Consumer Reviews

Consumer reviews are comments, ratings, star scores and photographs shared by consumers about a product, service or seller. As one of the most effective ways of building trust in online shopping, they are also one of the areas most exposed to manipulation.

The Guidelines

At its meeting on 12.09.2023, the Advertising Board adopted the Guidelines on Consumer Reviews as a principle decision, and the Guidelines were published on 18.09.2023. They cover sellers, intermediary service providers (marketplaces) and review platforms.

Key Rules

• Verifying genuine buyers: Marketplaces and sellers that allow reviews must verify that reviews are written by people who actually bought the product or service.
• Ban on fake reviews: Agreeing with or engaging third parties to post reviews that do not reflect reality in order to boost demand is prohibited. Company employees posting as independent consumers may also amount to covert advertising and an unfair commercial practice.
• Ban on selective publication: Publishing only positive reviews or hiding negative ones misleads consumers. The criteria by which reviews are published or removed should be disclosed.
• Incentivised reviews: Reviews obtained in return for discounts, gifts or points should not be published without clearly disclosing this.
• Use in other media: Using online reviews for advertising in media such as television, brochures or magazines is subject to the conditions in the Guidelines.

Why It Matters

Ratings and expressions such as “most liked” directly influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. Both sellers and marketplaces may face Advertising Board sanctions for fake or manipulated reviews. For a detailed assessment of the Guidelines, see The Guide on Consumer Reviews Has Been Published.