How to recognize genuine customer reviews
Amazon has sued more than 1,000 reviewers in the U.S. who accepted payment for positive reviews. How can you tell if a review is based on a genuine opinion? Johannes Lemm, an expert on customer reviews at Trusted Shops, explains.
1. how do I recognize that customer reviews are genuine?
Johannes Lemm: There are a number of simple indicators that can be noticed simply by looking at a review profile. For example, a differentiated rating profile is more credible than flawless praise. It is unrealistic to expect absolutely every customer to be satisfied. This is why there are always critical voices, especially when the number of reviews is very high. If the rated company responds to the reviews, this also speaks for authenticity. It shows that the addressee of the reviews is actively addressing the concerns of its customers. And at best, there is a public author profile for a review - ideally even with a name and profile picture. This generally increases the probability that a real customer is behind the review. In particular, if the author profile shows that a customer has reviewed various online stores, this indicates that they are not reviewing on behalf of a retailer, but are a credible power shopper.
2 What are the consequences for a retailer who manipulates customer reviews?
Falsifying or manipulating customer reviews is against the law. Retailers who manipulate customer reviews can face fines of several thousand euros - or even six figures if they do it again. If you as a consumer have the impression of manipulation, many portals offer the option of reporting conspicuous comments or reviews. Both store and portal operators should have an interest in combating fake reviews - not least because they undermine the integrity of their own brand.
3. are negative reviews of a product generally a signal that you should not buy it?
Bad reviews of a product do not necessarily mean that a product is out of the question. For example, two negative reviews compared to 100 positive ones are of little significance. It can also help to take a closer look at the content. Negative reviews are often written in more detail than positive ones. And there may even be a reaction from the retailer that provides a plausible explanation for the poor rating. What's more, not every product is suitable for everyone. There are products, such as mattresses or office chairs, where it depends very much on personal preference as to whether you like them.
4. what are the reasons for negative store reviews?
A conspicuous number of negative store reviews can indicate that something is wrong; for example, if the goods have not been delivered several times or have been delivered very late, if there are problems with exchanges or refunds. However, only authentic reviews provide information about such factors. That is why we at Trusted Shops check the authenticity of the rating profiles on our portal. To do this, we use automated checks with our innovative review scanner, which automatically detects anomalies in reviews, such as unusual clusters of exclusively positive reviews for a store. In addition, our multilingual review team investigates all anomalies. This creates lasting trust among buyers.
