When shopping for a product, it’s natural to look for online reviews to understand what others think about the item. However, not all reviews are authentic. Some unscrupulous people will write fake reviews to boost the ratings of a product or service. As a result, you may buy something based on false information if you’re not careful.
I recently purchased an exercise bike, and on its arrival, I had a note saying claim your gift, an exercise bike mat to protect my floors. So, why didn’t they ship the mat with it? Well, to receive this gift, I had to give a 5-star rating and show proof of this. So my review was bought with a gift.
It made me think about how many reviews have been compromised and misleading. This post will show you how to spot fake reviews and ensure you get accurate information before making a purchase. Also, research the company before buying because sometimes a really good deal is too good to be true.
Where Do These Fake Reviews Come From?
- Service providers or vendors – they sell positive and negative reviews.
- Business owners and marketers – Write their fake reviews to attract customers.
- Former employees – Write a lousy review for revenge for being fired.
- Friends, family, and employees – Write a good review for a brand they are closely associated with.
- Customers – who write negative reviews to get a refund, a discount, or some other benefit.
How To Spot Fake Reviews
Fake reviews are fabricated testimonials created to promote a product or service. They are often published on review websites or social media, and they can be challenging to spot if you don’t know what to look for. Here are some common signs of a fake review and what to look for.
Look At The Details Of the Review.
Examining the level of detail used in the review is a strategy for spotting fakes. Genuine reviews typically provide detailed accounts of the reviewer’s interactions with the advertised product or service. For example, How they may have liked or disliked the product in their daily routine or how they often utilize the service.
Reviews that lack concrete examples, a lack of apparent expertise about the product or service being reviewed, and failure to discuss practical applications or the reviewer’s experience with the company or product are more likely to be fraudulent.
REAL: Person verified, Shares experience.
FAKE: Person Not verified, No details of experience
Watch Out For Repeat Brand Mentions
You can tell whether a marketer wrote the review if it reads like a press release or advertisement. Keep an eye out for any brand, product name, or product model mentioned more than once or that seems out of place: The Nespresso, with its stainless steel exterior, and Easy Clean Interior, comes highly recommended by me. No one writes like this unless you are selling the product.
When you find reviewers who have commented on multiple goods in a particular category. For instance, if a person suddenly reviewed a dozen collagen products in a short period, that reviewer was probably being compensated by a vendor or service. To find this, you click on the person’s name who reviewed the product, and a list of all they have reviewed will be available.
FAKE REVIEW: Collagen Product 1 Same Person
FAKE REVIEW: Collage Product 2 Same Person
Check The Wording
Look for unusual language that no average person would use while learning to recognize bogus reviews.
If a review of a modem uses phrases like “explosive speed” or “robust wireless data transmission,” you can assume that the review is not reliable. No matter how much a person may love a product, they will not speak in such a manner about it. Here is a perfect example.
Real Review: uses language everyday people use.
Fake Review: Using Language like someone who is trying to sell the product.
Beware Of Client Hijacking
Everyone has read the “I tried this product, disliked it, and immediately bought the [insert competitor product here], and I LOVE it! Check out this review before you go and waste your money on it. Does anybody believe this? The same holds for reviewers who include a link to their website. Instant discrediting; is a bad strategy for creating links.
Fake: Hijacking and trying to push Webber Collagen 30 tablets but managed to make a convincing case. Watch out for this could be Fake. Check the name also, Top 500 Reviewer might mean they are paid to try products and push products.
Be Wary Of Black and White
If there is only one review, glowingly positive or scathingly negative, you should read it with extra care. When it comes to consumer goods, in particular, it’s not uncommon for people to discover both positive and negative aspects of any given product. The review might not be worth reading if it contains nothing but praise or hate.
Real Review: The person has described what he likes and dislikes about the product, and in words that we use every day, I would say this is a real review.
Fake Review: keep away from all good or all bad, and the language is impersonal. Avoid this. You can not be sure if it is real or fake.
Check Out Other Reviews
Check out the user’s profile and previous reviews on sites like Amazon, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to better understand the quality of the opinions they’re likely to provide if it applies to what you are buying. If all they have to say about a place or product is good things or bad things, respectively, you may safely assume that neither of those things is accurate.
Check The Publication Date
a review posted before a product’s official release is highly suspect.
Beware Of The Insane!
It’s difficult to take these reviews seriously, let alone consider them credible, when the reviewers write in all capitals, use horrible grammar, swear constantly, and use seven exclamation points at the end of every sentence (or smack in the middle for additional emphasis!!!!!!!! ). So whether their testimonial is genuine or not, skip this one.
Ignore The Five Star Reviews.
I suggest checking the 4, 3, and 2-star ratings to get better reviews. Remember everything we learned above because as we get to be better consumers, so do these companies manipulating the reviews to better their sales. This would be your starting point when looking through the reviews.
Check Out The Latest Ratings.
Fake reviewers can change reviews to make them seem more helpful and move them to the top of the default list, where they are more likely to be seen. For example, you can change the order from “Top reviews” to “Most recent” to get a better idea of what the most recent reviewers thought of the product.
When shopping on amazon in reviews, click the sort by and put to most recent.
Be Careful When Buying Brands You Don’t Know. (Online Scammers)
Some of the smaller brands you don’t know could be honest start-ups trying to find customers in a crowded market. Others, on the other hand, try to get to the top of the listings by taking shortcuts. We’ve seen fake reviews for brands we didn’t know repeatedly, and most of the time, it’s hard or impossible to get in touch with the brand to find out more.
If you don’t know a brand, look it up online to see if it has an actual website or valid business name with clear contact information in case something goes wrong. You could also give the seller a call or send them an email with a question to see how quickly they respond. This would be a crucial step when buying from the ads we see on Facebook and Instagram. I say this because a friend of mine tried to buy shoes only to get his money stolen and nothing to show for it. I suggested doing your research before purchasing from unfamiliar brands and remembering if it looks too good to be true. It usually is.
These are two examples of what some of these social media scammer’s posts look like, be careful because it only costs 50.00 to set up a web page and make things look real for the time they take your money, shut it down, and open a new one. This is why investigating the business name is so important. You can verify this on the link below or on Reddit.
Fake Boutique 1 on Instagram
Fake Boutique 2 on Instagram
The Consequences Of Fake Reviews
So many fake reviews have led to several problems for businesses and consumers. On the business side, fake reviews can damage a company’s reputation and deter potential customers. In some cases, businesses have been known to engage in review fraud, hiring individuals to write fake positive reviews to boost their ratings. This misleads consumers and creates an unfair playing field for honest businesses. On the consumer side, fake reviews can lead to disappointed customers and wasted money. In addition, fake reviews can erode trust in the online review system. As more and more people become aware of the problem of fake reviews, likely, the negative impact will only continue to grow.
Contact The Review Website.
You should contact the review site’s administrators or support personnel if you believe a review is fraudulent. If the review turns out to be fraudulent, it can be removed from your company’s profile pages and listings. Unfortunately, the reality of this is most people don’t have the time to waste on this step. So we must come to our conclusions with better knowledge and understanding of how to spot fake reviews and research the company we are buying and if it is a legitimate business.
What To Do if You’re The Victim of a Fake Review.
If you believe you have been the victim of a fake review, there are a few steps you can take to rectify the situation. First and foremost, try to contact the customer who left the review and ask them to take it down. If they are unwilling to do so, you can flag the review as fake on the site where it was left. This will help to alert other users to the fact that the review may not be accurate. Additionally, you can reach out to the site administrator and ask them to remove the review. Finally, if all else fails, you can respond to the review publicly and set the record straight. Taking these steps can help protect your business from the damage that fake reviews can cause.
The Bottom Line:
In a perfect world, online reviews would be reliable and trustworthy sources of information for consumers. However, the reality is that fake reviews are common and can often be challenging to spot. This means that it’s essential for businesses and consumers to be aware of the telltale signs of a fake review and the consequences of such reviews. If you’re the victim of a fake review, don’t hesitate to take action. By being proactive and knowing your rights, you can protect yourself from this type of online fraud. The more we understand how to spot what is real and what is fake, the better consumers we can be and will be able to buy exactly what it is we are looking for.
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