Who Makes Fake Google My Business Reviews?
It’s hard to understand why someone would give a business a fake negative review, but there is a surprisingly long list of reasons a business might end up getting one or more false reviews.
Most commonly, fake reviews are posted by unhappy ex-employees looking to get revenge, competitors looking to sabotage another business in their industry, or a random person who has never been a customer trying to pull a cruel prank.
Can a Business Have Positive Fake Reviews?
Fake positive reviews, too, can prove harmful, and unfortunately, it’s a common thing to see. Although it doesn’t harm the business owner, customers may end up getting less than they expected if a low-quality business has inflated their ratings with false reviews.
Often, employees or business owners will create fake accounts or use their own accounts to make positive reviews to cover up negative reviews or make their business seem more credible than it is.
All consumers are looking for honesty, especially when it comes to investing in an important product or service. A few ways to screen for positive fake reviews include:
- Checking to see any biographical information about the reviewer (i.e. if their place of work is listed on their profile).
- Checking to see what other reviews they’ve made for different companies.
- Reading the review to see if it seems artificial (i.e. incorporating language a customer wouldn’t use or writing about specific details a customer wouldn’t typically write about).
How to Tell If the Negative Review You’re Reading Is Fake
Finding out whether or not a negative review is fake can take a bit of effort. In some cases, business owners will directly reply to fake negative reviews, pointing out that the customer or client is not in their database or that they don’t sell or provide that specific product or service.
But if you read a negative review with no response, you’re not out of luck. As a smart consumer, you can:
- Follow the same steps included in the checklist for vetting for fake good reviews but with an eye for detail for potential competitors and ex-employees.
- Read the details of the negative review to check and see if the situation seems realistic (including whether or not the service/product is sold by this business).
- Reading the negative review to see if it has been written in a rational way or seems to be overly inflammatory.
- Checking to see if a one or two-star review is accompanied by any commentary (if it’s not, this is usually a sign of a fake review).
How to Choose Online Car Parts Smartly
It may feel a bit nerve-wracking to buy online car parts, but if you’re able to properly vet the business you’re buying from, there’s no need to worry. You have the ability to find out for yourself if a business is trustworthy or not.
With the background knowledge of why fake reviews happen and these checklists in hand, you’ll be able to scope out for yourself whether or not a bad review is genuine. To find out more about read our post on How to buy car parts online without being scammed.