Rashida
You’re shopping for a new *insert whatever you love* and there are just SO many options.
This one is $20 cheaper, but is it good quality?
This variation includes a bunch of advanced specs, but it’s just so expensive.
Which one should you buy? Is it even worth it?
Queue reviews, the online version of a personal recommendation.
Reviews are where you go to check how true to size clothes or shoes are, or where you head to learn about all of the pros and cons of the purchase you’re about to make.
Reviews are so great because they are a paying customer’s honest opinion…except when they’re not.
Companies realize the power of reviews, and now the world of eCommerce is riddled with unethical reviews.
Here’s what you need to know about unethical reviews and how to spot them.
Laws About Reviews
Reviews heavily influence the consumer’s purchasing decision. Just think about the last time you shopped online. The importance of reviews makes them a hot commodity for businesses and is why they are so tempting to tamper with.
Fortunately, there are some rules surrounding reviews. First, the Federal Trade Commission has The Consumer Review Fairness Act. This act protects your ability to share your honest opinions in any form. Additionally, anyone that was gifted a product or paid to promote it must disclose this information in their reviews. Ethically, only people who have used your product or service can review them, and fake reviews are illegal…
Fake Reviews
But laws, rules, and ethics don’t prevent companies from publishing and promoting fake reviews. Retail giant, Amazon, has fallen under criticism for having several retailers that utilize fake reviews, but they aren’t the only ones. Here are some of the most common unethical review practices:
- Paying people (even those who have not used the product) to leave positive reviews without disclosing compensation in the review.
- Paying people to leave negative reviews on a competitor’s page.
- Shipping products to a valid address and then writing the review on their behalf. (I actually know someone who gets several Amazon packages a month of completely random items and experienced this exact phenomenon).
- Deleting/ blocking any negative reviews.
Real vs Fake Reviews: How to Tell?
Ever seen a product or brand with all 5-star reviews? Hate to break it to you, but it’s pretty likely that they are sporting fake reviews. Even the absolute best is bound to have some reviews lower than 5 stars.
Signs of a Fake Review
- All the same rating.
- Not verified with purchases.
- No negative reviews.
- Short reviews. Generic and lack detail.
- No profile photos/ fake-looking profiles from reviewers.
What to Look for in a Real Review
- A variation of ratings. There will likely be at least one review for every star rating, even for top products.
- Variation of reviews. Some may be short and unhelpful, but others will be long and go on a whole rant about the experience and how the person uses the items.
- Photos and videos included in some reviews.
- People asking and answering questions in reviews (or in the “Questions” section if it’s on Amazon).
- Review status that matches the brand reputation. If you see all positive reviews but then read a bunch of horror stories about the brand when you Google them, steer clear.
There you have it, all the tricks you need to spot fake reviews. Now you’re fully equipped to make an informed purchasing decision and get your brand new *whatever you imagined at the beginning of this article*.
