Online reviews can help people decide what to buy, but
For Charlotte Ashley, who runs Trident Booksellers and Cafe in Halifax, fake reviews have led customers to request items the platforms if consumers lose trust in them.
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Consumer Matters: Cracking down on fake five-star reviews
There are posts that exist on social media by “professional review providers,” with a list of prices provided with some offering 100 reviews for $180.
Kay Dean, a U.S.-based consumer watchdog, says the marketplace for fake reviews is “immense.”
“It’s just shocking how immense the problem is, I believe it distorts the whole small business economy globally,” said Dean, who started Fake Review Watch, a website and YouTube channel where she posts her investigations and research. Dean is a former federal prosecutor.
She said her investigations have found businesses bartering and trading reviews with each other on social media. She’s also found marketers and search engine optimization companies with “networks of profiles” that post negative reviews.
“So there’s just a variety of ways to procure fake reviews, it’s very, very easy and inexpensive,” she said.
The exact number of fake reviews online is difficult to determine. But a 2023 report by the U.K. government found 11 to 15 per cent of all reviews on e-commerce platforms for three common product categories were likely fake. Product categories typically included consumer electronics, home and kitchen, and sports and outdoors.
It also found well-written fake reviews can distort consumer decision making, with buyers 3.1 per cent more likely to purchase a product.
There are things people can do to take precautions when shopping, including using caution when “flawless” ratings are given. Experts say the best advice comes through word-of-mouth.
