiverr that look great – only they were fake.
Luckily, since Fiverr is a legitimate platform, even if you are new to Fiverr you can get support. What you need to know is that after you have been scammed, you should deal with your issue through Fiverr – do not communicate with the scammer unless you have to.
To most effectively get help from the Fiverr support team, you should always to the following:
- If you’re emotional – angry, upset – don’t do anything. Make sure you are calm first!
- Review the Fiverr TOS to find violations committed by the other person
- Collect evidence to support your case; screenshots work well
- Write a brief, concise message to support explaining your problem (ChatGPT can help!)
Of course, this is a basic list that won’t help every exhaustive situation. But these are excellent general principles to follow. If you need more personalized guidance, reaching out to the Fiverr Community can give you real-time help and assistance from other users so you can find the best way forward.
If you are a buyer, you can safely stop communicating with your seller if you think you are being scammed. However, if you’re a seller, it’s best to continue being polite and responsive to a buyer you believe is scamming you. It’s unpleasant, but it will help you to get things resolved in your favor – losing your cool will not.
Stay Safe on Fiverr: Avoid These Types of Fiverr Gig
When it comes to staying safe on Fiverr, there are certain types of gigs that you should avoid. These are three of the most common. Why are they common? Because they’re easy to fulfil using online tools at low cost and don’t require skills.
That’s not to say that low cost services are not good ones, but on Fiverr, with these services, you get what you pay for. And in the case of some of these, you’ll be paying a bigger cost than you first imagined. Critics argue about the platform’s quality control – there could definitely be more – but many still consider Fiverr legit for a wide range of services.
Link Building Services
Avoid falling for the pitfalls of link building services on Fiverr by staying informed and cautious. Many sellers may claim to provide high-quality backlinks that can improve your website’s ranking on search engines. However, you need to remember that quality backlinks are obtained through legitimate and ethical practices, which take time and effort.
Sellers offering cheap and quick link building services often employ black hat techniques that can result in penalties from search engines. In practical terms, this means that Google will notice you’ve been cheating and doesn’t want to be your friend anymore.
Google doesn’t play around here: it takes a long time to recover when this happens. Just like a cheating boyfriend has to go the extra mile to win back his girlfriend, you’re going to need more than flower and chocolates. You need to regain Google’s trust.
Backlinks are a great SEO strategy done right – so don’t leave them in the hands of bad actors! To protect your website’s reputation and avoid potential scams, you want to be very cautious. Make sure you check what current best practice is and make sure your seller understands that, too. If they don’t, dodge that bullet ASAP!
SEO Audit Services
SEO is a monster of a topic. There are some Fiverr sellers who pose as SEO experts and have acres of positive reviews – and a very small handful of negative reviews.
Most people don’t understand SEO, which means it’s easy to pull the wool over people’s eyes with smooth talk. Only people who understand SEO will realize when something is up.
If you’re not familiar with SEO, be incredibly cautious with cheap, low-level sellers offering SEO audits, even if they have good reviews. An SEO Audit is simply a report that tells you how your website is performing. It’s not hard to make things look worse than they are – and to have a raft of services ready to fix it right up.
The other issue you can run into is that the “SEO expert” auditing your site is, in reality, no more knowledgeable than the average person, giving you a report that doesn’t come with any guidance or expertise to help you fix the issues it highlights.
If you need an SEO audit and you want to get it done on Fiverr, take care to research sellers, read reviews, and ask questions before making a purchase. By doing so, you can mitigate the risk of falling victim to a Fiverr scam and ensure that you’re getting a legit SEO audit service.
Social Media Engagement Services
If you’re looking to stay safe on Fiverr and protect your interests, be cautious when considering social media engagement services. This is one domain where excellent services are peppered with scams or low-quality services.
These social media engagement services on Fiverr claim to boost your followers, likes, and comments on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Often, the offers sound too good to be true. And of course, they are.
Many sellers use fake accounts or bots to artificially inflate your numbers, which can harm your reputation and violate your target social media platform’s guidelines. Is it really worth risking your Instagram account for what amounts to vanity “engagement”?
Remember, relying on these services for engagement can lead to a lack of genuine interaction with your target audience. Instagram, for example, has an algorithm that sends your posted content in waves out to your followers. The more engagement you get, the bigger the “waves” get. Your post isn’t going anywhere if your profile followers are all bots!
Before purchasing any social media engagement service, thoroughly research the seller, read reviews, and consider the long-term implications for your brand’s credibility. You should also contact the seller and ask them questions to get a feel for how professional they are, especially when you ask them difficult questions about the nature of how their follower-bots might negatively affect your account!
Fiverr Review Bottom Line: Is Fiverr Legit?
Fiverr is a legit platform for seller and buyer alike. In the 10 years I have worked on Fiverr, it has worked hard to eliminate scams – but it’s very much a game of cat and mouse that will never end.
Despite this, Fiverr provides a convenient and easy-to-use platform for hiring freelancers, with access to a global pool of talented professionals. While there are always going to be risks and scams on Fiverr, these can be avoided with caution and common sense. And, if you’re a freelancer, you only have to search for Fiverr success stories to see that Fiverr legit offers a great platform to get your name out there.
Why let scams stop you – especially when most are so easily avoided?
It’s important for you to conduct due diligence on sellers, read reviews, and communicate within the platform. Remember, Fiverr offers protections for both buyers and sellers, so getting familiar with the the platform’s rules and Terms of Service will help you to stay safe. For example, you don’t need to go off-platform for video calls, since Fiverr has integrated Zoom into its platform.
There is a growing community of entrepreneurs that not only finds Fiverr legit, but indispensable for their small business needs. Don’t let scammers stop you from joining them when you can benefit from using the platform.
