According to Trustpilot, evidence was discovered indicating that certain companies had tried to manipulate its system, and it declared a “zero tolerance” stance towards such practices. The Times reported on 22 March 2019 that estate agencies Purplebricks and Foxtons were “gaming” feedback on Trustpilot by making payments to improve their ratings. Fake reviews for Bizzyloans were displayed on Trustpilot; however, after KwikChex, an online investigation firm, exposed them, they were subsequently removed. Trustpilot asserts that it aims to include only authentic reviews. Research from independent sources indicates that platforms such as Trustpilot may host fake reviews, which has sparked debate regarding their authenticity and the management of complaints by the company.
With that level of influence, fake reviews don’t just mislead individual shoppers, they distort market dynamics, making it difficult for legitimate businesses to compete. Throughout the rulemaking process, we engaged with the FTC to share our insights and we were cited 27 times in the final ruling. But how many can honestly claim a similar rating.solutions understanding of their obligations around consumer reviews? “If these tech companies are so committed to eliminating review fraud on their platforms, why is it that I, one individual who works with no automation, can find hundreds or even thousands of fake reviews on any given day? The companies say their technology has blocked or removed a huge swath of suspect reviews and suspicious accounts.
Or the content is plainly defamatory but Trustpilot’s guideline process is not the forum that resolves a contested question of fact. Trustpilot may decide a borderline review stays because it cannot, on the face of it, tell a fake from a thin-but-genuine complaint — and you cannot make it act by re-flagging the same review repeatedly. These are different doors, and people who lose time usually walked through the wrong one — replying publicly to a review they should have flagged, or flagging a review they should have escalated as defamation.
Gamers using AI to put popular titles like Halo and GTA online for free — as companies scramble to shut them down
In practice, this means the companies most invested in their online reputation—often those who pay—have more powerful tools to manage and optimize their presence. Trustpilot artificially force your rating down, whilst aggressively encouraging to upgrade to premium tools to ‘help’ manage your reputation. And Trustpilot automatically blocked it, claiming they don’t believe it’s real. “With the recent rise in consumer adoption of AI tools, Yelp has significantly invested in methods to better detect and mitigate such content on our platform,” the company said in a statement.
Protecting consumers and businesses from harmful or illegal content and fake reviews is vital for maintaining the integrity of our platform. This approach ensures that businesses with fewer reviews start with a balanced TrustScore. We also allow consumers and businesses to flag reviews they think are suspicious. Everyone can share their experiences on Trustpilot whenever they choose. As an open and independent platform, we play a crucial role in establishing trust between consumers and businesses. We are committed to being relevant and useful to consumers and businesses.
Human Content Integrity Team
The most reliable alternative is a review platform that uses processor-attested verification, where each review is matched to a transaction record from an independent payment processor (like Stripe), not from the merchant. For businesses, the best strategy is to collect verified reviews (with actual purchase proof) that can be displayed across both platforms. Google Reviews has wider reach and integrates with Google Maps and Search, making it more visible, but its verification is even weaker.
How is Trustpilot different from Google reviews for fake review removal?
A fake, a competitor planting one-stars, a defamatory false claim, those can come down. Trustpilot says it introduced new AI tools in 2024 to analyze reviews at scale and detect guideline violations. Before anything else, fix the evidence — free tools preserve the page (screenshot + hashes, emailed in ~2 min)→ find the host’s abuse contact→ Run honestly, these steps clear a meaningful share of clearly-fake content — the openness that lets fakes in also means Trustpilot has a real interest in removing provable fabrications. A review can sit in more than one box — a competitor plant that also asserts a false criminal allegation is both fake and defamatory — and that overlap is exactly where a counsel-filed route has the most leverage, because it can run the platform flag and the legal claim in parallel.
Responding Publicly While You Wait
The pricing plan for Birdeye starts at $299/month, which can be a bit steep for small businesses. Overall, it is ideal for businesses and agencies of all sizes, whether they are just starting out or already managing reviews for a multi-location business. The best part is that its pricing plans start as low as $25.5/month, making it an affordable choice for small and growing businesses.
Critical reviews cannot be deleted by businesses simply because they are unfavorable. Trustpilot mandates that companies send review requests fairly, ensuring every customer, whether satisfied or dissatisfied, has an equal opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences. This implies that crafting or purchasing fraudulent reviews that do not reflect a real customer experience is strictly forbidden.
A notable percentage of flagging requests is rejected by Trustpilot, including some for reviews that appear evidently dubious. Every potential customer will be able to read the reviews before the decision to flag is finalized. If your initial flagging attempt is denied, you can directly reach out to Trustpilot’s business support team for escalation rather than re-flagging the same review. If you have not yet claimed your profile on Trustpilot, you should do that first at business.trustpilot.com. The flagging process operates through your Trustpilot Business account. A clear understanding of what constitutes a valid flag leads to better results than indiscriminately flagging reviews.
Verification through processor attestation (Level 4 on the verification scale) links each review to a completed charge via Stripe. Trustpilot offers paid plans that begin at $99 for the Starter plan, $319 for Plus, and $799 for Premium per month, billed annually, while the Enterprise option requires a quote (Trustpilot pricing). The platform allows companies to publicly respond to reviews and flag any that breach its guidelines. Not all fraudulent reviews are easily identifiable, but many exhibit recognizable patterns.
Fake reviews have become a business, with companies dedicated to selling positive or negative feedback online. In many cases, KwikChex said it had discovered the scam companies using cloned websites and counterfeit certificates. According to the report, scammers are deploying networks of fake reviewers, who leave glowing endorsements for multiple linked companies while attacking rivals. Suspected scam investment companies are exploiting Trustpilot’s review system by giving themselves five-star ratings to persuade would-be investors that they are legitimate businesses, a report has warned. Scammers deploy networks of fake reviewers who leave glowing endorsements for companies while attacking rivals, the report says. For businesses, short-term gains from inflated scores or filtered praise may hurt long-term credibility.
