Fake reviews - Which? investigation

Do you use online customer reviews? Have you ever spotted a fake review? Customer reviews can be invaluable in helping you choose what to buy. In a Which? survey of more than 2,000 UK adults, 97% told us they use online customer reviews when researching a product. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) estimates that £23 billion a year of UK consumer spending is influenced by online customer reviews (CMA). But our research shows that fake reviews can have a detrimental effect on consumers. While 90% of people have heard of fake reviews, only 61% were concerned by them. However, 31% of people told us they had bought a product because of excellent customer scores and had been disappointed by it. How to spot a fake review - Check the balance of overall ratings - if they’re all five stars or one star, this could be a red flag. - Delve deeper and read the reviews - look out for any huge differences of opinion on key features. - Click on some reviewers and check their review history. See whether they give everything five stars. For more tips and our full investigation, visit https://ift.tt/2NR6n5L. Which?: http://www.which.co.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/whichuk Facebook: https://ift.tt/1fAOmna