Fake reviews crackdown

I scored 5/5 or 100%.

Only 5 questions.

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So it turns out that I can spot fake reviews but I canā€™t count! I knew I had full marks but just assumed it was 10 as it was a few weeks ago. :slight_smile:

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Congratulations. You still scored 100%.

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An article regarding fake online reviews.

I wonā€™t hold my breath waiting for the ACCC to actually do anything based on their abysmal performance in the areas they already have powers to deal with.

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Another article regarding Google being taken to task for publishing fake customers reviews.

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I think Google reviews (and similar websites) are a concern to any business as they can be made without any proof of services being engaged/products purchased. Accounts can be set up anonymously with account names using aliases. This is an issue when more and more consumers use reviews when making purchase decisions.

Unproven/non-existent purchases opens reviews to abuseā€¦fake positive reviews and fake negative reviews.

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Does Google care?

4.8 billion reasons not to care too greatly.

Or at least $4.8B Australian turn over reported by Google. Tax for the year, $26.5M. :roll_eyes:

How come, when Google takes an estimated 53% of the Australian $8.8B annual digital advertising spend.

Iā€™m not sure which of the prior numbers to be most in awe of? All of them perhaps. :flushed:

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Another reason I have stopped using google for anything except google earth (The Spratley Islands are very revealing) and youtube. I donā€™t even have my old gmail addresses, I had to create a new one for YT, but I donā€™t use it. Google knows way too much about me and the things I like. As does facebook.

I donā€™t mind Productreview.com.au but there are some companies which pay for good reviews. I reckon 5000 5 star reviews for one product has got to be a bit sus.

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While doing my annual shop for car insurance there is a particular company with uniquely good reviews on productreview, over weighted with 5-stars. After a few minutes of sleuthing and a quote my conclusion was they are all or virtually all real reviews BUT some background exposes the reviews value:

  • the quote was the lowest by about $100; Very Sharp pricing!
  • the underwriter seems to have a different history of claims handling for car insurance than for at least one of its other insurances where payout is subject to a binary event (death). Marketing seems to wilfully imply the former is as good as the latter even though there is no evidence of it.
  • virtually none of the reviews were by customers who have made claims, and those reviews are hideously difficult to find; I found some elsewhere.
  • the majority of reviews were very recent new policy holders
  • the company appears to encourage reviews immediately after buying a policy

Typical comments from over 1,500 reviews are ā€˜premium was excellent, great value, sign up easy, all questions answered quickly, guided through purchase processā€™. I would have been more impressed by a handful of reviews stating how well their claims went. From other forums I found the underwriter tries to assign proportionate blame to ā€˜adjustā€™ a claim. Looking at their PDS I could see those words that would not have been so obvious without doing the homework.

Not fake reviews per se, but worthless reviews in my opinion. Once upon a time productreview had a filter on insurance products for whether claims were made, but they removed that option.

It is not just fake reviews, it is solicited and essentially managed reviews, even when not paid for. (BTW, productreview asks if a reviewer is being paid and knocks back those who answer yes - no evidence they check on the noā€™s).

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I submit reviews there, sometimes, bth good and bad. Iā€™ve only once submitted shortly after purchase, and have updated those reviews as time has worn on. Mine tend to be quite wordy :slight_smile:

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An article regarding bad reviews being posted for a new Byron Bay restaurant before it has even opened.

What disgusting cowardly grubs.

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youā€™ve just got to love reviews (of which there are many) where people pull their product out of the box, say they are happy that it arrived on time and they are happy/looking forward to trying it out.
Itā€™s not a bloody review!
There are hundreds, if not thousands, and if they were ā€œrealā€ they still just waste space. Are there so many people that are just glad that something has arrived?

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I agree. And the weight given to trivial reviews is that same as that given to more thorough or salient reviews, wrt star ratings.

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The media is revisiting fake reviews, so included here as a bump.

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This conversation can be continued in this new thread.