A Closer Look at The Corrupt Practices of TrustPilot

CHERRY HILL, N.J. - June 30, 2024 - PRLog -- TrustPilot, a well-known review platform, claims to provide unbiased and genuine reviews from customers. However, independent investigations and numerous reports suggest that review websites like TrustPilot may harbor fake reviews. There is significant controversy surrounding the legitimacy of some reviews on TrustPilot and other consumer review websites, as well as how they handle complaints. Despite TrustPilot's assertions that it strives to include only genuine reviews, evidence suggests otherwise.

One significant concern is that TrustPilot allows businesses to pay for access to its marketing services and use TrustPilot technology to filter reviews—typically selecting only favorable posts for display on their own websites or other places. This practice could potentially violate laws or regulations by misleading consumers. For instance, TrustPilot published fake reviews for Bizzyloans but deleted them after they were exposed by KwikChex, an online investigations company. Additionally, fake reviewers often steal real people's identities to falsely enhance the reputations of reviewed companies. TrustPilot denies knowingly permitting fraudulent reviews on its site, but the frequency and persistence of these issues raise serious questions.

Historical Controversies
The issue of fake reviews gained further attention on September 14, 2017, when TrustPilot issued an open letter clarifying its review policy following allegations about the validity of reviews for the online estate agent Purplebricks by customers. This incident highlighted the growing mistrust in the platform's ability to manage and verify reviews effectively.

Subsequently, on March 22, 2019, The Times reported that estate agents Purplebricks and Foxtons were "gaming" TrustPilot feedback by paying to achieve better scores. For instance, in August 2016, Foxtons had only five reviews on TrustPilot, with an average score of 2.2 stars out of five. The following month, there were 467 reviews, 90% of which awarded five stars. This sudden and dramatic increase in positive reviews suggests manipulation and casts doubt on the authenticity of TrustPilot's review system.

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