German consumer lawyers have given online portals and internet shops poor marks when it comes to proving the authenticity of user reviews. According to the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), 27 of the 30 surveyed websites fall short on this point and “have not or insufficiently implemented the applicable information requirements,” a statement said on Tuesday.
The vzbv investigated portals such as Amazon, Zalando and Ebay, but also app shops and the websites of Ikea and Obi, which are also active in Austria. The websites of a number of German supermarkets were examined for this purpose.
Since the end of May last year, providers must indicate whether and how they ensure that reviews actually come from customers who have actually purchased the product or service. This serves to protect against fake reviews and the ability to make an informed purchasing decision.
Only three of the 30 providers without violations
But only three of the investigated providers did not appear to have violated the investigated rules, the vzbv explains. For all others, it was unclear, among other things, which specific products and services the assessments related to, information was missing directly on the site of the assessment, or the information for checking the authenticity of the assessments was insufficient. The vzbv has issued warnings in a few cases and is also investigating the imposition of a writ of execution.
The vzbv also criticized the ability to mark reviews on websites as “helpful”. This could “indirectly influence” the ratings and ultimately manipulate the consumer’s purchasing decision.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
