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Black market in Google reviews means you can't believe everything you read

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  • Dec 19th, 2021 3:47 pm
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
29127 upvotes
Waterloo, ON

Black market in Google reviews means you can't believe everything you read

Interesting article about the fake review industry and how it works.

Black market in Google reviews means you can't believe everything you read | CBC News
The incident is just one example of a widespread problem that's plaguing Google's popular star-rating system — a growing black market in which some companies pay for fake positive reviews, while others are seemingly being extorted by web firms who post negative comments then propose their "review-fixing" services to get them taken down.

Using data gathering and analysis techniques, a CBC News investigation has catalogued just a portion of one fake review network: 1,279 businesses across North America connected by 208 fake accounts that posted 3,574 fake reviews...
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veni, vidi, Visa
19 replies
Deal Guru
Aug 14, 2007
12807 posts
3837 upvotes
--
The fake review thing has been going on for a long long time. There's people (I'm not one of them) who've been asked to take a product on here in exchange for a review.

What I do when buying off any site is immediately look for 1-2 star ratings and read those. Then I'll go up and decide from there. Generally the low ratings are going to be honest or angry opinions.
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
29127 upvotes
Waterloo, ON
XtremeModder wrote: The fake review thing has been going on for a long long time. There's people (I'm not one of them) who've been asked to take a product on here in exchange for a review.
That's Amazon, not Google.

This article is about how some people are using the Google review system to either hype or disparage a business, usually small businesses. The article talks about services, usually offshore, who do this in bulk.

One recent example was local. A church that refused to obey pandemic restrictions got locked down literally. The hypocritical bible-thumpers decided to punish the locksmith who simply acted on a court order: Waterloo security company ‘caught in the middle’ after court orders locks changed at Trinity Bible Chapel
veni, vidi, Visa
Member
Oct 8, 2020
297 posts
444 upvotes
Ottawa
I do notice some businesses pushing back against fake reviews. For example, my apartment building has received a few bad reviews and they've replied to some of those reviews saying, "We have no record of you ever having lived here. Please call us to discuss."

There's another apartment building in my area where the Google reviews were too good. I did a little bit of research and I found that the building was in rough shape but in the process of being rehabilitated.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 16, 2004
2513 posts
1553 upvotes
Toronto
Google, Amazon, Yelp, Trust Pilot... all of them suffer from fake reviews.
It’s turned into an entire industry.
Deal sites like this one, and Reddit are relatively reliable because you can see a poster’s post history.
LRT: Let's Ruin Toronto
Deal Expert
Jun 20, 2020
20144 posts
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Toronto
A CBC News investigation traced a web of fake Google reviews criss-crossing North America, as one business owner tries to deal with the fallout of watching his Google rating plummet because of fake reviews.

How fake Google reviews are fooling customers, hurting businesses
Destiny is all
Deal Addict
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Feb 13, 2015
3955 posts
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Toronto, Ontario
This is common knowledge. I visit alot of restaurants especially new ones, and if the food/service is bad or good i will leave a review right after. Usually if its bad service/food and i see all the reviews are 5 stars its obvious they are fake. Usually the more real and accurate reviews are the negative ones.
😎Thanks RFD😎
Deal Fanatic
Feb 4, 2010
7156 posts
7137 upvotes
bylo wrote: That's Amazon, not Google.

This article is about how some people are using the Google review system to either hype or disparage a business, usually small businesses. The article talks about services, usually offshore, who do this in bulk.

One recent example was local. A church that refused to obey pandemic restrictions got locked down literally. The hypocritical bible-thumpers decided to punish the locksmith who simply acted on a court order: Waterloo security company ‘caught in the middle’ after court orders locks changed at Trinity Bible Chapel
None of this is new, been happening for years. Businesses create fake accounts and make fake reviews all the time. I always look at the number of reviews a poster has to decide if it might be fake. Most times when 1 review is make.
Deal Expert
Dec 4, 2010
19536 posts
2260 upvotes
Quarantine Bubble
bylo wrote: That's Amazon, not Google.

This article is about how some people are using the Google review system to either hype or disparage a business, usually small businesses. The article talks about services, usually offshore, who do this in bulk.

One recent example was local. A church that refused to obey pandemic restrictions got locked down literally. The hypocritical bible-thumpers decided to punish the locksmith who simply acted on a court order: Waterloo security company ‘caught in the middle’ after court orders locks changed at Trinity Bible Chapel
That's crazy.

In the court of public opinion, people can and do lose their livelihoods. It's a toxic environment that needs to be policed by itself.
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
29127 upvotes
Waterloo, ON
hierophant wrote: None of this is new, been happening for years. Businesses create fake accounts and make fake reviews all the time. I always look at the number of reviews a poster has to decide if it might be fake. Most times when 1 review is make.
Consider that it may not be new for you but it might be new for others. People who visit RFD come with a wide range of knowledge. Those of us who are aware of such issues should try to help out those who don't. That's the spirit in which I started this thread,

BTW while I'm well aware of fake reviews on Amazon and Google et al, articles like the one in the OP are eye-openers as to the extent of the issue and the sophistication of some of the players. I doubt that aspect is widely known by the general public, including those who visit RFD.
veni, vidi, Visa
Deal Guru
Sep 2, 2008
12614 posts
2318 upvotes
I admit I have grown to rely on Google reviews quite a bit over the last few years. There's a certain type of review that I often see that just screams fake to me. Hard to put into words but it's a combination of the name of the reviewer which seems a bit fake and the contents of the review and a little bit of the grammar. The grammar is actually usually decent but there is just something about it you can tell if you are looking for it. It's actually quite subtle I think most people are fooled.


I'm wondering if "review/rating literacy" will be something taught in schools.
Deal Addict
Oct 22, 2002
2040 posts
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'sauga
The CBC article is hardly surprising. Heck, I see signs stuck in the ground next to a few major intersections offering "Top Google Reviews" for sale.
Deal Guru
Sep 2, 2008
12614 posts
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Just saw an Instagram post by a local bakery showing they got bombarded by tons of fake negative reviews.
Deal Expert
Dec 5, 2006
16787 posts
12570 upvotes
Markham
This is part of story, how about amazon vine program, Canadian tire trusted test?

Even those professionals review website (laptop, phones), a lot of them get product for free, they all have bias because they want to get free product in the future
Deal Expert
Jun 30, 2006
21132 posts
9788 upvotes
Toronto
It works both ways. Fake positive and fake negative reviews.
Deal Guru
Nov 15, 2008
12993 posts
8360 upvotes
A real review has both positives & negatives in it. On rfd when someone asks for a recommendation, the chorus asks, "What are you going to do with it?" - because the answer is going to depend on what the OP's intentions are.

The only place you can give an honest review & be rewarded is consumer at-home testing where the results go back to the manufacturer & are kept confidential. For instance, they send you 2 different formulations of a product, ask you to cook the same recipe of your choice 2X with them, & give your thoughts. That information never becomes public, though. It is just part of the product development process.

Paid review programs ask you to give up your privacy & use your name on the brand website & post to social media. Real people do not want to do this for a couple of bucks or a free product. Privacy is worth more. Thus, throwaway comments from throwaway accounts.
Deal Addict
Apr 29, 2018
3474 posts
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Vancouver
Welcome to the internet. Anonymity also has it's downsides
Can't Stop. Won't Stop. Game Stop
Jr. Member
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Jan 5, 2018
174 posts
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Do people here believe in Google Reviews? It's hard to ignore the 5 star ratings on the first page of your search query, Or do you dig deeper into the reviews, and see who is leaving the reviews, and their posting history?

I searched a lawyer who had a 2 Star Rating, and in reading reviews it looks like he's just being attacked by YouTube kids and 1 stars. And then I searched a furniture company with 5 Stars, but had way too many 5 star ratings for a furniture company. Would you consider that furniture company reliable?
Last edited by Derek on March 11rd, 2020 4:20 pm, edited 6-9 times in total.
Reason: Edited post to keep it on topic from your off topic brilliance

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Deal Fanatic
Aug 29, 2011
9924 posts
7087 upvotes
Mississauga
I completey ignore five star and one/zero star reviews.

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