Consumers call for retailers to crack down on fake reviews

Almost three quarters (72 percent) of consumers believe retailers need a new set of standards to combat fake reviews, new research reveals.

In particular, shoppers want only verified customers to be able to post reviews (43 percent), all products to be tried and tested by such consumers before launch (38 percent), and that customer content should be reviewed on a daily basis to help spot fake reviews (34 percent).

That’s according to research commissioned by Bazaarvoice and conducted by Savanta of over 10,000 consumers across the US, UK, France, Germany and Australia.

In the UK, of consumers who suspect a product to have fake or fraudulent reviews, 48 percent will not buy the item and 43 percent would lose trust for the brand. Once that trust is lost, 78 percent would never buy from them again, while 28 percent would leave a negative review of the product.

The accessibility of negative reviews is important in building brand-consumer trust. Two-thirds (65 percent) of UK consumers said negative reviews are just as important as positive reviews as they normally contain more detailed information on the pros and cons of the product and are less likely to be faked.

UK consumers feel that an appropriate punishment for brands breaching the standards would be 12 percent of overall revenue - that compares to 4 percent of revenue in the instance of breaching General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Joe Rohrlich, chief revenue officer at Bazaarvoice, said in a statement: “Among the top triggers that make consumers suspicious are multiple reviews with similar wording and an overwhelming number of very positive reviews, both of which are common for e-commerce sites. It is paramount that brands are reviewing customer content through technology-based and human moderation to account for the subtleties in one of the most challenging aspects of e-commerce.

“Ultimately customer trust can be protected where brands prioritise honesty and responsivity as core values. Alongside the right tools and expertise, brands should pursue new insights from customer content that can help enhance product design and production quality. In turn, this delivers both improved shopper experiences and a reduction in the return rates currently wreaking havoc upon the retail sector.”

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