My Take on Fake Ratings, Reviews and Manipulating Comments
In today's world of online shopping and digital consumption, product ratings and reviews have become a cornerstone for shoppers like me who can't physically examine items before purchase. But what if the trust we place in these reviews is being systematically undermined? From ecommerce apps to YouTube, Instagram, Quora, and Reddit, fake reviews and comments have woven themselves deeply into the fabric of the digital marketplace—and it's both alarming and frustrating.
The Problem with Fake Reviews and Ratings
Brands today not only create fake positive reviews to boost their own products but also deploy tactics to smear competitors with negative feedback. These deceptive actions are often outsourced to so-called "digital marketing companies" which are essentially scam agencies. They exploit a network of unemployed teenagers, luring them with small payments to flood platforms with fabricated reviews—both glowing and scathing. This distorted reality makes it nearly impossible for honest shoppers to know what to believe.
In my personal experience, as an avid online shopper, I've noticed signs of this manipulation firsthand. Sometimes products arrive with thank-you cards offering small monetary rewards for sharing positive screenshots of purchases, essentially paying customers for good reviews. Some companies request that customers fill out warranty forms online, followed by persistent calls urging positive product ratings, occasionally dangling extra warranty perks as incentives. This forced harassment for reviews can be exhausting.
Influencers and the Illusion of Verified Purchases
Ecommerce platforms insist reviews should come only from verified buyers, but companies have adapted around this too. They pay hundreds of micro-influencers or "baby influencers" to purchase products, leave reviews, and then return items via third-party couriers—all while still receiving compensation or keeping the product. This creates a misleading pool of authentic-looking but ultimately fake endorsements.
Interestingly, out of 100 customers, if 95 are happy with a product and only 5 have a bad experience, it is usually the unhappy 5 who take the time to leave reviews. As busy people, we often don’t find the time to review products we are satisfied with, but if we are disappointed, we tend to share that experience. I sincerely apologize to the brands for this imbalance—it's not a reflection of the product quality but rather our tendency to neglect positive feedback while quickly voicing negative experiences. This unfortunately results in reviews leaning more towards the negative side.
The Damage and the Way Forward
Fake reviews mislead genuine consumers, damage brands, and pollute the market. They push us toward products that may not be the best value or quality, all because we blindly follow deceitful ratings. Platforms like Flipkart and Amazon have tried to counter this through "assured" quality badges and easy return policies—initiatives I appreciate—but much more needs to be done.
Government actions banning fake review sites and Google’s automation to detect fraudulent reviews are steps in the right direction. However, given the scale and creativity of these scams—now extending even to education platforms and service providers—these efforts are not enough alone. Ecommerce platforms, social media channels, and governments must collaborate to enforce stricter regulations, improve transparency, and take down fraudulent accounts swiftly.
If these measures fail, a radical rethink may be needed—possibly rethinking or even removing rating and review sections altogether to protect consumers from deception.
Final Thoughts
Fake reviews are a widespread tactic affecting every digital buyer and user today. This is a shared challenge—one that demands vigilance from consumers and responsibility from brands and platforms alike. Only then can we hope to restore trust in the digital marketplace and ensure honest, valuable feedback guides our purchasing decisions.
