My complaint:
I am a US citizen and a web designer who has been a seller on Fiverr.com platform for over 3 years. I am writing this complaint against Fiverr.com regarding their unethical business practices towards their sellers.
During my time on the platform, I have personally experienced two instances where my funds were frozen based on false claims by buyers, and despite clear evidence supporting my side of the story, Fiverr refused to pay me. Moreover, while they freeze your funds, they still allow your account to receive orders from buyers, which means sellers are expected to work without compensation.
The unethical treatment of sellers on Fiverr’s platform is unacceptable. They disregard the valid concerns of their sellers, ignore complaints, and refuse to pay for work that has already been delivered to the customer. In addition, buyers are able to make false claims without any evidence, causing Fiverr to freeze funds without any notification or evidence to back up the buyer’s claims. Fiverr also refuses to show evidence that supports the buyer’s claims and keeps the money without regard for the seller.
Fiverr does not provide a direct phone number to their corporate HQ to file a complaint or speak to anyone other than the chatbots they have for customer service agents. This makes it difficult for sellers to voice their concerns and seek resolution to their issues.
I have supporting evidence to back up my claim, which includes my Fiverr seller order history. In one instance, the buyer claimed that the websites were not completed, but my Fiverr order history shows that I delivered and completed the work. In fact, the websites are currently live online. Despite presenting this evidence to Fiverr’s support team (chatbots), they ignored me and expected me to contact the buyer and continue working for free. I did contact the buyer, but they never responded, and Fiverr continues to freeze my funds of $700. Fiverr has done this once before as well, and this behavior is appalling.
I also have reason to believe that Fiverr.com’s unethical business practices disproportionately affect sellers in underprivileged nations who may have limited resources to defend themselves against such treatment. From my own experience and conversations with other sellers, it appears that Fiverr may engage in this behavior more frequently towards those who are already at a disadvantage due to their economic circumstances.
Attached is an image of the websites I delivered to the client live right now on his domains and yet Fiverr still refuses to pay me for the work I completed.
If you support basic human rights, avoid using this platform.
Suggested solution:
I would like to request that Fiverr.com pays me for the work that I have delivered and completed. It is unacceptable to freeze my funds without justification and continue to ignore my complaints and supporting evidence. I also strongly urge Fiverr.com to reevaluate its policies and improve its treatment of sellers on the platform. The current situation is appalling, and it is imperative that Fiverr takes immediate action to ensure that its sellers are treated fairly and with respect.
