According to research by the European Commission and Consumer Protection Cooperation, almost two-thirds of online shops and platforms triggered doubts about the reliability of consumer reviews.

This conclusion was made with the help of the Market Monitoring Survey. It showed that the consumer often relies on product reviews. For example, 71% of consumers consider reviews as important when booking holiday accommodation. However, 144 platforms out of 223 show unreliable feedback: on 104 websites, the buyer is not informed how the reviews were collected; only 84 verified websites show reviews properly, while the rest have them in screenshots in their legal terms and conditions.

According to the study, 55% of websites viewed violate the Unfair Commerce Practices Directive. Starting May 28, websites promoting their product through fake reviews will be banned to protect the customers.

via ecommercenews.eu