New Guidelines on Fake Online Reviews: How They Will Benefit You & Other Consumers
Last week, the Department of Consumer Affairs issued its new set of guidelines (rules) for fake reviews and ratings of eCommerce websites. These new rules will apply to websites offering tour and travel services, consumer durables, and restaurants.
Here are the new rules on fake reviews and ratings on online websites.
New Fake Reviews and Ratings Guidelines Overview
On November 21, 2022, the Department of Consumer Affairs announced its new standards after setting up its committee to check fake reviews on June 10.
The new guidelines are IS 19000:2022 under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS); the respective platform can moderate the given reviews to filter fake and biased product reviews. It also says that the reviews published on the platform should contain their publishing date and rating.
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According to these new guidelines, the users will not be able to edit their reviews once they post their service or product buying experience. Moreover, the consumer willing to review will have to provide their contact information and will also have to accept the terms and conditions.
Furthermore, if your website is found to be taking fake reviews, it will have to pay a respective penalty under unfair trading practices. Some well-known sites like Zomato, Reliance Retail, and many other big companies fall under this new guideline issued by the Government of India.
Now you may be thinking, “what is a fake review.”
Fake reviews are those written by people who did not purchase the product but still gave their reviews for monetary or other benefits. This act may happen to manipulate the brand’s reputation or harm the competitor’s image.
So, how the new guidelines on fake online reviews will benefit consumers.
The reviews provided by real consumers in the form of text, ratings, and short videos, help new buyers of the same product or services to know better. These reviews not only help brands to get better sales but also assists new consumers in deciding if the product is worth its value.
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Most of us check reviews first before buying any product online. However, there are various incidents where fake reviewers review the product without using or buying it. Later it influences new buyers to purchase the same product without consuming real insights from real buyers, which often causes dissatisfaction with purchased products. In short, fake reviews mislead new or other consumers into spending their money on the listed product.
With the complete implementation of new guidelines, fake reviews would be removed, allowing consumers to get a clear picture of the selected product or services and make a better buying decision. It will also encourage brands to work on their product and services along with customer service to give a better customer experience instead of just putting their money on fake reviews.
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