Optus Mobile Review ALDI Mobile Review Amaysim Mobile Review Belong Mobile Review Circles.Life Review Vodafone Mobile Review Woolworths Mobile Review Felix Mobile Review Best iPhone Plans Best Family Mobile Plans Best Budget Smartphones Best Prepaid Plans Best SIM-Only Plans Best Plans For Kids And Teens Best Cheap Mobile Plans Telstra vs Optus Mobile Optus NBN Review Belong NBN Review Vodafone NBN Review Superloop NBN Review Aussie BB NBN Review iiNet NBN Review MyRepublic NBN Review TPG NBN Review Best NBN Satellite Plans Best NBN Alternatives Best NBN Providers Best Home Wireless Plans What is a Good NBN Speed? Test NBN Speed How to speed up your internet Optus vs Telstra Broadband ExpressVPN Review CyberGhost VPN Review NordVPN Review PureVPN Review Norton Secure VPN Review IPVanish VPN Review Windscribe VPN Review Hotspot Shield VPN Review Best cheap VPN services Best VPN for streaming Best VPNs for gaming What is a VPN? VPNs for ad-blocking So, with so much of our hard-earned cash going towards online purchases, we naturally want to ensure we’re making the right choices. For many of us, that means doing our due diligence and reading user reviews before we click “Add to cart”. But given how easy it is for businesses to buy (illegitimate) positive reviews, how can we know which ones to trust and which to ignore? So, how seriously do we take these reviews? Well, 15% of respondents said they wouldn’t purchase something or even visit a business if its average rating was lower than five stars. On the other hand, 28% don’t trust online reviews at all. As for why so many people have trust issues with online reviews, 52% of Aussies believe they’ve fallen for fake ones, and 26% of respondents were unable to tell the difference between a fake and a real review. “There are various ways in which online reviews can be manipulated,” they explained. “For example, a business may post fake positive reviews about their own goods or services, or offer incentives to consumers to post positive reviews or remove negative reviews. Businesses may also post fake negative reviews about their competitors to gain an advantage in the market.” So, what should consumers be on the lookout for when shopping online? Here are a few tips:
Don’t rely on one website when researching something you’re looking to buy. Before purchasing, consult multiple trustworthy and independent sources, like third-party reviews platforms and expert reviewers (like us!). Unlike the reviews you find on the business or product’s own website, third-party reviewers tend to employ stricter quality assurance policies. Be wary of testimonials. Whether it’s a fancy new smart home gadget or a local plumbing business, the ACCC warns that positive reviews and testimonials published on a company’s own website may be less credible, as they are often incentivised by the business (e.g. 10% your next order in exchange for a five-star review). Look for patterns. There are a few telltale signs when it comes to spotting an illegitimate review. Were all (or a lot of) the reviews posted on the same date? Are they written in the same tone, using the same vocabulary? Has the author left reviews for other products and businesses, or just this one? Don’t fall for overwhelmingly positive reviews. Retailers (as opposed to third-party review sites) may have more control over what customer reviews are published and which are removed. If something has thousands of reviews and very few (if any) under three stars, it’s possible the company has deleted credible negative reviews to artificially inflate their rating.
“If consumers are concerned about fake or illegitimate reviews appearing on third-party review platforms, they should first report this to the third-party review platform provider,” the ACCC spokesperson advises. “Consumers can also report their concerns about fake or misleading online reviews to the ACCC.”
