Practical Sales Training™ > How To Lose The Sale > Fake Reviews
Fake Reviews
Reviews matter. Buyers use them to decide whether to trust you before they have ever spoken to you. So the temptation to shortcut the process with fake reviews is understandable. But it almost always backfires.
Buyers are much better at spotting fake reviews than many sellers think. Short sentences, generic praise, poor grammar, and fifty five-star reviews posted in one week are easy tells. And when a buyer spots them, the damage goes beyond losing that sale.
Because a buyer who suspects fake reviews does not just walk away. They tell people. So what starts as an attempt to build credibility can quickly become a source of negative word of mouth. And that is very hard to undo.
What Are Fake Reviews?
Fake Reviews are reviews that do not reflect a genuine customer experience. They include reviews from the owner, from friends and family, or from paid companies posting large volumes of five-star feedback.
They also include social proof taken out of context to imply a more positive picture than the real one. In all cases, the buyer sees evidence the seller manufactured rather than earned.
Fake Reviews became widespread in the early days of online selling, when buyers had fewer tools to check authenticity. But buyers today are more aware, more sceptical, and more equipped to spot the signs. So the tactic that might have helped ten years ago is more likely to hurt now.
Why Do Fake Reviews Lose Sales?
They lose sales because buyers can spot the signs. A review that reads “Great product! Fast delivery!” tells the buyer almost nothing. It has no detail, no specific story, and no personality. When fifty reviews like this appear in the same week, the pattern is obvious.
Even one suspicious review can create doubt about all the others. Once a buyer decides some reviews may be fake, they start questioning the real ones too. So the effort put into manufacturing fake reviews does not just fail to help. It actively undermines the legitimate proof you already have.
There is also a legal and reputational risk. In many markets, including the UK, laws regulate fake reviews and penalties can follow. Beyond the law, the brand damage when buyers uncover fake reviews can last for years.
How Can You Avoid Fake Reviews?
Ask real customers at the right moment
The best time to ask for a review is when the buyer has just had a positive experience. Right after delivery, right after a successful project, or right after you resolved a problem well. At that moment, the experience is fresh and the goodwill is high. A simple, direct request at that point will generate far more genuine reviews than any other tactic.
Make it easy to leave a review
Many buyers would leave a review if the process were simple. So remove the friction. Send a direct link to your review page. Tell them it takes two minutes. Explain why it matters to you. When the path is easy, more people will take it. And the reviews you get will be real, specific, and varied enough to look credible.
Respond to the reviews you already have
Responding to reviews, including negative ones, signals that there is a real business behind the listing. It shows you read them, that you care, and that you take feedback seriously. This activity also makes your existing reviews feel more authentic because buyers can see the conversation happening in real time.
Use negative reviews as proof of authenticity
A profile with a few honest negative reviews is often more credible than one with hundreds of perfect scores. Buyers know that no business gets it right every time. So a three-star review alongside a thoughtful response can actually increase trust rather than reduce it. Perfection looks suspicious. Honesty does not.
When Fake Reviews Are Most Damaging
They are most damaging when buyers are actively researching before a significant purchase. The higher the stakes, the more carefully buyers read reviews and the more alert they are to signs of manipulation. So fake reviews in high-value or high-trust categories do the most harm.
They are also particularly damaging on platforms that verify reviewers or show review history. An account created the same day as the review, or one with only one review ever, is an obvious tell. Buyers notice these things, especially when the purchase matters.
And they are damaging in any sector where word of mouth already travels fast. If a buyer in a close-knit sector suspects fake reviews, the story spreads quickly. Because the cost of warning others is low, but the impact on your reputation can be high.
Common Fake Review Mistakes
Buying reviews in bulk
A sudden cluster of five-star reviews from accounts with no history is one of the most obvious fake review signals. Buyers notice it. So do the platforms. Many review sites now actively filter or remove reviews that show this pattern. So the money spent on bulk fake reviews is not just wasted. Platforms can flag or remove the entire review profile as a result.
Asking friends and family without disclosing the relationship
A review from a friend or family member can be genuine. But you should disclose the relationship. When you do not, and a buyer later finds out, the breach of trust is significant. Also, reviews from people close to the business tend to be overly positive, vague, and lacking in specific detail. So buyers find them easy to identify and easy to dismiss.
Ignoring the reviews you already have
Many businesses focus on getting more reviews while leaving existing ones unanswered. However, an unanswered review, especially a negative one, tells a buyer that no one is paying attention. So respond to what you already have before you chase new ones. A business that engages with its reviews looks far more trustworthy than one that simply collects them.
Fake Reviews – An Example
The furniture store that bought 50 reviews and lost a buyer
A small online furniture store launches a new website and wants credibility fast. So instead of waiting for real customer reviews, they pay for 50 fake five-star reviews. Each one is short and generic: “Great product! Fast delivery!” and “Amazing! Will buy again!”
The buyer notices all 50 reviews are short and appeared in the same week. A few have poor grammar too. Instead of building trust, the fake reviews do the opposite. The buyer leaves the site and warns two friends to avoid it.
Compare that to a real one: “The oak dining table exceeded my expectations. It arrived early and was easy to assemble. The customer service team called to confirm delivery.”
That one review would have done more for the store than all fifty fake ones combined.
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