More than 30% of online reviews might be fabricated, paid for or come from unreliable sources, a recent consumer analysis says.
Retailers might use bots, artificial intelligence or even pay other users to leave deceiving positive reviews in their product listings, experts say.
That's something customers should know, since reviews are an essential part of many people's online shopping habits. Nearly 43% of people in the U.S. report that positive customer reviews have a big influence on their purchasing decisions, according to a recent survey.
But for some, those well-reviewed products do not deliver the quality the listing promised.
“I don’t trust reviews anymore. In my personal experience the reviews that I had relied on in selecting a medical provider were fake,” said Kay Dean, who founded fakereviewwatch.com, a website that tracks false online reviews.
Red flags like too many positive reviews being posted the same day might be a sign of behind-the-scenes manipulation, says Samantha Gordon, deals editor for Consumer Reports.
One of the places where people often find fake reviews is Amazon. Despite the company's efforts to curb fake reviews, up to 42% of reviews on Amazon might be not real, according to research by Fakespot.com.
“Anyone is allowed to leave reviews on Amazon, even if they didn’t buy the product. So, look for reviews that have the Verified Purchase tag. This means that the reviewer actually bought the product," Gordon said.
Wording and exaggerated claims made by too many users might be a good indicator of fishy reviews.
Sites like Fakespot use large language algorithms to evaluate the chances of a certain review being fake.
“The public has been deceived, and it's a huge problem because consumer experiences are not matching those reviews,” Dean said.
Amid rising concerns about online vendors increasing their use of this strategy, the FCC has proposed a new rule that would prohibit the creation, purchase, sale, or distribution of false customer reviews. The commission has not yet approved the rule.
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